Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1910-04-30

can ne
Il hope not"
NJ. Paul felt 10 ms coat pocket and
drew out folded telegram. Read
that. old friend" be answered with
emotion.
Slowly Ti-nol read:
NJ. Paul Coquenu. villa Montmorcncy.
Paris. House and barn destroyed by iu-
cendiary Gre iu uiEht. Your mother saved
but seriously injured. A. Abel says Ir-
surance policy had iapsed. Come az once
ETlNESTINE
"QueI malheur, Quel malheurr' ex.
claimed the old man. "And you-you
think It's his doingF"
"Of course. They had warned me.
they had killed my dog. and-and now
they have struck no my mother" Tie
bent down bis head on his hands
shes an I've got. Tignol. she's seven
" years old aud iuhrm. aud-uo. uo.
quit I'm through"
And the iusurauceT' Tiguol asked
presently. What does that meanF"
II sent the renewal money 60 this
lawyer Abel" answered Coquenu iu
dun tone 'Thcy have used him
against me to-t0 take my savings
There followed three days OF ptifui
anxiety Tor Couueuh no his stricken
mothers side. Mime Coqucun. how
ever. never wavered in her sweet faith
that all was we'll She was comfort
able now in the home 90 bospiJabIs
neighbor
Finally Coqueuu told her alI-of The
murder OF MARITIME aud uf the ad
ventures that uud befauvu him iu bis
quest OF the slayer The old woman
would not listen to beer sous stopping
his hunt Because OF amy danger thar
might threaten bier. aud she insisted
thgt 10 was his duty to track down the
guilty man. Coqueuu pondered over
the situation Tor q day aud "a night
The next morning De came again tu
bis mothers bedside with his old
buoy-ut smile. aud after loving greet
iurs De- said simply. Its au right
little mother. . see my way Fun 40
ms to take the chance. aud" he nod
ucd confidently. between YOU and nae.
hink hare discovered ne icav 90 tcin
this rghf against me most p0iccrful forces
tn 0u fraEcr.'
Starting or bis newly outlined cam
paign against the false nobleman. Co
Quenn succeeded so having himself
employed as a stablemau az his mxu-
riOus establishment on the Rue de
Narennes Next By "a JudlciousIy ex-
pended bribe. he gained the aid Of "a
bewhiskered funky who was one of
the household attendants and who
kept him Informed as 20 the going aud
coming OF the master OF the house
Thus II came 20 pass that on a certain
night In August. about = o'clock in the
morning Paul Coquenn found himself
alone in the baron's spacious. silent
library before a massive safe. An ex.
perienced burglar chaser naturally be
comes bit OF a burglar himself. At
any rate. the safe swung open in due
course. without accident or interfer-
ence, and the detective stood before IL
AL this COQuenu had done on
chance, without positive knowledge.
save for the assurance OF the black
whiskered valet that the baron wrote
frequently IN cry which be kept
locked In the safe. Coquenil was Ger.
tain that In this diary would be found
records that would prove valuable evil
dence in fastening the guilt Of crime
on the unprincipled nObleman. And
the result Of his dangerous quest prov
ed the great detective 70 have de-
duced correctly. On one OF the shelves
OF the safe. among valuable papers
and securities. the detective found a
thick book bound in black leather and
fastened with heavy gold clasps 1t
was the diary.
With A thrill OF triumph. Coquenil
seized upon the volume. then closed
the safe carefully.
COquenil now paused, opened the
diary and began 10 read. There we're
some 400 neatly written pages-brief.
separate entries without dates, sepa
rate thoughts. as 1t were-and as he
turned through them he found himself
more and more absorbed until pres
entity he forgot time. place, danger.
everything. He was absolutely lost
In most extraordinary human docu-
ment-in one Of those terrible utter
anees. shameless and fearless, that are
flung out once IN a century or so from
tAC Aoes oVuAbti uepNhS OF man 5 De-
ing:
Ii have kept this diary because IL
amCses me. because 1 am not afraid. be
cause my nature Graves and demands some
honest expression somewhere II these
pages were read should be DESTROYED
understand that. but am in constant dan
ger OF being destroyed anyway 4 might
be killed by an automobile accident a
small artery In my brain might snap. Be
SIDES. have no fear. since 1 regard my
own life and all other lives as OF abso-
lutely uiiiing Importance.
L-Hah the great men OF this world
are great criminals. The Napoleons OF
war murder thousands: the Napoleons OF
trade and finance plpader tens OF thou
SANDS IL Is tie same among beasts and
nshes. among birds and insects. probably
among angels and devils. Everywhere we
md one memorable law. resistless as
gravitation. that impels the strong 10
plumber and destroy the weak
IiL-u Is i've years since 1 committed
what would be called monstrous ano
cowardly crime. As a matter OF fact
did what my Intelligence recognized as