Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1916-03-02

\ W,
the Jew pressed the catch and uncov-
cred it's contents. But the richness of
| the treasure thus disclosed did not
! seem to surprise him; and, indeed, he
| had more than once been introduced
with no more Formally to plumber OF
greater value Fitting a jewelers. mag
nifying- glass to his eye, he picked up
one after another of the pieces and ex-
amined them under the Iamplight
Presently he replaced the last and
shut down the cover of the box
He turned a thoughtful countenance
to Lanyard, made as if to speak, but
| hesitated.
"Well?" the adventurer demanded
impatiently.
'This, l take it." said the Jew alb
sently, tapping the box, lis the jewelry
of Nine Omber."
81 took It," Lanyard retorted good
humoredly-'not to put too fine a
point upon it,"
The Jew shrugged, and with the tips
Of his fingers gently pushed the box
toward his customer.
This makes me very unhappy" he
admitted; "but have no choice in the
matter, monsieur. AS the agent of my
principals, | am instructed to refuse
you an offer for these valuables."
"Why?"
| Again the shrug, accompanied by a
deprecatory grimace: THAT is diff
ficult to say. No explanation was
made me- Ny instructions were mere
! ly to keep this appointment as usual
but to advise you that it would be i'm
possible for my principals to continue
their relations with you as long as
your affairs remained in their present
status"
Their present status?" Lanyard re-
peated. What does that mean?"
Il cannot say, monsieur. [ can only
repeat that which was said to me-"
After a moment Lanyard rose, took
the box and replaced it in his pocket.
Very WELL" he said quietly. Your
principals, of course, understand that
this action on their part definitely
ends our relations rather than merely
interrupts them at their whim?''
81 am desolated, monsieur, but-one
must assume that they have consid-
cred everything You understand, it
is matter in which am wholly with
out discretion, / trust?'
ooh, quitei" Lanyard assente& care
lessly. He held out his hand Good
by, my friend"
The lew shook hands warmly
Good night, monsieur-and the
best Of luck!"
There was significance in his last
words that Lanyard did not trouble to
analyze. Beyond doubt the man knew
more than he dared admit And the ad-
venturer told himself he could shrewd-
ly surmise most of that which the
| other had felt constrained to leave I'M
spoken.
Pressure from some quarter had
been brought to bear upon that emil
nently respectable firm Of jewel mer-
chants in Amsterdam to force them
to discontinue their clandestine rela-
lions with the Lone Wolf, profitable
! though these must have been.
Anger burned in him no less holly
than chagrin. 1t could hardly be other
wise with one who, so long suffered to
go his way without discovery or him
drance, now suddenly, in the course of
q few brief hours, found himself
brought up with round turn-hemmed
in and menaced on every side by Sc
cret opposition and hostility
10 10 no o4nI A.
and the very fact that, as far as he
could see, he wasn't watched, only
added fuel to his resentment, demon
strating as it did so patiently the cynical
assurance of the Pack that it had him
cornered, without alternative other
than to meet it's wishes.
To the driver Of the first taxicab he
met he said: "rAbbaye;" then, shut
ting himself within the conveyance,
he surrendered to the most morose re-
Elections
Nothing of his mood was, however,
apparent in his manner on alighting.
He bore countenance Of amiable in
souciance through the portals of this
festal institution, whose proudest
boast and, incidentally, sole claim to
| uniqueness is that it never opens it's
doors before midnight nor closes them
before dawn.
He had moved about with such celer-
ity since entering his fiat on the Rue
Roget that it was even now only two
o'clock, an hour at which revelry might
be expected to have reached its apo
gee in this, the soidisant smartest
place in Paris.
A less sophisticated adventurer
might have been fattered by the cor
diality of his reception at the hands of
the maitre d'hoteI.
''Ah-h, M. Lanyar'! But it is long
since we have. been so favored How
ever, have kept your table for you
Have you, indeed?"
Gould it be otherwise, after receipt
of your honored order?"
NO" said Lanyard coolly, 81 pre-
sumo not, if you value your peace of
mind"
Monsieur is alone ?'-this with an
accent of disappointment.
Temporarily, perhaps"
'But this way, if you please
In the wake of the functionary Ian
yard traversed that frowsy anteroom,
where doubtful MASTERS are herded on
suspicion in company with the corps