Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1916-04-01
CHAPTER XVI.

mur1nS- poor Cn1lQi
Don't pity mel" she insisted, still
with face averted. st don't deserve it.
If had the spirit of a mouse I'd have
defied him; it needed only courage
enough to whisper one word to the
police"
But who is he, them" Lanyard de-
manded. What is he. mean?"
81 hardly know how to tell you. And
1 hardly dare. 1 feel as if these walls
would betray me if 1 whispered even.
But to me he's the incarnation of all
things evil"
She shook herself with a nervous
laugh.
But why be silly about it? 1 don't
really know what or who he is. i only
suspect and believe that he is a man
whose life is devoted to planning evil
and ordering its execution through his
lieutenants. When the papers at home
| speak of The Man Higher Up they
| mean Archer Damon, though they
| don't know tor else I'm merely
| hysterical woman exaggerating the i'm
| pressions of a morbid imagination.
And that's all 1 know of him that mat
| ters."
But why, if you believe this-how
did you at length find courage"
Because 1 had no more courage to
endure; because 1 was more afraid to
| stay with him than to go-afraid lest
| my own soul be the forfeit. And then.
last night, he ordered me to go to your
room and search it for evidence that
you were the Lone Wolf. 1t was the
/ first time he'd ever asked anything of
the sort of me. l was afraid, and
obeyed; but was glad when you inter
/ rupted me-glad- even though l had to
| lie to you the way 1 did. And all that
| worked on me, after I'd gone, back to
my room, until l felt 1 could stand it
no longer, and after a long time, when
| the house seemed all still, I got up,
dressed quietly, and That is how
came to meet you-quite by accident -
| But you seemed so frightened at
first when you saw me"
! Il was" she confessed simply; 81
thought you were Mr.. Greggs.'
"Greggs?"
MIR. Bannon's private secretary
his right-hand man. He's about your
| height and has a suit like the one you
| wear. and in that poor light and at the
distance 1 didn't notice you were clean
| shaven-Greggs wears a mustache-'
Then it was Greggs murdered
| L
off his mustache when 1 left him there
to wait for the police By George. I'd
like to know whether they got there
before Bannon or somebody else dis
covered the substitution. 1t was a
telegram to the prefecture, you know
l sent from the Bourse last night"
In his excitement Lanyard began to
pace the floor, and now that he was
no longer. staring at her, the girl lifted
her head and watched him closely as
he moved to and fro. talking aloud
more to himself than to her.
'T wish I knewi And what a lucky
thing you did meet me; for If you'd
gone on to the Care du Nord and wait
ed there-well, it isn't likely Bannon
didn't discover your flight before eight
o'clock this morning, is it?'
MIR. Lanyard"-the girl bent toward
him across the table with gesture OF
eager interest-"have you any idea
why he-why Mr.. Bannon hates yor
so?"
"As far as 1 know, I never heard OF
him before" Lanyard said carelessly
'1 fancy it was nothing more than the
excitement of a man-hunt. Now thai
they've found me out. De Morbihar
and his crew won't rest until they've
got my scalp
"But why is that?"
professional jealousy. We're al
crooks, all in the same boat, only
won't row to their stroke. I've always
, played lone hand successfully; nov
they insist on coming into the game
and sharing my winnings. And I've
told them where they could CO."
"And because of that, they'd
There's nothing they wouldn't do
Miss Shannon. to bring me to m,
! knees or see me put well out of th'
way, where my operations can't hur
their pocketbooks. Well-au I ask il
fighting chance. and they shall hav,
! their wayi"
, Her brows contracted. 81 don't un
, derstand. You want fighting chanc
. to -surrender-to give in to their de
: mands?''
In a way-yes- 1 want a fightin,
chance to do what I'd never in tn
{ world get them to believe 1 mean t,
r do-chuck it all up and leave them
free field
And then, when still she searche,
? his face with puzzled eyes. he insist
+ ed: 81 mean it; want to get away
clear out-chuck the game for goo
D and all"
! little silence greeted this ar
0 nouncement- Lanyard. at pause nea
o the table. resting a hand on it. ben
! to the girls dpturned face a grave blu