Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1910-04-11

mo"
why did she tell you about it?"
"She acted on a sudden impulse, so
she says I'm inclined to believe her.
But never mind that. Pougeot''-he
rose in agitation and stood leaning
over his friend-"iu 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?'
"You think l resigned from the po-
lice force two years ago, don't you?'
"Of course"
Every one thinks so. Well it isn't
true, didn't resign l was dis
charged"
NJ. Pougeot stared in bewilderment
as if words failed him, and finally he
repeated weakly: discharged! Paul
Coquenil dlschargedw
Yes, sir, discharged from the Paris
detective force for refusing to arrest
a murderer. That's how the accusa-
tion read"
But it wasn't true?"
Judge for yourself. 1t was the
case of a poacher who killed a guard.
l don't suppose you remember it?"
Down near Saumur, wasn't it,"
Exactly. And it was near Saumur
found him after searching all over
France. We were clean off the track.
and l made up my mind the only way
to get him was through his wife and
child. They lived in a little house in
: s., =
the shooting l went there as a ped
dler in hard luck, and | played my
part so well that the woman consent
ed to take me in as a boarder. For
weeks it was o waiting game. l would
go away on Il peddling tour and then
come back as boarder Nothing devel-
oped, but | 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 off
with the basket into the forest. Then
I knew was right. and the next day
l followed the little girl, and, sure
enough, she led me to a 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 | saw him talk to his wife
and child near bridge over a noun
tain torrent"
"The picture that girl saw in the
dream.
YES; I'll never forget it. had my
pistol ready. and he was defeReless.
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 and trusted me, and-well, it was
a breach of duty, and they punished
me for it. But couldn't do it. l
couldn't do it, and didn't do it,"
"And you let the fellow go?'
81 let him go then. but got him a
week later in 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 thav allowed me to resign"
Coquenil spoke bitterly.
Outrageous! Unbelievable" NUT
tered Pougeot
C,,,,n4,iI Io,t...1 r+ IIE77aayt with ~,
odd little smile. You take it Just as
| thought you would-just as took it
myself until today. 1t seems like
stupid buuder. doesn't it? y ell, it
wasn't a bunder; it was a necessary
move in the game"
THE came. what gamer" The
commisSnry stared,
~ game involving a great crime"
"You have the facts Of this criuc"
mo; III hasn't been committed iyC"
"Not committed veg" repeated the
other, with startled glance. But sou
know the plan; You have evidence
Il have what is perfectly clear evil
dence TO ue--so clear that ! woLder
never saw it before Lucien, suppose
you were IA great criminal, wealthy
educated, daring and resourcefui. aud
suppose thera was one person in This
city who was thwarting your pJr-
poses. perhaps jeopardizing your sa.e-
ty. What would you naturally do"
I'D try TO get rid Of him"
Exactly" Coquenil paused, a1d
then, leaning closer to his friend, he
said with extraordinary earnesrness,
"Lucien. for over two years some one
has been trying to get rid Of me!'
THE devil" started POugeOt. How
long have you known thisI"
only today" frowned the detective.
Il ought 10 have known it long ago"
HIN. Aren't you building good
deal on that dreamY
The dream? Heavens, man." snap
ped Coqueuil I'm building nothing
on the dream and nothing on the girl
She simply brought together two facts
that belong together Why she did 1t
doesn't matter; she did 1t. and my rea-
son did the rest There Is cOnnec-
tiOn between this Rio de Janeiro offer
and my discharge from the force.
know IT, I'll show you other links In
the chain. Three times In the past
t,s.n ,,aar hava raaafvad offara ~