Wallowa chieftain. [volume] (Joseph, Union County, Or.) 1884-1909, 1902-08-21

see that have alluded above 70
his powers upon the violin. These
were very remarkable, but as eccen-
tTic as all his other accomplishments.
! That he could play pieces, and diff
cult pieces. knew well. because at my
request he had played me some OF
Mendelssohn's "Lieder," and other IA
vorites.
( When left to himself. however. he
wonld seldom produce any music or
attempt any recognized air.
! Leaning back in his armchair OF an
evening he would close his eyes and
scrape carelessly at the fiddle, which
was thrown across his knee. Some
times the chords were sonorous and
melancholy. Occasionally they were
fantastic and cheerful.
Clearly they reflected the thoughts
which possessed him. but whether the
music aided these thoughts. or whether
the playing was simply the result of
whim or fancy, was more than l could
determine.
might have rebelled against these
exasperating solos had it not been
that he usually terminated them by
playing in quick succession a whole Sc
ries OF my favorite airs as a slight
compensation for the trial upon my
patience.
During the first week or so we had
no callers, and had begun TO think
that my companion was as friendless
a man as myself.
Presently. however I found that he
had many acGuaintances. and those in
the most different classes of society.
There was one little sallow. rat.faced.
dark-eyed fellow who was introduced
TO me as Mr.. Lestrade, and who came
three or four times in a single week.
One morning a young girl called.
fashionably dressed, and stayed for
half an hour or more. The same after
noon brought gray-headed. seedy
visitor, looking like Jew peddler. and
who appeared TO be much excited, and
who was closely followed by a slip
shod elderly woman.
| On another occasion an old white
haired gentleman had an interview
with my companion; and on another a
railway porter in his velveteen uni
form. When any of these nondescript
individuals put in an appearance Sher-
I AoNh AAOlhAtS NStu " BCS LUZ TIE use VI
the sitting room. and would retire to
my bedroom. He always apologized to
me for putting me to this inconven-
/ ience.
Il have to use this room as a place
/ Of business" he said, "and these peo-
/ pie are my clients"
Again l had an opportunity Of ask
/ ing him a point blank question. and
again my delicacy prevented me from
/ forcing another man to confide in me.
| imagined at the time that he had
some strong reason for not alluding to
| it, but he soon dispelled the idea by
coming round to the subject of his own
accord.
1t was upon the 4th Of March, as
have good reason to remember. that I
rose somewhat earlier than usual. and
found that Sherlock Holmes had not
yet finished his breakfast.
The landlady had become so accus-
toned to my late habits that my place
had not been laid nor my coffee pre-
pared.
With the unreasonable petulance OF
mankind I rang the bell and gave a
curt intimation that was ready.
Then | picked up magazine from
the table and attempted to while away
the time with it, while my companion
munched silently at his toast.
/ One of the articles had a pencil mark
at the heading, and I naturally began
to run my eye through It.
Its somewhat ambitious title was
THE Book of Life" and it attempted
to show how much an observant man
might learn by an accurate systematic
examination OF all that came in his
way.
1t struck me as being a remarkable
mixture of shrewdness and of absurd
| ity. The reasoning was close and in.
tense, but the deductions appeared to
me to be far-fetched and exaggerated.
The writer claimed by a momentary
expression, a twitch of muscle, or a
glance of the eve, to fathom a mans
inmost thoughts.
Deceit, according to him. was an i'm
possibility in the case Of one trained
to observation and ANALYSIS. His con-
clusions were as infallible as so many
propositions Of Euclid.
So startling would his results ap-
pear to the uninitiated that. until they
learned the process by which he had
arrived at them. they might consider
him as a necromancer.
t. 10