The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1916-02-01

pointment as the Frenchman paused
| provokingly.
Perhaps l should not. And yet
why not? AS l say, it was elementary
reasoning-a mere matter of logical
| deduction and elimination. One made
up ones mind the Lone Wolf must be
certain type of man; the rest was
simply sitting France for the man to
| fit the theory and then watching him
until he gave himself away"
You're not going to stop there?"
| the American demanded in an az
| grieved tone.
mo? l must continue? Very we'll;
l confess to some little pride. 1t was
feat He is cunning, that one!"
De Morbihan paused and shifted
| sidewise in his chair, grinning like
| mischievous child.
| By this maneuver, thanks to the ar
rangement of mirrors lining the walls,
| he commanded an indirect view of
Lanyard, a fact of which the latter
was not unaware, though his express
sion remained unchanged as he sat
with a corner of his eye reserved for
MISUNDERSTANDING whether De Nor
| bihan were telling the truth or only
Boosting for his own glorification.
DO go on-please!" the girl begged
prettily.
II can deny you nothing, mademoi-
selle. Well, then! From what little
was known of this mysterious crea-
ture, one readily inferred he must be
a bachelor, with no close friends. That
| is clear, l trust?"
TOO deep for me, my friend" the
elderly man confessed.
! "Impenetrable reticence," the count
expounded = and enjoying himself
hugely-isn't possible in the human
relations. Sooner or later one is
doomed to share ones secrets, how
ever reluctantly, even unconsciously,
7 with wife, mistress, child, or
with some trusted friend. And a Sc
cret between two is-a prolific breeder
of platitudes! Granted this line of
reasoning, the Lone Wolf is of neces-
sity not only unmarried, but practi
cally friendless. Other attributes of
his will obviously comprise youth,
courage, Imagination, rather high or
der Of intelligence, and social posi-
tion-let us say, rather, an ostensible
business-enabling him to travel at
will hither and yon without exciting
comment So far, good!
"My friend, the chief of the surete,
forthwith commissioned his agents to
seek such a one, and by this means
several fine fish were enmeshed in the
net of suspicion, carefully scrutinized,
and one by one let go-all except one
the veritable man. Him they sedulous-
! ly watched, shadowing him across Eu-
rope and back again. He was in Ber-
lin at the time of the famous Rhein.
hart robbery, though he comprised
that coup without detection; he was
in Vienna when the British embassy
there was looted, but escaped by a
clever ruse and managed to dispose
of his plumber before the agents Of the
surete could lay hands on him; re-
Gently he has been in London, and
| there he made love to and ran away
with the diamonds OF certain lady
of some eminence. You have heard
of Nine. Omber. eh?"
Now by Roddy's expression it was
plain that, if Nine. Omber's name
wasn't strange in his hearing, at least
he found this news about her most
surprising. He was staring openly,
with slackened jaw and stupefaction
in his blank, blue eyes.
Lanyard gently pinched the small
end of a cigar, dipped it into his demi
tasse, and lighted it with not so much
as a suspicion of tremor His BRAIN
however, was working rapidly in the
effort to determine whether De Nor
bihan meant this for warning or was
simply narrating an amusing yarn
founded on advance information and
amplifed by an ingenious imagina-
ton. For by now the news of the
Omber affair must have thrilled many
a continental telegraph wire.
Mime Omber-of counsel" the
American agreed thoughtfully. CIV
eryone has heard of her wonderful
diamonds The real marvel is that the
Lone Wolf neglected SO shining mark
as long as he did"
But truly SO, monsieur"
And they caught him at it, Ell ?"
mot precisely; but he left a clue
and London as well-with such haste
as would seem to indicate he knew his
cunning hand had for once slipped"
Then they'll nab him soon?"
"Ah, monsieur, one must say no
more!" De Morbihan protested. REST
assured that the chief of the surete
has laid his plans-his web is spun,
and so artfully that l think our un-
sociable outlaw will soon be making
friends in the prison of the Sante But
now we must adjourn. One is sorry
It has been so very pleasant
A waiter conjured the bill from
some recess of his waistcoat and
served it Oh a clean plate to the Amer
lean. Another ran bawling for the
cloakroom attendant. Roddy glued
his gaze afresh to the Daily Mail. The
party rose.
Lanyard noticed that the American
signed the bill instead of settling it
with cash, indicating that he resided
at Troyon's as well as dined there.
And the adventurer found time to re-
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