The Savannah morning news., 1902-07-20

there. When our unknown had fol-
lowed Baskerville home we should have
had the opportunity of playing his own
game upon himself, and seeing where
he made for. AS it is, by an indiscreet
eagerness, which was taken advantage
of with extraordinary quickness and
energy by our opponent, we have be-
trayed ourselves and lost our man."
We had been sauntering slowly down
Regent street during this conversation,
and DR.. Mortimer, with his companion,
had long vanished in front of u.s.
There is no object in our following
them" said Holmes. The shadow has
departed and will not return. We must
see what further cards we have in our
hands, and play them with decision.
Could you swear to that mans face
within the cab?"
Il could swear only to the beard"
And so could I-from which 1 gather
that in all probability it was false
one. A clever man upon so delicate
an errand has no use for a beard save
to conseal his features. Come in here,
Watson!"
He turned into one of the district
messenger offices, where he was warm
ly greeted by the manager.
"Ah, Wilson, l see you have not for
gotten the little case in which 1 had
the good fortune to help your
No, sir, indeed 1 have not. You
saved my good name, and perhaps my
life
My dear fellow, you exaggerate.
have some recollection, Wilson, that
you had among your boys a lad named
Cartwright, who showed some ability
during the investigation"
Yes, sir, he is still with u.s."
Gould you ring him up?-thank you,
and 1 should be glad to have change
of this five-pound not"
A lad of fourteen, with a bright,
keen face, had obeyed the summons of
the manager. He stood now gazing
with great reverence at the famous de-
tective.
Let me have the Hotel Directory"
said Holmes. THANK you! Now, Cart
wright. there are the names of TWEEN
ty-three hotels here. all in the imme-
| date neighborhood of Charing Cross.
Do you see?'
Yes, sir
you will visit each of these in
turn"
Yes, sir"
You will begin in each case by CIV
ing the outside porter one shilling.
Here are twenty-three shillings."
Yes, sir
You will tell him that you want to
see the waste paper of yesterday. You
will say that an important telegram
has miscarried and that you are look
ing for it. You understand"
Yes, sir
But what you are really looking
for is the center page OF the Times
with some holes cut in it with scissors.
Here is a copy of the Times. 1t is
this page. You could easily recognize
it, could you not?"
Yes, sir
''In each case the outside porter will
send for the hall porter, to whom also
you will give shilling. Here are
twepty-three shillings. You will then
learn in possibly twenty cases out of
the twenty three that the waste of the
day before has been burned or. remov-
ed In the three other cases you will
be shown a heap of paper and you will
look for this page of the Times among
it. The odds are enormously against
your finding it. There are ten shill-
ings over in cases of emergencies. Let
me have a report by wire AT Baker
street before evening. And now, Wat
son, 1t only rmains for us to find out
by wire the identity of the cabman,
No. 2704, and then we will drop khto
one of the Bond street picture gale
ries and fill in the time until we are
due al the hotel"
To be Continued in Next anday's