Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1916-04-13


perfunctory thanks-alI thoroughly in
character and all with little conscious
thought.
He saw but one thing, the face Of
Lucy Shannon, white, tense. glimmer-
ing wanly in shadows-the face with
which she had dismissed him.
He had but one thought-the desire
to read the riddae of her bondage. To
accomplish this he was prepared to go
to any extreme;- if Bannon and his
crew came between him and his pur-
pose, so much the worse for them
and, incidentally, so much the better
for society! What might happen to
himself was of no moment.
He entertained but one design, to
become again what he had been, the
supreme adVenturer, the prince of
pIunderers, to lose himself once more
in the suspense Of adventurous days
and the delirium of peril-haunted
nights, to reincarnate the Lone Wolf
and in his guise loot the world anew
to court oblivion even at the prisons
gates.
It was after ten when, cruising pur-
poselessly, without a fare, he swung
through the Rue Auber into the Place
de POpera, and approaching the Cafe
de la PaiX, was hailed by doorboy of
that restaurant.
Drawing in to the curb with the in
difference that had distinguished his
- +Ioo l. 4
with a throbbing motor and mind de-
tached and gaze remote from the tides
of foot and wheeled traffic brawling
past on either hand
After a moment two figures, both
masculine, issued from the revolving
door of the cafe and approached the
cab. Lanyard paid them no attention
In his preOccupatiOn he would have
needed only the repetition of an ad-
dress in his ear and the noise of the
cab door slammed to send him off like
a shot.
But he received no such order;
there was a pause; then he heard one
Of the men cough heavily, and in a
twinkling Lanyard had stiffened to
rigidity in his seat If he had heard
that cough but once before, that once
had been too often. Without a glance
askance, hardening his features to alb
solute immobility, he knew that the
cough was shaking the slighter of
those two figures.
And of a sudden he was acutely
conscious Of the clearness of the
frosty atmosphere, of the merciless
glare of electricity beating upon him
from every side. And poignantly he
regretted neglecting to mask himself
with his goggles.
He wasn't left long in suspense. The
coughing died away by spasms, fol-
lowed by the Enthusiastically sonorous
accents of BannOn's voice
We'll, dear boy! | have to thank
you for an excellent dinner and most
interesting evening. Pity to break it
up so early. Still, businessmen
know! Sorry you're not going my way
but that's good-looking taxi you've
drawn. What's it's number-eh?"
"Hav sn't the faintest notion"
| British voice drawled in response.
Never bother about a taXi's number
| until it has run over me-"
Great mistake" Bannon rejoined
| cheerfuIly. Always take your taxi's
number before entering. Then, if any
| thing happens However, that's
goOd-lOoking chap at the wheel
| doesn't look as if he'd run you into any
| trouble
ooh, l fancy not" said the English
man, bored
Still, you never can tell. There's
the number on the lamp. Make a
note of it and be on the safe side Or
| trust mel never forget numbers!"
With this speech Bannon ranged
alongside Lanyard and looked him
over, keenly malicious enjoyment
| cleaning in his evil old eyes.
You are an honest-looking chap"
| he commended with suspicion of a
| hooking smile, but in a tone of the
most inOffensive honest
| and-ah-what shall l say?-What's
| the word we're all using nowadays?-
| efficient! Honest and efficient-looking,
| capable of better things, or I'm no
| Judge! Forgive an old mans candor,
| my friend-and take good care Of our
| British cousin here. He doesn't know
| his way around Paris very we'll. Still
| l feel confident he'll come te no harm
| in your company. Here's a franc for
| you"
With matchIess effrontery he pro-
| duced a coin from the change pocket
| OF his fur-Iined coat and offered it to
| Lanyard
| Unhesitatingly, permitting no ex-
preston to color his features, Lanyard
| extended his palm, received the coin,
dropped it into his own pocket, and
carried two fingers to the vizor of his
! cap.
| "Merci, monsieur" he said evenly.
"Ah. that's the right spirit" the
deep voice jeered. Never be above
your station, my man-never hesitate
! to take a tip! Here, I'll give you an
other, gratis-get out of this business !;
you're too good for it. Don't ask me
how l know; l can tell by your face.
Hello! Why, you're turning down the
| flag? You haven't started yeti"
Conversation goes up on the clock"
Lanyard replied stolidly in French.