Suddenly Alcatrante's voice burst out, "Stop the car! I've been robbed! Stop the car!" There was immediate commotion; a girl screamed, and the swaying of the huddled group made the car rattle. The elevator-man quickly threw over his lever. The car stopped with a jerk, between floors. Orme had started to turn with the others, but with a quick exclamation he checked his movement and pressed his face again to the grating. A remarkable thing had happened. The ascending car in the next well had stopped at Alcatrante's outcry. The few passengers it was carrying, eager to see what was happening, hurried to the side nearest to Orme. Less than two feet from his face was the face of a girl. Almost before he saw her at all he knew her. He forgot that he had given her apparent cause to doubt him; he did not stop to wonder what she was doing in this building. "Girl!" he whispered. Her lips parted; her eyes opened wider. "Girl! Go to Tom Wallingham's office. I'll come up there. Keep out of sight when you hear me coming. Alcatrante is with me." She nodded. "I have the papers," he added, and his heart thumped happily when he saw joy and gratitude flash into her eyes. From his position and manner he might have been explaining to her what was happening in his own car. But now, conscious of the necessity of taking part in the discussion about him, he reluctantly turned away from the girl. Alcatrante was still exclaiming volubly. His purse had disappeared. It had been in his pocket just before he entered the car. Therefore someone in the car must have taken it. He did not accuse any single person, though he flashed suspicious glances at Orme, who recognized, of course, that the move was directed against himself. To embarrass Orme with arrest and detention would well suit the purposes of Alcatrante. At this late hour such an event would prevent the delivery of the papers. Orme wondered whether the minister had realized that the papers might be found by the police and disposed of properly. The explanation of this apparent oversight on the part of Alcatrante was not difficult, however, for, perhaps it was not a part of the plan that Orme should be actually thrown into a cell. It was more likely that an arrest would be followed, after as much delay as Alcatrante could secure, by a refusal to prosecute. One advantage to Alcatrante would be the opportunity of getting assistance while Orme was in the hands of the police so that after the prisoner was released he would have more than one person to contend with. Alcatrante would give up acting alone. "Somebody has my purse!" Alcatrante was shouting. "Somebody here! You must not let anybody out!" The elevator-boy had been gaping in seeming paralysis, but now several of the passengers--men who doubtless were sure of their positions--were angrily ordering him to take the car down. Some of them had trains to catch. "No! No!" screamed Alcatrante.