The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-09-08

our tnrodtS. OUTSIDE, tne Sldlo "elO
shining coldly in a cloudless sky, and
the breath OF the passers-by blew out
into smoke like so many pistol shots.
out footballs rang out crisply and |
loudly as we swung through the Doc
tors quarter, Wimpole Street, Harley |
Street, and so through Wigmore Street i
into Oxford Street. In quarter OF an |
hour we were in Bloomsbury at the
Alpha Inn," which is small public |
house at the corner of one of the
streets which runs down into Holborn. |
Holmes pushed open the door of the
private bar, and ordered two glasses
of beer from the ruddy-faced, white
aproned landlord.
Your beer should be excellent if il
is as good as. your geese" said he.
MY geese!" The man seemed sur
prised.
Yes l was speaking only half an
hour ago to Mr.. Henry Baker, who was
a member of your goose club"
All! yes, l see. But you see, sir,
thems not our geese
Indeed! Whose, them"
Well, | got the two dozen from a
salesman in Covent Garden"
Indeed? I know some of them.
Which was it?'
Breckenridge is his name
All | don't know him. Well, here's
your good health, landlord, and pros
perity to your house. Goodnight"
Now for Mr.. Breckenridge" he con-
tinued, buttoning up his coat, as we
came out into the frosty air. "Remem-
Der. Watson, that though we have so
homely thing as a goose at one end
of this chain. we have at the other a
!, man who will certainly get seven
- years penal servitude unless we can
establish his innocence. 1t is possible
that our. inquiry may but confirm his
guilt; out in any case, we have a line
OF investigation which has been missed
by the police, and which singular
chance has placed in our hands. Let
us follow it out TO the bitter end.
Faces TO the south, then, and quick
march,"
We passed across Holborn, down
Endell Street, and so through zigzag
Of sums to Covent Garden Market
One of the largest stalls bore the name
OF Breckenridge upon it, and the pro
rrietor, horsey-looking man, with z
sharp face and trim side-whiskers, was
Helping a boy to put up the shutters
"Good-evening It's a cold night,
said Holmes.
The salesman nodded. and shot G
questioning glance at my companion.
Sold out of geese, see," continued
Holmes, pointing at the bare slabs o.
marble.
Let you have 500 tomorrow morn
ing"
That's no good"
Well. there are some on the stall
with the gas-fare."
"Ah, but l was recommended Il
you"
Who by"
THE landlord of the Alpha"
"Oh, yes; sent him couple o.
dozen"
Fine birds they were, too. Now
where did you get them from?'
To my surprise the question pro
voked a burst Of anger from the sales
man.
Now, then, mister" said he, will
his head cooked and his arms akimbo
what are you driving at? Let's hav'
il straight now
= 1T is straight enough. I should lik
Y to know who sold you the geese whicl
YOU supplied to the Alpha"
Well, then, / shan't tell you. s.
now"
''Oh, it is a matter of no importance
but don't know why you should be :
warm over such a trifle"
Warm You'd be as warm, maybe
if you were as pestered as am. Whe
/ pay good money for a good articl
there should be an end of the business
but it's Where are the geese" an
Who did you sell the geese to- an
What will you take for the geese
One would think they were the onl
geese in the world, to hear the fus
that is made over them"
We'll. I have no connection wit
any other people who have bee
making inquiries said Holmes, car,
lessly. If you won't tell US the be
is off, that is all. But I'm alway
ready to back my opinion on a matte
of fowls. and I have a flyer on it thu
the bird I ate is country bred"
We'll. then, you've lost your five
for it's town bred" snapped the sale
man.
It's nothing Of the kind"
81 say il is
II don't believe it,"
"D'you think you know more abol
fowls than |. who have handled the
ever since | was q nipper2 | tell VI