The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1894-06-22


you'll find him knotty problem.
though. Ill wager he learns more
about you than you about him. Good
by"
CHAPTER II.
The Science of Deduction.
We met next day as he had arranged.
and inspected the rooms ut No. 221b,
Baker street. Of which he had spoken
Mt our meeting. They consisted Of Il
single, large airy sitting-roOms and
single, large, airy sitting-rOoms and n
fully furnished and Illuminated by two
broad windows. So desirable in every
way were the departments. and so mod
crate did the terms seem when divided
between us, that the bargain was con-
cluded upon the spot, and we Mt once
entered into possession. That very even
ing l moved my things round from the
hotel. and on the following morning
Sherlock Holmes followed me with sew
eral boxes and pOrtmantc;lus. For a
day or two we were busily employed
In unpacking and laying out our PROF.
crty to the best advantage. That done,
we gradually began to settle down and
to accommodate ourselves to our new
surroundings.
Holmes was certainly not difficult
man to live with. He was quiet In his
ways. and his habits We're regular. 1t
was rare for him to be up after 10 ut
night, and he had invaribly breakfastetl
and gone out before rose in the morn
Ing. Sometimes he spent his day Mt
the chemical laboratory, sometimes In
the dissecting-roOms, and occasionally
in long walks, which appeared to take
him into the lower portions of the city.
Nothing could exceed his energy when
the working fit was upon him; but now
and again reaction would seize him,
and for days ON end he would lie upon
the sofa In the sitting-rOOm. hardly ut.
tcring word or moving a muscle from
morning to night. On these occasions
have noticed such dreamy, vacant
expression in his eyes that might
have suspected him Of being addicted
to the use of some narcotic, had not the
temperance and cleanliness Of his
whole life forbidden such n notion.
AS the weeks went by, my interest In
him, and my curiosity as to his aims
In life, gradually deepened and in
creased. His very person and appear
ance were such as to strike the atten.
ton Of the most casual observer. In
height he was rather over six feet. and
and so excessively lean that he seemed
to be considered taller. His eyes were
sharp and piercing, save during those
intervals Of torp0r to which have al
luded; and his thin, hawk-like nose
gave his whole expression an air Of
alertness and decision. His chin, too,
had the prominence and sQuareness
which mark the man Of determination.
His hands were invariably blotted with
ink and stained with chemicals, Vet
he was possessed Of extraordinary de-
licacy of touch, as frequently had oc
casion to observe when watched him
manipulating his fragile philosophical
Instruments.
His ignorance was as remarkable as
his knowledge. OF contemporary lit
erature, philosophy and politics he ap-
peared to know nothing. Upon my
quoting Thomas Carlyle, he inquired in
the naivest way who he might be and
what he had done. My surprise reach
ed q climax, however, when found in
cidentally that he was ignorant Of the
Copernican Theory and Of the compo-
sitiOn Of the solar system. That any
civilized human being In the nineteenth
L 6uOuAu hOC OS ANuAS tAluS SuS
earth travelled round the sun appeared
to be to me such an extraordinary fact
that could hardly realize 1t.
You appear to be astonished,' he
said, smiling ut my expression of sur
prise. "Now that I do know 1t, shall
do my best to forget it."
ITO forget it,"
"You see," he explained, Il consider
| khaf rnnnsc hrn{n O,lU1no1IHy ID lilo n
little empty attic, and you have to
stock It with such furniture us you
choose A fool takes In all the lumber
Of every sort that he comes across, 80
that the knowledge which might be use
ful to him gets crowded out, or, Mt best,
is julphled i'm with a lot of other things
80 that he has difficulty in laying his
hands upon it. Now the skillful work.
man Ia very careful indeed. as to what
he takes into his brain.attio. He will
have nothing but the tools which may
help him in doing his work. but of these
he has a large assortment, and all In
the most perfect order. 1t Is Il mistake
to think that that little room has elas-
ic walls and can distend to any extent.
Depend upon it, there comes time
| when for every addition Of knowledge
you forget something thatryOu knew be-
fore. 1t is of the highest importance,
| therefore, not to have Useless facts el-
| bowling out the useful ones"
:.But the Solar Systemw protested.
What the deuce is. 1t to me?" he
interrupted impatiently; you say that
| we 60: round the sun. II We went
round tile moon it would not make Il
pennywortl Of difference to me or to
INV work - 80
was on the point Of asking him
what that work might be, but some
thing u hfs manner showed me that the
/ ponderad over our short conversation.
however, and endangered to draw my
deductions from 1t. He said lhat lie
would acquire no knowledge which
did not bear upon this subject. There
fore all the knowledge which he pos
sessed was such as would be useful to
him. ! enumerated In my own mind
all the various points upon which he
had shown me that he wis exceptional
ly we'll Informed. even took u pencil
and jotted them down. could not
Aelp smiling at the document when ]
had completed 1t. It ran In this way:
SHERLOCK HOLMES-his limits.
!. knowledge Of Literature.-Nil.
2. Z" Philosophy.-Nill
3 /" Astronomy.-Nill
f. :" Politics.-Feeble.
&. f" Botany.-Variable.