Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1916-04-27
ciousIy ike a mist before his eyes

| ciously like a mist before his eyes
Avoiding the faces OF his sweetheart
/ and the Englishman, he turned aside
PIT forth a hand blindly to wing of
t the biplane to steady himself, and
| stood with head bowed and limbs trem-
/ bling
/ Moving quietly to his side. the girl
| took his other hand and held it tight
Presently Lanyard shook himself
Impatiently and lifted his head again.
Sorry" he said apologetic-'b
/ your generosity-when | looked for
nothing better than arrest-was a bit
| too much for my nerves.
| "Nonsense!" the Englishman COM
mented with brisk good-humor. Were
all upset. A drop OF brandy'u do US
no end of good
| Unbuttoning his leather surtout. he
| produced flask from one of the inner
pockets. filed its metal cup. and of
| fered it to the girl.
you first, if you please, Miss Shan
non. No-I insist. You positively
need it.
She allowed herself to be persuaded
drank, coughed, gasped and returned
the cup, which Wertheimer promptly
! ref1lled and passed to Lanyard.
The raw spirits stung like fire, but
| proved an instant aid to the badly
| tangled nerves of the adventurer. In
| another moment he was much more
| himself
Drinking in turn, Wertheimer put
/ away the flask. That's better!" he
| commented. Nov l shall be able to
cut along with this blessed machine
without fretting over the fate of Elk
strom. But till now l haven't been
able to forget"
He paused and drew a hand across
| his eyes.
| Lanyard demanded.
''UnquestiOnably! De Morbihan had
| learned knOw-of your bargain with
! Ducroy; and I know, too, that he and
Ekstrom spent each morning in the
| hangers at t.-Germain-en-Laye after
| your sensational escape. 1t never en-
tered my head of course, that they
| had any such insane scheme brewing
| as that-else | would never have so
! giddily arranged with Ducroy-through
| the surete, of cOurSe-tO take VauQue-
| Inns place. Besides, who else could
it have been? Not De Morbihan, for
! he's crippled for life, thanks to that
affair in the Bots; not Popinot, who
/ was on his way to the Sante, last I saw
| of him; and never Bannon-he was
dead before l left Paris for Port Avia-
ton"
Dead"
ooh quite!" the Englishman af-
| firmed nonchalantly when we ar
rested him at three this morning
| charged with completely in the muir
der of Roddy-he flew into a passion
| that brought on a fatal hemorrhage
! He died within ten minutes"
There was a little silence
81 may tell you, Mr.. Lanyard" the
Englishman resumed looking up from
the motor, to which he was paying at
! tention with monkey-wrench and oil
can. that you were quite mistaken
| Wn0n you rlulCul6u the IuGd Ol the IN
ternational Underworld, Unlimited
! Of course, if you hadn't laughed,
shouldn't feel quite as much respect
! for you as I do; in fact, the chances
are you'd be in handcuffs-or a cell in
| the Sante-this very minute. But, alb
surd as it sounded-and was-the I'm
! derwortd' project was pet hobby Of
| BannOn's-who'd been the brains of a
| gang of criminals in New York for
many years. He was bit touched on
/ the subject. A monomaniac, if you
ask me. And his enthusiasm won De
| Morbihan and Popinot overland mel
He took a wonderful fancy to me,
Damon did; l really was appointed
first lieutenant in Greggs' stead.
| Nothing he wouldn't tell me. | even
got him to tell me about you-why be
was so uncommon vindictive. Do you
wish to know"
i eff you please"
ct seems Bannon was the chap who
kidnapped and abandoned you at Troy
on's Your mother had been his wife,