The Press., 1895-04-25

cleaned before being sent to me- In my heart accused my companion of putting forward a most lame and ilnpotent excuse to cover his failure What data could he expect from an uncleaned watchP @
 Though unsatisfactory, my search has not been entirely barren, he observed staring up at the ceiling with dreamy, lack luster eyes Subject to your cortec tion, should judge that the watch be longed to your elder brother, who inherit ed it from your father.'
 ''Tbat you gather DO doubt from the H w. upon the backP'
 Quite so The w suggests fyour own name. The date of the watch ist nearly 50 years back, and the initials are as old as the watch, so 1t was made for the last gen eratiOn .Jewelry usually descends to the eldest son, and he Is most likely to have the same name as the father Your father has, if remember right, been dead many years It has therefore been in the hands of your eldest brother
 Right so far" said Anything elsei''
 He was man of untidy habits-Very untidy, and careless He was left with good prospects, but he threw Fway his chances, lived for some time in SS3overty, with occasional short intervals of Drosperi ty, and finally, taking to drink, he died That is all can gather"
 I sprang from my chair and limped i'm patiently about the room, with considera- ble bitterness in my heart -,
 "Th1s is unworthy of You, Holmes, ' said II could not have believed that you would have descended to this. You have made inquiries into the history of my un happy brother, and you now pretend to deduce this knowledge in some fanciful way. You cannot expect me to believe that you have read all this from his old watch. It is unkind, and, to speak slain ly, has touch of charlatanisIn in :"
 My dear doctor, " said he kindlyf pray accept my apologies. Viewing the matter as an abstract problem. had forgotten how personal and painful thing i9 might be to you. l assure yuu. l. weNer, that never even knew that Auu ad brother until you handed me q Watch.
 ''Then how in the If.Ile of all that is wonderful did you erl these facts? They are absolutely correct in evt ry particular.
 "Ah, that is good luck could only say what was the balance of probability did not expect to he so accurate ''
 But it was not mere guessworkT'
 HNo, no never guess. It is 8 shock ing habit-destructivo to the logical fac ulty. What seems strange to you is only SO because you do not follow my train of thought or observe the small fac5s upon which large differences may depend. For example, l began by stating that your brother was careless, When you observe the lower part of that watch case, you no tice that it is not only dented in two places but it is cut and marked all oyer from tho habit of keeping other hard ob- jects, such as coins or keys, in the same pocket. Surely it is no great feat to as- sume that man who treats 50 guinea watch so cavalierly must be careless man. Neither is it a very far fetched in ference that a man who inherits o1ie arti- cle of such value is pretty we'll provided for in other respects. "
 nodded to show that followed his reasoning.
 Ut is very customary for pawnErokers in England when they take watch to scratch the number of the ticket with a pinpOint upon the inside of the case. It is more handy than a label as there iG no risk of the numbers being lost or trans posed. There are no less than four mum. bers visible to my lens on the inside of this case Infercnce-that your brother was often at low water. Secondary inference that he had occasional bursts of pros perity, or he could not have redeemed the pledge Finally, l ask you to look at the inner plate, which contains the keyh0les Look at the thousands of scratches all round the holc-marks where the key had slipped What sober mans key could have scored those grooves? But you will never see dTunkard's s watch without them. He winds it at night, and he leaves these traces of his unsteady hand, Where is the mystery ill all thisS''
 ''It is as clear as daylight" answered. II regret the injustice which did yon, l should have had more faith in your mar velous faculty May ask whether you have any professional inquiry on foot at present?' r
 None; hence the cocaine. I capnot live without brain work What ePps is there to live for? Stand at the window here. Was ever such dreary, dislnalS un- profitable world? See how the yellow fog swirls down the street and drifts across dun colored houses. What could be more hopelessly prOsaic and material? What is the use of having powers, doctor, when one has no field upon which to exert them? Crime is commonplace, and existence is commonplace, and no qualities save those which are commonplace have any fnnc tion upon earth"
 had opened my mouth to reply to this tirade when, with a crisp knock, our land lady. entered bearing a card upon the brass salver.
 A young lady for you, sir" she said, addressing my companion
 Miss Mary Morstan," he read. Hum. I have no recollection of the name. Ask the young lady to step up, Mrs. Hudson. Don't go, doctor I shall prefer that you in