The Huttig news., 1910-11-12
"Thank von :. said nrmo ua man.ea

Thank you" said Orme. He walked out to the street, whence backward glance showed him the woman again concealed in her newspaper.
 At one side of the shop he found 1T q entrance to a flight of stairs which led to the floors above In the litt'e hall way. just before the narrow ascent he. gan, was row of electric buttons and names, and under each of them a mai! box "3a" had card on which was printed:
 Arima, Teacher of Original Kama
 Jiu-Jitsu"
 Should he go boldly up and present himself as a prospective punil2 If Arima were the one who had so ef- fectively thrown him the night before he would certainly remember the man he had thrown and would promptly be on Eis guard. Also. the woman n the shop had said, you are one Of the gentlemen he was expectin,." Others were coming.
 Prudence suggested that he cen ceal himself in an entry across the street and keep an eye out for the persons who were coming to visit Ari- ma. He assumed that their coming had something to do with the stolen parer. But he had no way of know ing who the athletes guests would be. There might be no one among them whom he could recognize. And even II he saw them all go in, how would his own purpose be served by merely watching them? In time. no doubt. they would all come out again. and one of them would have the parers in his possession. and Orme would not know which one.
 For all he was aware, some of the guests had already arrived They might even now be gathering with eager eyes about the unfolded docu. ments. No, Orme realized that his place was not on the sidewalk. By some means he must get where he could discover what was going xa in the front fiat on the third floor. Stand. ing where he now was there was mo- mentary danger of being discovered by persons who would guess why he was there. Maku might come.
 Orme looked to see who lived in Ia, the fiat above the Japanese. The card bore the name:
 Madam Alia. Clairvoyant and Trance
 Medium"
 T think I will have my fortune told" muttered Orme. as he pressed Madam Alias bell and started LID the stairs.
 At the ton of the second flight he looked to the entrance of the frent apartment. It had large square of ground glass. with the name "Arima" in black letters. He continued up. ward another flight and presently found himself before two blank doors -one at the front and one little at one side. The side door opened slowly in response to his knock.
 Before him stood blowsy but not altogether unprepossessing woman of middle years. She wore a eheap print gown. A gipsy scarf was thrown over her head and shoulders. and her ears held loon earrings. Her inquiring glance at Orme was not unmixed with suspicion.
 Madam Alia?" inquired orme.
 She nodded and stood aside for him to enter. He passed into a cheap lit. tie reception hall which looked out on the street. and then. at her silent direction went through a door at one side and found himself in the me dium's sarctum.
 The one window gave on dimly lighted narrow space which apparently had been cut in from the back of the building. Through the dusty glass he could see the railing of a fire-escape platform, and cutting diagonally across the light, part of the stairs led to the platform above. There was a closed ioor. which apparently opened into the outer hall. In the room were dirty red hangings. two chairs. couch. and l small square center table.
 Madam Alia had already seated her self at the table and was shuffing pack of cards "F'ifty-cent reading?" sHt dSktu. dS Ht tOOh the thdii tppV site her
 Orme nodded His thoughts were on he window and the fire escape. and he hardly heard her nonotonous sen :ences. though he obeyed mechanically her instructions to cut and shuttle.
 You are about to engage in new business" she was saying. You will be successful. but there will be some trouble about dark man. Look out for him. He talks fair. but he means mischief.-There is a woman, too.- This man will try to prejudice her against you" And all the time Orme vas saying to himself. How can I per suade her to let me use the fire es cape?"
 Suddenly he was conscious that the woman had ceased speaking and was running the cards through her fingers and looking at him searchingly You are not listening" she said, as he met her gaze.
 He smiled apologetically "I know 1 was preoccupied."
 "l can't help you if you don't listen
 Orme inferred that she took pride in her work. He sighed. and looked