The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1906-05-31
the poker and went downstairs. whep

DOW VIDE open, ana ut once observed
that the bust was gone from the man
telpiece. Why any burglar should take
such thing passes my understand
ing, for it was only Il plaster cast and
Of no real value whatever.
You can see for yourself that an.
one going out through that open win
dow could reach the front doorstep by
taking long stride. This was clearl!
what the burglar had done, so wen,
round and opened the door. Stepping
out into the dark. l nearly fell over a
dead man who was lying there. ran
back for light, and there was the
poor fellow, a great cash in his throa,
and the whole place swimming in
blood. He lay on his back. his knees
drawn up and his mouth horribly open
l shall see him in my dreams. l hat.
just time to blow on my police whistle.
and then l must have tainted, for /
knew nothing more until found tho
policeman standing over me in til,
hail.
well, who was the murdered MANI"
asked Holmes.
There's nothing to show who he
was,' said Lestrade. "You shall sec
the body at the mortuary, but we have
made nothing of it up to now. He Is
a tall man, sunburned, very powerful
not more than thirty. He is poorly
dressed, and yet does not appear to
be laborer. A horn handled clasp
knife 1y,ino I'm n nnnI nf 11noI 1,o
side him. Whether it WAS the weapon
which did the deed or whether it be-
longed to the dead man do not know
There was no name ON his clothing
and nothing in his pockets save an
apple, some string. shilling map Of
London and photograph. Here it ).
1t was evidently taken by snapshot
from small camera. 1t represented
an alert, sharp featured simian man,
with thick eyebrows and very pc
culiar projection of the lower part OF
the face, like the muZzle of a baboon.
and what became of the bust?' ask.
ed Holmes after a careful study of this
picture
eve had news of it just before you
came. 1t has been found in the front
garden of an empty house in Camp
den House road. 1t was broken into
fragments. am going round now to
see it. Will YOU Gomez"
"Certainly. l must Just take one look
round He examined the carpet and
the window. The fellow had either
very long legs or WAS Il most active
man." said he. with an area beneath.
it 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 see the re-
mains of your bust, Mr.. Ha-ker?"
The Gisconsolate journalist had seat.
cd himself at writing table
81 must try and make something OF
it," said he, though have no doubt
that the first editions of the evening
papers are out already With full dc.
tails. It's like my luck. You remember
when the stand fell at Doncaster? Well.
l was the only Journalist in the stand
and my Journal the only one that had
DO account of it. for l was too shaken
to write it, And now I'll be too late
with 81 murder done on my own door
step"
AS we left the room we heard his per
travelling shrilly over the foolscap.
The spot where the fragments of the
bust had been found was only few
hundred yards away For the first time
our eyes rested upon this prescntment
of thn trrant on,poro,. which coop,aJ T.,
raise such frantic and destructive ha-
tired in the mind of the unknown. 1t
lay scattered in splintered shards upon
the grass. Holmes picked up several Of
them and examined them carefully.
was convinced from his intent face
and his purposeful manner that at last
he was upon clew
"Well?" asked Lestrade
Holmes shrugged his shoulders.
I'VE have long way to go yet" said
he. ".And yet-and yet-well we have
some suggestive facts to act upon.
The possession of this tritling bust was
worth more in the eyes of this strange
criminal than human life That is
one point. Then there is the singular
1act that he did not break 1t in the
House or Immediately outside the
house, if to break it was his sole oh.
ject"
He was ratified and hustled by meet.
ing this other fellow. He hardly knew
what he was doing"
"Well, that's likely enough, but i
wish to call your attention very partic.
ularly to the position of this house in
the garden of which the bust was de.
stroyed."
Lestrade looked about him.
ut was an empty house, and so he
knew that he would not be disturbed
in the garden"
Eyes, but there is another c...pty
house farther up the street, which lie
must have passed before he came to
this one. Why did he not break il
there, since it is evident that every
yard that he carried 1t Increased the
risk of some one meeting him?"
Il give it up" said Lestrade.
Holmes pointed to the street lamr
above our heads.