The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-07-06


at least it is not difficult to find out
a few particulars about the mans age
and professional career" From my
small medical shelf 1 took down the
Medical Directory and turned up the
name. There We're several Mortimers,
but only one who could be our Wis
itor I read his record aloud.
Mortimer. James, M.R.C.S., 1882.
Grimpen, Dartmoor, Devon. House
surgeon, from 1882 to 1884, at Charing
Cross Hospital Winner of the Jack
son prize for Comparative Pathology,
with essay entitled, is Disease a Re
version" Corresponding member of
the Swedish Pathological Society Au-
thor of Some Freaks of Atavism'
Lancet, 1882. Do We Progress p
journal of Psychology, March, 1889.
Medical officer for the parishes of
Grimpen, Thorsley and High Barrow"
mo mention of that local hunt,
Watson" said Holmes, with a mis-
chievous smile. but a country doc
tor, as you very astutely observed.
think that 1 am fairly justified in my
differences. AS to the adjectives,
said, if 1 remember right, amiable,
unambitious, and absent-minded. II is
my experience that 1t is only an ami
able man in this world who receives
testimonials, only an unambitious one
who abandons a London 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
heavy stick the dog has held it tight
ly by the middle. and the marks of
"a ic }, q, 81, s..lr s-,k
dogs jaw, as shown in the space
between these marks, is too
board in my opinion for a terrier and
not board enough for a mastiff. 1t
may have been-yet, by Jove, it is a
curly-haired spaniel"
He had risen and paced the room as
he spoke Now he halted in the re-
cess of the window. There was such
ring of conviction in his voice that
l glanced up in surprise.
My dear fellow, how can you pos
sibly be so sure of that?
For the very simple reason that ]
see the dog himself on our very door
step, and there is the ring of it's owner
Don't move, 1 beg you, Watson. He
is professional brother of yours, and
your presence may be of assistance to
me. Now is the dramatic moment OF
fate, Watson, when you hear a steI
upon the stair which is walking into
Your life. and you know not whether
for good or i'll. What does DIR. James
Mortimer, the man of science, ask oil
Sherlock Holmes, the specialist ir
crime? Come I'M"
The appearance of our visitor was
surprise to me, since 1 had expected
typical country practitioner. He wa:
a very tall, thin man, with long nos,
! like beak, which jutted out between
| two keen grey eyes, set closely to
! gether and sparkling brightly from be
| hind a pair of gold-rimmed glasses
| He was clad in a professional bu
rather slovenly fashion, for his frock
| coat was dingy and his trousers frayed
Though young, his long back was al
ready bowed, and he walked with
forward thrust of his head and a gen
eral air of peering benevolence. AS Ii,
| entered his eyes fell upon the stick il
Holiness hand, and he ran towards i
with an exclamation of joy. II am 81
very glad" said he. II was not SURE
whether 1 had left it here or in tn,
Shipping Office. l would not lose tina
stick for the world"
"A presentation, 1 see." said Holmes
Yes, sir
From Charing Cross Hospital?"
From one or two friends there OF
lllt OANriSlOl VI my marriage.
Dear, dear, that's bad" said Hol
mes, shaking his head.
DR.. Mortimer blinked through hi
glasses in mild establishment.
why was it bad?"
only that you have disarranged on
little deductions. Your marriage. you
say?"
Yes, sir. I married, and so left thu
hospital and with it all hopes of
| consulting practice. 1t was necessar,
to make home of my own"
Come, come, we are not so far wronl
after all sail Holmes. And now
DR.. James Mortimer"
Mister, sir Mister-a humble NJ. r
C. s."
And a man of precise mind, evi
| IDENTIFY"
"A dabbler in science, Mr.. Holmes.
picker UP of shells on the shores o
the great unknown ocean. 1 presum
that it is Mr.. Sherlock Holmes whom
| am addressing and not"
No. this is my friend, Dr. Wat
SON"
Glad to meet you, sir. l have hear,
| your name mentioned in connection
with that of your friend You inter
est me very much, Mr.. Holmes | ha,
hardly expected so dolichocephalic
skull or such well-marked supra orbita
| development. Would you have anv oh
| lection to my running my finger alon
your parietal fissure? cast of YOU
skull, sir, until the original is avail
able would be an ornament to an
anthropological museum. 1t is not m
intention to be fulsome, but l comics
that l covet your skull"
Sherlock Holmes waved our strang
visitor into a chair. You are an IN
thusiast in your line of thought, l per
ceive sir, as l am in mine said he
Il observe from your forefnger tina
you make your own cigarettes. Hav
no hesitation in lighting one"
The man drew out paper and to
bacco and twirled the one upon tn
other with surprising dexterity. H
had long, quivering fingers as agile an
restless as the antennae of an insect
Holmes was silent. but his little dart
ing glances showed me the interes
which he took in our curious com
panion.
II presume, sir" said he at last
that it was not merely for the pur
post of examining my skull that yor
have done me the honor to call her
last night and again to-day?ys
No, sir, no; though I am Happy T.
have had the opportunity of dom,
| that as we'll l came to you, MI
Holmes, because l recognized that
! am myself an impractical man. an,
! because l am suddenly confronted witt
A most serious and extraordinary prob
lem. Recognizing, as 1 do, that 70,
are the second highest expert in Eu
rops-''
Indeed. sir, May I inquire who ha
| the honor to be first?" asked Holmes
| with some asperity.
ITO the man of precisely scientif
| mind the work of Monsieur Rertillo,