Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1905-10-05

teSQue,' said Holmes. MAY I ask
whether the two busts smashed in DR..
Barnicot's rooms were the exact du-
plicates Of the one which was destroy
ed in Morse Hudson's shop?"
"They were taken from the same
mold"
"Such a fact must tell against the
theory that the mar who breaks them
is influenced by any general hatred
Of Napoleon. Considering how many
hundreds Of statues Of the great en-
peror must exist in London, it is too
much to suppose such a coincidence as
that a promiscuous iconoclast should
chance to begin upon three specimens
of the same bust"
well. l thought as YOU do said
Lestrade. "On the other hand. this
Morse Hudson is the p%urveyor of busts
In thai part of London. and these three
We're the only ones which had been in
his shop for years. So, although, as
you say, there are many hundreds of
statues in London, it is very probable
that these three We're the only ones in
that district. Therefore a local fanatic
would begin with them. What do you
think, DR.. Watson?"
There are no limits to the possibil-
tiles Of monomania," I answered.
There is the condition which the mod
ern French psychologists have called
the 'idee fixe,' which may be trifing 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 ixe' and under its infu-
ence be capable of any fantastic out
rage"
THAT won't do, my dear Watson"
said Holmes, shaking his head, for no
amount Of 'idee fixe' would enable your
interesting m~onomaniac to find out
where these busts were situated"
"Well, how do you explain it,"
II don't attempt to do so. I would
only observe that there is a certain
method in the gentleman's eccentric
proceedings. For example, in DR.. Bar
nicot's hall, where a 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, it was smashed
where it stood. The affair seems alb
surdly trifing, and yet 1 dare call moth
Ing trivial when I reflect that some of
my most classic cases have bad 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 a hot day. l can't af-
ford, therefore, to smile at your three
broken busts. Lestrade, and l shall be
very much obliged to you If you will
let me hear Of any fresh development
Of 50 singular a chain of events
The development for which my friend
had asked came in a quicker and an
infinitely more tragic form than he
could have imagined. l was still dress
ing in my bedroom next morning when
there was a tap at the door, and
Holmes entered, a telegram in his
hand. He read it aloud:
Come instantly, 131 Pitt street, Kenslng-
ton. LESTRADE.
"What it it, them" l asked.
Don't know-may be anything. But
I suspect it 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 l have a cab at the door"
In half an hour we had reached Pitt
street, a quiet little backwater just
beside n Of the briskest currents Of
London life. No. 131 was one of a
row all fiat chested. respectable and
most ~unromantic dwellings. As we
drove up we found the ratings IN front
Of the house lined by a curious crowd.
Holmes whistled.
"By George, It's attempted murder
London message boy. There's a deed
Of violence indicated in that fellows
round shoulders and outstretched neck.
What's this, Watson: The top steps
swilled down and the other ones dry.
Footsteps enough, anyhow. Well, well,
there's Iestrade at the front window,
and we shall soon know ali about it.
The official received US with a very
grave face and showed us into q sitting
ROOM, where an exceedingly unkclnpt
and agitatcd 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.
cts the Napoleon bust business
again said LeStrude. You seemed
interested last night, Mr.. Holmes. so
l thought perhaps YOU would be glad
to be present now that the affair has
taken a very much graver turn"
what has it turned to, them
ITO murder. Mr.. Harkcr, will you
tell these gentlemen exactly what has
occurrcd?"
The man In the dressing gown turned
upon US with Il most melancholy face.
ITS an extraordinary thing said
he, that al my life ! have beer COL
lecting other peoples news, and DOW
fhny N eAul ln.-. - -----