The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-08-06
COPYRIGHT BY HARPER BROTHERS.

i IL
i'm the brim for "a hat-securer, but
the elastic was missing. For the
rest, it was cracked. exceedingly dirty
and spotted in several places, al
though there seemed to have been
some attempt to hide the discolored
patches by smearing them with ink.
Il can see nothing, said l handing
it back to my friend.
ION the contrary, Watson, you can
see everything. You fail, however. to
reason from what you see. You are
too timid III drawing your differences.
Then, pray tell me what it is that
you can infer from this hat?'
He picked it up and gaZed at 1t in
the peculiar introspective fashion,
which was characteristic of MIN. 1T
is perhaps less suggestive than il
might have BEEN" he remarked. land
yet there are a few differences which
are very distinct, and a few others
which represent at least a strong bal
ance of proba bility. That the man was
highly intellectual is of course obvious
upon the face of 1T. and also that lie
was fairly Well-to-do within the last
three years, although he mas how faE
EN- upon evil days. He had foresight,
but mas less now than formerly, point
ing TO a moral retrogresSion which,
when taken with the decline of his
fortunes, seems to indicate some evil
influence, probably drink. 1T work
upon him. This may account Also
for the obvious fact that his Wife has
ceased to love him.
my dear Holmesi"
"He has, however retained some de-
gree of self-reSpect," he continued,
diSregarding my remonstrance he
is a man who leads a sedentary life.
goes out little, is cut of training en-
tirely is midde-aged, has griZzled
hair which lie has had cut Wifhin the
last few days. and which he anointS
with lime-cream. These are the more
j,atent facts which are to be deduced
from his hat Also, by-the-way, that
it is extremely improbable that he
has gas laid on in his house.
You are certainly joking, Holiness y
''Not in the least. Is it possible that
even now, when l give you these re-
suits, you are unable to see now they
are attained? 2"
"I have no DOUBT that / am ve,y
stupid; but 1 must confess that | am
unable to follow you. For example,
how did you deduce that this man
was intellectual?"
For answer Holmes clappel the hat
upon his head. 1t came right over
the forehead and settled upon the
bridge of his nose. 1T is u question
of cubic capacity" said he; "a man
something in it,
The decline of his fortunes, then 2?
''Ths hat is three years old. These
fiat brims curled at the edge came III
then. 1t is a hat of the very best
quality. Look at the band OF ribbed
silk and the excellent lining. If this
man could afford to buy so expen-
sive hat three years ago. and has
had no hat since, then he has assur-
cdlv gone down in the world.
"Well. that is clear enough, GER
tainly. But how about the foresight
and the moral retrogression?
Sherlock Holmes laughed. Here
is the foresight" said he, putting his
finger upon the little disk AMI loop of
the hat-securer. They are never
sold upon hats If this man ordered
cne, it is Il sign of certain amount
of foresight, since he went out of his
way to take this precaution against
the wind. But since we see that he
has broken the elastic, and has nor
troubled to replace it, it is obvious
that he has less foresight now than
formerly, which is a distinct proof OF
a weakening nature. On the other
hand, he has endeavored to conceal
some of these stains upon the felt by
daubing them with ink, which is u
sign that he has not entirely lost his
self-respect."
Your reasoning is certainly plausi-
BILE
''The further points, that he is mid
Gled-aged, hat his hair is grlZZleu.
that it has been recently cut, and that
he uses lime. cream are all 70 ne gatt-
cred from close examination of the
lower part of the lining. The lens dis
closes a large number of hair-ends.
clean cut by the scissors of the bar
her. They all appear to be adhesive,
and there is distinct odor of lime
cream This dust, you will observe,
is not the gritty, gray dusr of the
street, but the fluffy brown duet of the
house, showing that it has BEN hung
up indoors most of the tine: while
the marks of moisture upon he i'll
side are proof positive that the wearcr
perspired cry freely and could,
therefore. hardly be in the hest OF
training"
But his wife-you said that She
had ceased to love him.
This hat has not been brushed for
weeks. When 1 see you, my dear Wat
son, with Il weeks accumulation of
dust upon Jour hat, and when your
wife allows you to so out in such a
state l shall fear that you also have
been unfortunate enough to lose your
wifes Affection
"But he might be a bachelor"
may he was bringing horne the
goose as a reace-offering to his Wife.
Remember The card upon tie birds
leg
You have an answer to everything.
But how on earth do you deduce that
the gas is not laid on in his house z"
'One tallow stain, or even two.
might come by chance; but when |
see no less than five, ] think that
there can he little doubt that the in
dividual must be brought into fire.
quent contact with burning tallow--
walks up-stairs at night probably with
his hat in one hand and a gutterng
candle in the other. ANYHOW, he
never got tdllow-stains from gas
jet. Are you satisfied?"
well, it is very ingenius," said /.
laughing, hut since, rs YOU said just
now, there has been no crime COM
mitted and no harm done, save the
loss of a goose, all this seems to be
rather a waste of energy"
Sherlock Holmes had opened his
mouth TO reply, when the door flew
open. and Peterson, the commission