Mexico weekly ledger., 1894-01-04
p III

theories. My respect for his powers ot
analysis increased wondrously. There
still remained some lurking suspicion
in my mind, however. that the whole
thing was a ~prearranged episode. in
tended to dazzle me, though what
earthly object he could have in taking
me in was past my comprehension.
When ! looked at him he had finished
reading. the note and his eyes had as
sumed the vacant, lack-luster express
sion which showed mental abstraction.
"How in the world did you deduce
taat?" i asked.
"Dednce what?" said he, petulantly.
"Why, that he was a retired SER
geant of marines"
81 have no time for trifies,' he re-
piled, brusquely. Then, with a smile:
Excuse my ~rudeness. You broke the
thread of my thoughts; but perhaps it
is as well. So you actually were not
able to see that that man was a SER
geant of m~arines?"
mo, indeed"
cit was easier to know it than to ex-
plain why / know it. If you were
asked to prove that two and two made
four. you might find some difficulty,
and yet you VI quite sure of the fact.
Even across the street / could see a
great blue anchor tattooed on the back
of the fellows hand. That smacked of
the sea. He had a military carriage,
however, and regulation side-whiskers.
There we have the marine. He was a
man with some amount of self-impor-
tance and a certain air of command.
You must have observed the way in
which he held hisahead and swung his
cane. A steady, respectable, middle
aged man, too, on the face of him-all
facts which led me to believe that he
had been a sergeant"
"Wonderfulr' / calculated.
Commonplace" said Holmes,
though thought from his expression
that he was pleased at my evident sur
prise and admiration. 81 said Just
o that there were no criminals. 1t
appears that / am wrong-look at
thisi" He threw me over the note
which the eommissionaire had brought.
why" l cried, as / cast my eye
over it, this is terriblel!"
sit does seem to be a little out of
the common" he remarked, calmly.
"Would you mind reading. it to me
aloud?"
This is the letter which 1 read to
him:
"MY DEAR MIR. HOLMES: There
has been a bad business during the night at 3
Lauriston gardens, of the Brixton road OuI
man on the beat saw a light there about two in
the morning, and, as the house was ar
empty one, suspected that something was
amiss. He found the door open. and
In the front room, which is bare Of
furniture, discovered the body of q gentleman
well dressed and having cards in his pocket
bearing the name of 'Enoch j. Drebber, Cieve
land, o., q. S A. There had been no rob
berry, nor Is there any evidence as to how the
man met his death. There are marks of blood
III the room, but there is no wound upon his
| person. We are at q loss as to how he came
into the empty house; indeed, the whole affair
is a puzzler. If you can come round to the
house any time before twelve, you will find me
there. have left everything in statu quo until
| I hear from you II you are unable to come
| shall give you fuller details, and would esteem
1t a great kindness IL you would favor me with
| your opinion.
yours faithfully, TOBIAS ERICSSON"
"Gregson is the smartest of the Scot
land Yarders," my friend remarked;
she and Lestrade are the pick of a bad
| lot. They. are both quick and ener.
I getic, but conventional-shockingly so.
They have their knives into one
another, too. They are as jealous as a
| pair of professional beauties. There
will be some fun over this case if they
are both put upon the scent"
I was amazed at the calm way in
which he rippled on. "Surely there i;
not a moment to be lost" l cried
"Shall I go and order you a cab?"
ST am not sure about whether / shall
GO. I am the most %incurably lay
devil that ever stood in shoe leather
that is, when the fit Is on me, for l car
be spry enough at times"
"Why, it is just such a chance as yot
have been longing for"
"My dear fellow, what does it mat
ter to me? Surprising l unravel the
whole matter, you may be sure tina
Gregson, Lestrade Sc Co. will poke
all the credit. That comes of being al
unofficial parsonage"
"But he begs you to help him"
eyes. He knows that l am his su
perior, and acknowledges it to me
but he would cut his tongue out befor'
he would own it to any third person
However, we may as well go and hav
a look. / shall work it out on my owl
hook. Imay have a laugh at them, j
l have nothing else. Come onI"
He hustled on his o~vercoat, an
hustled about in a way that showe
that an energetic fit had ~supersede
the ~apathetic one.
sect your. hat" he said.
"You wish me to Gomez"
"Yes, if you have nothing better Il
do" A minute later we were both il
a hanson, driving f~uriously for tn,
Brixton road.
It was a very foggy, cloudy morning
and a d~un-colored veil hung over tht
house tops, looking like the reflection
of the ~mud-colored streets beneath
My companion was in the best of spir
its, and prattled away about Cremon;
fddles, and the difference between
Stradivarius and an Amati. As TO
myself, / was silent, for the dull
weather and the melancholy bushes
upon which we were engaged depresse'
my spirits.
"You don't seem to give mucl
thought to the matter in hand" I sal
at last, .~interrupting Holmes musica
disquisition.
mo data yet" he answered. at
q capital mistake to theorize befor
you have all the evidence. 1t biase
the judgment"
"You will have your data soon,"