Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1911-02-02

to her; but he did not see how she was
to rid him Of the watchful Japanese.
There's just n thing" he whis-
pered. Whatever is done, will have
to be done without help from outside.
This is not a matter for the police"
II understand. Why can't you Just
leave it to me? I don't believe you
trust me a little Bit"
But I do" he protested. Il am abb
solutely in your hands,"
He heard her sigh family. "Tm
going to put down the window now"
she said. st amt safe for me to stand
here talking to you unless l do. That
Arima fellow might pop up the fire
escape any time"
She was back In a few moments. He
had heard the window creak down, and
slipped past him in the closet, and he
had wondered whether the action
would add to Arima's suspicion.
IF he comes up now," she explained
in an undertone, "the glare on the out
side of the window will keep him from
seeing IN very plaln.'
After that she did not speak for
some time, but the occasional move
ments of her body, as she leaned
against the panel, were audible to
Orme. He found himself wondering
about her-how she had happened to
take up the career Of ,fortune-telling
She must have been a handsome
woman; even now she was not unat-
tractive.
The delay grew more and more irk-
some. 1t seemed to Orme as though
he had been behind the panel for
hours. After a while he asked;
What time Is it?"
About two o'clock. Amt you
hungry?"
Orme laughed softly. 81 hadn't
thought about It,"
WAT a minute" She moved away
When she returned she pulled up the
hanging and opened the panel. In he1
hand was a thick sandwich.
Il was just going to eat my owl
lunch when you came back through
the window" she explained.
He took the sandwich. She looked
at him boldly. He was standing close
to her in the opening. There was al
expression that was almost defiant II
her eyes,. 81 want my present"
"You shall have 1t, Madam Alia," hi
said.
You amt my kind-and it won
make no difference to you" Her voice
faltered and her eyes dropped. II wan
you to kiss me-"
Orme looked at her, and understood
He put his arms around her and kissed
her gently on the lips. There was NJ
~disloyalty In 1t. He was simply salts
flying the craving of this poor woman,
soul-a craving for a tribute to which
she could always revert as the symbo
of a high friendliness. She felt tina
he was of a different world; he knew
that the world was all one, though par
, titioned off by artificial barriers, bu
he could not correct her view.
She chung to him for a moment afte
his lips left hers, then released hersel
from his clasp and moved back int
the room, her face averted. Was 1t tt
hide a blush? Orme did not ask him
self, but respecting her reticence o.
spirit, silently closed the panel anG
was again in darkness.
For a time he stood there quietly
His back was against the wall-his
hands easily touched the paneling thai
shut him off from the room. He won
dered what this secret place was for
and taking a match from his pocket he
lighted it.
The Enclosure seemed to extend al
the way across the side of the room
Farther along, lying on the floor and
standing against the wall, were contri
vances of which at first he could make
nothing-poles, pieces of tin, and
were those masks, heaped in the cor.
ner? From a row of pegs hung long
robes-white and BLACK.
The truth flashed into Orme's mind.
He was in Madam Alias ghost closet!