Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1916-03-16

why disturb her? He had much to dc
It occurred to me that it would be
just as well TO prevent your report
ing back to headquarters
But you say you've changed your
mind about me-"
He nodded. Quite"
But why?" she demanded in a voice
of amazement. ''Why?"
II can't tell yor," he said slowly
Il don't know why. l can only presume
IN the way Of thinking things out, and
that was process more easily per-
formed in solitude.
Leaving the door ajar, he turned to
one Of the front windows. parted it's
draperies, and peered out, over the
little garden and through the iron ribs
of the gate, to the street, where
single gas lamp, glimmering within
a dull, golden halo Of mist, made Wis
ible the scant length Of the Impasse
Stanislas, empty, rain-swept, desoIate.
Rain continued to fall with no hint
of stopping.
Something in the dreary emptiness
Of that brief vista deepened the shad-
ow in his mood and knitted careworn
frcwn into his broWs.
Abstractedly he sought the kitchen
and, making light, washed up at the
tap, then foraged for breakfast. Per
sistence turned up a spirit stove,
packet of tea, a tin or two Of biscuit,
as many more of potted meats-left-
overs from the artists stock, dismally
scant and uninyiting in array. With
these he made the discovery that he
was half famished, and found no rea-
son to believe that the girl would be
in any better case. An expedition to
the nearest butcher was advisable;
but after he had found an old raincoat
of Solon's Lanyard decided against
leaving the girl alone. Pending her
appearance, he filled the spirit stove,
put the kettle on to boil, and, lighting
a cigarette, sat himself down beside
the table to watch the pot and cogi-
tate over his several problems.
In a fashion uncommonly clear
headed, even for him, he assembled
all the facts bearing upon their posi-
ton, mis- and Lucia Bannon's, and dis
passionately pondered them.
But insensibly his thoughts reverted
to the exotic phase of his awakening,
drifting into such in+r0snactiOn as he
seldom INDUCED, and led him by
strange ways to a revelation alto
gether unpresaged and a resolve still
more revolutionary.
A look of wonder flickered in his
broOding eyes, and clipped between his
two fingers, his cigarette grew long
ash, let it fall and burned down to a
stump so short that the coal almost
scorched his flesh He dropped it
and crushed out the fire with his heel
quite unWittingly.
Slowly but irresistibly his world was
turning over beneath his feet.
The sound of a football recalled him
as from an Unreasonable remove; he
looked up to see the girl at pause upon
the Threshold He rose slowly, with
shaling his wits against the emergency
foreshadowed by her attitude.
Tense with indignation, quick with
disdain, she demanded without any
preface whatever: why did you lock
me in?''
He stammered unhappily: 81 beg
your pardon"
'Why did you lock me in?"
I'm sorry"
But she interrupted him to stamp
her foot emphatically, and he caught
her up on the echo Of that.
"Tf you must know, because wasn't
trusting you"
Her eyes darkened ominous1y. "Yet
you insisted that I must trust yOu!"
"The circumstances aren't parallel;
ed by the police of every capital in
Europe, bounded by rivals to boot
fighting. for life, liberty and''--he
laughed shortly-"the pursuit Of hap
piness!"
She caught her breath sharply
at his frankness he couldn't tell.
Are your" she demanded quickly.
"Am I what?"
"What you've just said"
"a crook-and all that? Miss Ban
non, you know it,"
"The Lone Wolff"
you've known it all along. De Nor
bihan told you-or else your father.
Or it may be you were shrewd enough
to guess it from De Morbihan's gas
conading at the table. At ali events,
it's plain enough to me that nothing
but desire to secure proof of my iden-
tity with the Lone Wolf took you to
my room last night-whether for your
personal satisfaction or at the insti-
cation of Bannon-and that nothing
less than your own disgust with what
was going on actuated you to run
away from such intolerable associa-
tons Though, at that I don't believe
you even guessed how unspeakably
vicious they werei"
He paused and waited, anticipating
furious denial or attempt at refuta-
ton; such would, indeed, have been
the logical development Of the temper
in which she had descended to con-
front him.
Rather than this, she seemed Gained
and sobered by his charge; far from
resenting it, she appeared disposed
to concede its fairness; anger deserted