The Odanah star. [volume] (Odanah, Ashland Co., Wis.) 1912-1916, 1916-03-10

So that was how Why hadn't he
| thought OF it before? Ever since he
| had turned on the lights he had been
| subjectiyely busy trying to invest her
| presence there with some plausible
excuse. But somnambulism had never
once entered his mind. And in his
stupidity, at pains though he had been
to render his words inoffensive in
themselves, he had been guilty of con.
structive incivility.
In his turn Lanyard colored warmly.
II beg your pardon" he muttered.
The girl paid no attention; she was
| thinking only OF herself and the
| anomalous position into which her in
| trinity had tricked her. When she
| did speak her words ran swiftly:
You see l was SO frightened! I
found myself suddenly standing up in
darkness, just as if l had jumped out
of bed in my sleep at some alarm;
and then l heard somebody enter the
room and shut the door stealthily. oh,
please understand mel"
But do, Miss Bannon-quite."
II am SO ashamed"
| please don't consider it that way"
But now that you know-you don't
| think"
| my dear Miss Bannon!"
| "But 1t must be SO hard to credit!
| Why, it's more than year since it
last happened. OF course, as a child.
it was almost habit; they had to
watch me all the time. Once But
| that doesn't matter. / am SO sorry!"
"You really mustn't worry" Lam
yard insisted TITS all quite natural
such things do happen-are happen
ing all the time"
"But don't want you"
II am nobody, Miss Bannon. Be.
sides, / sha'n't mention the matter to
a soul. And if ever l am fortunate
| enough to meet you again, shall have
forgotten it. ompletely-believe me-"
There was convincing sincerity in
his tone The girl looked down, as
| though abashed.
"You are very good she muir
INJURED. moving toward the door.
Il am very fortunate"
Her glance of surprise was question
enough.
ITO be able to treasure this much
| Of your confidence" he responded with
a tentative smile.
She was near the door; he opened it
for her, but cautioned her with a
gesture and whispered word: wait.
I'll make sure nobody's about"
He stepped noiselessly into the hall
and paused an instant, looking keenly
right and left, listening.
The girl advanced to the threshold
and there halted, hesitant, eying him
anxiously.
| He nodded reinsurance: Cali right
coasts clear!"
But she delayed one moment more.
TITS you who are mistaken" she
whispered, flushing again beneath his
| regard, from which admiration could
not be absent. ''It is 1 who am for
tunate-to have met a-gentleman."
Her diffident smile, together with
the candor Of her eyes, embarrassed
him in such degree that for the mo-
ment he was unable to frame a reply.
Good night" she whispered-"and
thank you, thank you!"
Her room was at the far end of the
| corridor. She gained it's threshold in
one swift dash, noiseless save for the
| silken whisper Of her garments,
| Hoot,od him final link that
left him with the thought that novel
lists did not always exaggerate, that
eyes could shine like stars.
/ Her door closed softly.
Lanyard shook his head, as If to dis
sipate a swarm of Fostering thoughts,
and went back into his own bedcham-
ber.
He was quite content with the ex-
PLANTATION the girl had given. but as
the victim of a methodical and perth
nacious habit of mind, spent five busy
minutes examining his room and all
that it contained with a perseverance
that would have done credit to a
Frenchman searching for a mislaid
| sou.
II pressed, he would have been put
| to it to name what he sought or
thought to find What he did find was
that nothing had been tempered WITH
and nothing more-not even SO mucE
as dainty, lace-trimmed wisp,of sheer
linen bearing the lady's monogram
and exhaling a faint but individual
perfume.
Which, when he came to consider 1t,
seemed hardly playing the game by
the book.
/ As for Roddy, Lanyard wasted sew
I, erat minutes, now and Sgain. listening
attentively at the communicating
door; but il the detective had stopped
snoring. his respiration was clear
enough in that quiet hour, sound OF
harsh monotony.
True, that proved nothing; but Lam
yard, after the iasco OF his first at
tempt to catch his enemy awake. was
no more disposed to be hypercriticai:
he had his fill of being ingenious ans
nrofound. And when presently he