Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-09-24

with fiery red mar. Win IN apoiosS Aoi
my Intrusion. l was about to withdraw.
vhea Holmes pulled me abruptly into the
room and closed the door behind me.
You could not possibly have come at a
better time, my dear Watson" he said cor
daily
II was afraid that you were engaged
$50 / am. Very much So
.'Tr.n l 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 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
''-TYv the se.tec" said Holiness reiapsinS
into his aTrr.-uai- and putting has niger tips
together, a. war lis custom when III Jio 80
moods. II kuu". my dear watson th3s
you share NY love OF all that Is p-za-re anu
ou side The conventions and huI'araTn
routine Of everyday life. You have sloWh
your relish for 1t by the enthusiasm which
has prompted you to chronicle, ana, Il you
will excuse my saying so. somewhat to en-
belllsh so many OF my own little aoVeh-
lures" So
"Your cases have indeed been OF the
greatest interest to me-" l observed
"You will remember that remarked the
other day, just before we went into me
very simple problem presented py MISS
Mary Sutherland, that for strange enecls
pnI extraordinary combinations We must
go to life itself. which IS always iar inorv
daring than any effort of the Inauguration.
"A proposition which 1 took the liberty Oh
doubling" -, -, VA,
You did. doctor. but none the less you
must come round to my view, for otherwise
I shall keep on piling tact upon Iact on
Won until your reason breaks down unoer
them and Acknowledges me to be rlgnt;
Now ar. JabeZ Wilson here mas Deeh soo9
enough to call upon me this morinilsi GU ~
to begin a narrative which promises 70 pe
one of the most singular which haEs
listened TO for some time. \ on nave nedFu
me remark that the strangest anu IloS!
upigue things are very often cohIecte9 NO
with the larger but with the siilAneI - i -
room for doubt whether any positive crime
has been committed. AS tar as ndSe
heard il Is impossible for me TO say WhetheL
The present case is an instance or crime VI
no b,tF the course of events Is certainly
among the most singular that nave ever ever
listened To- Perhaps. Mr.. WILSON, you
would have the great Kindness 10 Ieeo IN.
Inence your narrative. ask you, noe
merely because my friend DR.. watson mas
not heard the opening part, put also pc
cause the peculiar nature OF INC So $50,
makes me anxious to have every PossIo1T
Jaton from your lips AS rule, When L
have heard some slight indication OF tis
course OF events. 1 am able to guide 'hys al
by the thousands or other s1nii! a. ss'
which occur to my memory. In enc pleS
emf Instance l am forced to admit that tue
facts are, to the best of my BELIEF: UNIQUE.
The portIy client pulled out ms cness
with an appearance OF some uttle pIIuo CO
nniIad a dirty and wrlnkled newspaper
from, the inside pocket OF ms great cOaL
AS he glanced down the advertisement ~
umn with his head thrust iorWaru' an ~ s'i
6oner fIattened out upon his knee tooh a
GOOD look at the man, ana enoeaEoteui
after the fashion OF my compatlioh ~ -
the indications which might De presence
by his dress or appearance. o,. r,,
dId not gain very much, however oy
nv Inspec'ion Our visitor bore every mars mars
of being an average commonplace DE- IJ
tra desnan obese. pOmpouS ana SLOW ~
49,, rarher bsggy gray shepherds check
trousers not over-clean black frock coat
rnbuttoned In the front, and a drap "aisl s
coat with A heavy brassy Albert CtfdIh an
q souare pierced bit of metal dangling GOWN
as an ornament. A frayed top ma! anu a.
faded brown Cvercoat with wTmKiea W.
vet collar lay upon a chair beside MIN. Al
together, look as l would, thele was a,,a ~ big
ing remarkable about the man, save ms
blazing red head and the expression Oh eA-
IRENE chagrin and discomfort upon MS led-
lures. +,
orcupatlon and he shook his head with
smile as ne noticed my questioning giances
..Peyond the obvious fact that he has al
Some time done manual labor that he takes
snuff that he IS Freemason, that ne mas
been In China, and that he has done con
siderable amount of writing lately can
deduce nothing else.
Mr.. Jabez Wilson started up in his chair,
with his forehuger upon the paper. 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 example, that L
did manual labor? It's as true as gospel.
for 1 began a ships carpenter.
Your hands. my dear sir. Your right
hand IS quite "A size larger than your lett.
You have worked with it, and the muscles
are more developed"
We'll. the snuff then. and the Freeml-
sonry2'
Il won't insult your intelligence by tell
ing You how / read that. especially as,
rather against the strict rules of your or
der, you use an arc-and-compass breast
''Ah. Of course. / 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 ell
bow whore you rest IL upon the desk
We'll. but China2'
The FISH that you have tattooed imme-
diately above your right wrist could only
have been done in China. 1 have made a
small study of tattoo marks and have even
contributed to the literature of the sub
ject. That trick Of staining the fishes scale
OF delicate pink Is quite peculiar to China.
When. in addition. / see a Chinese coin
hanging from your watch chain. the at
ter becomes even more simple"
Mr.. JAbez Wilson laughed heavily. We'll
you had done something clever, but I see
that there was nothing In #. after all
u begin t. think. Watson" said Holmes.
that make mistake In explaining 'Omne
ignoum pro magnifco.' you know. and my
poor little reputation. such as II is. will
suffer shipwreck II l am so candid. Can
4 you not ind the advertisement Mr.. Will
SOM
Yes. I have got It now" he answered.
with his thick, red finger planted halfway
down the column. Here It is. This Is
what began It all. You just read it for
yourself sir"
! / took the paper from him and read as
follows:
ITO the Red-headed League: On account
Of the bequest OF the late Ezekiah Hopkins
Of lebanon, Pa. L. 8. A. there Is now
another vacancy open which entities
member OF the league to a salary of 81
week for purely nominal services. All red
headed men who are sound in body and
mind. and above the age of twenty-one
years, are eligible. Apply In person on
Monday, at IL o'clock. to Duncan Ross, at
( the offices Of the league. Pope's Court.
Fleet street"
What on earth does this meanT' / ejacu-
lated after had twice read over the eX-
traordinary announcement.
Holmes chuckled and wrlggied In hts
chair, as was his habit when in high spIr-