The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1916-05-05

hardness OF her eyes modified, and thai
anger which primarily had marked her
countenance gone by the tine she
chose TO pursue her catechlsm.
What's your name? No-dont an
swer! saw your eyes waver, and
I'm not interested in a makeshift alias.
But It's a stock question. you know.
DO you care for a clgar?"
She opened a mahogany humidor on
the desk and extracted box.
"No, thanks"
Notwithstanding 10 Hoyle-ths
criminal always refuses to smoke in
,hese scenes, But let's forget the book
and write our own lines, I'll ask you
an original question: Why we're you
acting just now?"
"Acting?" Lanyard repeated, in
trigued by the acuteness Of this mas
terful woman's mentality.
"Precisely-pretending you're an or
dinary criminal. For moment | actu-
ally believed you afraid of me. But
you're neither that nor a common
crook. How do | know? Because
you're unarmed; your voice has
changed In the last two minutes to that
of cultivated man; you've stopped
cringing and started thinking; and the
way you walked across the floor just
now and handled that chair showed me
how powerfully you're made. II l
hadn't found this revolver you could
overpower me in an instant-and I'm
no weakling, as women go. Then why
the acting?"
Studying his captor with narrow in
terest, Lanyard smiled family and
shrugged, but made no response. He
could do no more than this-no more
than spar for time. The longer he In
dulged this woman in her whim for the
bizarre, the more assured we're Lucy's
chances of escape BY this time, he
reckoned, she must have found her
way through the service gate TO the
street. But he was on edge with ap-
prehension of mischance.
Come, come!" Nine. Omber insist
ed. You're hardly civil, my good man.
Answer my question"
You don't expect me to-do your
A CLINT of anger shone in the WON,
ans eyes.
You're right" she said shortly; 81
dare say Sidonie isn't asleep yet. I'll
get her to telephone while stand
guard over you"
Bending over the desk, without re,
moving her gaze from the adventurer
his captor groped for, found and
pressed a call-button.
From some remote quarter of the
house sounded the grumble of an elec
trio bell.
"Pity you're so brazen," she com
mented. "Just a little less side, and
you'd be a rather engaging person!"
Lanyard made no reply. In fact, he
wasn't attending.
In this suspense the iron control
which had always heretofore been his
was breaking down-since now it was
! for another that he was concerned
And he wasted no strength trying tc
enforce it. The stress of his anxiety
was both undisguised and indisguis
able. Nor did Nine. Omber overlooH
| it.
whats the trouble, eh? Is it thai
already the cell door clangs loudly il
your ears?"
AS the woman spoke Lanyard lef
his chair with a spring as 1.-the anC
sure and swift as an animals, that car
ried him like a shot across the two
yards or so that separated them.
A hairs breath of error in his reck
oning would have finished him, for thu
other had been alert for just such {
move, and the revolver was nearly
level with Lanyard's head when hi
seized it by the barrel, imprisoned tht
woman's wrist with his other hand
and in two movements had possessed
himself of the pistol without hurting
its owner.
Don't be alarmed" he said quietly
I'm not going to do anything NOR,
violent than to put this out Of com
mission"
Breaking it smartly, he shot /;
shower Of cartridges to the floor. Tht