The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1906-07-06
vui-THE ADVENTURE OF THE SID
NAPOLEONS.-Continued.

vlli-THE ADVENTURE OF THE SD
Observation-Disclosures.
Holmes had taken several notes dur.
ing Mr.. Harding's evidence, and
could see that he was thoroughly salts.
fed by. the turn which affairs We're tax.
ing. He mad no remark, however
save that, unless we hurried, we SHOULD
be late for u appointment with Les.
trade. Sure enough, when we reached
Baker street the detective was already
there. and we fcund him pacing up anG
down In a fever of impatience. His
look of Importance showed that his
days work had not been in vain.
-"'Well'" he asked. What luck, Mr.
Holmes"
I'VE have had a very busy day, and
not entirely a wasted one" my friend
explained. W. have seen both the re-
tailers and also the wholesale manu-
busts now from the beginning"
The bustsi" cried Lestrade. well,
well, you have your own methods, Mr..
Sherlock Holmes. and it is not for me
TO say a word against them. but I think
I have done a better days work thar
you. have identified the dead man.
You don't say 500"
And found a cause for the crime"
"Splcndid."
have an inspector who makes a
specially of Saffron Hill and the Italian
quarter, Well, this dead man had some
Catholic emblem round his neck. and that,
along with his color. made me think he
was from the south. Inspector Hill knew
him the moment he caught sight of him.
His name is Pietro Venucci, from Naples.
and he Is one of the greatest cut-throats
In London. He is connected with the
Malta. which, as you know. is a secret
political society. enforcing It's DEGREES by
nur1er. Now Won ace how the affair be-
gins to clear up. The other fellow Is
probably an Italian also, and a member
OF the Malta. He has broken the rules
IN some fashion. Pietro is set upon hi
track Probably the photograph we
found in his pocket is the man himself,
30 that he may not knife the wrong per-
son. He docs the fellow, he sees him en-
ter a house. he waits outside for him. and
n the scuff1e he receives his WI death
wound. How Is that, Mr.. Sherlock
Holmes?"
Holmes clapped his hands approvingly.
Excellent, Lestrade, excellent" he
cried. But / didn't quite follow your ex-
~planatfon of the destruction of the busts."
The busts! You never can get those
busts out of your head. After all, that is
nothing: petty larceny, six months at the
most. 1t is the murder that we are really
investigating. and l tell you that l am
gathering all the threads into my hands"
And the next stage?"
us q very simple one. I shall go down
with Hil to the Italian quarter, find the
man whose photograph we have got, and
arrest him on the charge of murder. Win
you come with u.s."
81 think not. i fancy we can attain our
end In a simpler way. / can't say for
certain, because 1t all depends-well. it
,pietcly outside our control. But I have
hopes-in fact, the betting is ex-
-actiy two to one-that II you will come
with us tonight i shall be able to help
you to lay him by theh heels"
I'm the Italian quarter?"
s'No, I fancy Chiswick is an address
which Is more likely to find him. If you
aLestrade, I'll promise to go to the Italian
quarter with you tomorrow, and no harm
will be done by the delay. And now 1
.think that a few hours sleep would do
@tus all good, for I do not propose to cav
before II O'Clock, and it is unlikely thai we
shall be back before morning. You'll dine
with US, Lestrade, and then you are well
come to the sofa until 1t is time for us to
start. In the meantime. Watson, l should
oe glad II you would ring for an express
messenger for I nave a letter to send, and
Il Is important that 1t should go at once"
Holmes spent the evening in ~rummagfng
among the files of the old daily papers
~ ~ " LASu ~ IA JUL klO wa
tpacked. When at last he descended. It
was with triumph in his eyes, but he said
nothing to either of us as to the result of
Ills researches. For my own part, 1 had
Followed step by step the methods by
which he had traced the various windings
io1 this complex case, and, though I could
not yet perceive the goal which we would
reach. I understood clearly that Holmes
expected this grotesQue criminal to make
an attempt upon the two remaining busts,
q Of which, I remembered, was at Chts-
wick. No doubt the object of our journey
wal to catch him in the very Get, and I
could not but admire the cunning with
which my friend a inserted a wroug
Slue In. the evening paper, SO as to give
b fellow The idea that he could con-
tfnue his scheme with impunity. I was
not surprised when Holmes suggested that
I should take my revolver with me. He
mad himself picked up the loaded hunting
crop. which was his favorite weapon.
A four-wheeler was at the door at II,
and In It we drove to a spot at the other
stGe Of Hammersmith bridge. Here the
cabman was directed to wait. A short,
walk brought US to a secluded road fringed
with pleasant houses. each standing In its
own grounds. In the light of a street
lamp we read 'Laburnum Villa" upon the
igate-post Of one Of them. The occupants
had evidently retired to rest, for I'll was
%Gs n ISAS 49, q AS wv SAAS AAAAs
door, which shed a single blurred circle
on to the garden path. The wooden fence
which separated the grounds from the
road threw a dense black shadow upon the
inner side, and here it was that we
crOi,ched.
81 fear that you'll have a long walt
Holmes whispered. w may thank our
stars that 1t is not raining. l don't think
We can even venture to smoke to pass the
Hmc. However, it's a two to one chance
that we get something to pay us for our
trouble"
II proved, however, that our vigil was
not to be so long as Holmes had led us to
fear, and 1t ended In a very sudden and
singular fashion. In an instant, without
the least sound to warn us Of his coming.
the garden gate swung open, and a 1.-THE,
dark figure, as swift and active as an
ape, rushed upon the garden path. We
saw 1t whisk past the light thrown from
over the door and disappear against the
black shadow of the house. There was a
long pause, during which We held our
breath, and then a very gentle creaking
sound came to our ears. The window was
being opened. The noise ceased, and again
there was a long silence. The fellow was