Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1905-10-31

N -
plete specimen of that bust winch we
had already seen more than once in
fragments.
Holmes took paper from his pocket
and laid ten pound note upon the TIA
BILE.
You will kindly sign that paper, Mr.
Sandeford, in the presence of these wit.
nesses. 1t is simply to say that you
transfer every possible right that you
ever had in the bust to me. am a
methodical man, you see, and you new.
er know what turn events might take
afterward. Thank you, Mr.. Sandeford
Here is your money, and wish you a
very good evening"
When our visitor had disappeared
Sherlock Holmes movements were
such as to rivet our attention. He be
gan by taking a clean white cloth from
drawer and laying it over the table
Then he placed his newly acquired bust
In the center Of the cloth. Finally be
picked up his hunting crop and struck
Napoleon sharp blow on the top Of
the head. The figure broke into frag
ments and Holmes bent eagerly ovel
the shattered remains. Next instant
with loud shout of triumph, he held
up one splinter, in which round, dark
object was fixed like plum in a pud.
ding.
Gentlemen" he cried, "let me intro
duce you to the famous black pearl Of
the Borgias."
Lestrade and I sat silent for a mo-
ment, and then, with spontaneous
impulse, we both broke out clapping,
as at the well wrought crisis of a play.
A flush Of color sprang to Holmes pale
cheeks, and he bowed to us like the
master dramatist who receives the
homage Of his audience. 1t was at
such moments that for an instant he
ceased to be reasoning machine and
betrayed his human love for admiration
and applause. The same singularly
proud and reserved nature which turn
ed away with disdain from popular no
toriety was capable Of being moved to
Its depths by spontaneous wonder and
praise from friend.
Yes, gentlemen" said he, at is the
most famous pearl now existing in the
world, and it has been my good for
tune, by a connected chain Of induc-
tive reasoning, to trace 1t from the
Prince of Colonna's bedroom at the
Dacre hotel, where it was lost, to the
interior Of this, the last Of the six
busts of Napoleon which were manu-
featured by Gelder & Co. of Stepney.
You will remember, Lestrade, the SEN
sation caused by the disappearance of
this valuable jewel and the vain efforts
of the London police to recover it. /
was myself consulted upon the case,
but L was unable to throw any light
upon it. Suspicion fell upon the maid
of the princess, who was an Italian,
and it was proved that she had a
brother in London, but we failed to
trace any connection between them.
The maids name was Lucretia Venue
Ct, and there is no doubt in my mind
that this Pietro who was murdered
two nights ago was the brother.
have been looking up the dates in the
old files Of the paper, and find that
the disappearance Of the pearl was
exactly 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. Beppo had the pearl in his
possession. He may have stolen it from
Pietro, he may have been Piero's con
federate, he may have been the go
between Of P1etro and his sister. 1t is
Of no consequence to us which is the
correct solution.