Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1905-10-20

well, thought as you do" said
Lestrade. ION the other hand, this
Morse Hudson is the purveyor of busts
In that part Of London, and these three
were the only ones which had been in
his shop for years. &c. although, as
you say, there are many hundreds Of
statues in London, it is very probable
that these three were the only ones in
that district. ThASefore local fanatic
would begin with them. What do you
think, DR.. Watson?"
"There are no limits to the POSSIBLE
tiles Of monomania," / answered.
4There is the condition which the mod
lrn French psychologists have called
the 'idee flxe,' which may be trifling in
character and accompanied by COM
plete sanity in every other way. A
man who had read deeply about Napo-
leon or who had possibly received
some hereditary family injury through
the great war might conceivably form
such an idee fixe' and under its influ
snce be capable Of any fantastic out
rage"
| I
said Holmes, shaking his head, "for no
amount of 'idee axe' would enable your
Interesting monomaniac to find out
where these busts were situated"
well, how do you explain itr'
II don't attempt to do 80. would
only observe that there is certain
method in the gentleman's eccentric
| v,,onaodipoc Eor ovor,nlo IN mr. par.
nicot's hall, where sound might
arouse the family, the bust was taken
outside before being broken, whereas
In the surgery, where there was less
danger Of an alarm, 1t was smashed
where it stood. The affair seems alb
surdly trifling, and yet dare call moth
Ing trivial when I reflect that some Of
my most classic cases have had the
least promising commencement. You
will remember, Watson, how the dread
full business Of the Abernetty family
was first brought to my notice by the
depth which the parsley had sunk into
the butter upon hot day. can't af-
ford, therefore, to smile at your three
broken busts. Lestrade, and I shall be
very much obliged to you If you will
let me hear Of any fresh development
of so singular chain Of events"
The development for which my friend
had asked came in quicker and an
Infinitely more tragic form than he
could have imagined. was still dress
Ing in my bedroom next morning wher
~ tan e a,d Sf me door. ane
Come instantly. 1s1 Pitt street Kensing
p ton LEsTRADE.
, What 1t it. thenr' asked.
Don't know-may be anything. Blu
! suspect 1t is the sequel Of the story
OF the statues. In that case our friend
the image breaker, has begun opera
tons in another quarter of London
There's coffee ON the table, Watson
and have cab at the door,"
In half an hour we had reached Pitt
street, quiet little backwater Just
beside one Of the briskest currents of
London life. No 131 was one of q
row, all fiat chested, respectable and
most unromanttc dwellings. AS we
drove up we found the ratings in front
Of the house lined by curious crowd.
aolmeS Wn1Stled.
by George, It's attempted murder
at the least! Nothing less will hold the
London message boy. There's deed
Of violence indicated in that fellows
round shoulders and outstetched neck.
What's this, Watson7 The top steps
swilled down and the other ones dry.
Footsteps enough, anyhowl Well, we'll,
there's Lestrade at the front window,
and we shall soon know all about it."
The official received us with very
grave face and showed us into a sitting
room, where an exceedingly unkempt
and agitated elderly man clad in a
flannel dressing gown was pacing up
and down. He was introduced to us as
the owner Of the house-Mr. Horace
Harker Of the Central Press syndicate.
TITS the Napoleon bust business
again." said Lestrade. you seemed
interested last night, Mr.. Holmes, SO
thought perhaps you would be glad
to be present now that the affair has
taken very much graver turn"
what has it turned to, thenf"
ITO murder. Mr.. Harker, will you
teu these gentlemen exactly what has
!, occurredw
The man In the dressing gown turned
upon US with most melancholy face.
Its an extraordinary thing" said
he, that all my life I have been col
lecting other peoples news, and now
that real piece Of news has come my
own way am SO confused and bother
ed that can't put two words together.
II had come in here as journalist
should have interviewed myself and
mad two columns in every evening pa
per. AS 1t is, am giving away val
liable copy by telling my story over
and over to string Of different people,
and can make no use Of it myself.
However, I've heard your name Mr..
Sherlock Holmes, and if you'll only ex-
plain this queer business / shall be
paid for my trouble In telling you the
story"
Holmes sat down and listened.
1T all seems to center round that
bust of Napoleon which bought for
this very room about four months ago.
l picked it up cheap from Harding
Bros, two doors from the High Street
station. A great deal Of my Journal
istic work is done at might, and Of
ten write until the early morning. So
1t was today. I was sitting in my den,
which is at the back Of the top of the
house. about 3 o'clock when I was
convinced that l heard some sounds
downstairs. I listened, but they were
I'D