The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-09-24

intrusion, l was about TO Withdraw,
when Holmes pulled me abruptly into
the room and closed the door behind
me.
you could not possibly have come at
better time. my dear Watson" he
said cordially.
4 was afraid that you were en-
gagged"
so l am. Very much So"
Then 1 can wait in the next room.
Not at ali. This gentleman, Mr.. VII
son, has been my partner and helper
IN many of my most successful cases,
and l have no doubt that he will b of
the utmost use 10 me in yours also"
The stout gentleman half rose from
his chair and gave bob of greeting,
with a quick, little, questioning glance
from his small fat-encircled eyes.
TRY the settee." said Holmes. relaps-
ing into his armchair and putting his
finger tips together, as was his custom
when in judicial moods Il know, my
dear Watson. that you share my love
of all that is bizarre and outside the
conventions and humdrum routine of
everyday life. You have shown your
relish for il by the enthusiasm which
has prompted you To chronicle and if
you will excuse my saying so, some
what 10 embellish so many of my own
little adventures"
your cases have indeed been Of the
greatest interest TO me- l observed.
You Will remember that l remarked
the other day. just before we went into
the very simple problem presented by
Miss Mary Sutherland, that for strange
effects and extraordinary combinations
we must go 10 life itself, which is al
i ways far more daring than any effort
'Of the Imagination"
"A proposition which l took the lib
erty of doubling"
You did, doctor; but none the less
you must come round TO my views for
otherwise L shall keep on piling fact
upon fact on you until your reason
breaks down under them and acknowl-
edges me to be right. Now, Mr.. JabeZ
Wilson here has been good enough TO
call upon me this morning, and to be
gin a narrative which promises to be
one of the most singular which / have
listened To for some time. You have
heard me remark that the straugest
and most unique things are very often
connected not with the larger, but with
the smaller crimes, and occasionally,
indeed. where there is room for doubt
whether any positive crime has been
committed. As far as l have heard it
is impossible for me to say whether the
present case is an instance of crime or
not. but the course of events is GER
tainly among the most singular that l
have listened to. Perhaps. Mr.. Wilson,
you would have the great kindness TO
recOmmeuce your narrative. / ask YOU
not merely because my friend, Dr.
Watson has not heard the opening part,
but also because the peculiar nature of
the story makes me anxious to have
every possible detail from your lips
As a rule. when / have heard some
slight indication OF the course OF
events. ! am able TO guide myself by
the thousands OF other similar cases
which occur TO my memory. In the
present instance 1 am forced to admit
that the facts are, to the best of my
belief. unique"
The portly client puffed out his chest
With an appearance of some little pride
and pulled d dirty and Wrinkled news
paper from the inside pocket of his
great coat. As he glanced down the
advertisement column. with his head
thrust forward and the paper fattensd
out upon his knee, / took a good look
at the man. and endeaVOred, after the
fashion Of my companion, to read the
indications which might be presented
by his dress or appearance.
l did not gain very much. however,
by my inspection Our visitor bore
every mark Of being an average COM
monplace British tradeSman, obese
pompous and slow. He wore rather
baggy gray shepherds check trousers,
a not over-clean black frock coat. un-
buttoned in the front and a drab
waistcOat with heavy brassy Albert
chain, and a square pierced bit of metal
dangling down as an ornament. A
frayed top hat and a faded brown over
coat with wrinkled velvet collar lay
upon "a chair beside him. Altogether
look as l would, there was nothing re-
markable about the man save his blaz-
ing req head, and the EXPIRE ssiOn of eN-
treme chagrin and discomfort upon his
features.
Sherlock Holmes quick eve took in
my occupation, and he shook his head
with a smile as he noticed my ques-
tioning glance.
Beyond the obvious facts that he has
at some time done manual labor that
he takes SNUFF, that he is a Freemason.
that he has been in China. and that he
has done a considerable amount of
writing lately, l can deduce nothing
else"
Mr.. 1abez Wilson started up in his
chair. with his fOrefinger upon the pa
per, but his eyes upon my companion.
How, in the name of good fortune
did you know all that, Mr.. Holmes %"
he asked How did you know, for ex-
ane9le, that I did manual labor. It's as
true as gospel, for 1 began as a ships
carpenter"
your hands. my dear sir Your right
hand is quite d size larger than your
left. You have worked with it, and the
muscles are more developed"
well, the snuff, then, and the Free
masonry"
Il won't insult your intelligence by
telling you how 1 read that especially
as, rather against the strict rules of
your order, you use an arc and COM
pass breastpin."
"Ah. of course, l forgot that. But
the writing"
What else can be indicated by that
right cuff so very shiny for five inches,
and the left one with the smooth patch
near the elbow where you rest it upon
the desk"
well. but China p"
The fish that YOU have tattooed i'm
mediately above your right wrist could
only have been done i'm China. / have
made a small study of tattoo marks
and have even contributed to the liter
allure of the subject. That trick OF
staining the fishes scales of a delicate
pink is peculiar TO China. When, i'm ad-
dftiOn, l see a Chinese coin hanging
from your watch chain. the matter be-
comes even more simple
Mr. Jabez Wilson laughed heavily
''Well. I neveri" said he. / thought at
first that you had done something
clever but / see that there was moth
ing in it. after all
4 begin to think, Watson" said
Holmes, that l make a mistake i'm eX-
planning. 'Omne ignOtum pro magni-
feo.' you know. and my poor little
reputation, such as it is, Will suffer
II am Co candid Can van