The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes Part 27 (2/2)
Sherlock Holmes sat up with a whistle ”By Jove, Peterson!” said he, ”this is treasure trove indeed I suppose you knohat you have got?”
”A diah it were putty”
”It's more than a precious stone It is the precious stone”
”Not the Countess of Morcar's blue carbuncle!” I ejaculated
”Precisely so I ought to know its size and shape, seeing that I have read the advertisement about it in The Times every day lately It is absolutely unique, and its value can only be conjectured, but the reward offered of 1000 pounds is certainly not within a twentieth part of the market price”
”A thousand pounds! Great Lord of mercy!” The commissionaire plumped down into a chair and stared from one to the other of us
”That is the reward, and I have reason to know that there are sentiround which would induce the Countess to part with half her fortune if she could but recover the geht, at the Hotel Cosmopolitan,” I remarked
”Precisely so, on Deceo John Horner, a plu abstracted it froainst hi that the case has been referred to the assizes I have soed a over the dates, until at last he sraph:
”Hotel Cosht up upon the charge of having upon the 22nd inst, abstracted froem known as the blue carbuncle Jaave his evidence to the effect that he had shown Horner up to the dressing-room of the Countess of Morcar upon the day of the robbery in order that he rate, which was loose He had remained with Horner so, he found that Horner had disappeared, that the bureau had been forced open, and that the small morocco casket in which, as it afterwards transpired, the Countess was accusto-table Ryder instantly gave the alar; but the stone could not be found either upon his person or in his roo heard Ryder's cry of dis rushed into the room, where she found matters as described by the last witness
Inspector Bradstreet, B division, gave evidence as to the arrest of Horner, who struggled frantically, and protested his innocence in the strongest ter been given against the prisoner, the istrate refused to deal summarily with the offence, but referred it to the assizes Horner, who had shown signs of intense es, fainted away at the conclusion and was carried out of court”
”Huhtfully, tossing aside the paper ”The question for us now to solve is the sequence of events leading frooose in Tottenham Court Road at the other You see, Watson, our little deductions have suddenly assumed a much more important and less innocent aspect Here is the stone; the stone caoose caentleman with the bad hat and all the other characteristics hich I have bored you So noe entle what part he has played in this little mystery To do this, we must try the simplest means first, and these lie undoubtedly in an advertise papers If this fail, I shall have recourse to other methods”
”What will you say?”
”Give me a pencil and that slip of paper Now, then: 'Found at the corner of Goodge Street, a goose and a black felt hat Mr
Henry Baker can have the sa at 221B, Baker Street' That is clear and concise”
”Very But will he see it?”
”Well, he is sure to keep an eye on the papers, since, to a poor man, the loss was a heavy one He was clearly so scared by histheand by the approach of Peterson that he thought of nothing but flight, but since then he retted the iain, the introduction of his name will cause him to see it, for everyone who knows him will direct his attention to it Here you are, Peterson, run down to the advertising agency and have this put in the evening papers”
”In which, sir?”
”Oh, in the Globe, Star, Pall Mall, St Ja News, Standard, Echo, and any others that occur to you”
”Very well, sir And this stone?”
”Ah, yes, I shall keep the stone Thank you And, I say, Peterson, just buy a goose on your way back and leave it here with entle”
When the coainst the light ”It's a bonny thing,” said he ”Just see how it glints and sparkles Of course it is a nucleus and focus of criood stone is They are the devil's pet baits In the larger and older jewels every facet may stand for a bloody deed This stone is not yet twenty years old It was found in the banks of the A every characteristic of the carbuncle, save that it is blue in shade instead of ruby red In spite of its youth, it has already a sinister history There have been two , a suicide, and several robberies brought about for the sake of this forty-grain weight of crystallised charcoal
Who would think that so pretty a toy would be a purveyor to the gallows and the prison? I'll lock it up inbox now and drop a line to the Countess to say that we have it”