The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-04-11

bent down his head on his hands She's all I've got. Tignol; she's seven ] ty years old and infirm, and-no, no, ] l quit, Pm throughI'
 And the insurance?'' Tignol asked presently. What does that mean?''
 '.I sent the renewal money to this I lawyer AbeI.'' answered Coquenil in
 dull tone. '.They have used him 1 against me toto take my savings" There followed three days of pitiful
 anxiety for Coquenil at his stricken mothers side. Mme. 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 Coquenii told her all-of the murder of Martinez and of the ad- ventures that had befaIlen 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. Coquenil pondered over
 the situation for day and a night.
 The next morning he came again to
 his mothers bedside with his old
 buoyant smile. and after loving greet
 ings he said simply: Its all right.
 little mother; l see my way. Pm go-
 ing to take the chance. and," he nod ded confidently. .'befween you and me.
 I think hGve discoDered the sody to t0in
 thts fgbt Ggoinst the most pos1erfut forces
 5n ail France.''
 Starting on his newly outlined cam paign against the false nobIeman. Co-
 quenil succeeded in having himself Sf1f1 Tor 0r7E of hi lr1x
 rious establishment on the Rue de
 varennes Next. by a judiciously ex- pended bribe. he gained the aid of a
 bew hiskered 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 ca me to pass that on certain night in August, about 2 o'clock in the morning. Paul Coquenil found himself alone in the baron's spacious, silent library before massive safe. An ex- perienced burglar chaser naturally be- comes bit of burglar himself. At any rate. the safe swung open in due course. without accident or interfer- 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 Wl1SkGTed VdlGE 1HdG tue DdIOu WTOt0 frequently in a diary which he kept locked in the safe. Coquenfl was cer- tain that in this diary would be found records that would prove valuable evil dence in fastening the guilt of crime on the unprincipled noblen1an. 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 a thick book bound in black leather and fastened with heavy gold clasps. It was the diary.
 With. thrill of triumph, Coquenfl 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 most extraordinary human docu- ment-in one of those terrible utter ances. shameless and fearless. that are flung out once in a century or so from the hot, somber depths of a mans be- ing: ernuses me. because l am not afraid. be- cause my nature craves and demands some honest expression somewhere If these pages were read l should De destroyed. l understand that. but am in constant dan ger of being destroyed anyway. 1 might be killed by an automobile accident. s A small artery in my brain might snap. Be- sides. 1 have no fear. since 1 regard my own life and all other lives as of abso- lutely trifling importance.
 IL-Half the great men of this world are great criminals. The Napoieons of war murder thousands: the Napoleons of trade and finance plunder tens of thou sands It is the same among beasts and fishes. among birds and insects. propabiy | among angels and devils. Everywhere we 1 find one inexorable law, resistless as gravita tion. that impeis the strong to plunder and destroy the weak
 II1.-It is five years since 1 committed l what would be called a monstrous and cowardIy crime. As a matter of fact, 1 1 did what my intelligence recognized as 1 necessary and what was therefore my 1 have been interested to watch for any consequences effects of this crime in l myself. and l have discovered none. ] study my face carefufYy and fail to find | any marks of wickedness. My eyes are | clear and beautiful: my skin is remark | Sbly free from lines. l am in splendid l health My nerves are absolutely steady 1 have keen sense of humor. 1 ceT tatnIy better man. better looking. bet l ter feeling. stronger in every way. thai 1 was before 1 committed this crime. 1 is absolute nonsense, therefore. to ga. i that sin crime-I mean intelligent si! or crfme-putS ugly stamp on a mar The ugly stamp comes from bad heaIti bad surroundings, bad conditions of life and these usually be changed b. money. which I havel
 IV.-Last night, July 4, l shot a l Martinez. at the Ansenia hotel 1 ,ob | served my sensations carefully and musl | say that they were Of a most common There daneer. tr1 | the adventure nothing difficult about it. | Tn fact, was far less exciting than shooting moose in the Maine woods or | tracking grizzlies in the Rockies or go- | sng after tigers in India There is really | nothing so tame as shooting man!
 Y.-1 have the most tremendous admire |