Through the Wall

and of far greater peril to him than the Marseilles trunk drama-in short, a case that ranks with the most important ones of modern police history-would never have been undertaken by Coquenil (and in

position, the reward of a whole career, simply because a girl whom he did not know spoke s

tre-Dame he stopped twice, once at a flower market that offered the grateful shade of its gnarled polenia trees just beyond the Conciergerie prison, and once under the heavy archway of the Prefecture de Police. At the flower market he bought a white carnation from a woman in

ars before and resulted, no one understood why, in his leaving the Paris detective force at the very moment of his glory, when the whole city was praising him f

Coc

e police force for personal reasons, said the newspapers. His health was affected, some declared; he had laid by a tidy fortune and wished to enjoy

n, on the recommendation of the Paris police department, to organize the detective service of a foreign capital, with a life position at the

a red-faced man, with a large purplish nose and a suspiciously black musta

!" he said brisk

inous chuckle, as one who enjoys bad news: "Eh, well enough, M. Paul; but I don't like that." And,

hed the other. "Why, it

objecting nod: "It's too red.

Coquenil's face lighted gail

sudden directness, "don't you remember when we had

look had deepened into o

murders in the

-cis

ound those two poor women stretched out in their white-and-gold salon?

figure as the detective moved across the Place Notre-Dame, snapping his fingers playfully at th

nd the dog answered with eager

ow 'em, eh

s of various saints and angels that overhang the blackened doorway while Coquenil said something to a professional beggar, who straightway disappeared inside the c

gold and a gold-embroidered coat. For all his brave apparel he was a small, mild-mannered p

oquenil, and then, with a quizzic

he other, while he patted the dog a

anxiously, he told of his brilliant appointment in Rio Janeiro and

Brazil! So our friends leave us. Of course I'm glad

my dog, could I?

old Max died. Come, C?sar! Just a moment, M. Paul." And with real emotion the sacristan led the do

sible to know; the fact is he did not remain outside, but, growing impatient at Bonneton's delay, he pushed open the double

gin's shrine was a prie dieu at which a woman was kneeling, but she presently rose and went out, and the girl sat there alone. She was looking down at a piece of embroidery, and Coquenil noticed her shapely white hands and the mas

ame into her face a look so strange, so glad, and yet so frightened that Coquenil went to her quickly with reassuring

f a cracked saucer and whining for pennies. Nothing escaped the hawklike eyes of Mother Bonneton, and now, with growing curiosity, she watched the scene between Coquenil and the candle seller. What interest could

time on her! Now he asks a question and she talks again with that queer, far-away look. He frowns and clinches his hands, and-upon my soul he see

change in Coquenil. All his buoyancy was gone, and he looked worn, almost haggard, a

ered, and as his eyes caught the fires of th

d the sacristan, a

pped abruptly, and, pressing the fingers of his two hands against his forehead, he stroked the brows over his closed eyes as if

aid Bonneton, with visi

detective. "Remember, nine o

e sacristan, following him. "But,

napped out angrily: "

position in

was such black rage in his look that Bonneton cowered away, claspi

re that should have been happy, but that, alas! showed only a rough and devious way stretching before two lovers. And again it was the girl who made trouble, this seller of candles, with her fine hands and her hair and her wistful dark eyes. A strange and pathetic figure she was, sitting there alone in

w stronger. And suddenly, inside a widening green circle, she saw a face, the face of a young man with laughing gray eyes, and her heart beat with joy. She loved him, she loved him!--that was her secret and the cause of her unhappiness, for she must hide her love, especially from him; she must give him some cold word, some e

d?-and then, perhaps, he would misjudge her, perhaps he would leave her in anger and not come back any more. Not come back any m

Jesus votre divin Fils, expirant sur la croi

he ask this inconceivable question and insist on having an answer? His wife! Her cheeks flamed at the word and her heart throbbed wildly. His wife! How wonderful that he should have ch

ce at her hair in a little glass and a touch to her hat, she went out into the garden back of Notre-Dame, where she knew her lover would be waiting. There he was, strolling along the graveled walk near the fountain, switching hi

as a frank, manly face, easily likable. He was a man of twenty-seven, slender of build, but carrying himself well. In dress he had the quiet good taste that some men are born with, besides a willingness to take pains about shirts, boots, an

ent English one of the nonsensical phrases he was fond of using. She tried

something wrong. W

she bega

d she dragon. Come over here and tell me about it." He led h

not know how to meet it. Her red lips trembled, her eyes grew melting, and she sat there silent and delicious in

the fake relics and the white marble French gentleman trying to get out of his coffin. And he didn't care a hang about any of 'em until he saw you. Then he began to take notice. The next day he came back and you sold h

on't," sh

ndles. She had the most beautiful hands in the world, and all day long she sat at

!" sighe

eyes and the hands and the hair ever dropped down at that little table. Nobody could explain it, so the young fellow with

weather," she sa

pout, nothing ahead, and a whole year of-of damned foolishness behind. Excuse me, but that's what it

saint, only a poor girl who saw y

ny good you'll cut out this thing that's been raising hell with you'-excuse me, but that's what it was-'and you'll make a new start, right now.' And I did it. There's a lot you don't know, but you can bet all your rosaries and relics that I've made a fair fight si

a proud, beautiful moment! He loved her, he loved her! Yet she drew her ha

se, and then, with challen

ou-what you want me to be,"

ou to be

kno

you ref

k. Then slowly she nodded, as

up here! You don't mean

nd faced him. "It is true, Ll

why?

tell you," s

her evident distress he checked the words an

she answer

raid to hurt my feelings. I'll make a clean breast of it all, if you say so. God

eve you

,' you look at me out of those won

do," she

ried ... 'Say

of a verse I read," and drawing a small volume from his pocket he turned the p

ad in a low voice: "Je n'aimais qu'el

destin plus aff

ourtant qu'en ce

n lien je fis

ent fois perfi

les maux qu'elle

ddenly, her ey

, you can't think tha

ain he checked himself at the sight of her

I want some encouragement, something to work for. I've got to have it. Just let me go on hoping; say that in six mont

head, while her eyes f

ll never be my wife? Never? No matter w

he repeated wi

said, "or rather I don't understand; but there's no us

supplication. "You won't leave

ring and make me dance? Well, I guess not. Leave you? Of course I'll leave you.

asped, in s

u haven't played fair at all. You knew I loved yo

be judged like that. I have played fair with you. If I hadn't I would

u show it," he ans

ll these months? Isn't

ead. "It isn't

s all I have in life? How about that, Lloyd?" Under their dark lashes her v

in it. I can't stand for this let-me

patiently and gla

gently, "come to t

head. "Got an

ppoin

a ba

in surprise. "Yo

N

moment. "Where

the Champs Elysées, very swell. I didn't

spered, "don't g

des, I wouldn't come to you, anyway. What's the use? I've said all I can, and you've said 'No.' S

gged, "come aft

N

ppen. Don't laugh. Look at the sky, there beyond the blac

of red and purple that crowned the setting sun, something strange and terrifying. And in her agitation she took

" he said, holdi

ull, tired voice, putting down the bo

ked up the volume and his

is?" He looked more closely at

e stammered. "Have I

k, but-how did you

what I wrote," she

y that you don't k

l," she replied wit

k: "See here, I guess I've been too previous. I'll cut out that banquet to-night-that

she murmu

there abo

again her eyes turned anxiousl