The San Francisco call., 1905-04-23


actly two days before the arrest OF
Beppo for some crime OF violence-an
event which took place In the factory
OF Gelder & Co. at the very moment
when these busts were being made
Now you clearly see the sequence OF
events. though you see them, Of course.
In the inverse order TO the way IN
which they presented themselves to me-
Berpc had the pearl in his possession
He may have stolen it from Pietros he
may have been Pietro's confederate.
he may have been the go-between or
Pietro and his sister. 1t is OF no con-
sequence TO US which is the correct So
luton.
The main fact Is that he had the
pearl, and at that moment. when It
was on his person. he was pursued by
the police. He made for the factory
in which he worked. and he knew that
he had only few minutes in which 10
conceal this enormously valuable prize,
which would otherwise be found on him
when he was searched. Six plaster
casts Of Napoleon were drying in the
passage. One OF them was still SOFT
In an instant Beppo, q skillful work.
man, made a small hole in the wet
plaster, dropped in the pearl. and with
a few touches covered over the aper-
hiding-place. No one could possibly
dnd IT. But Beppo was condemned to
a years Imprisonment, and in the
meanwhile his six busts were scattered
over London. He could not tell which
contained his treasure. Only by break
Ing them could he see. Even shaking
would tell him nothing. for as the plaS-
ter was wet 1t was probable that the
pearl would adhere to it-as, in fact, II
has done. BeppO did not despair and
he conducted his search with cOnsid-
cradle ingenuity and perseverance.
Through cousin who works with
Gelder he found out the retail firms
who had bought the busts. He man
aged 10 find employment with Morse
Hudson, and In that way tracked down
three Of them. The pearl was not
there. Then, with the help of somo
Italian employe, he succeeded in find
ing out where the other three busts had
gone. The first was at Harker's- There
he was dOgged by his confederate. who
held Beppo responsible for the loss OF
the pearl. and he stabbed him In the
scuffie which followed
IF he was his confederate why
should he carry his photograph"
asked.
"As O means Of tracing him II he
wished to inquire about him from any
third person. That was the obvious
reason. Well, after the murder I cali
culated that BeppO would probably
hurry rather than delay his move
ments. He would fear that the police
would read his secret. and so he
fastened on before they should get
ahead OF him. OF course, could not
say that he had not found the pearl in
Harker's bust. | had not even con-
eluded for certain that II was the pearl,
but 1t was evident To me that he was
looking for something, since he carried
the bust past the other houses In or
der to break II IN the garden, which
had Il lamp overlooking 1t. Since Har-
ker's bust was one In three, the
chances were exactly as I told you
two to one against the pearl being in
side IL. There remained two busts. and
1t was obvious that he would go for the
London one first. l warned the In
mates OF the house, 80 as To avoid
second tragedy. and we went down
with the happiest results. BY that
time, OF course, ] knew for certain that
1t was the Borgia pearl that we were
after. The name Of the murdered man
linked the one event with the other.
There only remained single bust-the
Reading one-and the pearl must be
there. I bought It IN your presence
from thu 0wner-and there It les"
We sat In silence for a moment.
Well" said Lestrade, I've seen you
handle good many cases, Mr. Holmes,
but I don't know that I ever knew q
more workmanlike one than that.
We're not Jealous Of you at Scotland
Yard. NO, sir We are very proud OF
you. and IL you come down tomorrow
a there's not man, from the oldest In
spect0r to the youngest constable, who
wouldn't be glad to shake you by the
hand"
THANK you." said Holmes. "Thank
you." and as he turned away it seemed
"a wa mn .arfrr
by the softer human emotions than 7
had ever seen him. A moment later he
was the cold ard practical thinker once
more. Put the pearl IN the safe.
Watson" said he. and get out the
papers OF the Conk-SingletOn forgery
case. Good-by, Lestrade. II any nttIa
problem comes your way 7 shall be
happy, Il ! can. 10 give you q hint or
two as to It's solution"
THE Endl