The states-graphic. (Brownsville, Tenn.) 1???-1984, 1916-05-05


and stared fearfully at the door com
munieating with Roddy's room.
II stood aiar. an inch or so. its splin-
tered lock accounted for by a small
but extremely efficient steel jimmy
which lay near the threshold.
Beyond the observation-disclosures.
Mastering all his courage, the ad-
venturer strobe determinedly into the
adjoining room.
The first flash of his hand-lamp dis
covered to him slckening justification
for his apprehensions.
After a moment he returned, shut
the door, and set his back against it,
as il to bar out that reeking shambles.
He was very pale. his face drawn
with horror, and he was shaken with
nausea.
Now he knew why his dressing
gown had been requisitioned-to pro-
tect butchers clothing.
The plot was damnably patent
Roddy, somehow a menace to the
Pack, required elimination; not only
had his murder been decreed, but that
the blame for it should be laid at Lam
yards door Hence the attempt to
drug him that he might not escape be-
fore the police could be sent TO find
him there
Lanyard could no longer doubt that
De Morbihan had been left behind at
the Circle of Friends of Harmony
solely to detain him, afford Smith time
to finish his hideous job, and set the
trap for the second victim.
And the plot had succeeded despite
its partial failure, despite the swift
reverse chance and Lanyard's cunning
had melted out to the Packs agent.
In was his dressing gown that was
saturated with Roddy's blood, just as
those were his gloves, pilfered from
his luggage, which had measurably
protected the killers hands, and which
Lanyard had found in the next room,
stripped hastily off and thrown to the
floor, twin crumpled wads of blood.
| stained channels skin.
He had now little choice; he must
either flee Paris and rely on his wits
to save him, or else seek De Morbihan
and trust to his protection, to his in
fluenee in high quarters.
But to give himself into the hands,
to become an associate of one who
could be party to so cowardly crime
as this--Lanyard told himself he
would sooner pay the guillotine the
penalty.
Consulting his watch, he found the
hour to be no later than half past four,
so swiftly-truly treading upon one
another's heels-events had moved
since the adventure Of the somnambu-
list.
This left at his disposition a fair
two hours more of darkness-Novem-
Der nights are long and black in
Paris; it would hardly be even mod
erately light before seven o'clock. But
that was a respite none too long for
Lanyard's necessity-he must think
swiftly in contemplation of instant &C.
ton were he to extTicate himself with
out the Packs knowledge and consent.
Granted, then, that he must fly this
lsCrfcken field Of Paris. But how? De
Morbihan had promised that Popinot's
creatures would guard every outlet:
and Lanyard didn't doubt him. An at
tempt to escape the city by any nor
NAL channel would be to invite one of
two Experimentation to the police
on the charge of murder or one of
those fatally expeditions forms of as.
sassination of which the Apaches are
past masters.
He must and would find another
way; but his decision was frightfully
hampered by lack of ready money, the
few odd francs in his pocket were no
store for the war chest demanded by
this emergency.
True, he had the Omber jewels; but
they were not negotiable-not, OF
least, in Paris.
And the Auysman plans?
He pondered briefly the possibilities
Of the Huysman plans.
In his fretting, pacing softly to and
fro, at each turn he passed his dress
ing table, and, CHANGING once to OBJ
serve himself in the mirror, he
stopped short, thunderstruck by some
thing he thought to detect in that
counterfeit presentment of his coun
tenance, heavy with fatigue as 1t was
and haggard with contemplation o.
this appalling contretemps.
And instantly he was back beside
the American, studying narrowly the
contours Of that livid mask. Here
then, was that resemblance that haC
baffied him; and now that he saw 1
he could not deny that it was unfiat
teringly close-feature for feature thu
| face of the murderer reproduced hi
face; coarsened, perhaps, but recog
; nizably a replica of that Michael Ian
, yard who confronted him every morn
I ing In his shaving glass, almost tn
only difference residing in the scrubb,
, black mustache that Swallowed tn
!. ! Americans upper lip.
After all, nothing wonderful in this
! Lanyard's type was not uncommon
) he would never have thought himsel
: a distinguished figure.
: Before rising he turned out tn
! pockets Of this casual double. Blu
5 this profited him little-quite evident
ly the assassin had dressed for actiol
a with forethought to evade recognition
I in event of accident. Lanyard collect
!, ed only cheap American watch in
1 "rolled-gold" case. OF sort manufaC
: tured by wholesale, q common Ike
4 that might fit any hotel door, broker
|, paper OF Reggie cigarettes, an auto
- | ...nA.o Natal a favy franac in 1ilVpr-