Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1916-03-09
P XVI.

Decision.
Poor child" he heard himself muir
muring-"poor child"
Don't pity mel" she insisted, still
with face averted. 81 don't deserve it.
If l 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, l mean?"
81 hardly know how to tell you. And
l hardly dare. l feel as if these walls
would betray me if l 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? ! don't
really know what or who he is. only
suspect and believe that he is a mar
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 Bannon, though they
don't know tor else I'm merely a
hysterical woman exaggerating the i'm
pressions of a morbid imagination.
And that's all I know of him that mat
ters."
But why, if you believe this-how
did you at length find courage"
Because l had no more courage to
endure; because | 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. / was afraid, and
obeyed; but l was glad when you inter
rupted me-glad, even though / had to
lie to you the way I did. And all that
worked on me, after I'd gone back to
my room, until l felt l could stand it
no longer, and after a long time, when
the house seemed all still, l 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"
81 was" she confessed simply; u
thought you were Mr.. Greggs."
"Greggs%
"Mr. Bannon's private secretary
his right-hand man. He's about your
height and has a suit like the n you
wear, and in that poor light and at the
distance l didn't notice you were clean
shaven-Greggs wears a mustache-'
Then it was Greggs murdered
Roddy and tried to drug me! l shaved
off his mustache when l 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 {
telegram to the prefecture, you know
| sent from the Bourse last night"
In his excitement Lanyard began tt
pace the floor, and now that he wal
no longer staring at her, the girl lifted
her head and watched him closely az
he moved to and fro, talking aloud
more to himself than to her.
81 wish / l knew! And what a lucky
thing you did meet me; for If you't
gone on to the Care du Nord and wait
ed there-well, it isn't likely BannoI
didn't discover your flight before eigh,
o'clock this morning, is it,"
"Mr. Lanyard"-the girl bent TOWARD
him across the table with a gesture o
eager interest-"have you any idei
why he-why MI. Bannon hates yo'
so?".
"As far as l know, l never heard o
him before" Lanyard said carelessly
81 fancy it was nothing more than tn
excitement of a man-hunt. Now tina
they've found me out, De Morbihal
and his crew won't rest until they'v
got my scalp"
But why Is that?"
professional jealousy. We're al
crooks, all in the anne boat, only
won't row to their stroke. I've Away
, played a lone hand successfully; nov
they insist on coming into the gam
and sharing my winnings. And Nv
told them where they could 60"
"And because of that, they'd"
There's nothing they wouldn't d.
Miss Shannon, to bring me to m
knees or see me put well out Of tn
way, where my operations can't hun
their pocketbooks. Well-all / ask
:. a fighting chance, and they shall hav
their wayl"
! Her brows contracted. II don't Ill
! derstand. You want a fighting chanc
4 to surrender-to give in to their d,
mands?"
I'm a way-yes. / want a fghtin
: chance to do what I'd never in tn
Z world get them to believe l mean I
r do-chuck it all up and leave them
r free field"
And then, when still she searche
9 his face with puzzled eyes, he insis
ed: Il mean it; l want to get away
q clear out-chuck the game for goc
O and ALL"
d A little silence greeted this a
o nouncement. Lanyard, at pause net
the table, resting a hand on 1t, bel
d to the girls upturned face a grave b
It candid regard. And the deeps Of h
n eyes that lever swerved from his we
IS troubled strangely in his vision.
He could by no means account 4
If the light he seemed to see therein
d light that kindled while he watche
like a tiny flame, feeble, fearful. vac
liant; then, as the moments passe
Il Thrill of