The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-03-23

the shootings I went there as a ped dler in hard luck, and I played my part so we'll that the woman consent ed to take me in as boarder. For weeks 1t was waiting game. I would go away on a peddling tour and then comeback as boarder. Nothing devel- oped. but I could not get rid of the feeling that my man was somewhere near in the woodE.''
 "One of your munitions. Well?"
 "WeI. 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 a 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 a rough cave where her father was hiding. I 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 bridge over a noun tain torrent
 "The picture that girl saw in the dreamv'
 'tYes: I'll never forget it. had my pistol ready. and he was defenseiess. and once I was just springing forward to take the fellow when he bent over and kissed his little girl I don't know how you look at these things. Pou- geot, but I 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-weIl, it was a breach of duty, and they punished me for it. But I couldn't do it. l couldn't do it. and didn't do it-''
 "And you let the fellow goY'
 '1 let him go then, but I got him a 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! UnbeIievabler' mutt tered Pougeot.
 Coquenil looked at Pougeot with an odd little smile "You take it just as I thought you would-just as I took 1t myself until today. It seems like a stupid blunder. doesn't it? We'll. it wasn't 8 blunder; it was necessary move in the game"
 "The game! What gamer" The com mmissary stared.
 "A game involving a great crimes
 'FYou have the facts of this crfme?'
 ''No; it hasn't been committed yet.''
 ''Not committed yet"' repeated the other, with q startled glance. But you know the plan? You have evidenceY'
 'I have what is perfectly clear evil dence to me-so clear that I wonder never saw it before. Lucien. suppose you were a great criminal, wealthy, fod nd nd suppose there was one person in this city who was thwarting your pur- poses. perhaps jeopardiztng your safe- ty. What would you naturally doT'
 ''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 mer'
 1.-The devil!' started Pougeot. How long have you known this?"
 "Oniy today" frowned the detective. 'I ought to have known it long ago."
 ''Hm! Aren't you building a good deal on that dream"'
 ''The dream? Heavens, man," snap ped Coquenil. 'I'm building nothing on the dream and nothing on the girl. She simply brought together two facts that belong together. Why she did it doesn't matter; she did it, and my req son did the rest There is a connec- tion between this Rio de Janeiro offer and my discharge from the force. I know it. I'll show you other links in the chain. Three times in the past two years I have received offers of business positions away from Paris. tempting offers. Notice that-bustness positions away from Paris! Some one has extraordinary reasons for wanting me out of this city and out of detec- i tive york;
 And you think this some one was responsible for your discharge from the force?''
 Gro be continued.)