Mountain advocate., 1916-05-26
CHAPTER XVII.
"For That's impossible"

and for moment held her there trans
nxed In panic.
To her wide. staring eyes that ques.
toned his so urgently Lanyard prompt.
ly nodded grave reinsurance. He
hadn't stirred after his first involun-
tary start, and before the last frag-
ment of splintered glass had fallen
tinkling to the floor above, he was
calming her In the most matter-of-fact
tones.
Don't be alarmed" he said. ITS
nothing-merely Solon's skylight gone
smash"
but call that nothing!" she cried
gustily. What caused It. then!"
MY negligence" he admitted gloom
lily. Il might have known it-that
wide spread Of glass. with the studio
electrics full ablaze below. would give
the show away completely. The house
is known to be unoccupied. and It
wasn't to be expected that both the
police and Popinot's crew would over
look 30 shining a mark. And It's ell
my fault, my oversight. l should have
warned you about the lights! High
time I was quitting game I've no
longer the wit to play by the ruies!"
But the police would never"
Certainly not. This is merely Popi-
not's gentle method Of informing us
he's on the job. But I'll just have
look to make sure. No-stop where
you are. please. Id rather 60 alone"
He swung alertly through to the re-
ception hall window. pausing there
only long enough for an instantaneous
reconnaissance through the draperies
"a fugitive survey that discovered the
Impasse Stanislas no more abandoned
to the wind and rain, but tenantsd
visibly by one, at least who lounged
beneath the lonely lamppost. q shout
der against ia featureless civilian
silhouette with attention fixed on the
little house.
But Lanyard didn't doubt that this
one had dozen fellows skulking with.
in call.
Springing up the stairs. he paused
prudently at the topmost step. one
rent gaping black in the middle of the
skylight, the second the missile OF de-
struct1on lying amid litter of broken
glass-a brick wrapped In newspaper
by the look Of 1t.
Swooping forward. he retrieved this
space beneath the shattered skylight
barely In the nick Of time. for he had
no more than cleared the threshold
than a second something fell through
the gap and buried itself In the hard
wood parquetry. This last was bull
let fired from the roof of one OF the
adjoining buildings. confirming his
prior reasoning that the first missile
must have fallen from q height rather
than have been thrown up from the
street to wreak such destruction with
those tough. thick panes Of clouded
glass.
Swearing softly to himself. he de.
scended to the kitchen.
Gas l thought" he said coolly. ex.
hibiting his find. They're on the Fo0f
% the next houss-thaugh they've sta
toned sentry In tbs street. Of
course" .
"But that second thump-" the girl
demanded.
"A bullet" he answered. placing the
bundle on the table and cutting the
string that bound It: they were on
the aui vive and fired the instant I
showed myself beneath the ekylight,"
"Hut l heard no report" she re-
torted.
"a Maxim silencer on the gun,
fancy" he explained. unwrapping the
brick and smoothing out the newspa-
per. Glad you thought to put on your
hat and coat before you oame down."
10 added with an approving glance;
ut wouldn't be safe to 20 up to the
studio asain--of course"
His nonchalance was far less real
than 1t seemed. but helped to steady
one who was holding herself together
with q struggle.
But what are we to do now?" she
Hammered, ~ they've surrounded
the house"
AfQa ' nA0AV kaoAA VtSV
way out" he eespondsd. frownins at
the newspaper; u wouldn't have
picked this place out otherwise. Nor
would Scion have rented Il In the arst
instance had 1t lacked an exit In event
Of creditors. Although sol"
"What-"
"Troyon's is gone" he said. without
looking up. This IL tonight's Presse.
Totally destroyed by IRE which start
cd at six thirty this morning and In
less than half an hour had reduced the
ancient structure to heap OF smoking
ashes'!" He ran his eye quickly down
the column. selecting salient phrases:
"'bslisved to have been Of tncsndisry
origin. though the premises were unin'
sursd'--that's an intelligent gueoss
'Nasrsw escape q ssssts u ihalE6