The Delta independent., 1910-08-26

"i, Too7 Has-Anybody Eise-~
trouble. II had been smuggled in to
him in some way. You might get
me some "baccy."' he said, thrusting
the bill through the bars and grinning.
Now l understood what was going
on. reached for the bill, as though
1t were intended for me. but Mr.. Po-
ritol was quicker. He snatched the
bill and put it in his pocket
Il didn't know what to do. But
suddenly Mr.. Poritol seemed to be
frightened. Perhaps he thought that
would have him arrested. though he
might have known that there were
reasons why ! couldn't He gave me
a panicky look and rushed out of the
corridor Afterward learned that
he told the guard had sent him on
an errand
'Well'-she sighed-"of course.
followed. after last glance at Walsh.
who was peering through the grating
with look OF evil amusement He
must have been well paid. that
burglar. But then" she unused, they
could afford it-yes. they could well
afford 1t
When ! got to the street, Poritol
was just disappearing in my car,
can only think that he had lost his
head very completely, for he didn't
need to take the car. He could have
mixed with the street crowd and gone
a-foot to the hotel where"
"Alcatrante?"
Yes. Mr.. AIcatrante-where he was
stopping. and have waited there. But
Mr.. Alcatrante was playing golf at
Wheaton. and Mr.. Poritoi- seems to
have thought that he must 20 straight
to him. lie cannot escape from being
! spectacular, you see.
He ran out through the western
suburbs, putting on more and more
speed. Meantime ! set a detective on
the track OF the car That is how l
learned what l am now telling you.
As for the car. Mr.. Poritol sent II back
to me this morning with a hired chauf-
feur. He wrote a note of abject apol-
ogy. saying that he had been beside
himself and had not realized what he
was doing
After setting the detective at
work, went out to our place by train.
] dreaded confessing my failure to IA
ther. but he took II very well. We
had dinner together in his study.
Maku was in the room while we were
talking. Now l can see why Maku
disappeared after dinner and did not
return"
But how did Poritol lose the bil?"
asked Orme
The girl laughed. 1T was really
ridiculous. He over-speeded and was
caught by one of those roadside motor
car traps, 10 or IL miles out in the
country. They timed him. and stopped
him by bar across the road From
what the detective says. Judge he
was frightened almost to speechless-
ness. He may have thought that he
was being arrested for stealing the
car. When they dragged him before
the country justice, who was sitting
under a tree near by. he was white
and trembling.
They fined him $40 He had in his
pocket only $11.63. and the marked
bill was nearly half the sum. He
begged them to let him go-offered
them his watch. his ring. his scarf
pin-but the Justice insisted on cash.
a.
formula on 1t that was valuable to
him and no one else.
The justice was obdurate, and MT
Poritol finally hit on the device which
you have seen. 1t fitted In well with
his sense OF the theatrical; and the
detective says that there was not a
scrap OF paper at hand. The point
was that Mr.. Poritol was more afraid
of delay than anything else. He knew
that would put some one on his
track"
when did all this happen!" asked
Orme.
Yesterday afternoon. Mr.. Poritol
came back to Chicago by trolley and
got some money. He went back to
the country justice and discovered that
the marked bill had been paid out.
He has followed It through several
persons to you. just as Maku did.
and as ! have done. But | heard
nothing of the Japanese"
You shouldn't have attempted this
alone said Orme, solicitously.
She smiled family. Il dared not let
anyone into the secret l was afraid
that a detective might learn too
much" She sighed wearily. Il have
been ON the trail since morning"
And how did you finally get my ad.
| ArAsaV"