Mountain advocate. (Barbourville, Ky.) 1904-1935, 1916-04-07

lights that bum M fea1 money every
hour OF the night.
Afoot, and in complete darkness, he
made his ascent of Ave flights OF wind.
ing stairs, pauslng at length before
the door Of an apartment on the sixth
floor. A fash from a pocket-lamp 10.
Gated the keyhole; the key turned
without sound; the door swung on
silent hinges.
Once inside, the adventurer moved
more freely, with less precaution
against noise. He was on known
ground, and alone; the apartment,
though furnished, was untenanted, and
would so remain as long as Lanyard
continued to pay the rent from Lon.
don under an assumed name.
IL was the convenience OF this ref.
uge and avenue Of retreat, indeed, that
had dictated his choice of this par.
ticuIar floor, for the sixth.story 20
hal one invaluable feature window
opening on the roof of the adjoining
building.
to convince Lanyard that here at least
the Pack had not trespassed.
Five minutes later he picked the
common lock of a door opening from
the roof of an apartment house on the
farthest corner Of the block, found his
way downstairs, knocked on the door
of the porter's lodge, chanted that ven
cradle open sesame Of Paris, Gordon,
sill vous plait!" and was made free of
the street by worthy concierge too
sleepy to challenge the late-departing
guest.
He walked three blocks, picked up
taxicab, and in ten minutes more was
set down at the Care des Invalides.
Passing through the station without
pause, he took to the streets afoot, fol-
lowing the Boulevard St. German to
the Rue du Bac; a brief walk up this
time.worn thoroughfare brought him
to the ample, open and unguarded
porte-cochere Of a roomy court walled
with beetling, ancient tenements.
Assuring himself that the courtyard
was deserted, Lanyard addressed him.
self to door on the right; to his
knock it swung promptly ajar with
click of its latch. At the same time
the adventurer produced from beneath
his cloak a small black velvet vizor
and adjusted il to mask the upper
portion of his face. Then, entering a
narrow and odorous corridor, whose
obscurity was only emphasized by
lonely, guttering candle, he turned the
knob of the first door and walked into
small, ill-furnished room.
A spare-bodied young man, who had
been sitting at desk, reading by the
light OF an oil lamp with heavy green
shade. rose and bowed courteously.
Good morning, monsieur he said
with the cordiality of one who greets
an acquaintance of old standing. "Be
seated he added. indicating an arm
chair beside the desk. 81. is some
time since | have had the honor Of
call from monsieur"
That is So" Lanyard admitted, sit
ting down.
The young man followed suit. The
lamplight, striking across his face be-
meath the greenish penumbra of the
shade, discovered a countenance of
Hebraic cast.
Monsieur has something to show
me, eh?'
But naturally"
Lanyard's reply just escaped flavor
OF curtness-as who should say, What
did you expect?" He was puzzled by
something strange and new in the at
titude of this young man, trace or re-
serve and constraint.
They had been meeting in this man
u-r for several years, conducting
Their secret and lawless business ac-
cording 10 a formula invented by
Bourke and religiously observed by
Lanyard. A note or telegram of inno-
cent superficial intent, addressed to a
certain member of a leading firm OF
Jew elers in Amsterdam, was the in
variable signal for meetings such as
this, which were always held in the
same place at an indeterminate hour
after midnight, between this intelli-
gent, cultivated and well-mannered
young Jew and the thief in his mask.
In such wise did the Lone Wolf dis
pose OF the bulk of his loot; other
channels were. of course, open to him,
but none so safe; and with no other
receiver of stolen goods could he hope
to make such fair and profitable deals
Now, inevitably, in the course of
this loiS association, though each re-
NAMED in ignorance Of the others
identity, these two had come TO feel
that they knew each other fairly well.
Not infrequently, when their business
had been transacted, Lanyard would
linger an hour with the agent, chatting
over cigarettes-both. perhaps, lit
tie thrilled by the piauanHy Of the sit
uation, for the young Jew was the
only man who had ever Willingly met
the Lone Wolf face to face.
Why then, this sudden awkward
ness and embarrassment on the part
OF the agent?