Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1916-04-26

| II your errdnu % pedCeaDle-Dreak IN
to my house?"
because it was urgently necessary
to see monsieur instantly. Monsieur
will reflect upon the reception one
would receive did one ring the front
door bell and demand an audience al
three o'clock in the morning!"
"Well-" M. Ducroy conceded dubi
ously. Then, on reflection, he iterated
the monosyllable testify: 'Well! What
is it you want, them"
II can best explain by asking mon
sieur to examine-what I have to show
him.
With this Lanyard dropped the pis.
toll into his coat pocket, from another
produced gold cigarette case, and
from the store Of this last selected a
single cigarette with meticulous care.
Regarding the minister of war in a
mystifying manner, he began to roll
the cigarette briskly between his
palms. A small shower of tobacco
sifted on the floor; the rice paper
cracked and came away; and with a
bland smile and gesture of a profess
sional conjuror, Lanyard exhibited a
small cylinder of stiff paper between
his thumb and index finger.
Goggling resentfully, M. Ducroy
spluttered:
"Eh-what impudence is this?"
His smile unchanged, Lanyard bent
forward and silently dropped the cylin-
der into the Frenchfnans hand. At the
same time he offered him a pocket
magnifying glass.
"What is this?" Ducroy persisted
stupidity. "What-what-"
IF monsieur will be good enough
to unroll the papers and examine them
with the aid Of this glass"
With a wondering grunt M. Ducroy
complied, smoothing out several small
sheets Of photographers printing-out
paper, to which extraordinarily compli-
Gated and minute designs had been
ENTHUSIASTICALLY resembling la
borious efforts to conventionalize a
spiders web.
But no sooner had M. Ducroy focused
upon them the magnifying glass than
he started violently, uttered an excited
exclamation and subjected the papers
to an examination both prolonged and
exacting. u
"Monsieur is no aoubt now salts
ned7" Lanyard inquired, when his pa
thence would endure no longer.
"These are genuine?" the minister
Of war demanded sharply. without
looking up.
Monsieur can readily discern nota-
lions made upon the drawings by the
inventor, George Huysman, in his own
hand. Furthermore, each plan has
been marked in the lower left-hand
corner with the word accepted fol-
lowed by the initials of the German
minister of war. l think this estab-
fishes beyond dispute the authenticity
Of these photographs of the plans for
Huysman's invention"
Eyes" the other agreed breathlessly.
"You have the negatives from which
these prints were made?"
Here" Lanyard said, indicating
second cigarette.
And then, with a movement so leis-
urely and careless that his purpose
was accomplished before the other in
his preoccupation was aware of it, the
adventurer leaned forward and swept
up the prints from the counterpart in
front of NJ. Ducroy.
"Here!" the Frenchman exclaimed.
"Why do you do that?"
Monsieur no longer questions their
authenticity"
Il grant you that"
'Then l return to myself these
prints, pending negotiations for their
transfer to France"
How did you come by them?" de-
manded NJ. Ducroy, after moments
thought.
'Need monsieur ask? Is France so
observed by her spies that you do not
already know of the misfortune re-
Gently suffered in London by one Cap
tain Ekstrom?"
Ducroy shook his head. Lanyard re-
ceived this ildication with Impotence.
1t seemed hardly possible that the
French minister of war could be either
so stupid or so ignorant. But with
patient shrug he proceeded to eluci-
date.
Captain Ekstrom," he explained,
"but recently succeeded in photograph
ing these plans and took them to Lon
don to sell to the English. Unfortu-
nately for himself unhappily for per-
fidious Albion!-Captain Ekstrom fell
in with me and mistook me for Down.
ing streets representative. And here
are the plans"
"You are-the Lone Wolf-then?"
II am, monsieur-sinply as concerns
you, the person in possession of these
plans. and who offers them through
you. to France for price,"
But why introduce yourself to me
in this extraordinary fashion to con.
summate transaction for which the
ordinary channels with which you
must be familiar are entirely ade
quate?"
simply because Ekstrom has fol.
lowed me to Paris" Lanyard explained
Did l venture to ap-
proach you through the customary
channels, my chances Of rounding out
\ useful life thereafter would be prac.
:ically nil. Furthermore, my circum.
stances are such that it has become
necessary for me to leave France i'm.