The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-09-26

ment. and then, with a spontaneous
impulse, we both broke out clapping.
as at the we~ll-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 a reasoning
machine, and betrayed his human
love for admiration and applause. The
same singularly proud and reserved
nature which turned away with dis
dam from popular notoriety was cap
able of being moved TO its depths by
spontaneous wonder and praise from
a friend.
Yes. gentlemen" said he, .t is the
most famous pearl now existing in the
world, and it has been my good for
tune, by a connected chain Of in
ductive reasoning, to trace it 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
manufactured by Colder and Co. OF
Stepney. You will remember Lee
strade, the sensation caused by the
disappearance Of this valuable jewel,
and the vain efforts of the London
police to recover it. I was myself con-
suited upon the case. but l was un-
able to throw any light upon il.
Suspicion fell upon the maid of the
Princess, who was ar Italian, n 4
was proved that she had a brother
in London, but We failed to trace
any connection between them. The
maids name was Lucretia Venucci.
and there is no doubt in my mind
that this PietrO who was murdered
two nights ago was the brother. l
have been looking up the dates IN
the old files Of the paper, n 1 find
that he disappearance of the pearl
MO vnof1x ty0 dove of0r0 o -
rest OF Beppo, for some crime Of
Violence-an event which took pla g
in the factory of Gelder and Co.
at the very momen when these busts
We're being made. Now you clearly
see the sequence Of events, though
you see them, Of course, in the in
verse 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 Pietro's confederate,
he may have been the go-between OF
Pietro and his sister. 1t is of no
consequence to US which is the cor
rect solution.
The main fact is that he a the
pearl, and at that moment, when it
was on his person, he was pursued
by the police. He made for the fac
tory in which he worked, and he
knew that he a only a few minute
III which to conceal this enormously
valuable prize. which would otherwise
be found on him when he was search
ed. Six plaster casts Of NapOle NJ
were drying in the passage. One Of
them was still soft. In ar instant
a skilful workman, mat. 4
small hole in the wet plaster, dropped
in the pearl, and With a few touches
covered over the aperture One mere.
I. was an admirable hiding-placc. 20
ono a0111H n0SSjh1v find If R1t RorI,r
was condemned to a years imprison-
trent, and in the lille his SIX
III sts were Scat. cred over London.
He could not tell which containe1 hts
treasure. Only by breaking them
could he see. Even shaking would r,l.
hin: Lothing, fo- as the plaster was
wet it was probable that the pearl
would adhere to it-as. in fact it has
dcne. BeppO did not despair, and he
conducted his search with considerable
ingenuity and perseverance. Through
a cousin who works with Gelder. he
found out the retail firms who had
bought the busts. He mao-Cef 10
fad cplI. oyment with Morse Hudson.
AM: n tt a way tracked doAn tire Q
OF them. The pearl was not there.
Iac:i, Vito the help Of some Italian
emIioycc, he succeeded in finJ.o3 ous
who're the other three busts had one
Tho first was at Harker's. Thee %
was o,s&ed by his confederate VII
held Beppo responsible for the loss
of the pearl, and he stabbed him 10
the scuff1e which followed"
IF he was his confederate, why
should he carry his photograph |
asked.
LAS a means Of tracing him, if he
wished to inquire about him from any
third person. That was the obvious
reason. Well. after the murder !
calculated that Beppo would probably
hurry rather than delay his move
meDts. He would fear that the po-
lice would read his secret, and so he
{ h" stoned on before they should get
ahead of him. OF course, / could not
say that he had not fuond the pearl
) in Harker's bust. 1 had not even con-
cluded for certain that it was the
pearl, but it was evident to me that