Mountain advocate., 1916-04-14
"DamnI- mu,,efedT5 me counf uroko


business for you, my friend" growled
the one he had named Popinot.
You mean that? But you are mag
nificent, all of you! We lack only
the solitary illumination Of q candle
end--a grinning skull--a cup of blood
upon tho table--to make the farce com.
plete! But as it is, messieurs. you
must be rarely uncomfortable. and
feeling as foolish as you look into
the bargain! Moreover I'm not
child. Popmot, why not disburden
your amiable features? And you, Mr..
Wertheimer, I'm sure, will feel more
at ease with an open countenance-
as the saying runs" he said holding
to the man beside Popinot. As for
this gentleman" he concluded, eying
the third, Il haven't the pleasure Of
his acquaintance
With short laugh Wertheimer un.
masked, exposing a face Of decidedly
English type, fair and well modelled,
betraying only the faintest traces Of
Semitic cast to account for his sur.
name. And with this example Popinot
snatched off his own black vizor and
glared at Lanyard-in his shabby dress
the incarnate essence of bourgeois
outraged. But the third, he of the
gray lounge suit, remained motion.
less; his eyes FLASHED with tho adven.
turer's.
He seemed man little if at all Ian.
yards senior, and built upon much the
same lines. A close-clipped black mus
tache ornamented his upper lip. His
chin was square and strong with char.
acter. The cut of his clothing was
conspicuously neither English nor con.
tinental
Il don't know you. SIR Lanyard
continued slowly, puzzled to account
for feeling Of familiarity with this
person, whom he could have sworn
he had never met before. But you
won't let your friends Guido you in
civility, l trust?"
IF you mean you want me to un.
mask, | won't" the other returned
brusquely in fair French If with q
decided transatlantic information.
American, eh?"
Native born, If it interests you"
Have 1 met you before?'
you have not"
MY dear count" Lanyard said. turn
ing to De Morbihan, do me the favor
to introduce this gentleman
Your dear count will do nothing Of
hn nrt I'D
a name to call ME by, Smiths good
enough"
The incisive force Of his enumeration
carried out consistently the general
habit OF the man. Lanyard recognized
nature no more pliable than his own.
Idle to give time to pickering with
this one
1T doesn't matter" ne said shortly,
and, drawing back q chair, sat down.
IF II did, should insist-or else de-
cline the honor Of receiving the adj
dresses of this cosmopolitan commit
tee. Truly, you hatter me. Here we
have Mr.. Wertheimer, representing
the swell mobsmen across the chan
mel; NJ. lie Comte standing for the
gratin OF Paris-and vice versa; Popi-
not, spokesman for our friends. the
Apaches, and the well-known Mr..
Goodenough Smith, ambassador of the
gunner of New York-apparently. a
most auspicious occasion, But / pre-
sumo I'm to understand you wait upon
me mainly as representing the fine
flower of the European underworld?'
You're to understand that l. for
one, don't like your impudence," the
stout Popinot snapped.
Sorry But / have already indicat-
cd my inability 10 take you seriously '
why not?" the American demand
cd ominously. You'd be sore enough
II we took you as a joke, wouldn't
you?"
you misapprehend, Mr.. - ali -
Smith; it is my first aim and wish that
you do not take me in any manner,
shape or form. Ii Is you, remember,
who requested this interview, and
er-dressed your parts so strikingly! %
What are we TO understand by
that?" De Morbihan interposed.
This, messieurs - If you must
know" Lanyard dropped for the mo-
ment his tone of raillery and bent for
ward. emphasizing his points by tap
ping the table With a forchnger
Through some oversight of mine, or
cleverness of yours can't say which,
perhaps both-you have succeeded in
penetrating my secret. What then?
You become envious of my success.
In short. | stand in your light-lm
always getting away with something
you might have lifted II you'd only
had wit enough TO think Of Il first,
AS your American confrere, Mr.. Mys'
FERROUS Smith, would say, 'Cramp
your style"
you learned that on Broadway
the other commented shrewdly
Possibly. To continue So you get
together and bite your nails until you
concoct a plan to brighten me into
sharing profits with you I've no doubt
xyou'ra nranarad IN allnN1y mo ~ retain