River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1916-01-27

turn nothing more intelligent than d
dazed repetition of the term.
So that was how Why hadn't he
thought Of it before? Ever since he
had turned on the lights he had been
subjectively 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 I was so frightened! |
found myself suddenly standing up in
darkness, just as if I had jumped out
of bed in my sleep at some alarm;
and then I 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 it must be so hard to credit!
Why, it's more than a year since it
last happened. OF course, as a child,
it was almost a 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 Its 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, l shan't mention the matter to
a soul. And If ever l am fortunate
enough to meet you again, / shall have
forgotten 1t mpletely-believe me-"
There was convincing sincerity in
his tone. The girl locked down, as
though abashed.
you are very good" she muir
INJURED, moving toward the door.
81 am very fortunate"
Her glance of surprise was question
enough.
"To 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 a 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: "All right
coasts clear!"
But she delayed one moment more
Its you who are mistaken" she
whispered, flushing again beneath his
regard, from which. admiration could
not be absent. 1T is / 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 reply.
Good night" she whispered-"an
thank you, thank you!"
Her room was at the far end of the
corridor. She gained it's threshold in
60 ~
silken whisper of her garments,
turned, flashed him a final look 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-
Der.
He was quite content with the ex-
PLANTATION the girl had given, but as
the victim of 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.
IL 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 much
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 it,
seemed hardly playing the game by
the book.
AS for Roddy, Lanyard wasted sew
eral minutes, now and again, listening
attentively at the communicating
door; but If the detective had stopped
snoring, his respiration was clear
enough in that quiet hour, sound of
harsh monotony.
True, that proved nothing; but Ian
yard, after the fiasco Of his first at
tempt to catch his enemy awake, was
no more disposed to be hypercritical;