The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-02-23
Copyright, 1903, by John Kendrick Bangs.
Iv.-Mr. Homes Reaches an Unhistorieal
Conclusion

Copyright, 1903, by John Kendrick Bangs.
lV.-Mr. Homes Reaches an Unhistorieal
Conclusion.
It was not long before was made
aware that there was to be no lack Of
occupation for me in the new sphere
OF my residence. The story of LIE Coos
attempt to frighten me away from the
practice Of my profession soon got about,
and It became more or less of fad
among the social lights of Cimmeria to
get up mysteries for my solution. Queen
Elizabeth offered me a large sum of
money-indeed sent me in advance a
check for a considerable amount,-if I
would attend one of her evening recep-
tions, and there give to her assembled
games as Hiding the Handkerchief and
Twenty Questions Considering draw
ing-roon work beneath my dignity, I
wrote my regrets on the back of the
check, and remailed it to the royal spin
ster, the story of which act, in some
mysterious fashion, crept into print and
for time served to win for me the en-
nifty Of the ex-queen, for which was
sincerely sorry, for I have always held
the lady in the highest esteem. How
the incident came to be published do not
know, for I certainly told no one but
James Boswell and Paul Pry of the edi-
torial staff of the Gehenna Gazette about
it, and they both assure me that they have
told none but their wives, under cover
of confidence, of the episode.
For a period, feeling that I must be-
come acclimated before undertaking pro-
fessional work seriously, I kept close to
my rooms at the hotel and declined many
commissions, but one morning I was
| forced into action in a most peculiar fash
| ion. While sitting alone in my room,
| Immediately after breakfast, I became
! suddenly conscious that some one was
| looking at me, but from what precise
| quarter was unable Immediately to de-
termine. It was an uncanny feeling that
came over me at first, and it made me
somewhat uneasy, but deemed it the
part of wisdom in no way to betray the
fact that / was uncomfortable. con-
| tinued, therefore, to appear to read my
morning paper, as if wholly unconscious
Of this piercing eye which felt was fixed
upon me. Occasionally I glanced casually
about, as a man may naturally do, with.
out giving evidence Of a perturbed spirit
and began by a mental process of elm.
nation, to solve the question the prob
lem presented. There was no one in the
room but myself, SO it was clear thai
my diSturber was on the outside some.
where. Hence the placing of the intruder
was not, to one of my habit Of though'
wholly difficult. One glance in the sdirec
| ZION OF the WINDOW demonstrated LSyOn(
all peradventure that it was not thence
| that the annoyance sprang. It was sew.
eral stories up from the street, and there
| was no coign of vantage upon which ar
| intruder might stand. The door was
closed and the skylight of my apartment
/ opened in an inner chamber, and not upor
| the room in which I sat- Consequently
my next thought was that the prying per.
son, who was eagerly contemplating my
| person, was neither in the hall nor upor
| the roof, but in moment had reason
! to modify this conclusion in so far as II
/ related to the hall. I rose from my chair
and sauntered idly across the room, and
i was Immediately relieved of the sensa-
ton which had disturbed me. It was evil
dent that 1 was not everywhere in the
range of the staring eyes, Then I walked
back again, and observed, as I did so
and confirmed the observation, with fur
| Their experimentation, that it was only
when within a limited range of the door.
knob that the cause Of my vexation
operated. -
"The door knob, Ell? Impossible ]
muttered. mo one can see through a
door-knob. Then what? All! the key
hole! LET us investigate,
acted quickly. Filling my cocaine in
jector with soap and water at the wash
stand, 1 let drive a goodly spirit Of the re-
sultant suds through the keyhole, and was