The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-10-01
NEW SHERLOCK
 HOL MES SERIES
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(Continued rom PreVious fdge)
 little above the wrist where the typewrit- ist presses against the table, was beautf- fully defined. The sewing machine, Of the hand type, leaves a similar mark, but only on the left arm, and on the side of it farthest from the thumb, instead of being right across the broadest part, as this was I then glanced at her face, and observing the dint of a pincenez at either side of her nose, l ventured re- mark upon short sight and typewriting, which seemed to surprise her."
 Ut surprised me-"
 But surely it was very obvious. l was then much surprised and interested on glancing down to observe that, though the boots which she was wearing were not unlike each other, they were really odd ones; the one having a slightly deco rated toe-cap and the other a plain one. One was buttoned only In the two lower buttons out of five and the other at the first, third and fifth. Now, when you see
 that a young lady, otherwise neatly
 dressed, has come away from home with odd boots, half-buttoned, 1t is no great deduction to say that she came away In a hurry.'
 And what else?'-I asked, keenly inter- ested, as I always was, by my friend incisive reasoning.
 q noted in passing, that she had Writ
 
 being fully dressed. You observed that her right glove was torn at the forefinger, but you did not apparently see that potn glove and finger were stained with Vioie. ink. She had written In hurry, ana dipped her pen too deep. It must nave been this morning, or the mark would not remain clear upon the finger. All this
 is amusing though rather elementary, but I must go back to business, wat son. Would you mind reading me the advertised description of MT. Hosmer Angel?'
 I held the little printed slip to the light. Missing" 1t said, "on the morning or the 14th gentleman named Hosmer An gel. About feet inches In height strongly built, sallow complexion, black hair. a little bald in the center, bushy black side-whiskers and mustache; tinted glasses; slight infirmity of speech was dressed when last seen, in black frock- coat, faced with silk, black waistcoat, gold Albert chain, and gray Harris tweed trousers, with brown gaiters over elastic- sided shoes Known to have been em- ployed in an office in Leadenhall street. Anybody bringing" etc., etc.
 "That will do," said Holmes "As to the letters" he continued, glancing ever them, they are very commonplace. Ao- solutely no clew in them to MT. Angel save that he quotes Balzac once. There | is one remarkable point. however, which | will no doubt strike you"
 | "Thsy are typewriter" l remarked.
 Not only that, but the signature is | typewritten. Look at the neat little Hos- men Angel at the bottom There Is a date. you see, but no superscription ex- l cent Jeadenhall street, which is rather l vegue. The point about the signature fe very suggestive-in fact, we may call 1t l conclusive
 l "Of what?'
 | "My dear fellow. is it possible you do
 not see how strongly 1t bears on the | caseT'
 q cannot say that I do, unless 1t were | that he wished to be able to deny this l signature if an action of breach of prom 1 ise were instituted"
 "No, that was not the point. However. l I shall write two letters. which ought to settle the matter One is to firm In l the city, the other Is to the young lady s
 step-father. MT. Windibank, asking him | whether he could meet us here tomorrow
 evening at o'clock. It is just as well | that we should do business with the male | relatives. And now, doctor we can dc
 nothing until the answers to those letters | come, so we may put our little problem | upon the shelf for the interim" I had had so many reasons to believe IT | my friends subtle powers of reasoning l and extraordinary energy in action, that | felt that he must have some solid grounds | for the assured and easy demeanor witt | which he treated the singular myster, | which he had been called upon to fathom | Once only had I known him to fail, in tn,
 case of the King of Bohemia and of tht | Irene Adler photograph; but when | looked back to the weird business of tn, Sign of the Four, and the extraordinar, circumstances connected with the Stud, in Scarlet. I felt that 1t would be | strange tangle indeed which he coult not unravel.
 | left him then, still puffing at his blacl | clap pipe. with the conviction that wheI 1 came again the next evening
 would find that he held in his hands al | the clews which would lead ip to tn, | identity of the disappearing bridegroom | of Miss Mary Sutherland.
 I A professional case of great gravity wa. 1 engaging my own attention at the time and the whole of next day I was busy a the bedside of the sufferer. I was not un til close upon o'clock that found my | self free, and was able to spring into z | hanson and drive to Baker street, hall afraid that might be too late to assist 1T the denouement of the little mystery. | found Sherlock Holmes alone, however half asleep, with his long. thin form curlet | up in the recesses of his arm chair. 4 formidable array of bottles and test tubes with the pungent cleanly smell of hydro
 chlnric acid. told me that he had spen his day in the chemical work which wal l so clear to him.