Meade County news. [volume] (Meade, Kan.) 1900-1918, 1916-04-06
CHAPTER w.
A strataoem.

A Stratagem.
When the maitre d'hotel had shown
him all 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 bedchamber
next that occupied by Roddy. in the
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. rs
In those days Lanyards 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 selfconfdence in addition to
certain degree of temperate con-
tempt for the spies of the law and alb
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's
sible that De Morbihan's identificatior
of Lanyard with that mysterious per-
sonage at 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 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
IllC OuolHCoo vi a oAONtn
seemed to comprise going to bed.
Lanyard, shaving and dressing. could
distinctly hear a tuneless voice con-
tentedly humming Sally in Our AL
ley" a 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. L,
Of course, he might well be bluflngst
for Lanyard had taken pains to let
Roddy know that they were room
neighbors by announcing his selection
in loud tones close to the communicate
ing door.
But this was a question which the
adventurer meant to have answered
before he went out.
It was hard upon twelve o'clock
when the mirror on the dressing table
assured him that he was at length in
the habit and apparel of gentleman
of elegant nocturnal leisure. But II
he approved the figure he cut, 1t 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 circum-
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 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-id the same
keys, in fact, that had been in service.
in the time of Marcel the wretched.
| ,-1, r,rS NONyrxTNdTVUfOH 4