know that he
himself had been concerned in the wreck.

In a moment he returned to Arima. "I'll have to have those papers," he
said.

Silently the Japanese reached within his coat and drew out the papers. He
held them up for Orme to take.

"You have me beat," he said. "Spirit told me I must fail."

A picture of the scene in Madame Alia's rooms came to Orme; the darkness
broken only by a pinpoint of gaslight; the floating, ghostly forms; the
circle of awed believers, with the two Japanese, intent as children.

The medium's work for him had not ended when she helped him to escape.
Mentally he redoubled his thanks to her, for she had so impressed the
fatalistic mind of Arima that he gave the papers over without making
necessary a final struggle.

By the size and shape of the papers Orme recognized them. Nevertheless,
to make sure that he was not being deceived; he slid his hands over
Arima's coat, and felt in the pockets. He found nothing that resembled
the papers he had, so he thrust them into his own pocket.

He now took out his watch. There was not enough light to see what time it
was, and he ran his fingers over the dial, as he had done during that
time of imprisonment, earlier in the evening. As nearly as he could tell
it was ten minutes past nine. He could hardly believe that it was so
early.

With a final, "Take it easy," to Arima, Orme now started down the road
toward the lights of a house, a quarter of a mile ahead.

He had it in mind to examine the papers, to find a clue to the name of
the girl's father. The sentiment which had led him to refuse her offer to
tell him everything must now be neglected. There might still be time to
deliver the papers before midnight, but he did not dare delay.

For one thing, he had only the haziest notion as to his whereabouts.
Obviously he was somewhere west of Evanston, but that meant little in an
unfamiliar country. He would have to find some conveyance.

Not altogether without sympathy for his fallen enemy, he nevertheless
felt that Arima had received no more than he deserved. There had been no
hesitation about the different attacks made upon himself. He had provoked
no assault unless by the fact that he had the marked bill in his
possession. But the calmness with which Arima had endured his final
defeat aroused admiration. After all, the Japanese had merely acted under
orders. And now Orme's first thought was to get help for him.

He came to the lights he had seen