The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1916-02-18


provokingly.
Perhaps l should not And yet
why notY As l say. II was elementary
reasoning-a mere matter OF logica
deduction and elimination. One made
up ones mind the Lone Wolf must bC
a certain type of man; the rest wai
simply sitting France for the man to
fit the theory and then watching him
until he gave himself away"
You're not going to stop there?
the American demanded in an ag
grieVed tone.
No? | must continue? Very well;
I confess to some little pride. 1t was
feat. He is cunning, that one!"
De Morbihan paused and shifted
sidewise in his chair. grinning like a
mischievous child
BY this maneuver, thanks to the ar.
raugement Of mirrors lining the walls,
he commanded an indirect view of
Lanyard, a fact of which the latter
was not unaware, though his express
sion remained unchanged as he sat
with corner Of his eye reserved for
Roddy-speculating whether De Nor
bihan we're telling the truth or only
boasting for his own glorifcation
do go on-please!" the girl begged
prettily.
81 can deny you nothing, mademoi-
selle. Well, then! From what little
was known of this mysterious crea.
ture, one readily inferred he must be
bachelor, with no close friends. That
is clear. l trust?"
'Too deep for me, my friend" the
elderly man confessed.
'Impenetrable reticence," the count
expounded - and enjoying himself
hugely-"isn't possible in the human
relations. Sooner or later one is
doomed to share ones secrets, how.
ever reluctantly, even unconsciously.
with a wife, a mistress, a child, or
with some trusted friend. And Sc
cret between two is-a prolific breeder
of platitudes! Granted this line of
reasoning, the Lone Wolf is of neces-
sity not only unmarried, but practi.
cally friendless. other attributes of
his will obviously comprise youth,
courage, imagination, rather high or.
der Of intelligence, and a social posi-
tion-let US say, rather, an ostensible
business-enabling him to travel at
will hither and yon without exciting
comment So far, good
MY friend, the chief of the surete,
forthwith commissioner his agents to
seek such a one, and by this means
net of suspicion, carefully scrutinized,
and one by one let go-all except one,
the veritable man. Him they sedulous-
ly watched, shadowing him across Eu-
rope and back again. He was in Ber-
lin at the time of the famous Rhein.
hart robbery, though he compassed
that coup without detection; he was
in Vienna when the British embassy
there was looted, but escaped by a
clever ruse and managed to dispose
of his plunder before the agents of the
surete could lay hands on him; re.
Gently he has been in London, and
there he made love to and ran away
with the diamonds of a certain lady
of some eminence. You have heard
of Nine, Omber. eh?"
Now by Roddy's expression 1t was
plain that, If Nine. Omber's name
wasn't strange in his hearing, at least
he found this news about her most
He was staring openly,
with slackened jaw and stupefaction
in his blank, blue eyes.
Lanyard gently pinched the small
end of a cigar, dipped it into his demi
tasse, and lighted it with not so much
as a suspicion Of tremor. His brain,
however, was working rapidly in the |
effort to determine whether De Nor
bihan meant this for a warning or was
simply narrating an amusing yarn
founded on advance information and |
amplified by an ingenious imagina-
ton. For by now the news of the |
Omber affair must have thrilled many
a continental telegraph wire.
Mime. Omber-of course!" the |
American agreed thoughtfully. "Ev-
eryone has heard of her wonderful
diamonds. The real marvel is that the
Lone Wolf neglected so shining a mark
Is long as he did"
"But truly so, monsieur!"
"And they caught him at it, eh ?"
"Not precisely; but he left a clue
Ind London as well-with such haste
Is would seem to indicate he knew his
hand had for once slipped"
Then they'll nab him soon?"
"Ah, monsieur, one must say no
nOre!" De Morbihan protested. "Rest
assured that the chief Of the surete
las laid his plans-his web is spun,
md so artfully that | think our un-
Iociable outlaw will soon be making
riends in the prison of the Sante. But
low we must adjourn. One is sorry
t has been so very pleasant"
A waiter conjured the bill from
ONE recess of his waistcoat and
erved 1t on clean plate to the Amer
can. Another ran bawling for the
'loakroom attendant. Roddy glued
is gaze efresh to the Daily Mail. The
arty rose.
Lanyard noticed that the American
igned the bill instead of settling it
nth cash, indicating that he resided
t Troyon's as well as dined there.
nd the adVenturer found time to re-
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