Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1916-04-20

Don't Shoot" He Cried. "l'm Not
| Armed"
| cate now the girl was Tarlng IN ner
flight. And he made a pretense of
trembling fingers to cover the slowness
with which he complied.
But he heard nothing
When at length he had visibly turned
every pocket inside out, and their con-
tents lay upon the desk, the woman
| looked them over incuriously
Put them back" she said CURLY
And then fetch that chair over there
Resting herself against the side of
the desk, the revolver held negIigently,
the speaker favored Lanyard with g
second inspection, at her leisure, the
hardness of her eyes modified, and that
anger which primarily had marked her
countenance gone by the time she
chose to pursue her catechism.
What's your name? No-don't 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 cigar?"
She opened a mahogany humidor on
| the desk and extracted box.
mo, thanks"
Right according to Hoyle-the
criminal always refuses to smoke in
these scenes. But let's forget the book
and write our own lines. I'll ask you
an original question: Why were you
acting just now?"
"Actfng?" Lanyard repeated, in
| trigued by the acuteness Of this mas
| terful woman's mentality.
recisely-pretending you're an or
binary criminal. For moment l actu
| ally believed you afraid of me. But
| you're neither that nor a common
| crook. How do l 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. If |
| 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 within for the
| bizarre, the more assured were Lucy's
| chances of escape. By this time, he
reckoned, she must have found her
way through the service gate to the
ST eet. But he was on edge with ap-
prehension of mischance
Come, GOMEZ" Nine Omber insist
ed. you're hardly civil, my good man.
Answer my question"
You don't expect me to-do your"
why not? You owe me at least sat
isfaction of my curiosity in return for
| breaking into my house"
But it. as you suggest, l amor
was acting with a purpose, why do
you expect me to give the show away?"
That's logic. l knew you could
think. More's the pity"
PITY l can think?"
PITY you can get your own consent
to waste yourself like this. I'm an old
woman, and l know men better than
most; l can see ability in you; so |
say it's a pity you won't employ it to
better advantage. Don't misunder
stand me; this isn't the conventional
act. l don't hold with encouraging a
fool in his folly. You're a fool, for all
your intelligence, and the only cure l
can see for you is drastic punishment"
Meaning the Sante, madame?"
quite so. l tell you frankly, when
I'm finished lecturing you, off you go
to prison"
IF that's the case, don't see l stand
to gain much by retailing the history
Of my life. This seems to be your cue
to ring for servants to call the po-
nce."
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 l stand
guard over you"
Bending over the desk, without re-
moving her gaze from the adventurer,
his captor CROPPED for, found and
pressed a call-button.
From some remote quarter of the
house sounded the grumble Of an cleo
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 to
enforce it. The stress Of his anxiety
was both undisguised and indisguis- |
able. Nor did Nine Omber overlook
it.
whats the trouble, Ell? Is it that !
already the. cell door clangs loudly in
your ears?"
AS the woman spoke Lanyard left !
his chair with a spring as 1.-the and !.