The Whitefish pilot. [volume] (Whitefish, Mont.) 1904-current, 1910-05-19

An. Ronne,on. my friend" said
! CoVu-nl
! t;"d evening Nj. Paul" answered
the other While he pat,ed the do. at
/ tectlona1ely "Shall take Caesar"
/ ''One moment. | have news for yon :"
Then. while the other listened anx.
iouS!y. he told of his hrillian, appoint
nent in Rio de- Janeiro and Of his i'm
mnent departure He was sailing for
Brazil IN three days
/ Mon Dien:' nInrl,ured Bonneton in
dismay. Sailing for Brazil So our
friends leave us OF course I'm glad
for YOU It's great chance. but
will you take CaeSar!"
II couldn't leave my dog, could I?''
smiled CoIupnil.
lot course not. OF course not. And
such dog You've been kind to let
him guard the church since Old Max
died Come. Caesar! just moment.
Nj Paul"
How the course of events would
have been changed had Paul Counenil
remained outside NOtre Dn me on this
occasion it is impossible to know The
fact is he did not remain outside: but.
growing impatient ut Runnetons de.
lay. he pushed open the double swing
ing doors. with their coverings OF Ieath
er and red velvet and entered the
sanctuary. Immediately he saw IL girl
She WAS in the shadows near stat.
ua of the Virgin before which caudies
were burning On the table were ro-
saries aud ,alismans and candles OF
different lengths that it was evidently
the girls business to sell. In front of
the Virgin $ shrine was Il prieuleu. al
which woman was kneeliug, but she
presently rose and went out. and the
girl sat there alone When she lifted
her eyes he saw that they We're dark
and beautiful. though tinged with sad
ness. He was surprised to find this
lovely young woman selling candles
here In \otre Dame church.
And suddenly he was more slrpris-
ell. for as the girl glanced np she met
his gaze fixed on her. and immediately
there came into her face Il look so
strange. so glad and yet so frightened
that Coquenil went to her quickly
with reassnring smile. He was sure
be had never seen her before. yet he
realized that somehow she was equal
~ sure tina; she knew him.
What followed was seen by only one
persou-tbat is. the sacriStan's wife,
big. hard faced woman with faint
muStache and Wart on her chin, who
sat 10y the great column near the door
dispensing holy water out OF crack.
ed saucer and whining for pennies
Nothing escaped the Ia wklike eyes OF
Mother H"nn+t"n. aud now. With
growing curiosity. She watched the
sceue between Copuenii and the can.
die seller What interest could great
defective have In this girl. Alice. whom
she aud her husband had taken in as
a malt charity t'oardler:
Holy saints. how she talks" grum
BLEED the s;,cristan's wife. And see
the eyes she makes. And how lie lis.
tens: The man must be crazy to waste
his time OH her: Now he asks u cues.
tion. and si,. talks again with that
queer. taraway look. lie frowus aud
clutches his hands. and. upon my soul,
he seems afraid of her!
The incident wrought an extraordi
nary change in COQueuil He looked
worn. almost haggaru. as he walked
to the church door with face set in an
ominous frown. 'Tlere's some dpvirs
work in this" he m,it,ered
what is u?" asked the Sacristan
The detective faced him sharply
'Nh" is the girl in there: Where did
she come FROM" lie stopped alb
rupfiy and pressed the fingers of his
two hands against his forehead NO.
no. he changed. bout tell me yet.
must be alone. | must think. Come
to me at . tonight"
'NeS. yes murmured the sacristan.
following him. but, Nj. Paul-er-
which day do You sail?"
Coquen!l snapped angrily, II may not
sail at all"
day of sinister portent this must |
nave been. for scarcely had Coquenil
left NOtre Dame than another scene |
was enacted there that should have
oeen happy. but. alas. was not And
again ii was the girl who made trou-
Bile. this seller OF candles. with her
wistful dark eyes. A pathetic figure
she was. sitting there alone in the
somber church-quite alone now, for
it was closing time. Mother Ronneton
had shufiied of automatically after
cutting word-she knew better than
to ask what had happened-and the
old sacristan was making his round OF
the galleries. securing doors and win
dows.
With a shiver of apprehension Alice
turned away from the whispering
shadows and went to the Virgins