The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-10-15
HERLoCK HOLMES was

HERLOCK HOLMES was a
~ man who seldom took exer-
- else for exercises sake. Few
men were capable of greater
muscular effort, and he was
Hill undoubtedly one of the finest
boxers of his weight that [
have ever seen; but he look
ed upon aimless bodily exer-
ton as waste of energy and he seldom
bestirred himself save where there was
some professional object to be served.
Then he was absolutely untiring and in
defatigable. That he should have kept
himself in training under such circum-
stances Is remarkable. but his dietwas
stances IL remarkable but his diet was
We're simple to the verge of austerity.
Save for the occasional use of cocaine,
he had no vices, and he only turned to
the drug as a protest against the Mono
tony of existence when cases were scanty
and the papers unnteresting.
One day in early spring he had so far
relaxed as to go for walk with me in
the park, where the first faint shoots of
green were breaking out upon the elms,
and the sticky spear-heads of the chest
nuts were just beginning to burst into
their five-fold leaves. For two hours we
rambled about together in silence for
the most part, as BELTS two men who
know each other intimately. 1t was
nearly five before we were back in Baker
street once more.
Beg pardon, SIR said our page-boy, as
he opened the door. There's been a gen.
tleman here asking for you, sir
Holmes glanced reproachfully at me.
$50 much for AFTERNOON walks!' said he
HAS this gentleman gone, them"
Yes, sir
Didn't you ask him imp
Yes, sir: he came in"
How long did he waltz"
Half an hour, sir. He was a very rest
less gentleman, sir, a-walkin' and "a
stamp-in all the time he was here. l was
waitn' outside the door, sir, and l could
hear him. AT last he out into the pas
sage and cries, Is that man never goin
to Gomez Those were his very words,
sir You'll only need to wait a little
longer says I, Then L II wait In the open
air, for l feel half choked,' says he. I'll
be back before long And with that he
ups and he outs, and all l could say
wouldn't hold him back.
We'll, we'll, you did your best" said
Holmes, as we walked into our room. Its
very annoying, though, Watson, / was
badly in need of a case, and this looks
from the mans Impotence, as If 1t were
of Importance. Hullo! that's not your
pipe on the table. He must have left
his behind him. A nice old brer with a
good long steam of what the tobacconists
call amber. | wonder how may real am
Der mouthpieces there are in London j?
Some people think that fly in it is a
sign. Well. he must have been disturbed
In his mind to leave a pipe behind him
which he evidently values highly"
How do you know that he values It
highly?" I asked.
well. l should put the original cost of
the pipe at seven and sixpence, Now it
has, you see, been twice mended, once IN
the wooden stem and once in the amber.
Each of these mends, done, as you OBJ
serve, with silver bands must have cost
more than the pipe did originally. The
man must value the pipe highly when he
prefers to patch 1t up rather than buy a
new one with the same money
81 Anything else?" l asked for Holmes
was turning the pipe about in his hand
and staring at 1t in his peculiar pensive
way.
He held 1t up and tapped on 1t with his
long, thin forefinger, as a professor might
who was lecturing on bone.
pipes are occasionally of extraordinary
interest" said he. Nothing has more in
dviduality. save, perhaps watches and
bootlaces. The indications here, however,
are neither very marked nor very import
ant. The owner is obviously muscular
man. left-handed with an excellent set of
teeth, careless In his habits, and with no
need to practice economy"
MY friend threw out the info-mat ton in
very off-hand way, but I saw that he