River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1916-01-20
CHAPTER ".
A strataaem.


When the maitre dhOtel 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 bedchambec
next that occupied by Roddy, in the
second story.
The consideration influencing this
selection was, Of course, that so situ-
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.
In those days Lanyard's 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 self-confidence in addition to
a certain degree of temperate con-
tempt for the spies Of the law and all
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 sim
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. It was just pos
sible that De Morbihan's Identification
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
bedchamber, the business OF a sleuth
seemed to comprise going TO bed.
Lanyard, shaving and dressing, could
distinctly hear a tuneless voice coz
tentedly humming Sally in Our Al
ley" a rendition punctuated by one
heavy thump, and then another, and
then by a heartfelt sigh of relief-as
Roddy kicked off his boots-and fol-
lowed by the tapping of pipe against
grate-bars, the complaint OF q 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.
OF course, he might well be blufting.
for Lanyard had taken pains to lei
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.
1t 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 a gentleman
of elegant nocturnal leisure. But u
he approved the figure he cut, it was
mainly because clothes interested hin
and he reckoned bis own impeccable.
OF their tenant he was feeling jus,
then a bit less sure than he had halls
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 t.
this memory-haunted mausoleum Of AK
unhappy childhood He even shivere6
a trifle, as if under premonit!On OF mis-
fortune.
With one last look round to make
certain there was nothing in hia
rooms calculated disorder to incrimi
nate him were it to be searched in hia
absence, Lanyard enveloped himself
in a long, full-skirted ccat, clapped on
an opera hat, and went OUT. noisily
locking the door. He might as well
have left it wide; but it would do nc
harm to pretend he didn't know the
bedchamber keys at Troyon's were in
terchangeable-iden the sarna
keys, in fact, that had been in SERVES
in the time of Marcel the wretcheGr
(TO BE CS)NTINuDr~