here that point is?"

"It's the basis of my compromise."

Orde began softly to laugh. "Newmark, you're as clever as the devil,"
said he. "But aren't you afraid to lay out your cards this way?"

"Not with you," replied Newmark, boldly; "with anybody else on earth,
yes. With you, no."

Orde continued to laugh, still in the low undertone.

"The worst of it is, I believe you're right," said he at last. "You have
the thing sized up; and there isn't a flaw in your reasoning. I always
said that you were the brains of this concern. If it were not for one
thing, I'd compromise sure; and that one thing was beyond your power to
foresee."

He paused. Newmark's eyes half-closed again, in a quick darting effort
of his brain to run back over all the elements of the game he was
playing. Orde waited in patience for him to speak.

"What is it?" asked Newmark at last. "Heinzman died of smallpox at four
o'clock this afternoon," said Orde.

XLVIII

Newmark did not alter his attitude nor his expression, but his face
slowly went gray. For a full minute he sat absolutely motionless, his
breath coming and going noisily through his contracted nostrils. Then
he arose gropingly to his feet, and started toward one of the two doors
leading from the room.

"Where are you going?" asked Orde quietly.

Newmark steadied himself with an effort.

"I'm going to get myself a drink in my bedroom," he snapped. "Any
objections?"

"No," replied Orde. "None. After you get your drink, come back. I want
to talk to you."

Newmark snarled at him: "You needn't be afraid I'll run away. How'd I
get out of town?"

"I know it wouldn't pay you to run away," said Orde.

Newmark passed out through the door. Orde looked thoughtfully at
Heinzman's affidavit, which, duly disinfected, had been handed him by
Dr. McMullen as important; and thrust it and the other papers into his
inside pocket. Then he arose to his feet and glided softly across the
room to take a position close to the door through which Newmark had
departed in quest of his drink. For a half minute he waited. Finally
the door swung briskly inward. Like a panther, as quickly and as
noiselessly, Orde sprang forward. A short but decisive struggle ensued.
In less than ten seconds Orde had pinioned Newmark's arms to his side
where he held them immovable with one of his own. The other hand he ran
down Newmark's right arm to the pocket. There followed an instant of
silent resistance. Then with