The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-10-22

, feet outstretched to the fire. which a man would hardly do even in so wet June as this if he were in his full health." Like all Holmes reasoning. the thing seemed simplicity itself when it was once explained. He read the thought upon my features, and his smile had q tinge of bit terness.
 T am afraid that I rather give myself away when I explain" said he. Results without causes are much more impress sive You are ready to come to Birming- ham, then?"
 Certainly. What is the case?" You shall hear it all in the train. My | client Is outside in a four-wheeler. Can you come at once?''
 Tn an instant" I scribbled note to my neighbor, rushed upstairs to explain
 the matter to my wife, and joined Holmes upon the doorstep.
 Your neighbor Is a doctor,' said he, holding at the brass plate.
 "Yes; he bought a practice as 1 did"
 "An old-established one?"
 "Just the same as mine Both have been here ever since the houses were built"
 "Ah. then, you got hold of the best of the two.'
 "T think l did. But how do you know?"
 By the steps, my boy. Yours are worn three inches deeper than his. But this gentleman in the cab Is my client, MT. Hall Pycroft Allow me to introduce you to him. Whip your horses up, cabby, for we have only just time to catch our train"
 The man whom I found myself facing was a well-built, fresh-complexioned young fellow, with a frank. honest face and a slight, crisp yellow mustache. He wore a very shiny top hat and neat suit of sober black, which made him look what he was-a smart young city man. of the class who have been labelled cockneys, but who give us our crack volunteer regi- ments, and who turn out more fine ath- letes and sportsmen than any body of men in these islands. His round. ruddy face was naturally full of cheeriness, but the corners of his mouth seemed to me to bs pulled down in a half-comlcal distress. It was not, however, until we were all in first-class carriage and well started upon our journey to Birmingham that l was able to learn what the trouble was which had driven him to Sherlock Holmes.
 We have clear run here of seventy minutes" Holmes remarked. 'I want you MT. Hall Pycroft, to tell my friend your very interesting experience exactly as you have told 1t to me, or with more detail If possible. It will be of use to me to hear the succession of events again. It Is a case Watson. which may prove to have something in 1t, or may prove to have nothing, but which, at least, presents those unusual and outre features which are as dear to you as they are to me- Now, MT. Pycroft, I shall not interrupt you again"
 Our young companion looked at me with a twinkle in his eye
 The worst of the story is, said he that l show myself up as such confounded fool. Of course it may work out all right and l don't see that I could have done otherwise; but If have lost my crib and get nothing in exchange I shall feel what a soft Johnnie I have been. I'm not very good at telling a story. Dr. Watson, but it is like this with me:
 l used to have a billet at Coxon X Woodhouse's of Draper's Gardens but they were let in early in the spring through the Venezuelan loan, as no doubt you remember, and came nasty cropper l had been with them five years and old Coxon gave me ripping good testimonial when the smash came, but of course we clerks were all turned adrift, the twnety- seven of us l tried here and tried there but there were lots of other chaps on the same lay as myself, and it was a perfect frost for a long time. l had been making three pounds a week at Coxon's. and I had saved about seventy of them but soon worked my way through that and out at the other end I was fairly at the end of my tether at last and could hardly find the stamps to answer the advertise ments or the envelopes to stick them to- I had worn out my boots padding up of flee stairs, and I seemed just as far from getting a billet as ever.
 At last I saw vacancy at Mawson & | Williams, the great stock-broking firm