The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-12-10

l had called upon my friend, Mr..
Sherlock Holmes, one day in the au-
tumn of last year, and found him in
deep conversation with a very stout,
fiorid-faced, elderly gentleman. with
tery red hair. With an apology for
my intrusion, 1 was about to with
draw, when Holmes pulled me alb
rupty into the room and closed the
door behind me.
You could not possibly have come
at a better time, my dear Watson"
he said cordially.
Il was afraid that you were en-
gagged"
$50 l am. Very much So
"Then | can wait in the next
room"
Not at all. This gentleman, Mr..
Wilson, has been my partner and
helper in many of my most successful
cases, and 1 have no doubt that he
will be of the utmost use to me in
yours Also
The stout gentleman half-rose from
his chair and gave a bob of greeting,
with a quick, little, questioning glance
from his small, fat-encircled eyes
TRY the settee," said Holmes, re-
lapSing into his armchair and put
ting 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 hum
drum routine of everyday life. You
have shown your relish for it by the
enthusiasm which has prompted you
to chronicle, and, if you will excuse:
my saying so, somewhat to enbelliSh
so many of my own little adventures"
Your cases have indeed been of
the greatest interest to me" l OBJ
served.
'You will remember that 7 remark
ed the other day, just before We went
sented by Miss Mary Sutherland, that
for strange effects and extraordinary
combinations we must go to life ITSELF
which is always far more daring than
any effort of the imagination.
"A proposition which l took the
liberty of doubling
You did, doctor, but none the less
YOU must come round to my view,
for otherwise 1 shall keep on piling
fact upon fact on you, until your
reason breaks down under them and
acknowledges me to be right. Now
Mr. Jabez Wilson here has been GOOD
enough to call upon me this morning,
and to begin narrative which prom
seS to be one of the most singular
which | have listened to for some
time You have heard me remark that
the StrangeSt 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 Wheth-
er any positive crime has been COM
mitted AS far as | 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
certainly among the most singular that
/ have ever listened to. Perhaps Mr..
kindness to recommence your narra-
tive. | ask you, not merely because
nv 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 1nd1-
cation of the course of events l am
able to guide myself by the thousands
of other similar cases which occur to
my memory. In the present instance
| 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 dirty and wrinkled
newspaper from the inside pocket OF
his great-coat. AS he glanced down
the advertisement column, with his
head thrust forward, and the paper
fiattened out upon his knee, [ took
ored, after the fashion of my compan-
ion, to read the indications which
might be presented by his dress OIL
appearance.
/ 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 rathel
baggy gray shepherds check trousers
not over-clean black frock-coat. un
buttoned in the front, and dral
waistcoat with a heavy braSsy Alber
chain. and square pierced bit o
metal dangling down as an ornament
A frayed top-hat and faded brown
overcoat with a wrinkled velvet cola
lay upon a chair beside him. Alto
gether. look as l would there wa
nothing remarkable about the maj
save his blazing red head. and tn,
expression of extreme chagrin and
discomfort upon his features
Sherlock Holiness quick eye tool
i'm my occupation, and he shook hi
head with a smile as he noticed m,
questioning glances. Beyond the OBJ
vious facts that he has at some time
done manual labor, that he takes
snuff. that he is a Freemason, that h.
has been in China, and that he ha:
done a considerable amount Of writing
lately. can deduce nothing else
Mr. Jabez Wilson started up in hi
chair with his forefinger upon the
paper but his eyes upon my compan
ion.
How, in the name of good-fortune
did you know all that, Mr.. Holmes ?
he asked. How did you know, fol
example. that 1 did manual labor. It!
as true gospel. for 1 began us
ships carpenter"
Your hands, my dear sir. Youl
right hand is quite a size larger thar
your left You have worked with it
and the muscles are more developed.
''Well. the snuff then and ths