Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-08-23

right time. ls that your hat, Mr.. Bakerf
"Ye, sir, that is undoubtedly my
hat"
lie WAS a large man, with> rounded
shoulders. n massive head, and)a broad,
intelligent face, sloping down to a.
pointed beard of grizslcd brown. A
touch of rcd in nose and cheeks, with
a slight tremor OF his extended hand,
recalled Holmes surmisc as to his
habits. His rusty black frock coat was
buttoncd right up in front, with the
collar turned up, and his lank wrists
protruded from his sceves. without a
sign Of cuff or shirt He lpoke in
slow staccato fashion, choosing his
words with carr, and gave the impress
sion generally Of . man of learning and
letters who had had ll-usage at the
hands of fortune.
I'VE have retained these things for
some days" said Holmes, because we
expected TO see an advertisement from
you giving your address. / am at a
loss 10 know now why you did not ad-
vcrtisc."
| Our visitor gave a rather shamefaced
laugh. "Shillings have not been so
plentiful with me as they once were"
he remarked. 81 had no doubt that the
gang Of roughs who assaulted me had
carried off both my hat and the bird.
l did not care to spend more money
in u hopless attempt at recovering
them"
"Ncry naturally. By-the-way, about
the bird, we were compelled to eat it."
'To eat itV Our visitor half rose
from his chair in his excitement.
| ,.
10 any one had We not done so. But
presume that this other goose upon
the sideboard, which is about the same
weight and perfectly fresh, will answer
your purpose equally well9"
"Oh, certainly, certainly" answered
Mr.. Baker, with a sigh of relief.
"Oncourse, we still have the feathers,
legs, crop, and so on Of your own bird,
so II YOU wish"
The man burst in toa hearty laugh.
They might he useful TO me as relics
OF my adventure" said he, but beyond
that | can hardly see what use the
disiccta membra Of my late acquaint-
apce are going to be to me. No, sir
think that, with your permission,
will confine my attentions 10 the excel
lent bird which | perceive upon the
sdeboard"
sherlock Homes glanced sharply
across at me with slight shrug OF his
shoulders.
There is your hat, then. and there
your bird" said he. "By-the-way
would il bore you to tell me where yor
got the other one fromP ! am some
what of fowl fanoier, and have sci
i dom seen better grown goose"
; Certainly, SIR" said Baker, who hac
! risen and tucked his newly gained prop
, er,y under his arm. There are a few
of us who frequent the Alpha Inn,
, near the Museum-we are TO be foun,
D in the Museum itself during the day
4 YOU understand. This year our goo,
: host, Windigate by name, instituted
goose club, by which, on consideration
Of some few pence every week, we wer
!, each 70 receive a bird at Christmas
My pence were duly paid, and the res
D is familiar 10 you. ! am much indebte,
20 you, for Scotch bonnet is fitte,
neither to my years nor my gravity.
. With a comical pomposity Of manne
I he bowed solemnly TO both of US an,
! strobe of upon his way.
c 80 much for Mr.. Henry Baker" sal
c Holmes, when he had closed the doc
' behind him. ut is quite certain tha
be knows nothing whatever about th
) matter. Are you hungry, Watson?"
! Not particularly"
Then ! suggest that We turn ou
1 dinner into a supper, and follow u
4 this clew while it is still hot
by all means"
e II was a bitter night, so we drew o
y our ulsters and wrapped cravats abou
: our throats. Outside, the stars wer
d shining coldly in cloudless sky, an
u the breath OF the passers-by blew OF
. into smoke like so many pistol shot
: Our footballs rang out crisply an
> loudly as we swung through the Do
q tors quarter, Wimpole street, Harle
= street, and so through Wigmore sire,
l. into Oxford street. In a quarter of o
a. hour We were in Bloomsbury at ii
oi Alpha Inn" which is small publ,
d house at the corner OF one of the stree
70 which runs down into Holborn. Holm,
o pushed open the door of the priva'
from the ruddy-faced, white-aprone
7e landlord.
"YoW beer should be excellent if
"a u ht ROOO hS your geese, edlO ne.
MY geesew The man seemed su
prised.
is "Yes. ! was speaking only half q
lg hour ago 70 Mr.. Henry Baker, who W;
a member OF your goose club"
II tAh, yes, i see. But you see, 81
~ them's not our geese"
d indeed Whose, then?"
: We'll, ] got the two dozen from
ie salesman in Covent Garden"
" Indeed? i know some Of then
se Which was it?'
"Breckinridge is his name"
"Ah! don't know him. Well, here
your good health, landlord, and pro
o. perity 10 your house. Goodnight"
TX "Now for Mr.. Breckinridge," he co
We tinued, buttoning up his coat, as v
be came out into the frosty air. 'Remer
Der, Watson, that though we have
al homely thing as a goose at one eI
e. OF this chain, we have at the other
r. man who will certainly get seven year
's penal servitude unless We can establii
his innocence. II is possible that o.
~ inquiry may but confirm his guilt; bu
i in any case, we have a line of invest
ce CATION which has been missed by d
l police, and which a singular chance h