River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1916-01-13

pass at length almost purely as an az
fair OF impulse.
He had come through from London
by the afternoon service-via Bou-
logne-traveling light, with nothing
but 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 1t urgent.
Scotland Yard would, he reckoned,
require at least twenty-four hours to
unlimber for action on the Omber az
fair; but the other, the disappearance
Of the Huysman plans, although not
consummated 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; it's emissaries must operate
gingerly to keep within the laws they
serve. But the agents of the various
continental secret services have a 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
points harbor lights, heaving Up
over the grim, gray waste, peered
through the deepening violet dusk 20
find him on the packets deck, re-
/ Il.
one no less mistakenly inquiring. But
it wasn't until he reached the Care du
Nord itself that he found anything
to shy at
| Dropping from train to platform, he
surrendered his luggage to q ready
facteur and followed the fellow
through the crush, elbowed 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 wGs
stationed at one side of the platform
! gates. Opposite him stood another
decorative official from the prefecture
! de police. Both were scanning mar
rowly every face in the tide that
churned between them.
Wondering if through some fatal
| freak OF fortuity these were acting
under late telegra Ahic adyices from
| London, Lanyard held himself we'll in
| hand. The first indication OF an IN
| tent to hinder him would have proved
/ the signal for 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 naf-
row exit, he was as near 20 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 q
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 manner Of tho
most calm and impersonal curiosity.
But beyond an almost imperceptiblo
narrowing Of Roddy's eyes when they
met his own, as if the Englishman
were struggling with faulty memory
neither police agent betrayed q aign
Of recognition.
|. And then Lanyard was outside tho
station, his porter introducing him to
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.
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 as well-fo1
again the first he saw was Roddy'sl
The man from Scotland Yard had
just surrendered hat, coat and UNI
DIcIld 10 Inc DOTLSI III TIC lODDy1 ally
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
la in his room.
So he was stopping at Troyons-
and didn't care who knew It'll
His doubts altogether dissipated BY
this discovery, Lanyard followed hif
natural enemy into the dining room
with an air as devil-may-care as one
could wish and so impressive that tht
maitre d'hotel abandoned the deteo
tive to the mercies of one of his cap
tains and himself fastened to se&
Lanyard and take his order.
This last disposed of, Lanyard suE'
rendered himself to new IMPRESSIONS
Of which the first proved bit dis