Through the Wall

startling summons of crime. Up the Rue Mozart they sped with sounding horn, feeling their way carefully on account of t

il. Then, in reply to Pougeot's look: "I mean the th

t? A woman was in the room, and s

are not original in crime. And this is-this is different. How many mu

e was one at the Silver Pheasant a

ose were stupid shooting cases, no

nk this was pla

the man

idn't s

e escaped. If they had caught him the

y-e

commit murder in a crowded restaurant and get away

utomobile, swinging sharply to the right, s

missary; then both men fell silent in t

hat it was in the center of fashionable Paris. It was the exact copy of a well-known Venetian palace, and its exquisite white marble colonnade made it a real adornment to the gay capital. Furthermore, M. Gritz had spent a fortune on furnishings and decorations, the carvings, the mural paintings, the rugs, the chairs, everything, in short, being up to the best millionaire standard. He had the most high-priced chef in the world, with six chefs under him, two of whom made a specialty of America

m, recognizing the commissary, came forward quickly to the automobile with word that M. Gibelin a

nol here?" a

ed the man, salut

e delicate. He's a good detective, but he likes the old-school methods, and-he and I neve

After all, I'm the commissary of this

'd sooner you

ay through the crowd of sensation seekers that bloc

d to five full minutes, and when

pidity!"

xpected," answ

ono,' he sneered, 'to keep his hands off this case. Orders from headquarters.'

drew back. "Not yet. I have a better idea.

the case," insist

the case,

once about this," insisted Pouge

re the night is over. Now get to work, and," he smiled mockingly,

restaurant, while Coquenil, with perfect equani

nt company suspected that anything was wrong. Those who started to go out were met by M. Gritz himself, and, with a brief hint of trouble upstairs, were ass

he head of the stairs by a little yellow-bearded man, wi

ert!" said th

It's a singular case," he whis

n a spirit of conciliation he began to give M. Pougeot some details of the case, whereupon the latter said stiffly: "Excuse me, sir, I need no assistance from you in making this investigation. Come, doctor! In

where delicious meals might be had with discreet attendance by those who wished to dine alone. In each of the wings were seven of these private rooms, all opening on a dark-red passageway lighted by soft electric lamps. It was in one of the west wing p

k some question, but he was interrupted by a burst

the doctor, "a lot of Americans. T

other. "Just across

re eight and the meal had begun at once. Oddly enough, after the soup, the gentleman told the waiter not to bring the next course until he rang, at the same time slipping into his hand a ten-franc piece. Whereupon Joseph had nodded his understanding-he had seen impatient lovers before, although they usually restrained th

ur hands. Joseph knocked discreetly, then again after a decent pause, and finally, weary of waiting, he opened the door

Dieu!"

he man's body?" ques

he waiter, his face st

an? Where wa

was waiting. She asked where the telephone was, and I told her it was on the floor

hotel?", demanded Pougeot sh

is woman go out. M. Gibelin made inquiries, but he could learn nothing excep

ot turned t

woman was she? A

stunner! Eyes and-shoulders and-um-m!" He described imaginary feminine c

the room. I'll need you, Leroy, and you and you."

ry entered, followed by his scribe, a very bald and pale young man, and by t

forth, searching everywhere with keen eyes and trained intelligence, especially for signs of violence, a broken window, an overturned table, a weapon, and noting all suspicious stains-mud stains, blood stains, the print of a foot, the smear of a hand and, of course, describing carefully the a

lessly among flowers and flashing glasses, chairs in their places, pictures smiling down from the white-and-gold walls, shaded electric lights diffusing a pleasant glow-in short, no disorder, no s

ere? Has anyone touched this b

me in with me, but neither of us t

dwelling on two facts: that there was no sign of a weapon in the room and

concluded, "we wil

twenty-eight, had been shot in the right eye, a ball having penetrated the brain, killing him instantly. The face showe

ly calm, with no suggestion of fright or anger; his hands and body lay in a natural position and his clothes were in

ow, "if this man shot himself, could he, in your opinion,

received a wound like this would be dead befor

A

made underneath that window

ed Pougeot. "Was there any

contrary, they seemed o

n. Note everything down. We must f

floor la

f French gold. On his fingers were several valuable rings, in his scarf was a large ruby set with diamonds, and attached to his waistcoat was a massive gold medal that at once established his identity. He was Enrico Martinez, a Spaniard widely known as a professional b

Paris to take his own life, for the simple reason that he enjoyed it altogether too much. He was scarcely thirty and in excellent health, he made plenty of money, he was fond of pleasure, and particularly fond of the ladies and had no reason to complain of bad treatment at their hands; in fact, if the truth must be told, he was ridiculously vain of hi

usband mixed up in this. Call that waiter again,

Number Five, leaving a policeman at the door of Number

he entered the room and discovered the crime. During this interval of perhaps a quarter of an hour he had moved down the corridor a short distance, but not farther than the door of Number Four. He was sure of this because one of the doors to the b

room door was open?

about a foot-some of

o the speaker? Show me." M. Pougeot

, and he placed himself so that

o might have come out of Number Six a

ppose

had opened while your back was

lot of applauding-like that," he paused as

d be careful no one leaves the banquet room on any excuse. I'll be there presently.

, s

ould anyone have passed you in the corridor while you s

or is narrow, sir, and I"-he looked down complacently at

the banquet room, the corridor, and the seven private dining rooms. He marked carefully the two doors leading from the

mark on the plan at that point. "By the way, are there any oth

, s

turned to Number Six, a person might have left the banquet room by the farther door-I'll mark

r, it's

mber Six from either Number Five or

during that fifteen minutes, and the party

mber Six during that fifteen minutes h

s,

is doo

he could have come wi

erwards, I mean if he left the hotel, h

seph's face w

you in the corridor, a

the waiter eagerly, "

ng o

s,

ow where he

came from the

before the lady w

for

ibe this young

I think I should know him, he was slender and

ss you, either goin

, s

you s

utely

will

hen the commissary cried out with a startled expression:

a beautiful evening gown, sir,

he wear outside? Her wraps?

ere downstairs i

his feet. "Bon sang de bon Dieu! Q

he stairs, and a few moments later returned, panting but happy, with news that the lady in N

the commissary, and he hurried d

ndicate the wearer. The bag was a luxurious trifle in Brazilian lizard skin, with solid-gold mountings; but again there w

ble some one will call for them, and if anyone should call,

, had just started an uproarious rendering of "My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean," with Latin-Quarter variations, when there came a sudden hush and a turning of heads toward the half-open door, t

and a moment later there entered a florid-faced man wi

Bridgeport art student, who loved ec

tand that you are celebrating your national holiday; unfortunately, I have a duty to perform that admits of no delay. While you have been feasting and

faces before him, as if trying to read in one or the

an officer of the law because I have reason to believe that a guest at this banquet

s no one spoke. Then, after the first dismay, came indignant protests; this man had

e sharply. "Who sat there?" He pointed to

ty chair, and heads came to

n this was spread before him: "I will read off the nam

mes, and to each one came a quick

was no

he repeated, and

nt on calling names, but

ctly when; I must know how he acted before he left, what he said-in short, I must know all you can tell me about him. R

hing their fellow-countryman and all that concerned him. It must have been about nine o'clock when he went out, perhaps a few minutes

od fellow, perhaps a little wild and hot-headed. Strangely enough, no one could say where Kittredge lived; he had left rather expensive rooms near the boulevards that he had

were informed that they might depart, which they did

was then at its height, and the doorkeeper had advised the young man to wait, feeling sure the tempest would cease as suddenly as it had begun; but the latter, apparently ill at ease, had insisted that he must go at once; he said he would find a cab himself, and turning up

to say that some one had called for the lady's cloak and bag. It was a young man with a

apped the

him, sir," replied th

business?" stormed Pougeo

, we just

the woman in the cloakroom to let this young man have the things. Do

ir. And

hing. Leave h

n?ois was positive he was the missing banquet guest. In other words, they were facing this remarkable situation: that the cloak and leather bag lef