Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1906-07-05
viii-THE ADVENTURE OF THE SIX
NAPOLEONS.-Cortinued.

~ Il VII iIOui W. II Ic'ttIi'' !
street. n quiet little backwater just be
side one OF the briskest currents of
London life. No. 1871 was one OF n row
all n~at-chcsted. respectable. and most
'unromantic dwellings,. AS we drove up.
we found the ratings In front of the
house lined by Il curious crowd. Holmes
whistled.
"By George, It's attempted murder at
Il least. Nothing less VIII hold the
london message boy. There's "A deed
of violence indicated In that feslow's
round shoulders and out-stretchcd neck.
What this. Watson? The top steps
aswilled down and the other ones dry.
Footsteps enough, anyhow! Well. we'll.
there's Iestradc ut the front window,
n we ahall soon know all bou it"
The official received us with n very
raw face and showed us into "A sitting
ROOM. where ar exceedingly %unkeinpt
and agitated elderly man. clad in II
flannel dressing gown. was pacing up
and down. He was introduced to us AS
The owner of the house-IIorace Hank
er. OF the Central Press syndicate.
IT'S the Napoleon bust business
again. said Les:rade. You seemed
interested last night. MIR. Holmes, so 1
thought perhaps you would he glad to
be present now that the affair has taxi
en- a very much ci7tver turn"
What n 1t turned to. them"
T murder. Mr.. Harker. will You
tell these gentlemen exactly III has
occurred?"
The man In the dressing gown turned
upon us with a most melancholy face.
Its an extraordinary thing" snid he,
THAT all my life l have been collecting
other peoples news, and now hat a
real piece OF news has come my own
way l am 80 confused and bothered
that I can't put two words together. If
I had come III here as a journalist, l
should have interviewed myself and
had W columns in every evening pa
per. AS 1t Is, I am giving away valu-
able opy by telling my story over N
over to a string Of different people. and
] a make no use OF It myself. How
ever. I've heard your nnme. Mr.. Sher-
lock Holmes. and II you'll only explain
this queer business. l shn be paid for
my trouble in telling you the STORY"
Holmes sat down and listened.
ut all seems to center round thai
bust of Napoleon which l bought for
this very room about four months ago.
i picked 1t up cheap from Harding
Brothers two doors from the High
Street station. A great Zeal OF my
1ornalistic work is lone ut night, and
] often write until the early morning.
So 1t was today. l was sitting In my
den. which Is at the back OF the top
Of the house. about 3 o'clock, when /
was convinced that I heard some
sounds downstairs. 1 listened. but they
were not repeated. and I concluded
that they came from outside. Then
there came n most horrible yell-tfe
most dreadful sound. Mr.. Holmes, that
ever I heard. 1t will ring IN my ears
as long as 1 live. l sat frozen with
horror for n minute or two. Then 1
seized the poker and went downstairs.
4 A~~ AlN- -->- "a
WINDOW wide open. and 1 at once OBJ
served that the bust was gone from
the mantelptsce. Why any burglar
SHOULD take such n thing passes my
understanding. for 1t was only a pias-
.Jer cast. and of no real value whatever.
. You can see for yourself tina anyone
going out through that open window
could reach the front doorstep by tax
Ing a long stride. This was clearly
what the burglar had done. so l went
round and opened the door. Stepping
out into the dark, I nearly fen over u
lead man, who was lying there. / ran
bach for n light. n there was the
poor fellow. a great cash IN his throat
and the whole place swimming IN
blood. He lay on his back. his knees
drawn up, M his mouth horribly open.
u shall see him in my dreams. 1 had
.3ust time to blow on my police whistle,
and then I must have tainted, for /
AItGW uOSIlIl8 ulOTS uIItIl j IOuNQ CNe
policeman standing over me In thu
hall"
Well, who was the murdered many'
asked Holmes.
There's nothing to show VINO he
was" said Lestrade. You shail see
the body at the mortuary. but wa have
made nothing of 1t up to now. He II a
al man. sunburned. very powerful.
not more than 30. He 10 poorly dressed,
and yet does not appear to be q Ia
6orer. A horn-handled clasp knife was
tying In a pool of blood beside him.
Whether it was the weapon which did
the deed. or whether 1t belonged to the
lead man. I do not know. There was
70 name OF his clothing. and nothing
In his pockets save an apple. some
string. a shilling map OF London and
. photograph. Here 1t h."
1t was evidently taken by a snapshot
from a email camera. 1t represents an
thick eyebrows and q very peculiar
projection Of the lower part Of the face,
like the muzzle of q baboon.
And what became Of the bust?'
asked Holmes, after a careful study Of
&his picture.
anne 1t has been found IN the front
garden of an empty house In CAmpden
House road. 1t was broken into rag
ments: ! am going round now 6 see
lt. Will you Gomez"
Certainly. I must Just take one look
around" He examined the carpet and
the window. The fellow had either
very long legs or was a most active
man." said he. with an area beneath,
e. was. no mean feat to reach that win
dow ledge and open that window. Get
ting back was comparatively simple.
Are you coming with us to nee the re-
mains of your bust, MT, Harksr"
The s~dieconsolate journalist had seat
% himself at a writing table.
4 must try and make something Of
Il" said ne. though I have no doubt
that the nrst editions Of the eveninR
papers are out already with full de-
balls. It's like my luck! You remember
when the stand fell at Doncaster? Well.
! was the only journalist in the stand.
and my Journal the only one that had
~ cou Of II. for I wat too shaken
% write It. And nov I'll be too late
With q murder done on my MI door.
6fep."
A We left the room, we heard his Den
travelling shrilly over the foolscap.
The spot where the fragments Of the
11nst had been found weo only . hun.
Asod yards sway. For The 6rst time
~ ere rested upon this presentmsnt
~ the great emperor. which seemed to
na1Do eucA frantic and destructive
6Afrod In ne mind a the unknown. Il
~ ocottocoa. In ~0pltueored aharda. upon