Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-11-21
TODAy,S INSTALMENT.

TODAY'S 1NSTALMENI.
The official received us with a very
grave face and showed us into sitting
room, where an exceedingly unkempt
and agitated elderly man, clad IN
flannel dressing gown, was pacing up
and down. He was introduced TO us as
the owner of the house-Mr. Horace
Harker, of the Central Press Syndicate.
"It's the Napoleon bust business
again." said Lestrade. "Iou seemed
interested last night, Mr.. Holmes, so
/ thought perhaps you would be glad
to be present now that the affair has
taken a very much graver turn
What has it turned to, then?"
"Eo murder. Mr.. Harker, will you
tell these gentlemen exactly what
has occurred?"
The man in the dressing-gown turned
upon us with a most melancholy face.
Its an extraordinary thing" said
he. that all my life | have been collect
ing Another peoples news, and now that
a real piece Of news has come my own
way | am SO confused and bothered
that / can't put two words together
If had come in here rs a journalist, |
| should have interviewed myself and
had two columns in every evening paper.
As it is. am giving away valuable copy
by telling my story over and over 10
a string of different people, and l
can make no use of it myself. However,
I've heard your name, Mr. Sherlock
Holmes, and if you'll only explain
this queer business. l shall be paid
for my trouble in telling YOU the story.
Holmes sat down and listened.
1t all seems TO center round that
bust of Napoleon which l bought
for this very room about four months
ago. picked it up cheap from Hardin G
Bro theirs 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 1t was
TODAY. | was sitting in my den, which
is at the back Of the top of the house
about three o'clock, when | was con-
WINGED that | heard some sounds down
stairs. listened, but they were not re-
peated. and ! concluded that they came
from outside. Then suddenly, about five
minutes later, there came most horrible
yell--the most dreadful sound, Mr..
Holmes, that ever l heard. 1t will
ring in my ears as long as l hive. | sat
JIOLCI WIFI DNIluI AOl vi hNp'
Then l seized the poker and went down.
stairs. When1 entered this room found
the window wide open, and l at once
observed that the bust was gone from
the mantelpiece. Why any burglar
should take such thing passes my un-
derstanding, for it was only a plaster
cast, and of no real value whatever.
you can see for yourself that any
one going ost through that open window
could reach the front doorstep by taking
long stride. This was clearly what
the burglar had done, so ! went round
and opened the door Stepping out
into the dark, / nearly fell over deac
man, who was lying there. l ran back
for a light, and there was the poor fel
low, a great cash in his throat and tht
whole place swimming in blood He lay
on his back, his knees drawn up, anC
his mouth horribly open. shall see hin
in my dreams. ] had Just time to blow
on my police-whistle, and then / mus
have tainted, for l knew nothing NOR,
until / found the policeman standin.
over me in the hall"
'Well. who was the murdered man?'
asked Holmes.
There's nothing to show who b
was" said Lestrade. ''You shall Sc
the body at the mortuary, but W
have made nothing of it up to now
He is a tall man, sunburned, yer
powerful, not more than thirty. II
is poorly dressed, and yet does nc
appear to be a laborer. A horn-handle
clasp knife was lying in pool of bloc
beside him. Whether it was the weapo
which did the deed, or whether it be
longed to the dead man, ! do not know
There was no name on his clothing, an
nothing in his pockets, save an apple
some string, a shilling map OF LondoI
and photograph. Here it is"
1t was evidently taken by a snap-shc
from q small camera. 1t represented a
alert, sharp-featured simian man, wit
thick eyebrows and very peculiar prc
lection of the lower part of the fac
ike the muzzle of baboon.
''And what BECAME of the bust?
asked Holmes, after a careful study {
this picture.
"We had news OF it Just before yo
came. 1t has been found in the fror
garden of an empty house on Campde
House Road. 1t was broken into fra,
ments. am going round now to see
VIII you Gomez"
Certainly. / must just take OF
look around" He examined the carp