The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-01-18

1A.|@:z=;-g A4k!AA=;;g@
q "
ONE MORNING YOUNG GIRL cALIEn
FAsHIoNABLY DRESSED.
the other. So all life is a great chain,
the nature of which is known whenever
we are shown single link of it. Like
all other arts, the science of deduction
and analysis is one which can only be
acquired by long and patient study,
nor is life long enough to allow any
mortal to attain the highest possible
perfection in it. Before turning to
those moral and mental aspects of the
matter which present the greatest diff
fculties, let the inquirer begin by mas
tering more elementary problems. Let
him, on meeting fellow-mortal, learn
at glance to distinguish the history
Of the man, and the trade or profession
to which he belongs. Puerile as such
an exercise may seem, it sharpens the
faculties of observation and teaches
one where to look and what to look
for BY mans fnger-nails, by his
coat-sleeve, by his boot, by his trouser-
knees, by the callosities of his fore
finger and thumb, by his expression,
by his shirt-cufs-by each of these
things a mans calling is plainly re-
vealed. That all united should fail to
enlighten the competent inquirer in
any case is almost inconceivable.
what ineffable twaddle!" / cried,
slapping the magazine down on the
table; Il never read such rubbish in
my life"
WHAT'S it?" asked Sherlock Holmes.
"Why, this article" said, pointing
ct 1t with my egg spoon as sat down
to my breakfast. 81 see that you have
read it, since you have marked it. /
don't deny that it is smartly writ
ten 1t irritates me, though. 1t is
evidently the theory of some armchair
lounger who evolves all these neat lit
tie paradoXes in the seclusion of his
own study. 1t is not practical. |
should like to see him clapped down in
a third-class carriage on the Under.
ground, and asked togive the trades Of
all his fellow travellers. would lay
thousand to one against him"
You would losa your money" Sher-
lock Holmes remarked, calmly "As
for the article, wrote it myself"
"You!"
Eyes, / have turn both for observa.
tion and for deduction. The theories
which l have expressed there, anc
which appear to you to be 50 chimeri-
cal, are really extremely practical-so
prsatical that depend upon them for
my bread and cheese"
And howe" | asked, involuntarily.
"Well, | have trade of my own.
suppose am the only one in the world.
I'm consulting detective, if you can
understand what that is. Here in Lon.
don we have lots of government detec,
tives and lots of private ones. When
these fellows are at fault they come to
me, and manage to put them on the
right scent. They lay all the evidence
before me, and am generally able, by
the help of my knowledge of the his
tory of crime, to set them straight
There is a strong family resemblance
about misdeeds, and If you have all the
details of thousand at your finger.
ends, it is odd il you can't unravel the
thousand and first. Lestrade is u we'll
known detective. He got himself into
fog recently over forgery case, and
that was what brought him here"
And these other people2"
"They are mostly sent out by private
inquiry agencies, They are all people
who are in trouble about something
and want little enlighteDing.
listen to their story, they listen to my
comments, and then l pocket my fee
But do you mean to say" said
"that without leaving your room yor
can unravel some knot which Other
men can make nothing of, although
they have seen every detail for them
selves?"
"Quite so. l have q kind of intui
tion that way. Now and again cas-,
turns up which is little more com
plex, Then have to hustle about anC
see things with my own eyes. Yo,
see, | have lot of special knowledg,
which l apply to the problem, anC
which facilitates matters wonderfully
Those rules of deduction laid down IL
that article which aroused your scorr
are invalua BILE to me in practical work
Observation with me is second nature
You appeared to be surprised when
told you, on our first meeting, that yot
had come from Afghanistan."
"You were told, no doubt
Nothing of the sort. l knew yor
came from Afghanistan. From lonl
habit the train of thought ran SO swift
ly through my mind that l arrived a
the conclusion without being consciou,
of intermediate steps. There were
such steps, however. The train O.
reasoning ran: Here Ia gentleman
of medical type, but with the air of I,
military man, Clearly an army doe
tor, then. He has just come from the
tropics, for his face Is dark, and tha
is not the natural tint of his skin, fol
his wrists are fair, He has undergone
hardship and sickness, as his haggart
face says clearly. His left arm hal
been injured, He holds 1t in stiff