Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1916-03-09

him without resource other than to
throw himself upon her mercy. And
as soon as he could make himself
heard in the clear yet concentrated
whisper that was g trick Of his trade,
he addressed her in q manner at once
peremptory and apologetic:
If you please, Miss Bannon-not
word, not a Whisper"
She paused and nodded, eyes stead
fast to his, questioning but compliant.
Doubtfully, wondering that she didn't
show more wonder. he went on in the
spirit of one committed to a forlorn
hope:
Its vitality essential that | leave
this hotel without 1t becoming known.
II might count On you to say moth
ing
She gave him pause with a small
gesture. But how?" she breathed in
the least of whispers. The con-
cierge-"
Leave that to mel know another
way. | need only a chance"
Then you must take me with you!"
"Eh?" he stammered, dashed.
Her hands moved toward him in a
fiutter Of entreaty: Il, too, must leave
unseen-I must! Take me with you
and I promise you no one shall avar
know
He lacked time to weigh the disad-
vantages inherent in her proposition;
though she offered him heavy handi-
cap, he had no choice but to accept
Ii without protest.
Come, then" he told her-"and not
a sound"
She signifed assent with another
nod, and promptly he turned to an ad-
Jacent door, opened it gently. whipped
out his fiash-lamp, and passed through.
Without sign of hesitancy she fol-
lowed, and like two shadows they
logged that dancing spotlight through
linen closet and service room, down
shallow well threaded by a spiral of
iron steps and, by way of long cor
r1dor that linked the kitchen Offices,
on to stout door of oak secured only
Dy huge, old-style bolts of iron.
In two minutes from the moment of
their encounter they stood outside
Iroyon's, that door at their back, fac
ing cramped, malodorous alleyway-
dark and noisome souvenir of that
wild medieval Paris whose effacement
is an enduring monument to the fame
of the good Baron Haussmann.
Now, again, it was raining, a thick
drizzle that settled slowly, wanting
little of fog's opacity; and the faint
gllmmer of the street lamps of that
ill-lighted quarter lent Lanyard and
the girl little aid as they picked their
way cautiously, and always in COM
plete silence, over the Shiny cobbles
of the foul backway For the adven-
turer had pocketed his lamp, fearing
lest it bring down upon them some
proving creature of Popinot's, though
he felt passably sure that the alley
had been left unguarded-less, per-
haps, through ignorance of it than
through confidence that he would
never dream of it's existence did he
survive to seek an escape.
For all it's might and it's omniscience,
Lanyard doubted if the Pack had as
yet identified Michael Lanyard with
that ill-starred Marcel who once had
been as intimate with this secret way
as any skulking Tom of it's feline
hordes.
But with this one confidence was
never akin to foolhardiness; and if,
hnf
had paused to take the girls hand
and had drawn it through his arm-ft
was his left arm that he thus dedi-
Gated to gallantry-his right hand
remained unhampered and was never
far from the grip of his automatic.
Nor was he altogether trustful of this
companion. Momentarily he grew more
jealousy heedful of her, of every nu-
ance in her bearing. The least trace
OF added pressure on his arm, the most
subtle suggestion that she wasn't alto
gether Indifferent to him or regarded
him in any way other than as the
chance-found comrade of an hour OF
trouble would have proved enough to
fix his suspicious. For such, he told
himself, would be the first thought of
one bent on beguiling, to lead him on
by some intimation-the more tenuous
and elusive the more proyoking-that
she found him in person not altogether
Objectionable.
But he failed to find anything Of this
in her manner.
So what was he to think? That she
was alert enough to appreciate how
ruinous to her design would be any
such advances?
In such perplexity he brought her
to the mouth of the alley and there
pulled up for reconnaissance before
venturing forth into the narrow, dark
and utterly deserted side street that
presented itself.
At this the girl gently disengaged
her hand and drew away a pace or
two and when Lanyard had satisfied
himself that there were no Apaches
in the offing he turned to see her
standing there, just within the en-
trance to the alley, in a pose of blank
indecision.
Conscious of his regard, she turned
to his inspection face touched with a
fugitive, uncertain smile.
Where are we now?" she asked in
a guarded tone
He named the street and she shook