d up at twelve-thirty to know if
you were going to Arradale with them."

The golfing engagement! Orme had not even thought of it since the evening
before.

"Anything else?"

"Yes, sir. A Japanese came about one o'clock. He left no name."

"The same man who came last evening?"

"No, sir, an older man."

The Japanese minister had doubtless gone straight from Arima's apartment
to the Pere Marquette. "Anything else?" asked Orme.

"There was a 'phone call for you about eleven o'clock. The party left no
name."

"A woman's voice?"

"Yes, sir. She said: 'Tell Mr. Orme that I shall not be able to call him
up at noon, but will try to do so as near two o'clock as possible.'"

"Did she call up again at two?"

"No, sir. There's no record of it."

Orme understood. In the interval after her attempt to reach him she had
learned at Arima's of his seeming treachery. "Very well," he said to the
clerk, and hung up the receiver.

What should he do now? The girl had given him up. He did not know her
name or where to find her, and yet find her he must and that within the
next few hours. The unquestionably great importance of the papers in his
pocket had begun to weigh on him heavily. He was tempted to take them
out, there in the telephone-booth, and examine them for a clue. The
circumstances justified him.

But--he had promised the girl! Stronger than his curiosity, stronger
almost than his wish to deliver the papers, was his desire to keep that
promise. It may have been foolish, quixotic; but he resolved to continue
as he had begun. "At ten o'clock," he said to himself, "if I have not
found her, I will look at the papers or go to the police--do whatever is
necessary." He did not like to break promises or miss engagements.

There was his engagement with the Wallinghams. It had absolutely gone
from his mind. Bessie would forgive him, of course. She was a sensible
little woman, and she would know that his failure to appear was due to
something unavoidable and important, but Orme's conscience bothered him a
little because he had not, before setting out that morning, telephoned to
her that he might be detained.

Bessie Wallingham! She knew the girl! Why had he not thought of that
before?

He got the Wallinghams' number. Were they at home? No, they had gone to
Arradale and would probably remain until the last evening train. He rang
off.

It remained to try Arradale. After some delay, he got the clubhouse. Mrs.
Wallingham?