The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-04-02

| And now I'll be too late with a murder
/ done on my own doorstep"
| AS we left the room, we heard his
| pen travelling shrilly over the FOOLS
cap.
| The spot where the fragments of the
Dust mad been found was only few
| hundred yards away. For the first
| time our eyes rested upon this pre-
sentiment of the great Emperor, which
seemed to raise such frantic and de-
structiVe hatred in the mind of the
| unknown. Holmes picked up several
| of them and examined them carefully.
L was convinced, from his intent face
and his purposeful manner, that at
| last he was upon a clue
''Well?' asked Lestrade
Holmes shrugged his shoulders.
We have a long way to go yet, =
said he. And yet-and yet-well, we
have some suggestive facts to act upon.
| The possession of this triffling bust
was worth more, in the eyes of this
Ihat is one point. Then there is the
| singular fact that he did not break
| 1T in the house, or Immediately out
side the house, if to break it was his
sole object"
'He was ratified and hustled by
meeting this other fellow. He hardly
| knew what he was doing"
wish to call your attention very par
ticularly to the position of this house
| in the garden of which the bust was
destroyed"
Lestrade looked about him.
1T was an empty house, and SO he
knew that he could not be disturbed in
the garden
Yes, but there is another empty
house farther up the street which he
must have passed before he came to
this one. Why did he not break it
| there, since it is evident that every
yard that he carried it increased the
| risk of some one meeting him?"
Il give it up" said Lestrade.
Holmes pointed to the street lamp
above our heads
He could see what he was doing
here, and he could not there. That
was his reason"
by Jove! that's true" said the de-
tectiVe. Now that L come to think
of it, DR.. BarnicOt's bust was broken
not far from his red lamp. Well, Mr..
Holmes, what are we to do with that
fact?''
ITO remember ito docket it. We
may come on something later which
will bear upon it. What steps do you
propose to take now, Lestrade?"
THE most practical way of getting
| at it, in my opinion, is to identify the
uCttu mail IuGEC SuOuLu ne HO ulllI-
Guilty about that When we have
found who he is and who his associates
are, we should have a good start in
learning what he was doing in Pitt
Street last night, and who it was who
met him and killed him on the door
step of Mr.. Horace Harker. Don't you
think sop
mo doubt; and yet it is not quite the
way in which should approach the
case"
What would you do then?"
"Oh, you must not let me influence
you in any way. I suggest that you
go on your line and / on mine. We
can compare notes afterwards, and
each will supplement the other"
Very good" said Lestrade.
IF you are going back to Pitt Street,
you might see Mr.. Horace Harker Tell
him from me that I have quite made
up my mind, and% that it is certain
that a dangerous homicidal lunatic,
with Napoleonic decisions, was i'm his
house last night. 1t sWill be useful for
his article" -
Lestrade stared.
You don't seriously believe that?"
Holmes smiled s.
Don't 1? Wen, perhaps I don't
But | am sure that it will interest Mr..
Horace Harker and the subscribers of
the Central Press Syndicate. Now,
w dlSOtl, lIllIlh lfldIfW SNAIL llnu IudJ
we have q long and rather complex
days work before Ius! / should be
glad, Lestrade, if you could make it
convenient to meet us at Baker Street
at six o'clock this evening. Until
then | should like to keep this photo
graph, found in the dead mans pocket.
1t is possible that 1 may have to ask
your company and assistance upon a
small expedition which will have to
be undertaken tonight, if my chain of
reasoning should prove to be correct.
'UntT1 then, good-byEs and good luck"
Sherlock Holmes and | walked to-
gether to the High Street, where we
stopped at the shop of Harding Broth
ers. whence the bust had been pur-
chased. A young assistant informed
us that Mr.. Harding would be absent
until after noon, and that he was
himself a newcomer, who could give
us no information. Holmes face |
showed his disappointment and annoy !
ance.
We'll well, we can't expect to have |
it all our own way. watson he said |
at last. eve must come back in the |
afternoon, if Mr.. Harding will not be |
here until then. / am as you have |
no doubt Surmised, endeavouring to |
trace these busts to their source. i'm |
order to find if there is not something |
peculiar which, may account for their |
feildThdDlS late. Let us make Tor MI |
Morse Hudson, of the Remington |
Road, and see if he can throw any |
light upon the problem"
A drive of an hour brought us to
the picture-dealer's establishment He |
was small stout man with a red face
and a peppery manner.
Yes, sir. On my very counter. sir.
said he. What we pay rates and I
taxes for / don't know, when any ruff
fan can come in and break ones |
foods. Yes, sir, it was / who sold DIR.
Barnicot his two statues Disgraceful, I
sir! Nihilist plot-that's what I
make it. No one but an anarchist
would go about breaking statues. Red
republicans-that's what l call 'em.
Who did | get the statues from? l /
don't see what that has to do with
it. Well, if you really want to know,
l got them from Gelder and CO., in
Church Street Stepney They are a
well-knOwn house in the trade, and
have been this twenty years. How
many had I? Three-two and one
are three-two of DR.. Barnicots, and
one smashed in broad daylight on my
IN Ntr,r hot N1nN RI /