The Huttig news., 1910-12-24

chamber which was built close into the corner of the office.
 Orme drove his heel against the wall The tiles did not break Then he stepped back toward the middle of the chamber.
 Where are you, Girl?' he asked.
 Here" she answered, very near him.
 He reached out and found her hand, and she did not withdraw it from his clasp.
 The rascal has locked us in," he said. I'm afraid we shall have long wait"
 Will it do any good to shout?"
 No one could hear us through these walls No, there's nothing to do but remain quiet. But you needn't stand, Girl"
 He led her to the wall. Removing his coat. he folded it and placed 1t on the floor for a cushion, and she seated herself upon it. He remained standing near by.
 The papers" he said. "are in that coat you are sitting on
 He laughed, with consciousness of the grim and terrible humor of their situation-which he hoped she had not realized Here they were, the hard sought papers in their possession. yet they were helpless even to save their own lives.
 'I wish you would shout" she said.
 Very we'll he said. and going over to the door. he called out several times with the full power of his lungs. The sound, pent in that narrow room. fairly crashed in their ears. but there was no answer from without
 Don't do it again" she said at last Then she sighed "Oh. the irony Of it,. she exclaimed
 T know" He laughed Hut don't give mp. Girl. We'll deliver those pa- pers yet
 T will not give up. she said. grave ly "P"t tell me, how did you get the papers?"
 Orme began the story of the after mons adventures.
 Why don't you sit down?" she asked
 'Why"-he stammered-''l-"
 He had been so conscious Of his the fact that the one woman in all the world was locked in here alone with him. that since he arranged her seat he had not trusted himself to be near her. And she did not seem to under stand
 She wished him to sit beside her. not knowing that he felt the almost over powering impulse to take her in his arms and crush her close to him. That desire would have been more easily controlled. had he not begun to believe that she in some degree returned his feeling for her. If they escaped from this black prison. he would rest happy in the faith that her affection for him. now, as he supposed so largely friend l ly, would ripen into glorious and compelling love. But 1t would not be right for him to presume-to take ad- vantage of a moment in which she might think that she cared for him more than she actually did Then, too, he already foresaw vaguely the possible necessity for an act which would make it best that she should not hold him too dear. So long he stood silent that she spoke again.
 Do sit down." she said "I will give you part of your coat"
 There was a tremulous note in her 1n,, I.,& h l. spoke with great seriousness When two persons understand each other as well as you and I.' she said. and are as near death as you and I. they need not be embarrassed by conventions"
 We never have been very con- ventional with each other" he replied. shakily. Her shoulder was against his. He could hear her breathing
 Now tell me the rest of the story
 First l must change your notion that we are near death"
 He could feel that she was looking at him in the blackness. Don't you think I know?" she whispered. They will not find us until tomorrow. There isn't air enough to last l have known 1t from the first"
 Some one will open the door," he replied. We may have to stay here quite a while. but
 No, my friend. There Is no likeli- hood that it will be opened The clerks are leaving for the night"
 He was silent
 So finish the story she went on.
 Finish the story" That was all that he could do
 Finish the story" His story and hers-only just begun, and now to end there in the dark.
 But with a calmness as great as her own, he proceeded to tell all that had happened to him since he boarded the electric car at Evanston and saw Maku sitting within. She pressed his hand gently when he described the trick by which the Japanese had brought the pursuit to an end. She laughed when he came to the meeting with the de- tective in his apartment. The episode with Madam Alia he passed over lightly. for part of it ranked now. Not that he blamed himself foolishly; but he wished that it had not happened
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