Bangs, John Kendrick, 1862-1922 / 2008-07-29 00:00:00
The robbery had taken place at a state ball at the Buckingham Palace.
'H'm!' I mused. 'He has had an hour and forty minutes to get here. It is
now twelve twenty. He should be here by twelve forty-five. I will wait.'
And hastily swallowing a cocaine tablet to nerve myself up for the
meeting, I sat down and began to read my Schopenhauer. Hardly had I
perused a page when there came a tap upon my door. I rose with a smile,
for I thought I knew what was to happen, opened the door, and there stood,
much to my surprise, the husband of the lady whose tiara was missing. It
was the Duke of Brokedale himself. It is true he was disguised. His beard
was powdered until it looked like snow, and he wore a wig and a pair of
green goggles; but I recognized him at once by his lack of manners, which
is an unmistakable sign of nobility. As I opened the door, he began:
"'You are Mr.--'
"'I am,' I replied. 'Come in. You have come to see me about your stolen
watch. It is a gold hunting-case watch with a Swiss movement; loses five
minutes a day; stem-winder; and the back cover, which does not bear any
inscription, has upon it the indentations made by the molars of your son
Willie when that interesting youth was cutting his teeth upon it.'"
"Wonderful!" cried Johnson.
"May I ask how you knew all that?" asked Solomon, deeply impressed.
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