The herald., 1895-03-24
MR.. HERLOCK SHOLMES
He Solves Thrilling Mystery and
Exhibits to Advantage His
Wonderful Gifts

Wonderful Gifts
was talking to my friend Herlocl
Sholmes when there came knock on the
| door and woman entered.
| II want to see Mr.. Herlock Sholmes, .
she said, in a quivering voice.
!, Very well, madam, | am he," replied
the great detective, with all the courtli
ness of great gentleman.
| Il have communication that l wish
to make to you alone, she went on. "It
| is OF q strictly private character, and
prefer that no third person hear it."
Madam" he replied with much for
fmality, permit me to present my best
hear he may hear, and unless you speak
to both of us you cannot speak at all.
had risen to withdraw from the room
when the lady protested against my pres
ence and now sat down again.
With your assurance. she said te
implore your assistance. My husband''-
| II beg your pardon, madam" inter
rupted Sholmes, you have not told me
| your name or his. :"
"Oh, excuse me- she said, quite en-
barrassed. Il am Mrs. Calbro, Of
band is Henry M. Calbro," interrupted
Sholmes, fairly taking the words out OF
| her mouth.
| Sholmes laughed at the CONSERVATION OF
his visitor. for she was violently affected
! by his words, and, after calming her. she
| went on.
LAS l was about to say" she said,
shrinking away from him, "my husband
disappeared two days ago, and 1 have
seen nothing of him since. He had Just
received quite large sum of money and
as he was met by three men just after
leaving the house, I greatly fear some
thing has happened to him..
SlOlmpS StIIdi p1 hpr CRITICALLY fbrouo n
his fingers as he set deep in his chair
listening to her story.
"Gour husband was man about six
feet tall, l believe said Sholmes, in that
confident manner which always provoked
me.
Yes" she replied, starting nervously
Dark eyes; almost black?"
YES"
''One front tooth gone. Or rather |
should say, false tooth?"
"Gyes," stammered the visitor, half
in fear.
"Wil you be kind enough to state the
amount of money he had on his person
when you last saw him?' asked Sholmes,
peering at her closely.
f94. -
Sholmes shook his head as if disturbed.
-Four men in the party, y he said to
himself ''and only three shillings left. +"
The visitor stared at him, but he offered
no explanation.
Your husband, madam, was of bibu.
lous habits also, was he not?' he asked
politely, but still with the confidence of
certain knowledge.
Periodically only" she said, trying to
shield him.
The worst kind" responded Sholmes.
II think / am not mistaken" he contin-
ued, in saying that he had on, when
you last saw him. silk hat. dark clothes,
stylishly made, and wore patent leather
shoes, No. 9?''
1t was so like a revelation to the wife
that she rose from her chair and paced the
apartment in nervous excitement
How do you know these things?" she
exclaimed. You did not know him, |
am sure, for he would have told me. He
always told me, everything" and she
broke into food of tears.
Calm yourself, my dear madam, calm
yourself" said Sholmes, soothingly. II
can do nothing for you now, but if you
will return to your home and have conf
dence in my ability to restore him to you
all will be we'll
But when-when?' she asked implor-
"Of course" he said to her in co d.
businesslike tones, lin such cases as these
there can be no absolute certainty for
the very slightest events may throw out
of line every calculation the shrewdest of
us make; out l think by day after to-
morrow at noon your husband will be with
you.
ALIVE and well?" she asked with
trem bling eagerness
sholmes hestated for an instant.
Alive, yes, he answered, land as
well as could be expected under the cir
She would have asked more of him. but
he put her off and gently escorted her to
the door.
AS we heard er footsteps descending
the stairs he turned to me with smile
Are you man or devil?'' l asked in
amazed admiration.
"Why?'. he inquired, betraying slightly
the conceit which at times asserted itself
in his character and which had noticed
first in his defense of an article he had
written in the Times, which l had crit-
cized.
How do you know this man so mi
nutely, when am sure you had never
heard of him until his wife came to you
with her story.
Don't be too sure of that. You are
talking now as my friends at Scotland
$50 or not" aid, "how do you know
this man Calbro?'
Its the easiest thing in the world"
caine, when you know how" and he
winked at me cunningly. Il happened
to be at the police station last night when
they brought him in. He was tempor-
arily mental and moral wreck and
speechless, but the papers on his person
identified him perfectly, and, working on
that clue, | spoke to his wife as | did.
He had three shillings in his pocket and
you may imagine what kind OF q time
four men must have had in two
days on the difference between
three, shillings and ninety four pounds.
Didn't tell his wife the periodicals were
the worst? And was right. He was the
worst | ever saw. | may be wrong,
though, in telling her he would be re-
stored to her by day after tomorrow, but
the police physician is Il friend of mine,
and III go right down there and tell him
to soak Mr.. Calbro in vichy and am monia
and other restoratives in order that my
conclusions in this great case may be CON
tirmed. Will you accompany me for the
sake o. the adventure?"
More than ever impressed by the true
greatness of this strange being, put on
my top coat and went with him to the
police hospital.
ThIAJI/