Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-12-24
SHERLOCK HOLMES,
An Augusta lmitator Surprises Friend
BY His Brightness.
Buying Presents for Lady Friends--story ., ,
Wealthy Soldier.

Inc last man who used this ,nhorn /.
SAID an Augusta Sherlock Holmes NO
pairing 10 wrestie with the Instrument -
an uptown public station. "was shor,
little feEow in deuce of a hurry smor
ING d cigarette. He asked for the Kannc.
oee journal office. was told that thev
were nusy and repeated his request five
times, geting madden at each call
Meanwhile his cigarette went o,t ana
aiter vainly searching for a MATCH,
tioid on there" exclaimed friend
VINO had accompanied him TO the booth.
what kind OF a fairy story are you CIV
ing me. anyhow"
NO fairy story al ALL replied the anna
teur sleuth blandly. Il was merely stat
ing few facts
But how the dickens did You ascertain
thcm?"
rain as A, b, c, my boy. To begin
with. the adjustable mo,Nhpiece of the in
strumenN is pulled down, as YOU see RI
It's FULLEST extent, indicating clearly that
the last user was very much understood.
Isn't that evidens %
"fe-e-e-es, | guess so; but how about
the rest?''
-N'Ah
observe five charred spots and an equal
number of small piles of tobacco ash.
What do you infer? Why. obviously. that
the gentleman was smoking and laid
down his cigarette each time he called.
The piles of ash are still undisturbed,
showing they We're recently deposited,
and they are small proving plainly that
the intervals of calling We're brief Nv
logical conclusion was that the phone
he wanted happened to be busy, and
booked instinctively for memorandum of
us number, which most men make under
such circumstances. l found it, as an
ticipated, on top of the box, scrawled in
pencil, and recognized the number of the
Journal Office. Such memoranda are al
most always rubbed out by the sleeve of
the next customer. and as this one is
still fresh and bright it is fair to presume
1t was made by the last man in the booth
otherwise the short chap with the cigar
cite. Moreover, the Journal phone IS
usually busy at this hour, so the cews
interlock and sustain one another. Not
so. my dear boy?'
But the matches?"
ION, deduce the match incident from
those fresh toothpicks on the floor. Where
a man in a hurry searches for a match
he invariably finds quantities Of tooth
picks. l would"
Are You through with that 'phone?"
asked short. stout stranger. appearing
suddenly a, the door and vigorously puff
fling a cigarette, because if you are /
Certainly, SIR said the analyst. sml-
ing Il think you will find the Journal
office disengaged ait present"
well, I'll be hanged" said the friend.
The other day a very business-like
young man strobe through the Christmas
crowds that already thronged a certain
store, and made straight for the clerk
standing near the glove counter.
Two dozen pairs. please" ne demand
ed
What size" questioned the girl; "all
| the same?''
"Yes-any size. Give me good ones, too.
| You know-same old thing
| The girl nodded and set to work getting
out the gloves.
| ..Shau l send thean?' she asked.
| "Yes, and the blk Good-by for another
year. Thank goodness, its over with
l
| face.
what is it?' questioned woman
standing near What under the sun
does he get SO many for, and all tine Same
sizeo You seem to know him.
i The girl laughed.
/ "Onlv in this way she answered lie
comes in here every year like that' ana
buvs lust so many gloves. The first time
four wears ago, he explained it all to me.
He has four women TO whom he gives
nresents-old or young, relations or hot'
have never known-and somebody once
to,d msthat there was no gift woman
,nnrecated so thoroughly as pair OF
gloves. So every year he comes mere anu
b,ys half a dozen pairs for every one VI
those women. He gets them all the saiiis
size and color to save trouble ana reiies
On each woman to come here ana get iei ,
changed to suit her. | don't kno" pul
rs a good plan, take 1t all around oue y
d,ec sound funny doesn't it, ana sie
asmiled as she turned e the next CUSTOM
err. t,o.rd the
S,afinn gasped %elh wonder at the I'M
1asas j. that sp oman ssDrsn'
ziandsu the she in the South ',uan
wrifsa sksts e 1Ral man, a, a s Gsr
81 az az 3 fosa t1sis A wealthy Ger II,
$50 : trona Siseonsiris who in fine spiris
n 'i' .sarriotism hasssnlisted as pflVa ths
sa,dicr. He proved good one u. . .n
H. duties of camp life soon gre"
;rksmne. one night he was aes' n., CON
. stand wiiard over an ammnnnlo,. Nv; was was
- , mas s chilly night and the ram We ,,'s
We RI and fro he plodded untn NE
,,atiauce was exhausted. oa
, pa ..l.araoral of der guardr he roared ,e
attention was paid to MN anu ~.
Med again. Then the cofpo' a
. lsproached him. ;, -. sa;d "and watch
s.i,, a leetle VILE. want 10 81 -
! aee Gee weak init der colonel - German
''i The corporal demurred, oa noo od' natured
. ..sa,oomish'' took his place. German
!. l 1oa ~ the colonels tent the &C. The
5 ~ The colonel was ine'e'
private saluted. +,v injured, "vat's
B 10, yaggin of ammynitaoh Wv"
. 90, 5er camp worth .,,.;,nate
i The colonel knew Dn ns everybody callet
{ - In fact, Louis. as as eve es1es and highl,