River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1916-01-20
CHAPTER Il-continued.

However impulsively, he hadn't
sought Troyon's without definite in
tent, to wit, to gain some clue, how
eyer slender, to the mystery Of that
wretched child, Marcel. But now it
appeared he had procrastinated ia
tally-time and change had left little
other than the she'll OF the Troyon's
he remembered. Papa Troyon was
gone; madame no longer occupied the
desk Of the caisse; inquiries, SO dis
creetly worded as to be uncompro
missing, elected from the maitre dho-
tel the information that the house had
been under new management these
eighteen months; the old proprietor
was dead, and his widow had sold out
lock, stock and barrel, and retired to
the country, 1t was not known ex-
actly where. And with the new ad-
ministration had come fresh decora-
tions and furnishings and complete
change of personnel-not even one Of
the old walters remained.
"'All are gone, the old, familiar
faces" Lanyard quoted in vindictive
melancholy-"damn 'em!"
Happily it was demonstrated that
the cuisine was being maintained on
its erstwhile plane of excellence-one
still had that comfort!
Other Impressions. less intimate,
proved puzzling. disccncerting and
parad0xiCally reassuring.
Lanyard commanded a fair view of
Roddy across the waist OF the room.
The detective had ordered a meal that
matched his aspect well, both of true
British simplicity. He was square
set man with square jaw, cold blue
eyes, a fat nose, thin-lipped trap of
u mouth, face as red as rare beef
steak.
His dinner comprised a cut from
the joint, boiled potatoes, brussels
sprouts, a bit of cheese, a bottle of
Bass. He ate slowly, chewing with
the doggedness of q strong character
hanpered by a weak digestion, and
all the while kept his eyes fixed to an
issue of the Paris edition of the Lon
don Daily Mail with an effect of con-
centration quite too convincing
Now one doesn't read the Paris edi-
ton of the Loudon Daily Mail with in
tense excitement Humanity speaking,
It can't be done.
Where, then, was the object of this
SO sedulously dissembled interest?
Lanyard wasn't slow to solve this
riddle to his satisfaction-in so far,
that is, as 1t was satisfactory to feel
yet more certain that Roddy's quarry
was another than himself
Despite the lateness of the hour,
which had by now turned ten o'clock,
the restaurant had still dozen tables
or so in the service OF guests pleas
antly engaged in lengthening out an
agreeable evening with dessert, coffee,
lIQueurs and cigarettes. The majority
OF these were in couples, but at table
one removed from Roddy's sat party
OF three; and Lanyard noticed, or
fancied, that the man from Scotland
Yard turned his newspaper only dur
ing lulls in the conversation in this
quarter.
or the three, one would pass for an
American OF position and wealth-a
man OF something more than sixty
years, with an execrable accent, g
racking cough, and thin, patrician
cast of countenance clouded darkly by
the expression OF a soul in torment,
furrowed, scanned, twisted-a mask of
mortal anguish. And once, when he
looked up and casually encountered
Lanyard's gaze, the adventurer was
shocked to find himself staring into
eyes that were as the eyes of a dead
man-eyes of q gray so light that at
a little distance the color of the iris
Blended indistinguishably with their
whites, leaving visible only the round,
black points of pupilc abnormally dis
tended and staring, Blank, fixed, pas.
s.onless, beneath lashless lids.
For the instant they seemed to ex.
plore Lanyard's very soul with look
OF remote and impersonal curiosity;
then they fell away, and when next
the adventurer looked the man had
turned to attend to some observation
OF one of his companions with a
smile that fairly TRANSPORTED his face
the emile of charming child.
On his right sat girl who might
be his daughter, for not only was she
too, obviously American, but she was
far too young to be the others wife
A demure, old-fashioned type, well
poised but unassuming, fetchingly
gowned, and with sufficient individu.
atty of taste, but not conspicuously;
. girl with soft, brown hair and soft
brown eyes; pretty not extravagantIy
SO when her face was in repose, but
with a slow smile that made her
scarcely less than beautifu1-in all
Lanyard thought, the kind of woman
who is predestined to comfort man
kind, whose strongest instinct is the
maternal.
She took little part in the CONVEX
sation. seldom interrupted what was