The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-07-12

| cuts obviously they have been caused oy
some one who has very earelessly scraped
| round the edges of the sole in order to re-
| move crusted mud from it, Hence. you
see, my double deduction that you had
been out in vile weather, and that you had
a particularly malignant boot Sitting
| specimen of the London slavey. As TO your
| practice, if gentleman walks into my
rooms smelling of iodoform, with black
mark of nitrate of silver upon his right
forefinger and a bulge on the side OF his
top hat to show where he has secreted his
stethoscope, must be dull, indeed, II do
not pronounce him to be an active men,
Der of the medical profession"
could not help laughing at the ease
with which he explained his process of de-
duction when / hear you give your
reasons" remarked, 1.-The thing always
appears to me to be so ridiculously simple
that could easily do it myself, and yet
| at each successive instance of your reason
ing am baffied until you explain your
process. And yet believe that my eyes
| are as good as yours. +"
"Quite So" he answered, lighting a
| cigarette and throwing himself down into
| an armchair. .'You see, but you do not
| observe. The distinction is clear. For
example,. you have frequently seen the
steps which lead up from the hall to this
room"
Frequently"
"How often2 ?"
"Well, some hundreds of tines
Then how many are there?"
"How many? Idon't know"
"Quite so! You have not observed.
And yet you have seen That is just my
point. Now, / know that there are seven
teen steps, because have both seen and
observed. By the way, since you are in
terested in these little problems and since
you are good enough to chronicle one or
two of my triiing experiences, you may be
interested in this" He threw open a
sheet of thick pink tinted note paper
which had been lying open upon the table.
at came by the last post" said he. Read
it aloud
The note was undated and without
either signature or address
There will call upon you tonight, at
quartar to eight O'clock" it said, "a gen.
tleman who desires to consult you upon q
matter of the very deepest moment. Your
recent services to one of the royal houses
of Europe have shown that you are one
who may safely be trusted with matters
which are of an Importance which can
hardly be exaggerated. This account of
you We have from all quarters received.
Be in your chamber, then, at that hour,
and do not take it amiss if your visitor
wear mask"
"This is, indeed, a mystery" I re-
marked. what do you imagine that it
means?"
81 have no data yet 1t is capital mis-
take to theorize before one has data In
sensibly one begins to twist facts to suit
theories instead of theories to suit facts
But the note itself. What do you deduce
from it Pr
carefully examined the writing and the
paper upon which it was written.
1.-The man who wrote it was presumably
well to do" I remarked, endeavoring to
initiate my companions processes. "Such
paper could not be bought under half a
crown packet. 1t is peculiarly strong
and stiff
''Peculiar-that is the very word" said
Holmes. at is not an English paper at
all. Hold it up to the light"
/ did so and saw large "E" with a
small ''g." "P" and a large sc" with a
small st" woven into the texture of the
paper.
"What do you make of that?" asked
Holmes
1.-The name of the maker, no doubt, or
his monogram, rather"
Not at all. The 'G' with the small 81
stands for gesellschaft, which is the Ger
man for company. 1t is customary con-
traction, like our Co. 'P,' of course.
stands for papier. Now for the Egg Let
US glance at our continental gazetteer +"
He took down heavy brown volume
from his shelves. "Eglow, Eglonitz-here
we are-Egria. 1t is in German speaking
country-in Bohemia. not far from Carls-
bad. Remarkable as being the scene of
the death of Woollenstein and for its
numerous glass factories and paper mills. ,
Ha, ha, my boy, what do you make of
that?" His eyes sparkled, and he sent
up great blue triumphant cloud from his
cigarette.
The paper was made in Bohemia I
said.
Precisely. And the man who wrote
the note is German. Do you note the
peculiar construction of the sentence
This account of you we have from all
quarters received2' A Frenchman or Rus
sian could not have written that. 1t is the
German who is SO uncourteous to his
verbs. 1t only remains, therefore, to dis
cover what is wanted by this German who
writes upon Bohemian paper and prefers
wearing a mask to showing his face. And
here he comes, if am not mistaken, to
resolve all our doubts"
As he spoke there were the sharp sounds
of horses hoofs and grating wheels
against the curb, followed by sharp pull
at the bell. Holmes whistled.
"A pair, by the sound" said he. eyes"
he continued, glancing out of the window.
"A nice little brougham and a pair of
beauties. A hundred and fifty guineas
apiece. There's money in this case, Wat
son. if there is nothing else"
II think that had better 60, Holmes. "
Not bit, doctor. Stay where you are.
| am lost without my Boswell. And this
promises to be interesting 1t would be a
| pity 10 miss it.
But your CLIENT
Never mind him. l want your helm.
and SO may he. Here he comes SIT down
| in that armchair, doctor, and give US your
| best attention"
| A slow and heavy step, which had been
| heard upon the stairs and in the passage.
| paused Immediately outside the door.
| Then there was loud and authoritative
tap.
Come in" said Holmes.
| A man entered who could hardly have
| height, with the chest and limbs of a Her
/ cnles. His dress was rich with richness
| which would in England be looked upon
4 as akin tn had taste Heavy hands as