The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1921-02-16

I 'T have almost every link in my
 hands, and all the proofs which I | which you need tell me. Still, that little may as well be cleared up to ] make the. case complete. You had heard. Ryder. of this blue stone of
 the Countess of Morcar's?"
 | "It was Catherine Cusack who told.
 me of it." said he. in cracking | voice.
 "I see-her 1adyship's waiting-maid
 Well. the temptation of sudden wealth | so easily acquired was too much for: | before you; but you were not very
 scrupulous Sins the means you used.
 It seems to me. Ryder, that there is | the making of a very pretty villain
 Homer, the p1umbe-. mad been con cerned in some such matter before. | and that suspicion would rest the
 more readily upon him. What did you | do, then? You made some small job
 in my 1ady's- room-you and your l confederate Cusack-and you man | aged that he, should be the man sent for. Then, when he had left. you, l rif1ed the jewel case, raised the alarm
 and had this unfortunate man arrest. | ed You then-''
 Ryder threw himself down sudden l ly upon the rug and clutched at my companions knees For Gods sake, have mercy!'' he shrieked  It would break their hearts. I nev- CT went wrong before! I never will again I swear it. I'll swear it on Bible. Oh, don't bring it into court. For Christs sake, don't!'
 "Get back into your chairi" said Holmes, sternly. ':It is very we'll to cringe and crawl now, but you
 thought little enough of this poor Horner in the dock for a crime of which he knew nothing.' CT will f1v MT Holmes will leave the country, sir. Then the charge against him will break down.
 Hum! We will talk about. that And now let us hear a true account stone into the goose, and how came the goose into the open market? Tell us the truth, for there lies your, only hope of safety
 Ryder passed his tongue over his just as it happened, sir" said he. When Horner had been arrested, it seemed ito me that it would be best for me to get away, with the stone at once, for I did not know at what moment the police might not take it into their heads to search ,me and my room. There was no place about the hotel where it would be safe went out, as if on some commission and I made for my sisters house. She had married a man named Oak shott, and lived in Brixton Road where she fattened fowls for the market. All the way there every man I met seemed to me to be policeman or a detective; and for all that it was a cold night, the sweat was pouring down my face before I came to the BriXton Road My sister asked me what was the mat ter, and why I was so pale; but told her that I had been upset by the jewel robbery at the hotel. Then I went into the back yard and nly a would be best to do.
 "I had a. friend once called Maud sley, who went to the bad, and has tonv11e. One day he had met me. and fell into talk about the ways of thieves, and how they could get rid Of what they stole. knew that he would be true to me for T knew one or two things about him, so I made up my mind to go right on to Xiii | burn, where he lived, and take him into my confidence. He would show me how to turn the stone into money. But how to get to him in safety? I thought of the agonies I had gone through in coming from the hotel I might at any moment | be seized and searched and there would be the stone in my waiStc oat pocket I was leaning against the wall at the time, and looking at the | geese which were waddhng about | round my feet, and suddenly an idea W me how I could beat the best detec- tive that ever lived.
 My sister had told me some | weeks before that I m1ght have the | present and I knew that she was l always as good as her word. I would l take my goose now, and in it would | carry my stone to KiEburn. There | was little shed in the yard, and be- | hind this I drove one of the birds a fine big one, white, with a barred | tail. I caught. it, and, prying its | bill open,- I thrust the stone down | reach. The bird gave gu1p and I | felt the stone pass along it's gullet l and down into its crop. But the | creature Tapped and struggled and out | came my sister to know what was the matter. As T turned to speak to her the brute broke loose and | futtered Among the others.
 ''Whatever were you doing with that bird, Jem?'' says she.
 give % me one lu for christmas. h 1ala and gGu was feeling which was the fattest.'
 Oh says she we've set yours aside for you-Jem's S bird, we call it. It's the big white one over yon- der. There's twenty-six of them, which makes one for you, and one for us, and two dozen for the mar
 e Thank you. Maggie says I; but if it Is all the same to you, I'd rath- CT have that one I was handling just now
 " The other is a good three pound heavier said she, and we fattened it expressly for you.' l
 Never mind. I'll have the oth- CT, and I'll take it now said l.
 Oh, just as you like said she, a | little huffed. (Which is it you want then?'
 That white one with the barred | tail. right in the middle of the flock
 $ oh, very well. Kill it and take it with you.'
 'FWell, I did what she said, MT. Holmes ,and I carried the bird all | the way to Kilburn. I told my pal what I had done, for he was man that it was easy to tell a thing like