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About The Plattsmouth journal. (Plattsmouth, Nebraska) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 23, 1911)
TEeGh and the uwiruster UIJTfflTOM DY mi 4 1 RAY WALTtm CHAPTER VI. A Chance Lead. To follow the girl's suggestion and return at once to Chicago was Orme's Intention when he said good-night to her. The hour was close to midnight, and the evening had been crowded bo full with bewildering adventure that he was tired. Moreover, he looked forward to a morning that might well test Lis enduranco even more strenu ously. lie had now committed himself definitely to continue In the field against the Japanese. Except for his desire to serve this wonderful girl who had come so suddenly Into his life, he doubtless would have permit ted the mystery of the marked bill to remain unsolved. But since the recovery or tne stolen papers was so Important to her, he was prepared to run any risk In the struggle. Who was shet Dut no, that was a question she did not wish him to ask. She was simply "Girl" beautiful, ten der, comprehending his Ideal In carnate. As he stood there, hesitant, before the house Into which she had disappeared, he pictured her again even to the strand of rebellious hair which had blown across her cheek. He could discover no fault In her perfection. A man came Into view on the drive at the side of the house; a servant to care for the car, of course; and Orme, with the uneasy feeling of one who has been trespassing, moved away toward the corner of the block. He looked back, however, and saw the newcomer clamber Into the car and send It slowly up the drive. At the same time a light Illumined one of the upper windows of the house. A shadow was thrown on the curtain. Perhaps It was the girl her self. What explanation had she given her friends for appearing so late at their doorT Probably she had told them no more than that she was tired and belated. She was not the kind of girl from whom an elaborate ex planation would be asked or ex pected. Then a thought startled him. Was this, perhaps, her home? No, she had spoken of the people who lived here as her friends, and she would not have tried to keep the truth from him by subterfuge. If tb were her home and she had not wished him to know It, she would have requested him to leave her before they bad come so far. v uinuiu uyuu uiiu luui ll wuum not be hard for him to learn who lived In this house, and possibly through that knowledge to get a clue to her Identity. His heart warmed as he realized how completely she had trusted him. His assurance that lie would not try to find out who she was had satisfied her. And Orme knew that, If she had been so readily assured, It was because she had rec ognized the truth and devotion In him. With a happy sigh, he turned his back once and for all and walked rapidly away. But he did not go toward the electric-car line, which he knew must He a few blocks to the west Instead, he retraced the course they had come, for he had de cided to visit the university campus once more and try to discover what had become of Maku, and more espe cially of the other Japanese, who had secured the papers. That he would be recognized and connected with the attack on Maku, was unlikely. When he came to the corner of Sheridan road and Chicago avenue, he hesitated for a moment Should he go north through the campus and seek a trace of the Japanese who had scaped T Nearly half an hour had gone since the advoature among the trees, and the man must have got completely away by this time. Hav ing the papers, he surely would not linger to learn the fate of Maku. Orme found himself wondering how the Japanese had got to Evanston. Granting that It bad not taken them long to solve the abbreviated direc tions on the five-dollar bill, they could hardly have come by motor-car, for they had had a good half-hour start, and Orme had discovered them before their work was completed. Only on the assumption that their car had broken down on the way could Orme admit that they had used a motor-car. Moreover, hov were two Japanese, whose appearance did not Indicate the possesion of much ready money how were they likely to have a car, or even to rent one 7 And had they believed that they might be pursued T Would they not have come to Evanston by an obvious route of train or trolley t These considerations led Orme to think that the ear which he and the girl had beard In the distance could sot have been occupied by the oo antna Japan a. COM, f1AJ) CWAXt The fellow, then, had probably made for the electric-car line, and In that v " ;'v I'l-X!;., m mm mm 1 : lis a K& "There's a Rule Against Going In There After Dark." event he would be well on his way to Chicago by this time. The car he had caught must have gone southward from Evanston about 10:45. The con ductor would be likely to remember having had a Japanese on board; per haps he would even remember where the Oriental had got off. The natural course for Orme, therefore, was to take a car himself and, If he did not meet the other car returning, to get off at the car-barns and make In quiries. The possibility that the Jap anese had changed to the elevated road on the North side was great, but the conductor might remember If the rhanze had been made. , "Rut Orme dTtr not turn at once toward the car-line. Though his logic pointed in that direction, be was ir resistibly Influenced by a desire to walk eastward along the drive where It skirted the southern end of the campus. A half-hour might eo by. and still he would not be too late to meet on Its return, the car which the Japanese would have taken. He started, therefore, eastward, toward the lake, throwing frequent glances through the Iron fence at bis left and Into, the dark shadows of the oaks. He came to the lake without en countering anyone. The road here swept to the southward, and on the beach near the turn squatted the low brick building which the girl had told him was the life-saving station. A man was standing on the little veran da. His suit of duck was dimly white In the light from the near-by street lamps. "One of the crew." Orme surmised, and he sauntered slowly down the lit tle path. The beach sloped grayly to the edge of the lake, where a breakwater thrust Us blunt nose out like a stranded hulk. The water was calm, lapping the sand so gently that it was hard to believe that so gentle a murmur could ever swell Into the roar of a northeaster. A launch that was moored at the outer end of the break water lay quiet on the tldeless sur face. . "Good-evening," said Orme, as the man turned his head. "Are you on watch?" The life-saver slowly stretched. "Till 12," he answered. "Not much longer, then?" "No. thank heaven!" Orme laughed. "I suppose you do get more than you want of It," he said. "Dut on a fine night like this I should think It would be mighty pleas ant" "Not If you have to put In several hours of study after you get through." "Study?" "Yes. You see, I have a special ex amination tomorrow." "A service examination?" "Oh, no college." "Are you a student?" "All the crew are students; It helps a good deal, If you are working your way through college." Oh, I see. But surely the univer sity hasn't opened for the fall?" "No, but there are preliminary exams. lor those who have conditions to work off." Orme nodded. "It's a fine campus you have with the groves of oaks." "Yes." "Just the place for a quiet evening stroll. I thought I'd walk up the shore." "There's a rule against going In there after dark." "Is there? That's too had." "Something funny happened there Just a little while ago." "So? What was It?" Orme was getting close to the subject he moat desired to bear explained. I "Why, one of the eope was walking along th shore and be found a Jav anese, stunned." "A Japanese!" "He evidently had wandered In there and somebody had hit him over the head with a club." "Alter money?" "Probably. There've been a good many hold-ups lately. But the slug ger didn't have a chance to get any thing this time." "How so?" "He was bending over the Jap when the cop came up. He got away." "Didn't the cop chase him?" "No, the fellow had a good Btart so the cop stayed by the Jap." "And what became of the Jap?" The life-saver Jerked his head toward the door beside him. "He's In there, getting over his headache.1 "Is he?" This was a contingency which Orme had not foreseen. Nor had he any desire to come face to face with Maku. But if he betrayed his surprise, the life-saver did not notice it. "The cop Is taking another look through the campus," he continued "What does the Jap Bay about it?" asked Orme. "He doesn't say anything. It looks as though he couldn't speak English. The cop is going to get Asuki." "Asukl?" t "A Jap student who Uvea In the dormitory." "Oh," said Orme. The fact that Maku would not talk was In a measure reassuring. Ills ap parent Inability to understand Eng lish was, of course, assumed, unless, Indeed, ho was still too completely dazed by the blow which Orme had given him, to use a tongue which wus more or less strange to him. Hut what would he say If he saw Orme? Would he not accuse his assailant hoping thus to delay the pursuit of his companion? The d.Vnger was by no means slight. Orme decided quickly to get away from this neighborhood. But Just as he was about to bid the life-saver a casual good-night, two men came around the corner of the building. One was a policeman, the other a young Japanese. Orme unobtrusive ly seated himself on the edge of the little veranda. "How Is he?" asked the policeman. "All right, I guess," replied the life saver. "I looked In a few minutes ago, and he was sitting up. Hello, Asukl." "Hello, there," responded the little Japanese. "Come," said the policeman, after an unsuspicious glance at Orme, and, mounting the steps, he led his Inter preter into the station. Now, Indeed, It was time for Orme to slip away. Maku might be brought out at any moment. But Orme lingered. He was nearer to the solu tion of the secret If he kept close to Maku, and he realized, for that mat ter, that by watching Maku closely and, perhaps, following him home, he might be led Btralght to the other man. If Maku accused him, It should not, after all. be hard to laugh the charge away. A murmur of voices came from within the station, the policeman's words aloue being distinguishable. "Ask him," the policeman said, "if he knows who hit him." The undertones of a foreign Jargon followed. "Well, then," continued the police- man, 'find out where he came from and what he was doing on the campus." Again the undertones, and after ward an Interval of silence. Then the policeman spoke in an undecided voice. "If he don't know anything, I can't do anything. But we might as well get a few more facts. Something might turn up. Ask him whether he saw anybody following him when he went Into the campus." Orme bad been straining his ears in a vain endeavor to catch the words of Asukl. But suddenly his attention was diverted by a sound from the lake. It was the "puhpuh-puh-puh" of a motor-boat, apparently a little distance to the northward. The ex plosions followed one another In rapid succession. He turned to the life-saver. "What boat is that?" he asked. ' "I don't know. Some party from Chicago, probably. She came up an hour or so ago at least,. I suppose she's the same one." The explosions were now so rapid as to make almost one continuous roar. "She's a fast one, all right," com mented the life-saver. "Hear her go!" "Are there many fast boats on the lake?" "Quite a number. They run out from Chicago harbor now and then." Orme was meditating. "Exactly how long ago did this boat pass?" "Oh, an hour or more. Why?" "She seems to have been beached up north here a little way." "She may have been. Or they've been lying to out there." In Orme's mind arose a surmise that In this motor-boat Maku and his companion had come from Chicago. The surmise was so strong as lo velop quickly Into a certainty. And if the Japanese had come by this boat, it stood to reason that the one who had the papers was escaping in it He must have waited some time for Maku and, at last had pushed off to return alone. Were these Japanese acting for themselves? That did not seem pos sible. Then who was their em ployer? Orme did not puzzle long over these questions, for he bad deter .mined on a course of action. Ho spoke to tho life-saver, who appeared to b listening to tho droning coo Tersatlon which continued within too station. "The hold-up men may be in that ! boat, remarked Orme. I "Hardly." A laugh accompanied the answer. "Well, why not? She came north an hour or so ago and either was beached or lay to uotil Just now." "You may be right." Then, before Orme knew what was happening, the young man opened the door and called Into the station: "Hey, there! Your robber is escaping on that motor-boat out there." "What'B that?" The policeman strode to the door. "Don't you hear that boat out there?" asked the life saver. "Sure, I hear it" "Well, she came up from the south an hour or more ago and stopped a little north of here. Now she's go ing back. Mr. Holmes. h j" he grinned as he said It "Mr. Holmes suggests that the hold-up mau Is aboard." The reference to the famous detect ive of fiction was lost upon the po liceman. "I guess that's about it, Mr. Holmes." he said excitedly; and Orme was much relieved to note that the life-saver's humorous reference had passed for an Introduction. The po liceman would have no suspicion of him now unless Maku There was an exclamation from within the room. "What's tho mat ter?" askod tho policeman, turning in the doorway. The voice of Asukl replied: "Ho say the robber came ina bicycle not in a bout." "Put I thought he didn't see the fellow coming." "He remember now." The policeman started. "How did he know what we were talking about out here?" he demanded mm Ri'l ESS3 "Perhaps I Steered Too Far 8quth." "He understand English, but 'not speak it" replied Asuki readily. To the policeman this explanation wa3 satisfactory. Orme, of course, found In it a corroboration of his gues3. Maku evidently did not wish suspicion directed against the motor boat. The policeman reentered the sta tion, eager to avail himself of the In formation which Maku waB now dis posed to give him. Orme turned to the llfe-saverT'TLe Jap Is lying." he said. "Think so?" "Of course. If be understands Eng. Msh so well, he certainly knows how to make himself understood in it His story of the bicycle is preposter ous." "But what then?" "Doesn't it occur to you that per haps the Jap himself Is the robber? His intended victim may have got ths better of him." "Yes," said the young man doubt fully, "but the fellow ran." "That would be natural Doubt less he didn't want any notoriety. It's possible that he thought he had killed his assailant and bad an un pleasant vision of being detained In the local Jail until the affair could be cleared up." The life-saver looked at Orms searchlngly. "That sounds pretty straight," bo said at last "I guess you know what you are talking about" "Perhaps I do," said Orme quietly. "In any event I'd like to see who's in that boat out there." "There isn't a boat nearer than Chi cago that could catch her. They have run her several miles out Into the lake before turning south, or she would have been pretty close to Chi cago already. She's going fast" The roar of the motor was indeed becoming a faroft sound. "Why not telephone the Chicago po lice to Intercept her?" "There's no evidence against her," replied Orme; "only surmises." "I know, but " ' "And, as I suggested, whoever was attacked by that Jap in there may not want notoriety." Suddenly the distant explosions stopped began again stopped. Sev eral times they were renowed at short intervals "puh-puh-puh" "puh-puh" "puhpuh-puh-puh" then they ceased altogether. .: "Hello!" exclaimed the life-saver. "They've broken down." Ho picked up a pair of binocular which had been lying on the veranda near him, and scanned the surface of the lake. "Make her out?" querlod Orme. "No, she's too small, and too far off." He handed tho nlghtglais to Orme, who in turn searched the wo ter vainly. "Whose boat Is that moored to tho breakwater T" askd Orme, lowering the glass. "Belongs to a man hero In town." Would ho rent It?" "No. Cut ha lets us run It mm ta We keep an eye on It for Orme took out his watch. "It's al most 12," he said. "You'll be relieved in a few moments. Do you suppose I could persuade you to take me out to the other boat?" The live-safer hesitated. "I'd like to," he said. "But my study" "There'll be .me sport, If we get within reach of the man out there," Orme put In. "Well I'll do it though tho chances are that they will make their repairs and be off again before we come within a mile." "I'm much obliged to you," said Orme. "If you would let me make it right" "For taking you out in another man's boat? No, sir." "I know. Well my name is Orme, not Holmes." "And mine," grinned the life-saver, "Is Porter." A man turned In from the drive, and sauntered toward them. "There's my relief," said Porter. "Hello, Kelnisley." "Hello," replied the newcomer. "Just wait till I punch the clock," said Torter to Orme. "Punch the clock? Oh, I see; tho government times you." "Yes." Porter went into the station for a moment; then, returning, he ex changed a few words with the relief and led Orme down to tho breakwa ter. The launch which was moored there proved to be a sturdy bont, built for strength rather than for speed. Orme cast oft whllo Porter removed the tarpaulin from the' motor and made ready to turn tho wheel over. "Is the policeman still busy with the Jap?" Orme questioned sud denly. "Yes." "lie won't get anything out of him," said Orme "except fairy stories." Porter started the motor and stepped forward to the steering wheel. Slowly the launch pushed out into the open lake, and the lights of the shore receded. No sound had come from the dis abled boat since Its motor stopped. Doubtless It was too far off for the noise of repairs to be heard on the shore. Orme peered over the dark surface of the water, but he could era nothing except the lights of a dis tant steamer. "I know why he went out so far." remarked Porter. "He Is running without lights." "That In Itself Is suspicious, Isn't It?" Orme asked. "Why, yes, I suppose bo though people aren't always as careful as they might be. Our own lights aren'l ILxhted. you see." "Have you any clue at kll as to wnere she Is? "Only from the direction tho sounds came from Just before the ex plosions stopped. She had headway enough to slide some distance after that, and I'm allowing for It and for the currents. With the lake as it Is, she would be carried in a little." For nearly half an hour they contin ued straight out toward mid-lake. Orme noticed that there was a Blight swell. The lights of Evanston were now mere twinkling distant points, far away over the dark void of tho waters. Porter shut off the power. "Wo muBt be pretty near her," he said. They listened intently. "Perhaps I steered too far south," said Porter at last He threw on the power, and sent tho boat northward In slow, wldo circles. The . distant steamship had made progress toward the northeast bound, perhaps, for Muskegon, or ome other port on the Michigan snore. ne was a passenger steam er, appparently, for lines of portholes and deck-windows were marked by dots of light There was no other sign of hu&in presence to be seen on the lake, and Orme's glance ex pectantly wandered to her lights now and then. At last, while he was looking at It after a fruitless search of the dark ness, he was startled by a strange phenomenon. The lights of the steamer suddenly disappeared. An instant later they shone out again. With an exclamation, Orme seized the steering-wheel and swung it over to the right "There she is," be cried, and then: "Excuse me for taking the wheel that way, but I was afraid I'd lose her." "I don't see her," said Porter. "No; but something dark cut off the lfghts of that steamer. Hold her so." He let go the wheel and peered ahead. Presently they both saw a spot of blacker blackness in the night. Por ter set the motor at half-speed "Have you got a bull's-eye lantern r asked Orme in an undergone. "Yea, in that locker." Orme stooped and lighted the lan tern In the shelter of the locker. "Now run up alongside." he said. "and ask if they need help." Tho outline of the disabled boat now grew more distinct Porter swung around toward it and called: "Need help?" After a moment's wait, a voice re plied: "Yes. You tow me to Chicago. I pay you." It was a tolco which Orme recog lnzcd as that of the Japanese who had been with Maku in the attack at the Pere Marquette. - "Can't do that," answered Porter. "I'll take you In to Evanston." "No!" The tono was expostula torr. "I go to Chicago. I fix onglno pretty soon." , , . ... At this moment Orme raised bis lantern and dlreoted Ita light Into tho . ewhtle. him." otter boat. It shone Into tho blinking eyes of the Japanese, standing by tho motor. It shone Great Heaven! Was he dreaming? Orme could not believe his eyes. The light revealed the face of the one person he least expected to see for seated on a cushion at the forward ond of the cockpit was the glill To be continued. IRE IS VERY WEliJLEASED He Thinks Revision Downward Is Now Assurred. A special from Washington say that Congressman Maguire has ex pressed himself as very highly pleased with the result of the demo cratic caucus held last night. Ho said he had labored diligently with others of the same opinion since com ing here at the beginning of the ses sion, to have the next house organ ized along progressive lines and to give an assurance to the country that there would be a genuine revision oC the tariff by the appointment of & ways and means committee to go to work at once to prepare a tariff bill. The result of last night's caucus, ho said, assure us both. Ho believed that progressive senti ment and Just demands In Nebraska will be well reflected In the proposed organization. "A genuine downward tariff revis ion nnd a radical reform in the par liamentary procedure of the house are among the first demands from, Nebraska of the Incoming congresa as I interpret the sentiment," said Mr. Maguire. "The removal of the speaker from all committees and tho taking away from him of the power; to appoint committees and chairmen and to rank men on committees goes to the bottom of parliamentary re form. I believe that this Is not only the flrBt step In this direction, but It Is the most distinct advantage that has been made in a quarter of a cen tury to make tho popular legislative branch of the government a deliber ative body and to place It in a posi tion where It will bo able to reflect the popular will. I believe It Is an. excellent idea to select the ways and: means committee now so that this committee can go at once to the enor mous task before them and make a special study of the tariff schedules, have hearings and thereby assure tho country of tho good faith of this new congress. 1 believe as a whole It Is o good committee a committee that will draft a tariff bill from the point of view of the people rather than that of the special Interests. The mem bers of the committee are In general men who are in favor of a tariff for revenue system and they will begia the work of drawing up a bill with, this principle In view. With such committee tho country can reason ably expect a real genuine downward revision. At no time In recent years has the country had a better assur ance of a tariff law along revenue lines. The result of the recent elec tion leaves no doubt as to what tho people wanted then, and what they will expect now." THE LONG LOST TRUNK The trunk belonging to Miss Dal ton, which was lost during the Christ mas bustle of business, was discover ed at the Lincoln station yesterday and MIsb Dalton notified today, Tho' trunk wa staken into the station at York a day or two before Christmas, but a short time before the train left the station, and was placed by tho drayman on the baggage truck, and was loaded into the baggage cc(r without being chocked, and was un loaded at Lincoln when the baggage man on the train noticed It had no check. Miss Dalton will receive her trunk very shortly, and will no doubt be pleased to get it. I'nclo Sum Will Pay the Fremiti. Some mall order houses and tho mall order magazines which derive their support from these houses aro all supporting the "parcels post' which In our opinion Is very wrong In principle. Everyone knows there Is now a great deficit In the post of fice department, and If the parcels post is Inaugurated this deficit will simply become larger. About all there Is to the parcels post Is simply a scheme on the part of the mall order houses to get Uncle Sam to carry their goods to their patrons. while the tax payers will have to "pay the freight." Mr. Cramer, government superin tendent of construction, of Council Bluffs, was a Plabtsmouth visitor to day, looking over tho work on -the postoffice building.