Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-08-26
cit came here"
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est little blue egg that ever was seen.
l have 1t here in my museum.
Our visitor staggered to his feet and
clutched the mantel-picco with his
right hand. Holmes unlocked his
strong-box, and held up the blue car
bunclc, which shone out like q star,
with cold, brilliant, many-pointed ra-
dance. Ryder stood glaring with
drawn face. uncertain, whether to claim
or To disown it.
"The games up, Ryder" said Holmes
quietly. Hold up, man, or you'll be
into the frcl Give him an arm back
into his chair, Watson. He's not got |
blood enough to go in for felony with
impunity. Give him q dash OF brandy. |
So! Now he looks little more human. |
What a shrimp it is to be sure"
For a moment he had staggered and
nearly fallen, but the brandy brought
tinge of color into his cheeks, and he
sat staring with frightened eyes at his
accuser.
IL have almost every link in my
hands, and all the proofs which / could
possibly need, SO there is little which
you need tell me. Still, that little may
as we'll he cleared up to make the case
complete. You had heard, Ryder. of
this blue stone Of the Countess OF Nor
car's?"
1T was Catherine Cusack who told
me of it., said he, in q cracking voice.
II see-her ladyship's waiting-maid.
Well, the temptation OF sudden wealth
so easily acquired was too much Tor
you, as it has been for better men be-
fore you; but YOU were not very scrup-
ulous in the means you used. 1t seems
to me, Ryder. that there is the making
of a very pretty villain in you. You
knew that this man Horner, the plum
ber, had been concerned in some such
matter before, and that suspicion would
rest the more readily upon him. What
did YOU do, thenP You made some
small job in my lady's room-you and
your confederate Cusack - and you
managed that he should be the man
sent for. Then, when he he had left, you
rihed the iewel-case, raised the alarm,
and had this unfortunate man arrested.
You then"
RYDER threw himself down suddenly
upon the rug and clutched at my COM
panions knees For Gods sake, have
mercyw he shrieked. Think of my
father, of my mother! II would break
their hearts. l never went wrong be-
forel ! never will again. | swear it.
Ill swear it on a Bible. Oh, don't bring
it into COURT For Christ's sake. don'tP'
Get back into your chairp said
Holmes, sternly. ut is very well 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"
Il will fly, Mr. Holmes. ] will leave
the country, sir. Then the charge
against him will break down"
Hum We will talk about that.
And now lot US hear a true account OF
the next act. How came the 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
parched lips II will tell you it just as
II happened, SIR" said he. when
Horner had been arrested, it seemed to
!. me that II would be best for me to get
! away with the stone at once, for l did
4 not know at what moment the police
: might not take it into their heads tc
search me and my room. There was
no place about the hotel where 1t would
: be safe. went out, as il on some
commission, and made for my sister :
=. house She had married man named
. Oakshott, and lived in Brixton Road
where she fattened fowls for the market
: All the way there every man / me
, seemed TO me TO be policeman or ,
- detective; and, for all that it was .
n cold night. the sweat was pourlnl
a down my face before l came TO th
n BriSton Road. My sister asked me wha
d was the matter, and why ] was so pale
but | told her that / had been upse
N by the Jewel robbery at the hotel. Thel
!. | went into the back yard and smokes
i a pipe, and wondered what it would b
!, best to do.
" Il had friend once called Maud
IN sley, who went to the bad, and has JUS
=, been serving his time In PentonvlllC
m One day he had met me, and fell int
;n talk about the WAYS of thieves, and hoy
a they could get nd of what they stole
;s | knew that he would be true to me
M for ! knew one or two things about him
so | made up my mind TO go right on I
y kilburn, where he lived, and take hir
~ into my confidence. He would shol
= me how to turn the stone into money
20 But how 10 get to him IN safety?
N thought of the agomes l had gon
10 through in coming from the hotel.
y, might at any moment be seized an
40 searched; and there would be the ston
in my waistcQst pocket. / was leanin
against the wall at the time, and lool
7, ing at the geese which were waddlin
y, about round my feet, and suddenly a
I, idea came into my head which shove
IN me how l could beat the best detectiv
n that ever lived.
!, 'My sister had told me some week
." before that l might have the pick {
her geese for Christmas present, an
knew that she was always as goo
as her word. ] would take my COOS
now, and in it ! would carry my, ston
TO Kilburn. There was little shed
the yard, and behind this i drove on
of the birds-a fine big, one, white, wit
barred tail. caught it, and pry
ing its bill open, thrust the stor
| down its throat as far as my fngt
| could reach The bird gave gulp, an
| felt the stone pass along its guile
| and down into its crop. But the cres
| ture tapped and struggled, and OF
| came my sister to know what was tn
| matter. As ] turned to speak to be
the brute broke loose and fluttered o
| among the others.
| Whatever were you doing with tbs
bird, Jem? says she.
| "'Well,' said /, you said you'd 81,
me one for Christmas, and i was fee
ing which was the fattest.'
| "'Oh,' says she, we've set yours asic
! for you-Jem's bird, we call it. 1t
| the big white one over yonder. There
| twenty-six Of them, which makes OF
| for you, and one for US, and two doze
| for the market