The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-10-01
11YENTUkES oESHERLOCK HOLMES
THE FINAL PROBLEM.



the singular gifts which my friend
Mr.. Sherlock Holmes was distinguish
ed. In an incoherent and, as / deep
ly feel, an entirely inadequate fashion,
/ have endeavOred to give some &C
count of my strange experiences IL,
his company from the change which
first brought us together at the period
Rod of the Study in Scarlet up to
the time of his interference in the
matter of the Naval Treaty"-an in
reference which had the unqucstion-
able effect of preventing serious in
ternational complication. 1t was my
intention to have stopped there, and
to have said nothing of that event
which has created void in my life
which the lapse of two years has
done little to fill. My hand has been
force. however by the recent letters
in which Colonel James Moriarty de-
tends the memory of his brother, and
| have no choice but to lay the facts
before the public exactly as they &C.
CURED. / alone know the absolute
truth of the matter, and l am satisfied
that the time has come when no good
purpose is to be served by it's sup
preston. AS far as l know, there
have been only three accounts in the
public press: that in the Journal de
Geneve on May 9Th, 1891, the Reu-
ter's despatch in the English papers
on May 7th. and finally the recent let
ters to which l have alluded. OF these
the first and second were extremely
condensed. while the last is as / shall
now show, an absolute perversion of
the facts. 1t lies with me to tell for
the first time what really took place
between Professor Moriarty and Mr..
Sherlock Holmes
1t may be remembered that after
my marriage, and my subsequent staff
i'm private practice, the very intimate
relations which existed between
Holmes and myself became to some
extent modified. He still came to me
from time to time when he desired q
companion i'm his Investigations, but
these occasions grew more and more
seldom, until / find that in the year
1890 there were only three cases OF
which l retain any record. During the
winter of that year and the early
spring OF 1891, 1 saw in the papers
that he had been engaged by lie
French government upon a matter Of
supreme Importance. and l received
two notes from Holmes, dated frCm
Narbonne and from Mines, frJm
which l gathered that his stay in
France was likely to be a long one.
1t was with some surprise therefore,
that l saw him walk into my consult
ing-rom upon the evening of April
oath. 1t struck me that he was look
ing even paler and thinner than usual
Yes, l have been using myself up
rather freely" he remarked. in an
swer to my look rather to my words;
II have been little pressed of late.
Have you any objection to my closing
your shutters?"
The only light in the room came
from the lamp upon the table at
which I had been reading. Holmes
edged his way round the wall, and
filming the shutters together, he bolt
cd them securely.
You are afraid of something?" L
asked.
well. I am
"Oi what?"
"Oi air-guns."
MY dear Holmes, what do you
mean?"
II think that you know me well
enough, Watson, to understand that IL
am by no means nervous man. AT
the same time, it is stupidity rather
than courage to refuse to recognize
danger when it is close upon you.
Might trouble you for match 2" He
drew in the smoke of his cigarette as
if the soothing influence was grateful
to him.
II must apologize for calling so
late" said he. land l must further
beg you to be so unconventional as
to allow me to leave your house pres
emily by scrambling over your back
garden WALL
But what does it all mean?" l
asked.
He held out his hand, and | saw
i'm the light of the lamp that two of
his knuckles were burst and bleeding:
1T is not an airy nothing, you see,
said he. smiling. ION the contrary,
it is solid enough for d man to break
his hand over. Is Mrs. Watson in %
"She is away upon visit"
Indeed You are alone?"
quite"
"Then it makes it easier for me to
propose that you should come away
with me for week to the Continent
''Where?"
"Oh. anywhere. It's all the same to
me-"
There was something very strange
in all this. 1t was not Holiness ma
ture to take an aimless holiday, and
something about his pale, worn face
told me that his nerves were at their
highest tension. He saw the QueS-
ton i'm my eyes, and, putting his fin
his knees. he explained the situation.
You have probably never heard of
Professor Moriarty'' said he.
Never"
AYE. there's the genius and the
wonder of the thing."he cried: The
man pervades London. and no one has
heard of him. That's what puts him
OH pinnacle in the records of crime.
tell you, Watson. in all seriousness.
that if could beat that man, if |
could free society of him. / should
feel that my own career had reached
it's summit, and 1 should be prepared
to turn to some more placid line in
life. Between ourselves, the recent
cases in which / have been of assist
ance to the royal family of Scandilia-
via. and to the French republic, have
left me in such position that | could
continue to live in the quiet fashion
which is most congeniaF to me, and
to concentrate my attention upon my
chemical researches. But could not
rest Watson, / could not sit quiet IN
my chair.if thought that such man
as Professor Moriarty were walking
the streets of London unchallenged.
What has he done?