dine out and go afterward to the Combat Club. And that if Mr. Shotwell
desired to see her he should call at her house after ten o'clock.

So Jim hastened to the cloak-room, got his hat and coat, found the
starter, secured a taxi, bought an evening paper and stuffed it into
his pocket, and started out to find Palla at the Combat Club. For it
seemed evident to him that she had not yet read the evening paper; and
he hoped he might yet encounter her in time to prepare her for news
which, according to the newspapers, appeared even blacker than he had
supposed it might be.

CHAPTER XXV

As he left the taxi in front of the dirty brick archway and flight of
steps leading to the hall, where he expected to find Palla, he noticed
a small crowd of wrangling foreigners gathered there--men and
women--and a policeman posted near, calm and indifferent, juggling his
club at the end of its leather thong.

Jim paused to inquire if there had been any trouble there that
evening.

"Well," said the policeman, "there's two talking-clubs that chew
the rag in that joint. It's the Reds' night, but wan o' the ladies
of the other club showed up--Miss Dumont--and the Reds yonder was all
for chasing her out. So we run in a couple of 'em--that feller
Sondheim and another called Bromberg. They're wanted, anyhow, in
Philadelphia."

"Is there a meeting inside?"

"Sure. The young lady went in to settle it peaceful like; and she's
inside now jawin' at them Reds to beat a pink tea."

"Do you apprehend any violence?" asked Jim uneasily.

The policeman juggled his club and eyed him. "I--guess--not," he
drawled. And, to the jabbering, wrangling crowd on pavement and steps:
"--Hey, you! Go in or stay out, one or the other, now! Step lively;
you're blockin' the sidewalk."

A number of people mounted the steps and went in with Jim. As the
doors to the hall opened, a flare of smoky light struck him, and he
pushed his way into the hall, where a restless, murmuring audience,
some seated, others standing, was watching a number of men and women
on the rostrum.

There seemed to be more wrangling going on there--knots of people
disputing and apparently quite oblivious of the audience.

And almost immediately he caught sight of Palla on the platform. But
even before he could take a step forward in the crowded aisle, he saw
her force her way out of an excited group of people and come to the
edge of the platform, lifting a slim hand for silence.