Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-03-17

burning sun with a wicked face IN
side that kept looking down at me.
She says she often dreams Of this
wicked face. She sees it first In q dis
tant star that comes nearer and near
er until it gets to be large and red and
angry. AS the face comes closer her
start of terror. She says she would
die Of fright if the face ever reached
her before she awoke. That's about
alI.'
For some moments the commissary
did not speak. did she try to inter-
pref this dream?"
'sNo."
'Why did she tell you about it?'
"She acted on sudden impulse, so
she says. Pm inclined to believe her.
But never mind that. Pougeot'-he
rose in agitation and stood leaning
over his friend-"in that forest scene
she brought up something that isn't
known, something I've never even told
you. my best friend"
'"Tiens! What is that?"
t'You think resigned from the po-
lice force two years ago, don't YOU"
''Of course"
every one thinks so. Well, it isn't
true. I didn't resign. I was dis
charged"
NJ Pougeot stared in bewilderment,
as if words failed him, and finally he
repeated weakly: Discharged! Paul
Coquenn discharged!'
"Yes, sir, discharged from the Paris
detective force for refusing to arrest
murderer. That's how the accusa-
ton read"
But it wasn't trpeT'
t'Judge for yourself. 1t was the
I don't suppose you remember it,"
"Down near Saumur. wasn't it?''
'Exactly. And 1t was near Saumur
I found him after arching all over
France. We were clean off the track,
and made up my mind the only way
to get him was through his wife and
child. They lived in little house in
the woods not far from the place Of
the shooting. went there as ped
der in hard luck, and / played my
part SO well that the woman consent
ed to take me in as boarder. For
weeks it was a waiting game. would
go away on peddling tour and then
come back as boarder. Nothing devel-
oped. but 1 could not get rid of the
feeling that my man was somewhere
near in the woods"
zone Of your intuitions. Well?"
well, at last the woman became
convinced that they had nothing to
fear from me, and she did things more
openly. One day saw her put some
food In basket and give it to the lit
tie girl. And the little girl went OF
with the basket into the forest. Then
I knew was right. and the next day
followed the little girl, and, sure
enough, she led me to rough cave
where her father was hiding. hung
about there for an hour or two, and
finally the man came out from the
cave, and I saw him talk to his wife
and child near a bridge over a noun
tain torrent"
1.-THE picture that girl saw in the
dreamw
Eyes; I'll never forget it. had my
pistol ready, and he was defenseless,
and once was just springing forward
to take the fellow when he bent over
and kissed his little girl. don't know
how you look at these things. Pou-
geot, but couldn't break in there and
take that man away from his wife and
child. The woman had been kind to
me ana trusted me, and-well. it was
breach Of duty, and they punished
me for it. But couldn't do 1t.
couldn't do It, and I didn't do It."
''And you let the fellow go?'
IT let him go then, but got him q
week later in a fair fight, man to
man. They gave him ten years"
'And discharged you from the
force?"
''Yes-that is, in view of my past
services they allowed me to resign -
Coquenil spoke bitterly.
Outrageous! Unbelievable?' NUT
tered. Pougeot.
Coquenil looked at ePougeot with an
odd little smile. you take it just as
I thought you would-jdst as took it
myself until today. 1t seems like a
stupid blunder, doesn't it? Well, it
WoeA q OluuOcAS ~ WAS q 0SCSSS0Ay
move in the game"
''The game! What game?" The
c0mmlssary stared.
IA game involving great crime"
''You have the facts Of this crimeY'
'tNo; 1t hasn't been committed yet
mot committed yeti" repeated the
other, with startled glance. But you
know the plan? You have evidenceY'
81 have what is perfectly clear evil
dence to me-so clear that wonder
never saw 1t before. Lucien, suppose
you were q great criminal, wealthy,
educated, daring and resourceful, and
suppose there was one person in this
city who was thwarting your pur-
poses, perhaps jeopardizing your safe
ty. What would you naturally DOR
I'D try to get rid OF him."
Exactly" Coquenil paused, and
then, leaning closer to his friend. he
said with extraordinary earnestness.
"Lucien. for over two years some one
has been trying to get rid Of mew
The devil!'' started Pougeot. How
long have you known thisT'
"Only today" frowned the detective.
. II ought to have known II long ago"
HIM! Arsn't you building good
deal on that dreamf'