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

nynoW Well. we'll. there's Lestrade
at the front window. and We shall
soon know all about it,"
The official received us with a very
grave face and showed us into a
sitting-room, where an exceedingly
unkempt and agitated elderly man.
clad in a flannel dressing-gown. wss
pacing up and down. He was in
PRODUCED to us as the owner Of the
hoUse-Mr. Horace Harker. Of the
Central Press Syndicate.
It's the Napoleon Dust business
again." said Lestrade. You seemed
interested last night, Mr.. Holmes. SO
| housht perhaps you would be glad
to be present now that the affair
has taken a very much grayer turn"
What has it turned TO. hem
TO murder. Mr.. Harker. will you
tell these gentlemen exactly what has
occurred
The man IN the ~dressing-gown turn
ed ape us With a most melancholy
face.
It's an extraordinary thing said
he, that all my life l have been-col-
lecting other peoples news, and now
that a real piece OF news has come
my own way l am so confused and
bothered that l cant put two words
together. If had come IN here as a
journalist. ] should have interviewed
myself and had two columns in every
evening paper As it is. | am giving
away valuable cop by telling my
story over and over to a string of
different people, and l can make no
your name. Mr.. Sherlock Holmes, and
if you'll only explain this queer bust
ness. | shall be paid for my trouble
in telling you the story
Holmes sat down and listened
1T all seems to centre round that
bust Of Napoleon which I bought for
his very room about four months
ago. | picked it up cheap from Har-
ding Brothers TWO doors from the
High Street Station. A great deal OF
my Journalistic work is done at night.
and / often write until the early
morning. So it was today. l was
sitting in my den, which is at the
back Of the top OF the house. about
three o'clock, when l was convinced
that | heard some sounds downstairs.
l listened, but they were not repeated.
and l concluded that they came from
outside. Then suddenly. about five
minutes later, there came a most hor-
rible yell-the Q dreadful sound.
Mr.. Holmes, that ever [ heard. 1t
will ring in my ears As long as l
live. / sat frozen with horror for a
minute or two. Then l seized the
poker and went downstairs. When
/ entered this room | found the win
dow wide open, and l at once OBJ
served hat the bust was gone from
the mantelpiece. Why any burglar
should take such a thing passes my
understanding, for it was only a plas-
ter cast, and of nc real value what
ever.
you can see for yourself that any
one going out through that open win
dow could reach the front doorstep by
taking a long stride. This was clear
ly what the burglar had done, SO |
went round and opened the door.
Stepping out into the dark, | nearly
fell over a dead man. who was lying
there. I ran back for a light, and
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. and
his mouth horribly open | shall see
him in my dreams. / had just time
to blow on my police-whistle. and
then / must have tainted, for | knew
nothing more until 1 found the police
man standing over me in the hall
Wei, who was the murderkd
man ?" asked Holmes.
There's nothing to show who he
was" said Lestrade- You shall see
the body at the mortuary, but we
have made nothing of it up 10 now.
He is a tall man s~unburned, very
powerful. not more than thirty. He
is poorly dressed, and yet does not
appear to be a laborer. A horn
handled clasp knife was lying in a
pool Of blood beside him. Whether
it was the Weapon which did the
| deed. or whether it belonged TO the
dead man. | dc not know There was
no name on his clothing. and moth
ing in his pockets save an apple. some
string. a shilling map of London. and
a photograph. Here it is.
1t was evidently aiken by a snap
! shot from a small camera. II rep
resents an alert sh~arp-featured s1mian
man with thick eyebrows and a very
,.cuIiar projection Of the lower part
Of the face,/ like the muzZle of "a
tabOOn.
And what became Of the bust -
I asked Holmes. after a careful stud
Of this picture.
We had news Of X just before you
49, Ea1l ih- H.