The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1916-02-12

fair OF impulse
He had come through from London
by the afternoon service-via Bou-
logne-traveling light, with nothing
but a brace of handbags and his life
in his hands Two coups to his credit
since the previous midnight had made
the shift advisable. though only one
OF them. the later. rendered il urgent
Scotland Yard would, he reckoned.
require at least twenty-four hours to
unlimber for action on the Omber af-
fair; but the other. the disappearance
Of the Huysman plans. although not
contaminated before noon. must have
set the chancelleries of at least three
powers by the ears before Lanyard
was fairly entrained at Charing Cross
Now his opinion of Scotland Yard
was low; its emissaries must operate
gingerly to keep within the laws they
serve. But the agents of the various
continental secret services have way
of making their own laws as they go
along-and for these Lanyard enter
tanned a respect little short Of pro-
found.
He would not have been surprised
had he run foul of trouble on the pier
at Folkestone. Boulogne, as well. fig
ured in his Imagination as a crucial
point-its harbor lights. heaving up
over the grim. gray waste. peered
through the deepening violet dusk to
find him on the packets deck, re-
spending to their curious stare with
one no less insistently inquiring. But
it wasn't until he reached the Care du
he F0r1n1 on-Fh=ru
to shy at
Dropping from train to platform, he
surrendered his luggage to a ready
facteur and followed the fellow
through the crush. eIbowed and shout
dered. offended by the pervasive reek
Of chilled steam and coal gas and
dazzled by the brilliant glare of the
oyerhanging electric arcs.
Almost the first face he saw turned
his way was that OF Roddy.
The man from Scotland Yard was
stationed at one side Of the platform
gates. Opposite him stood another
decorative official from the prefecture
de police. Both were scanning mar
row1y every face in the tide that
churned between them
Wondering if through some fatal
freak of fortuity these were acting
under late telegraphic advices from
London, Lanyard held himself well in
hand The first indication OF an in
tent to hinder him would have proved
the signal for a spectacular demon
stration of the ungentle art Of not get
ting caught with the goods
And for twenty seconds. while the
crowd milled slowly through the mar
row exit, he was as near to betraying
himself as he had ever been-nearer.
for he had marked down the point on
Roddy's jaw where his first blow
would fall and just where to plant a
coup de savate most surely to in
capacitate the minion Of the prefec-
ture; and all the while he was look
| ing the two over with a manner Of the
/ most calm and impersonal curiosity
But beyond an almost impereeptible
narrowing of Roddy's eyes when they
met his own. as if the Englishman
were struggling with faulty memory,
neither police agent betrayed a sign
of recognition
And then Lanyard was outside the
station. his porter introducing him to
a ramshackle taxicab-
''Troyon's!" he told the cocher-
When at length his conveyance drew
up at the historic corner Lanyard
alighting. could have rubbed his eyes
to see the windows of Troyon's all
bright with electric light
Somehow, and most unreasonably
he had always believed the place
would go to the hands of the house
wrecker unchanged
A smart porter ducked out. seized
his luggage and held an umbrella
I Lanyard composed his features to i'm
mobility as he entered the hotel. Of
no mind to let the least flicker of rec
ognition be detected in his eyes when
they should encounter familiar faces.
And this was quite az weIl-for
again the first he saw was Roddyisl
The man from Scotland Yard had
| Just surrendered hat. coat and UNI
brella TO the porter in the lobby. and
was turning through swinging doors
/ to the dining room Again taking in
LANYARD, his glance seemed devoid OF
/ any sort of ineligible expression;
and before quitting the lobby Roddy
paused long enough TO order a fire
/ laid in his room
So he was stopping at Troyon's-
and didn't care who knew It!
His doubts altogether dissipated by
this discovery, Lanyard followed his
natural enemy into the dining room
with an air as devil-may-care as one
could wish and so impressive that the
maitre d'hotel abandoned the detec-
/ s. - II
/ tains and himself FASTENED to seat
LANYARD and take his order
This last disposed Of. Lanyard sur
rendered himself to new Impressions
of which the first proved a bit dis
heartening-
CTO BE Continued