The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-08-13

4 Our footballs rang out crisply and
/ loudly as we, swung through the Doc
/ tors quarter. Wimpole street, Harley
street, and so through Wigmore street
/ INTO Oxford street. In a quarter of
an hour we were in Bloomsbury at the
Alpha Inn" which is a small pub
! lie house at the corner of one of the
i streets which runs down into Hol-
born. Holmes pushed open the door
1 OF the private bar, and ordered two
glasses of beer from the ruddy faced,
| white aDroned landlord.
Your beer should be excellent if il
is as good as your geese" said he.
! prised
Yes. was speaking only half an
hour ago to Mr.. Henry Baker who
/ was member of your goose club
I All, yes, see But you see, sir,
! them's not our geese"
Indeed, Whose. then?"
| We'll, / got the two dozen from a
! salesman in Covent Garden"
Indeed? I know some Of them.
/ Which was it?''
4 breckenridge is his NAME
All. don't know him. Well.
here's your good health, landlord and
| prosperity to your house. Good night"
Now for Mr.. Breckenridge" he con-
4 tinued, buttoning up his coat, as we
came out into the frosty air 'Remem-
Der, Watson, that though we have so
! homely thing as a goose at one end
OF this chain, we have at the other
a man who will certainly get seven
years penal serVitude unless we can
| establish his innocence. 1t is possible
| that our inquiry may but confirm his
guilt; but, in any case. we have line
/ of investigation which has been missed
/ by the police, and which a singular
I chance has placed in our hands. Let
us follow it out TO the bitter end.
Faces to the south. then. and quick
marchi"
We passed across Holborn, down En-
/ dell street, and so through a zigzag
/ of slums to Covent garden market. One
of the largest stalls bore the name of
! Breckenridge upon it, and the proprie-
tor, horsey-1Ooking man, with a sharp
| face and trim side whiskers, was help
ing boy to put UP the shutters
Good evening. It's a cold night"
/ said Holmes.
| The salesman nodded, and Shot a
Questioning glance at my companion.
/ Sold out of geese, ] see" continued
Holmes, pointing at the bare slabs of
marble
I Let you have 500 tomorrow morn
ing"
That's no good"
We'll, there are some on the stall
| with the @ashare."
'Ah. but I was recommended to you"
who by?'
"The landlord Of the Alpha"
DOZEN
Fine birds they were. too Now,
where did you get them from?''
To my surprise the question provoked
a burst of anger from the salesman.
! Now, then, mister said he with
his head cooked and his arms akimbo,
what are you driving at? Let's have
ii straight, now"
| 1T is straight enough should like
! to know who sold you the geese which
you supplied to the Alpha"
! We'll then sha'n't tell Won So
nowl"
"oh. it is a matter of no Importance:
but don't know why you should be
so warm over such a .trifie."
| ''Warmi You'd be as warm, may be,
If you were as pestered as L am. When
/ i pay good money for a good article
| there should be an end of the bust
ness; but it's, Where are the geese?'
and who did you sell the geese to-?
land what will you take for the geese?'
One would think they were the only
geese in The world to hear the fuss that
4 is made over them"
| r."Well, I have no connection with any
other people who have been making
I inquiries" said Holmes, carelessly. IF
you won't tell us the bet is off, that
my opinion on a matter of fowls, and
! 7 have a FLYER on it that the bird
ate is country bred
"Wen. then. you've lost your flyer,
for it's town bred" snapped the sales
man.
It's nothing of the kind"
| Il say il is"
Il don't believe it"
! "Dyou think you know more about
] fowls than l. who have handled them
ever since I was a nipper? 1 tell you.
all those birds that went TO the Alpha
were town bred
! You'll never persuade me to believe
that"
viii you bet. them"
It's merely taking your money: for
know that l am right But I'll have
a sovereign on with you. just 10 teach
I You not to be obstinate"
The salesman chuckled grimly. Bring
me the books. Bill" said he.
The small boy brought around a small
! thin volume and a great greasy backed
one, laying them out together beneath
the hanging lamp.
Now. then, Mr. COcksure" said the
salesman, II thought that I was out
of geese. but before 1 finish you'll find
| that there is still one left in my shop.
| You see this little book
( We'll 80
That's the list of the folk from
whom I buy. Dye see? Wei. then.
here on this page are the country folk
land the numbers after their names are
] where their accounts are in the big
/ ledger. Now, them You see this other
page in red ink, Well, that is a list
of my town SUDpliers. Now, look at
! that third name. Just read it out to
me-"
Mrs Oakshott. III, Brfxton road
/ 249.'' read Holmes.
Quite so. Now. turn that up in the
ledger.%
Holmes turned to the page indicated.
/ Here you are Mrs. Oakshott, III
Brixton road, egg and poultry sup
plier.'"
Now, then. what's the last entry"
Dee. %. Twenty-four geese at IS.
quite 50. There you are. And un-
| derneath?'
F" SOD to Mr., windigate, of the Al
I pha, at 12s-' "
What have YOU TO say now"
/ Sherlock Holmes looked deeply cha
grined he drew sovereign from his
pocket and threw it down upon the
slab, turning away With an air of
man whose disgust is too deep for
words a few yards off he stopped
under a lamp post and laughed in the
hearty. noiseless fashion which was
peculiar to him.
When YOU see a man with whiskers
of that cut and the pink 'un' protrud-
4 ing out of his pocket. you can always
draw him by a bet" said he. Il dare
Ic. I l7oT