The Odanah star. [volume] (Odanah, Ashland Co., Wis.) 1912-1916, 1916-03-03
CHAPTER w.
A Strataaem.

When the naitre dhotel had shown
hinAaH over the establishment-inno-
Gently enough, en- route, furnishing
| him with a complete list of his other
guests and their rooms, memoranda
readily registered by retentive mem
ory-Lanyard chose the bedchambef
next that occupied by Roddy. in tht
second story.
The consideration influencing this
selection was, of course, that so stu
ated he would be in position not only
to keep an eye on the man from Scot
land Yard, but also to determine
whether or not Roddy were disposed
| to keep an eye on him.
In those days Lanyard's faith in
himself was a beautiful thing. He
could not have enjoyed the immunity
| ascribed to the Lone Wolf so long as
he had without gaining a power OF
sturdy self-confidence in addition to
certain degree of temperate coz
tempt for the spies of the law and all
their ways.
Reviewing the scene in the restau-
| rant, Lanyard felt measurably war
| ranted in assuming not only that Rod
dy was interested in De Morbihan, but
| that the Frenchman was we'll aware
of that interest And he resented Stu
cerely his inability to feel as confident
| that the count, with his gossip about
| the Lone Wolf, had been merely seek
| ing to divert Roddy's interest to pu-
tatively larger game. 1t was just pos
sible that De Morbihan's Identification
of Lanyard with that mysterious per-
sonage, ate least by innuendo. had been
unintentional. But somehow Lanyard
didn't believe it had.
| However, one would surely learn
something Illuminating before very
| long The business of a sleuth is to
sleuth, and sooner or later Roddy
| must surely make some move to indi-
cate the quarter wherein his real in
| terest lay.
| Just at present, reasoning from
| noises audible through the bolted door
| that communicated with the adjoining
| bedchamber, the business OF sleuth
seemed to comprise going to bed.
distinctly hear a tuneless voice con-
tentedly humming sally in Our AL
| lev" rendition punctuated by one
| heavy thump. and then another, and
then by heartfelt sigh of relief-as
Roddy kicked off his boots-and fol-
lowed by the tapping of pipe against
| grate-bars, the complaint Of window
being lowered for ventilation. the click
of an electric-light switch, and the
creaking of bed springs.
| Finally, and before Lanyard had fin
ished dressing the man from Scotland
Yard began placidly to snore.
OF course, he might well be bluffing,
for Lanyard had taken pains to leu
Roddy know that they were room
neighbors by announcing his selection
| in lopd tones close to the communicate
ing door.
| But this was a question which the
adventurer meant to have answered
| before he went out.
1t was hard upon twelve O'Clock
when the mirror on the dressing table
assured him that he was at length Ia
the habit and apparel of a gentleman
of elegant nocturnal leisure. But IL
he approved the figure he cut, it was
mainly because clothes interested him
and he reckoned his own impeccable.
| OF their tenant he was feeling just
then a bit less sure than he had half
an hour since; his regard was lower
| ing and mistrustful.
He was, in short, suffering reaction
from the high spirits engendered By
his cross-channel exploits, his success-
full getaway, and the unusual ciTcum-
| stances attendant upon his return to
| this memory-haunted mausoleum OF an
| unhappy childhood. He even shivered
a trife, as if under premonition OF mis-
| fortune.
/ With one last look round to make
| certain there was nothing in his
rooms calculated disorder to incrimi
nate him were it to be searched in his
absence, Lanyard enveloped himself
| in a long, full-skirted coat, clapped on
an opera hat, and went out. noisily
| locking the door, He might as we'll
have left it wide; but IT would do no
harm to pretend he didn't know the
| bedchamber keys at Troyon's were in
| terchangeable-ide the same
KEYS, in fact, that had been in service
| in the time of Marcel the wretchsd.
4 <.<<< vrr.Yar