Mountain advocate., 1916-03-31
CHAPTER v.
Anticlimas.

The surprise was complete but it's
a question which party thereto was
the moro affected.
Lanyard stared with the eyes of stu.
pefaction, his jaw slack. To his fancy,
this thing passed the compass OF
simple incredulity-it wasn't merely
improbable, it was preposterous; IT
was anticlimax exaggerated to the pro-
portion of the grotesque.
He had come prepared to surprise
and bullyrag the most astute police
detective Of whom he had any knowl-
edge: he found himself surprised and
discountenanced by this!
Confusion no less intense informed
the girls expression; her eyes were
fixed to his with look of blank in.
quiry; her face, whose coloring had
won his admiration two hours since,
was now colorless: her lips we're Just
ajar; the fingers of one hand touched
her cheek, indenting it.
The other hand caught up before
her the long skirts of a pretty robe
de chambre, beneath whose edge was
visible a hands breadth of simmer.
ing white silk. with the toe of silken
mule to match the dressing gown.
Thus she stood, poised for flight at
tired only in negligee over what one
couldn't help suspecting, was her
nightdress-her hair was down, she
was unquestionably all ready for her
bed.
But Bourke's long and patient train
ing had been wasted IL this man
proved one to remain long at loss.
hullying his wits quickly. he made n
brave show of accepting this amazing
accident as a commonplace.
81 beg your pardon, Miss cannon
.0 bean it'll formal be.
0terrupted with ga
"0ooenition. "Mr. I'm
Inclined mis- head a second time.
~ to disturb you"
But { don't understand"
"t fortunately" he proceeded
smoothly, 81 forgot something when l
went out and had to come back for it."
"Eut-but-"
Yes?'
Suddenly her gaze for the first time
broke from his and swept the room
with glance of wild dismay
This room" she breathed--I don't
know it
ut is mine"
Yours! But"
THAT is how ! happened to-inter-
"pt YOU"
he Girl shrank back pace-two
pac,s-Lttering in low-toned mono
syllab.o of understanding. an OH"
abruptly asped. simultaneously her
face and TIN 2lt famed scarlet with the
color that FLOOD 4 them.
Your room, Mr. Lanyard"
Her tone was so convincing in its
meditation of shame and horror that
his heart misgave him. Not that alone.
bat the girl was very good to look
upon.
I'm sure" he began soothingly, 1T
doesn't matter, You mistook one door
for the"
shuddered. This dreadful habit! And
| was hoping had outgrown it! How
can | eXplain?"
Believe me, Miss Bannon. you need
explain "othing."
But | must. l wish to. | couldn't
bear to have you think But surely
you can make allowances for sleep
walkng!"
To this appeal he could at first re-
turn nothing more intelligent than a
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.
structiYe incivility.
In his turn Lanyard colored warmly.
Il 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 ! was so frightened! |
found myself suddenly standing up in
darkness, just as II | had jumped out
OF bed in my sleep at some alarm
and then | heard somebody enter the
room and shut the door stealthily, oh
pIaact,