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

We pal leu. Hill KNOWS all THESE
gentry, and he will give a name to
him. You'll find that my theory of
he Malta will work out all right.
But I'm sure l am exceedingly obliged
to you, Mr.. Holmes, for the workman
like way in which you laid hands
upon him.. / don't quite understand
i. all yet"
Il fear it is rather too late an hou
for explanations" said Holmes. Be
sides, there are one Or two details
which are not finished off, and it is
one of those cases which are worth
working out to the very end. II you
will come round once more to my
rooms at six o'clock tomorrow, l think
I shall be able to show you that even
now you have not grasped the en-
tire meaning Of his business, which
| presents some features which make
it absolutely original in the history
Of crime. If ever I permit you to
chronicle any more Of my little prob
lens, Watson, l foresee that you will
enliven your page by an count OF
the singular Of the Ma
pOleOnic buStS.'
When we met again next evening,
Lestrade was furnished with much in
formation concerning our prisoner.
His name, 1t appeared was BeppO,
second name unknown. He was a
well-knoWn ne'er-do-Well among the
Italian colony. He had once been a
| skilful sculptor and had earned an
honest living, but he had taken to
evil courses and had twice already
been in gaOl-once for a petty theft,
and once, as we had already heard,
Cor stabbing a fellow-countryman.
He could talk English perfectly well.
His reasons for destroying the bust5
were still unknown, and he refused
to answer any questions upon the
81 bject, but the police had discovered
that these same buSts might very We'll
have been made by his own hands,
since he was engaged in this class
Of work ct the establishment OF
Gelder and Co. To all this Informal
ton, much Of which We already knew.
Holmes listened with polite attention.
but i. who knew him SO we'll, could
clearly see that his thoughts were
elsewhere, and I detected a mixture
Of mingled u~neasiness and expecta-
ton beneath that mask which he was
wont to assume. At last he started
in his chair, and his eyes Frightened.
There had been a ring at the bell.
A minute later we heard steps upon
the stairs, and an elderly, red-faced
man with grizzled slde-Whlskers was
ushered in. In his right hand he
carried an old-fashioned carpet-bag.
which he placed upon the table.
lis Mr.. Sherlock Holmes here"
NV friend bowed and smiled. MI
Sardeford, of Reading, l suppOse?'
said he.
Eyes, sir, I fear that I am a little
late, but the trains were awkward.
You wrote to me Q a bust that
is in my ossession."
Exactly"
II nave your letter here. You said,
T desire to possess a copy Of Devine's
Napoleon, and am prepared to pay you
ten pounds for the one which is in
your possession Is that right?
Certainly"
your letter, for I could not imagine
how you knew that I owned such a
thing"
"Of course you must have been
surprised, but the explanation is very
simple. Mr.. Harding, of Harding
Brothers, said that they had sold
you their last copy, and he gave me
your address,
ooh. that was it, was it? Did he
tell you what 1 paid for it?'
NO, he did not"
Well, I am an honest man, though
not a very rich one. | only gave
fifteen shillings for the bust. III
think you ought to know that be-
fore / take ten pounds from YOU
7 am sure the scruple does you
honor, Mr.. Sandeford. But l have
named that price, SO intend to STICK
to it."
We'll, it is very handsome OF you,
Mr.. Holmes. I brought the bust uu
with me. as you asked me to do. Here
it isl" He opened his bag, and al
last we saw placed upon our table
complete specimen Of that bust which
we had already seen more than once
in fragments.
Holmes took a paper from hls
pocket and laid a ten-pound note upon
the table.
.You will kindly sign that paper
Mr.. Sandeford, il the presence OF
these witnesses. It is simply to say
that you transfer every possible rlgh'
that you ever had in the bust to me
I am a methodical man, you see, ano
you never know what turn events
might AXE afterwards. Thank you
Mr. SandefOrd: here is YOUR money