Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-04-11
cep,r.sht. 1909. b D. App,.toa . Co.


lawyer Abel" answered Coquenil in
dull tone. '.They have used him
against me toto take my savings"
=
There followed three days Of pitiful
anxiety for Coquenil at his stricken
mothers side. Nine. Coquenil. how
ever, never wavered In her sweet faith
that all was well. She was comfort
able now in the home Of a hospitable
neighbor.
Finally Coquenil told her all-of the
murder Of Martinez and Of the ad-
ventures that had befallen him in his
quest Of the slayer. The old woman
would not listen to her sons stopping
his hunt because Of any danger that
might threaten her. and she insisted
that it was his duty to track down the
guilty man. Coquenl pondered over
the situation for day and night.
The next morning he came again to
his mothers bedside with his old
buoyant smile, and after loving greet
tngs he said simply: Its all right.
little mother; see my way. I'm go
ing to take the chance. and" he nod
ded confidently, "between you and me.
I think 1 haze discoDered the so1y to 1oin
this fight against the most posoey1ul forces
in all France
Starting on his newly outlined cam
paign against the false nobleman, Co
quenil succeeded III having himself
employed as a stableman at his luxu-
rious establishment on the Rue de
varennes. Next, by a judiciously ex-
pended bride. he gained the aid of a
bewhiskered flunky who was one of
the household attendants and who
kept him informed as to the going and
coming Of the master of the house.
Thus it came to pass that on certain
night in August, about 2 o'clock in the
morning. Paul Coquenil found himself
alone in the barons spacious. silent
library before massive safe. An ex-
perienced burglar chaser naturally be-
comes a bit Of a burglar himself. At
any rate, the safe swung open in due
course, without accident or Interior
ence, and the detective stood before it.
All this Coquenil had done on a
chance. without positive knowledge.
save for the assurance of the black
whiskered valet that the baron wrote
frequently in diary which he 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 to have de-
duced correctly. On one Of the shelves
Of the safe, among valuable papers
and securities, the detective found q
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 to read. There were
some 400 neatly written pages-brief.
separate entries without dates, sepa-
rate thoughts, as it were-and as he
turned through them he found himself
more and more absorbed until pres
emily he forgot time, place, danger,
everything. He was absolutely lost
In a most extraordinary human docu-
ment-in one Of those terrible utter
ances, shameless and fearless, that are
flung out once in century or so from
the hot, somber depths Of a mans be-
ing:
LII have kept this diary because 1t
amuses me. because 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 dam
ger Of being destroyed anyway. 1 might
be killed by an automobile accident.
small artery in my brain might snap. Be-
sides. have no fear. since regard my
own life and all other lives as Of abso-
lutely triding importance.
IL-Half the great men Of this world
are great criminals. The Napoleons Of
war murder thousands: the Napoleons OF
trade and finance plumber tens OF thou
sands. It Is the same among beasts and
fishes. among birds and insects. probably
among angels and devils. Everywhere we
find one memorable law. resistless as
gravitation, that impels the strong to
plumber and destroy the weak.
Hit IL 1--WE years since I committed
what would be called monstrous and
cowardly crime AZ q matter OF fact, !
did what my intelligence recognized as
necessary and what was therefore my
duty. However. let us call It q crime ]
have been interested to watch for any
consequences or effects Of this crime in
myself, and have discovered none. /
study my face carefully and fail to find
any marks Of wickedness. My eyes are
clear and beautiful: my skin In remark
ably free from lines. am In splendid
ilesitil. niy sssss:.es are absolutely steady.
have keen sense Of humor. ! am GER
tainly q better man, better looking. bet
ter feeling, stronger in every way, than
was before committed this crime. It
IS absolute nonsense, therefore. to say
that sin or cr1me-I mean intelligent sin
or crtme-puts an ugly stamp ON . man.
The ugly stamp comes from bad health.
bad surroundings, bad conditions of life.
and these can usually be changed by
money, which hAvei
W.-Last night. July Z. shot q man.
Martinez. at TIM Ansonia hotel OBJ
served my sensations carefully and must
say that they were Of . most common
place character. There was no danger in
the adventure. nothing difficult about IT.
in fact. It was Tar less exciting than
shooting moose In tho Maine woods or
tracking grizzlies in the Rockies or go
ing after tigers In India There II really
nothing 30 tame 40 shooting q mani
VII have the most tremendous admira-
ton Tor myself. for the DISC have made
OF my opportunities. / started ~ the son
Of broken down nobleman. my material
assets being . trumpery title. My best
chance was to marry one OF the vain and
shallow rich women Of America, and l
succeeded IN marrying the very richest OF
them. She was. . widow with an enor-
RpuRr . 49,