The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-03-25

l.
Holmes, one day in the autumn of last
year, and found him in deep converse
ton with a very stout,s fiorid faced,
elderly gentleman, with fiery red hair.
With an apology for my intrusion,
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.
gagged, ,.,, 80 ,,
"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 eases,
and l 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,
from his small, fat-encircled eyes.
''Try the settee, - said Holmes, re-
lapsing into his armchair and putting
his tinger-tips together, as was his Gus
tom when in judicial moods. ~ know,
my dear Watson that you share my love
conventions and humdrum routine of
everyday life. You have shown your
relish for it by the enthusiasm which
has prompted you to chronicle, and, II
YOU will excuse my saying SO, somewhat
to embellish so many of my own little
adventures.
''Your cases have indeed been Of the
greatest interest to me, - I observed.
'You will remember that re-
marked the other day, just before we
went into the very simple problem pre-
scented by Miss Mary Sutherland. that
for strange effects and extraordinary
combinations we must go to life itself,
yub1 a1y
any effort of the imagination" -,
IA proposition which took the lib
ertv of doubting.'
''You did, doctor, but none the less
YOU must come round to my, view, for
otherwise I shall keep on piling fact
upon fact on you, until your reason
breaks down under them and acknowl-
edges me to be right. Now, Jabez
Wilson here has been good enough to
call upon me this morning, and to begin
q narrative which promises TO be one
of the most singular which I have list
ened to for some time. You have
heard me remark that the strangest and
most unique things are very often con
nected not with the larger but with the
smaller crimes, and occasionally, in
deed, where there is room for doubt
whether any positive crime has been n
is impossible for me to say whether the
present case is an instance of crime or
n is c ert sho a 81aaso tho II most
singular that I have ever listened to-
Perhaps, Mr.. Wilson, you would nave
the great kindness to recommence your
narrative. I ask you, not merely be,
cause nv friend DR.. Watson has not
heard the opening part, but also be-
cause the peculiar nature of the story
makes me anxious to have every posi-
Bile detail from your lips. AS a 5 ?ne
when I have heard some sllgnt 1ndlca
ton 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 l an
forced to admit that the facts are, to the
best Of my belief, unique.'
The portly client puuffed out his ches
and pulled dirty and wrinkled news
paper from the inside pocket of HI
great-coat AS he glanced dow,
the advertisement column, witt
his head thrust forward, an(
the paper 1attened out upon MS 5nee
7 took a good look at the man, and en-
deavored, after the fashion of my com
nanion, to read the indications whic
: might be presented by his dress or az
pearance.
I did not ga very much: however
every mark of being an average CON
monplace British tradesman, obese
pompous and slow. He wore rattle
baggy gray shepherds check trouser:
a not over-clean black frock coat, u1
buttoned in the front, and drab waist
coat with heavy brassy Albert CHAIR
- and a square pierced bit Of metal da1
Cling down as an ornament. A fraye
top-hat and a faded brown Overcos
with wrinkled velvet collar lay upo
p chair beside him. Altogether, loo
as l would, there was nothing remarks
l. oh hn MOI
head, and the expression of extrem
chagrin and discomfort upon his tie;
lures.
Sherlock Holmes quick eye took
my occupation, and he shook his hea
with smile as he noticed my question
ing ga5pees he h,s % som the time oey do
manual labor, that he takes snuff, til:
he is a Freemason, that he has been
China, and that he has done eonslde
able amount of writing lately, can d
duce nothing else.'
- .Jabez Wilson started up In his chat
with his forefnger upon the paper, b.
his eyes upon my companion.
elbow, in the name of good FORUM
did you know all that, Mr.. Holmes?
he asked. "How did you know, +
example, that did manual labor. 1t
as true as gospel, for 1 began as
ships carpenter"
"Your hands, my dear sir. 70,
- right hand is quite size larger thu
your left. You have worked with
and the muscles are more developed.
"Wells the snuff, then, and the Ere
masonry7'
1T won't insult your intelligence
telling you how I read that, especial
as, rather against the strict rules
your order, you use an arc-and-compa
"Ah, Of course, I forgot that. B
the writing9"
"What else can be indicated by tn
right cuff so very shiny for five incht
and the left one with the smooth pat
near the elbow where you rest it up
the desk.'
"Well, but China7'
'nTlfe fish that you have tattooed i
mediately above your right wrist cou
only have been done in China. ha
made small study of tattoo marks, a.
have even contributed to the literatu
Of the subject. That trick Of staini
the fishes scales of delicate pink
quite peculiar to China. When, in 9
dition, I see Chinese coin hangi
from your watchchain, the matter /
comes even more simple
Jabez Wilson laughed heavily. CIV
7 never!'' said he. 81 thought at fl
- that you had done something clever, /
Isee that here was nothing in it, at
ALL"
II begin to think, Watson" S.