The Huttig news., 1910-10-29

suspicion of pursuit, though his somewhat indeterminate profile. as visible to Orme. gave no indication of any feeling at all. So Orme stood where he could watch without seem ing to watch. and puzzled over the problem of following Maku from the car without attracting attention.
 The refusal of the other Japanese to accept the girls offer of money for the papers had given Orme a new idea of the importance of the quest. Maku and his friend must be Japanese gov ernment agents-just as Poritol and Alcatrante were unquestionably acting for their government This, at least, was the most probable explanation that entered Orme's mind. The syndi- cate. then-or concession, or what. ever it was-must be of genuine inter national significance.
 Though Orme continued to smother his curious questionings as to the meaning of the secret, he could no Ignore his general surmises. To pu his confidence in the girl-to act fol her and for her alone-that wal enough for him. but 1t added to bis happiness to think that she might be leading him into an affair which was greater than any mere tangle of pri vate interests. He knew. too, that. upon the mesh of private interests. public interests are usually woven. The activity of a Russian syndi. cate in Korea had been the more or less direct cause of the Russo Japanese war; the activity of rival American syndicates In Vene- zuela had been. but a few years before. productive of serious in ternational complications. In the present instance, both South Ameri- cans and Japanese were interested. But Orme knew in his soul that there could be nothing unworthy in any action in which the girl took part. She would not only do nothing un- worthy; she would understand the sit nation clearly enough to know wheth- CT the course which offered itself to her was worthy or not.
 Tn events such as she had that night faced with him. any other girl moments of weakness. impatience, or fear But to her belonged calm which came from clear perception of the comparative unimportance of pet ty incident She was strong. not as a man is strong. but in the way a wom- an should be strong.
 The blood went to his cheeks as he remembered how tenderly he had spoken to her in the boat, and how plain he had made his desire for her. What should he call his feeling? Did love come to men as suddenly as this? She had not rebuked him there was that much to be thankful for; and she must have known that his words were as involuntary as his action in touching her shoulder with his hand.
 But how could she have rebuked him? She was in a way, indebted to him. The thought troubled him Had he unintentionally taken advantage of her gratitude by showing affection when she wished no more than com radeship? And had she gently said nothing, because he had done some thing for her? If her patience with him were thus to be explained, it must have been based upon her recog. nition of his uncousc;ousness.
 Still. the more he pondered, the more clearly he saw that she was not ? girl who. under the spell of friendly good will would permit false situa- ton to exist. Her sincerity was too deep for such a glossing of fact. He dared assume. then. that her sym pathy with him went even so far as to accept his attitude when it was shade more than friendly.
 More than friendly! Like white light, the truth flashed upon him as he stood there on the rocking platform of the car. He and she would have to be more than friendlyi He had never seen her until that day. He did not even know her name. But all his life belonged to her, and would belong to h9r forever. The miracle which had