Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1910-06-23

whole manner changed.
"Now, I will tell you exactly what
happened" And, settling herself near
him, Pussy Wilmott entered bravely
upon the hardest half hour of her
life. After all, he was a man, and she
would do the best she could.
"Well," she went on quite charming.
ly, 81 have done some foolish things
in my life, but this is the most fool
ish. I did give Martinez the five pound
notes. You see, he was to play q
match this week with a Russian, and
he offered to lay the money for me-"
But the dinner-the private room?"
She shrugged her shoulders. 81 went
there for a perfectly proper reason. I
needed some one to help me, and II
couldn't ask a man who knew me,
sO"-
"Then Martinez didn't know you"
"Of course not. He was foolish
enough to think himself in love with
me, and-well, 1 found 1t convenient
and amusing to utilize him."
"For what?'
Mrs. Wilmott bit her red lips and
then, with some dignity, replied that
she did not see what bearing her pur-
pose had on the case since it had not
been accomplished.
"Why wasn't it Accomplishment he
asked.
Because the man was shot,"
"Who shot him?"
81 don't know"
"But you were present in the room?
You heard the shot? You saw Mar
tinez fall?"
eyes, but Now her agitation in
creased. No one had entered the room
except herself and Martinez and the
waiter who served them, she insisted.
Martinez was standing near her when
when the shot was fred, and he fell
to the floor. That was all.
Coquenil smiled indulgently. What
did you do with the auger" he asked.
"The auger?" she gasped.
eyes; it vas seen by the cab driver
you took when you slipped out of the
hotel in the telephone girls raincoat."
YES" she answered weakly.
"And you threw it into the Seine as
you crossed the Concorde bridge?"
She stared at him in genuine admira-
ton. "My God, you're the cleverest
man I ever metz
M. Paul smiled. 81 can return the
compliment by saying that it isn't ev-
cry lady who could throw a clumsy
thing like an auger from a moving cab
over a wide roadway and a stone
wall and land it in q river. I suppose
you threw it over on the right hand
side?"
eyes"
GLOW far across the bridge had you
got when you threw it? This may
help the divers"
1--WE were a little more than halfway
across"
"Who bought this auger?"
MARTINEZ"
did you suggest the holes through
the wall?"
Gle did"
"But the holes We're bored for you
because you wanted to see into the
next room?"
eyes," in a low tone.
"And why?
She burst out in a flash Of feeling.
Because 1 knew hat a wretched dane
ing girl was going to be there with
"YesY" eagerly.
"With my husband!'
"Then your husband was the person
you thought guilty that night?' ques-
toned Coquenil.
Eyes"
"You told M. Kittredge when you
called for him in the cab that you
thought your husband guilty?"
eyes, but afterward I changed my
mind. My husband had nothing to
do with it. If he had, do you suppose
I would have told you this? No doubt
he has misconducted himself, butt
"You meal AnitaT"
It was a chance shot, but it went true
She stared at him in amazement,
II believe you are the devil" she said
and the detective, recalling his talk
with M. Gritz, muttered to himself,
''The tall blond! OF course!"
And now Pussy, feeling that she
could gain nothing against Coquenil
by ruse Or deceit, took refuge in sim.
pie truth and told quite charmingly
how this whole tragic adventure had
grown out of a foolish fit Of jealousy
"You see, I found a petit bleu on
my husbands dressing table morn
ing-I wish to heaven he would be
more careful-and IL read it. II
began Mon gros bebe,' and was sign
ed ia petite Anita individually
was furious. l have often been jeal
GUS Of Addison, but he has always
managed to prove that / was in the
wrong and that he was a perfect saint
SO now I determined to see for my
self. It was a splendid chance, as the
exact rendezvous was given-9 O'Clock