The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-07-13
The LATEST SHERLOCK H0L MES DETECTIVE STORY.

means all. I would suggest. for example
that a presentation to a doctor is more
likely to come from 4 hospital than from
q hunt, and that when the initials &C.
are placed before that hospital the words
'Charing Cross very naturally suggest
themselves"
You may be right"
The probability lies in that direction.
And II We take this as a working hypothe-
sis We have n fresh basis from which TO
start our construction OF this unknown v!s-
Itor."
Well. then. supposing that 'C.C.H.' does
stand for 'Charlng Cross Hospital what
further inference may we drawn
d none suggest themselves? You know
my methods Apply themI'
Il can only think OF the obvious con-
eiusiOn that the man has practised in town
before going 10 the country"
Il think that We might venture a uttIs
farther than this. Look at It in this light.
On what occasion would it be most pro5a-
bic that such a presentation would be NADER
When would his friends unite to give him a
pledge OF their good will? Obviously al
the moment when Doctor Mortimer with
drew from the service Of the hospital in or
der to start in practice for himself. We
AAAI" AdS - - EAEsEAAdLAOu. W
believe there has been a change from a
town hospital TO a country practice. Is Il.
then. stretching our inference too far to say
that the presentation was on the occasion
Of the changer
at certainly seems probable"
Now, you viii observe that he could not
have been on the staff Of the hospital, since
only a man well-e5tablished in a London
practice could hold such a position, and
such a one would not drift into the coun-
try. b was he, then? II he was In the
hospital and yet not on the staf he could
only have been a house-surgeon or a house.
phys-cian-little more than a senior SUDDEN.
And he left five years ago-the date g on
the stick So your grave, middle-aged fam
lily practitioner vanishes into hin air. my
dear Watson, and there energies a young
fellow under 30, amiable, unambitIous. alb
sent-minded, and the possessor Of a favor
ite dog. which I should describe roughly as
being larger than a terrier and smaller than
a mastif."
I laughed incredulously as Sherlock
Holmes leaned back in his settee and blew I
little wavering rings Of smoke up TO the
ceiling.
A TO the latter part. I have no means
Of checking you" said I. but at least Z
is not difficult TO find out a few particulars
about the mans age and professional ca
reer." From my small medical shelf 1 took
down the Medical Directory and turned I'D !
the name. There were several MortImers. 1
but only ore who could be cur visitor. !
read his record aloud.
Mortimer. James. M.R.C.S. 1859. Grim
pen, Dartmoor. Devon. House surgeon.
from 1852 to 1881. at Charlng Cross Hospital.
Ef1ra- 80 she ,,l-,, - = D
tive Pathology. with essay entitled Is DIS
ease n Reversion| Corresponding member
Of the Swedish Pathological Society. Au-
thor OF Some Freaks OF Atavism' 0.ancet. /
lS2). Do We Progressg GournaI Of Psy- J
chology, March. ISSO. Medical officer for
the parishes OF Grinpen. ThorsIey. and
High Barrow"
No mention OF that local hunt, Watson"
said Holmes. with a mischievous smile.
but a country doctor. as you very astute-
ly observed. I think that 1 am fairly ius-
tiled in my differences. As to the adiec-
tives, / said, IL 1 remember right, amiable.
unamhitOus. and absent-minded. II is nv
experience that IL Is only an amiabIe man
in this world who receives testimonials, onIy
an unambiious one who abandons a Lon
don career for the country, and only an
absent-minded one who leaves his stick and
not his visiting-card after waiting an hour
in your room"
And the dog?'
Has been in the habit OF carrying this
stick behind his master. Being a heayv
stick the dog has held it tightly by the
middle, and the marks Of his teeth are very
plainly visible. The dogs jaw. as shown IN
the space between these marks. IS too
broad In my opinion for a terrier and not
broad enough for a mastin. 1t nay
have been-yes. by Jove. It Is a curly
haired spaniel"
He had risen and paced the room az he
spoke. Now he halted in the recess Of the
There was such a ring OF convic-
ton in his voice that l glanced up in sur
prise.
My dear fellow. how can you possibly be
SO sure of that7"
For the very simple reason that / see he