Omaha daily bee., 1905-09-24

much 20 do of a morning"
THAT will do, Mr. wilson. ! shall be
happy to give you an opinion upon the sub
ject in the course OF day or two. Today
Ia Saturday and I hope that by Monday
we may come to a conclusion"
well watson" said Holmes, when our
visitor had left us, what do you make OF
II ali?"
Il make nothing Of IT," answered
frankly. 1T is most mysterious bust
ness"
AS a rule" said Holmes, the more
bizarre a thing is the less mysterious II
proves to be. It is your commonplace,
featureless crimes which are really pug
sling just as a commonplace face Is the
most dificult to Identify. But l must be
prompt over this matter"
what are you going TO do, then2'
asked.
ITO smoke" he answered. ut is quite
q three-pipe problem and 1 beg that you
won't speak to me for fifty minutes" He
curIed himself up in his chair, with his thin
knees drawn up to his hawk-like nose and
there he sat with his eyes closed and his
black clay pipe thrustlng out like the bill
OF some strange bird. / had come to the
conclusion that he had dropped asleep, and
indeed was nodding myself, when he sud
denly sprang out of his chair with the ges-
ture OF a man who has made up his mind,
and put hts pipe down upon the mantel-
piece.
''sarasate plays at the st. James hall
this afternoon" he remarked. What do
you think, Watson? Could your patients
spare you for few hours?"
. II have nothing to do today My practice
IL never very absorbing"
Then put on your hat and come. I am
going through the city first, and we can
have some lunch on the way. observe
that there is a good deal Of German music
on the program, which is rather more to
my taste than Italian or French. II is IN
prospective, and want to introspect. Come
alongr'
We Travelled by the Underground as far
as Aldersgate, and short walk took US to
Saxe-Coburg square, the scene of the sin
Rlilar story which we had listened to in the
morning. 1t was pokey, little, shabby
EenteoI place, where four lines OF dlngy
two-storied brick houses looked out into
small railed-in enclosure, where a lawn or
weedy grass and a few clumps OF faded
laurel bushes made a hard fight against a
smoke-laden and uncongenial atmosphere.
Three gilt balls and a brown board with
"Jabez Wilson" in white letters, upon
corner house announced the place where
ness Sherlock Holmes stopped in front OF
II with his head or one side. and looked It
oil over. with his eyes shining brightly be-
tween puckered lids. Then he walked
slowly up the street, and then down again
TO the corner, still looking keenly at the
houses. Finally he returned to the pawn
brokers'. and, having thumped vigorously
upon the pavement with his stick two or
three times he went up to the door and
knocked. II was instantly opened by
bright-looking, clean-shaven young fellow,
who asked him to step in.
Thank YOU" said Holmes. II only wished
to ask you how you would go from here to
the Strand"
Third right, fourth left" answered the
assistant promptly, closing the door,
Smart fellow, that" observed Holmes
as we walked away. He is, in my judg-
ment, the fourth smartest man in London,
and for daring l am not sure that he has
not a claim to be third. have known
something Of him before
Evidently" said /. Mr.. Wilson's as
sistant counts for a good deal in this mys-
terry Of the Red-headed. league. I am sure
that you inquired your way merely in er-
der that You might see him.
mot him."
What then?"
THE knees OF his trousers
And what did you see?'
What expected to see.'
why did you beat the pavement"
MY dear doctor, this is time for OBJ
servation, not for talk. We are spies in an
enemy's country. We know something OF
Slxe-Coburg square. Let US now explore
the parts which lie behind it,"
The road In which we found ourselves as
we turned round the corner from the retired
saxe-Coburg square presented as great a
contrast to II as the front OF a picture does
TO the back II was one of the main arter-
les which convey the traffic Of the city tC
the north and west The roadway was
blocked with the immense stream Of COM
merce flowing in double tide inward and
outward, while the foot paths were black
with the hurrying swarm Of pedestrians
II was dificult to realize as we looked al
the line of fine shops and stately business
premises that they really abutted on th'
other side upon the faded and stagnan
square which we had just quilted.
Let me see," said Holmes, standing a
the corner. and CHANGING along the line, 'c
should like Just to remember the order O.
the houses here. 1t Is a hobby OF mine 4
have an exact knowledge OF London. Their,
lie Mortimer's, the tobacconist, the littl
newspaper shop, the Coburg branch OF tn
City and Suburban bank, the Vegetarian
restaurant and McFarlanes carriage build
ing depot That carries us right on tn
other block And now, doctor. we've don
our work, so it's time we had some play
A sandwich and cup of coffee, and thei
OF TO violin-land where all is sweetness
and delicacy and harmony. and there ar
no red-headed clients to vex US with thei
conundrums."
My friend was an enthusiastic musician
being himself not only a very capable per
former. but a composer OF no ordinAr
merit. All the afternoon he sat in the stall
wrapped in the most perfect happiness
gently waving his long, thin fingers In tim
10 the music. while his gently smiling fac
and his languid. dreamy eyes were as unlik
those OF Holmes, the sleuth-hound, Holmes
the relentless, keen-witted, ready handed
criminal agent as It was possible
conceive. In his singular characte
the dual nature alternately asserte
itself and his extreme exactness an
astuteness represented, as l have ofte
Thought. the reaction against the poet
and comparative mood which OCCASIONAL
predominated In him. The swing OF his n,
ture took him from extreme languor
devouring energy; aud. as l knew well. /
was never so truly formidable. when Il
- H. N..W