blicity or no publicity," he said,
"unless this annoyance stops, I will have you arrested."

Alcatrante smiled. "That would not pay, Mr. Orme. There would be
counter-charges and you would be much delayed--perhaps even till after
midnight to-night. You Americans do not know how to play at diplomacy,
Mr. Orme."

Controlling himself, Orme hurried quickly to the nearest elevator. He had
timed his action; the starter was just about to close the door as he
hurried in. But quick though he was, Alcatrante was close behind him. The
agile South American squeezed into the elevator by so close a margin that
the door caught his coat.

"Here! What you tryin' to do?" shouted the starter.

Alcatrante, pressing in against Orme, did not reply.

The starter jerked the door open, and glared at Alcatrante. The steady
and undisturbed eye of the minister had its effect, and after a moment of
hesitation the starter banged the door shut and gave the signal and the
car leaped upward.

Tom Wallingham's office was on the eighth floor. Though he knew that
Alcatrante would cling to him, Orme could think of nothing better to do
than to go straight to the office and count on the assistance of Bixby,
who would certainly remember him. Accordingly he called out "Eight!" and,
ignoring Alcatrante, left the elevator and walked down the hall, the
South American at his elbow.

They passed a long series of doors, the glass panels of which were
inscribed, "The Wallingham Company--Private," with index-fingers pointing
the direction of the main entrance. This was the Chicago branch of the
great New York Corporation, and Thomas Wallingham, senior, had placed his
son in charge of it two years before. The business was the manufacturing
of refrigerators. One side of the reception-room which Orme entered
hurriedly, Alcatrante still beside him, was given over to a large
specimen refrigerator chamber, built in with glistening white tiles. The
massive door, three feet thick, was wide open, showing the spotless inner
chamber. In the outer wall was a thermometer dial fully a foot in
diameter.

Once inside the reception-room, Orme stopped and looked again at
Alcatrante. There was menace in the look, but the South American did not
flinch. Indeed, the glance which met his own seemed to Orme to be
disarmingly good-natured. Its essence was a humorous recognition that the
situation had its ridiculous side.

But Orme, knowing that much was at stake, did not for an inst