The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-03-19

sake, ana.
case of the Duke of Holdernesse.
I have seldom known him claim any
large reward for his inestimable SER
vices. So unworldly was he-or so
capricious-that he frequently refused
his help to the powerful and wealthy
where the problem made no appeal to
his sympathies. while he would devote
weeks of most intense application to
the affairs of some humble client
whose case presented those strange
and dramatic qualities which appealed
10 his imagination and challenged his
. ingenuity.
In this memorable year '95, a curl
Gus and homogeneous succession of
cases had engaged his attention. rang
ing from his famous investigation of
the sudden death of Cardinal Tosca---
an inquiry which was carried out by
him at the express desire of His Holt
ness the Pope-down to his arrest OF
Wilson, the notorious canary-trainer.
which removed a plague-spot from the
East End of London. Close on the
heels of these two famous cases came
the tragedy of WoCdman's Lee. and
the very obscure circumstances which
surrounded the death of Captain Peter
Carey. No record of the doings of
Mr. Sherlock Holmes would be COM
plete which did not include some ac-
During the first week of July. my
friend had been absent so often and
SO long from our lodgings that l knew
he had something on hand. The fact
that several rough-looking men called
during that time and inquired for
Captain Basil made me understand
that Holmes was working somewhere
under one of the numerous DISCUSSES
and names with which he concealed
his own formidable identity. He had
at least five small refugees in different
parts of London, in which he was able
to change his personality. He said
nothing of his business to me, and 1t
was not my habit TO force confidence.
The first positive sign which he gave
me of the direction which his investi-
cation was taking was an extraordt-
nary one. He had gone out before
breakfast, and I had sat down to mine
when he strobe into the room, his hat
upon his head and a huge barbed-
headed spear tucked like an umbrella
under his arm.
GOOD gracious. Holmes!" l cried.
"Ycu don't mean to say that you have
been walking about London with that
thing?"
az drove TO the butchers and back"
1.-THE butcher's?"
''And return with an excellent ap-
petite. There can be no question. my
dear Watson. OF the value of exercise
before breakfast. But 1 am prepared
to bet that you will not guess the form
that my exercise has TAKEN"
81 will not attempt 1t"
He chuckled as he poured out the
coffee.
"If you could have looked into AL
lardyce's back shop. you would have
seen a dead pig swung from hook
in the ceiling, and a gentleman in his
shirt sleeves furiously stabbing at it
with this weapon. / was that ener-
getic person and / have satisfied my
self that by no exertion of my strength
can I transfix the pig with a single
blow. Perhaps you would care to
try?"
you doing this"
Because 1t seemed to me to have
an indirect bearing upon the mystery
of Woodlands Lee. All. Hopkins. [
got your wire last night. and / have
been expecting you. Come and join
us"
Our visitor was an exceedingly alert
man. thirty years of age. dressed in a
quiet tweed suit. but retaining the
erect bearing of one who was accuS-
toned to official uniform. I recoc-
nized him at once as Stanley Hopkins.
a young police Inspector. for whose flu
ture Holmes had high hopes. while
and respect of pupil for the scien-
tif1c methods of the famous amateur
Hopkins brow was clouded. and he sat
down with an air of deep detection
mo, thank you sir. ] breakfaste9
before I came round. l spent the
night In town. for l came up yester-
day to report"
"And what had you to report?"
Failure, sir, absolute failure"
"Y0u have made no progress
None"
Dear me! must have look at
the matter"
''I wish to heavens that you would.
Mr.. Holmes It's my first big chance.
and I am at my wits end. For good
ness sake, come down and lend me a
hand"
well, well. it just happens that
have already read all the available
evidence, including the report of the
inquest. with some care. BY the way
what do you make of that tobacco
pouch. found on the scene of the
crime? Is there no clue theref''
1T was the mans own pouch. sir.
His initials were inside it. And It
was of sealskin-and he was an old
sealer.''
but he had no pipe"
mo. sir, we could find no pipe. In
deed, he smoked very little. and vet
he might have kept some tobacco for
his friends
mo doubt. 7 only mention it be-
cause, if had been handling the case.
] should have been inclined to make
that the starting point of my investi
cation. However. my friend. DR.. Wat
son. knows nothing of this matter.
and I should be none the worse for
hearing the sequence of events once