Mountain advocate. (Barbourville, Ky.) 1904-1935, 1916-05-19


the moro closely examine that brutal
business Of last night, the moro I
seem to sense his will behind II all
as one might glimpse a face in dark.
ness through lighted lattice. oh,
laugh 81 you like! II sounds high
flown, know. But that's the effect
get What took you to my room, IL
not his orders? How comes he to run
with DE Morbihan, If he's not blood
kin to that breed? Why are you run
ming away from him, II not because
you've found out his part in that con
spiracy?"
His pause and questioning loo',
evoked no answer; the girl sat move
less and intent. meeting his gaze With
a countenance inscrutable. And some
thing in her impressive attitude
worked little evaporation into his
temper.
why" he declared hotly-"If dare
trust to intuition-forgive me IL I pain
you"
/ She interrupted with imnaticncn
1--WE already begged you not to con
slider my feelings. Mr.. Lanyard! If yor
| dared trust to your intuition-then
what?"
why, then I could believe thnt Mr..
BannOn. your father, could b"'i""" /
was his order that killed poor Roddy'"
There could be no doubling her hoT
| rified and half-incrcdulous surprise
"Roddy?" she iterated in whispc"
almost inaudible. with face fast blanch
ing "Roddy-"
Inspector Roddy of Scotland Yard"
he told her mercilessly, was murdered
in his sleep last night at Troyon's. The
murderer broke into his room by way
OF mine-the two adjoin. He used my
razor, wore my dressing.gown to pro-
tect his clothing, did everything lie
could think Of to cast suspicion on me.
and when I came in assaulted me,
meaning to drug and leave me insen-
sible, to be found by the police. For
tunately-I was beforehand with him.
l left him in my place-drugged, in.
sensible-when I stole away and met
you there in the corridor. You didn't
know"
"How can you ask" the girl
moaned.
Bending forward. an elbow on the
table, she gripped her hands together
until their knuckles shonc white
through the skin--but not as white as
the white face from which her eyes
sought his with look of dumb horror.
dazed. pitiful, imploring.
M
why should you?" she faltcrcd. "But
how terrible, how unspeakably awful"
I'm sorry" Lanyard mumbled. I'D
have held my tongue if | hadn't
thought you knew"
"You thought knew-and didn't lift
a finger to save the MANI" She jumped
up. with a blazing face. "Oh, how
could your
"No-Hot that-I never thought that.
But. meeting Won then and there so
opportuncly-I couldn't ignore the
coincidence; and when you admitted
you were running away from your IA
| ther, considering all the circumstances.
| was surely justified in thinking 1t
was realization, In part, at least. or
what had happened that was driving
you away"
She shook her head slowly, her In
| dignation ebbng as fast as it had risen.
81 understand" she said; you had
| some excuse, but you were not right.
| I ran away-yes-but not because OF
| that. never dreamed"
She fell silent, sitting with bowed
h., a., I
in way he found it painful to watch.
But please" he implored. don't
| take it so much to heart, Miss Ban
non II you knew nothing, you couldn't
have prevented it,"
No" she said brokenly, 81 could
have done nothing if had known. But
| didn't. It isn't that-it's the horror
and pity Of it, And that you could
think"
"Rut | didn't" he protested-"truly
I did not. And for what | did think.
for the injustice I did do you, believe
me, I'm truly sorry"
"You were quite satisfied " she said,
mot only by the testimony OF appear
ances, but to a degree, in fact You
must know-now must tell you"
Nothing you don't wish to-" he In.
terrupted quickly. 1.-THE fact that
practically kidnapped you under pre-
tense of doing you service, and sus'
pected you of being spy of that Pack,
gives me no title to your confidence"
Can blame you for thinking what
YOU dd?" She went on slowly, with
out looking up--gaze steadfast to her
interlaced fingers: Now, for my own
sake. want you to know what other.
wise. perhaps, shouldn't have told
you-not yet, at all events. I'm no
more Bannon's daughter than you're
his son. Our names sound alike-peo
pie frequently make the same mistake.
My name is Shannon-Lucy Shannon.
Mr.. Bannon called me Lucia because
he knew didn't like II and wanted to
tease me; for the same reason he al
ways kept up the pretense that | was
~. lonuL,or x.hap manila r,ianpbar.