The San Francisco call., 1905-03-05

y
at our old rooms-the starting,
point of so many of your little fairy
tales? We Will see if my three years
of absence has entirely taken away
my power TO surprise YOU
/ crept forward and looked across at
the familiar window. AS my eyes fell
upon il 1 gave a gasp and a cry of
a strong light was burning in the
room The shadow of q man who was
seated in a chair within was thrown
in hard, black outline upon the lumi-
nous screen of the window. There was
70 m:stsking the poise Of the head, the
squareness of the shoulders. the
sharpness oe the features. The face
was turned half-round. and the effect
was that of one oe those black sill
houettes which our grandparents loved
tC frame. II was q perfect reproduc-
tion of Holmes. So amazed was / that
threw out my hand to make sure that
the man himself WAS standing beside
me. He was quivering with silent
laughter
''Well2" said he.
coed heavers!" I cried. 1T is
marvellous"
Il trust that age doth not wither nor
custom stale my infinite variety said
lie. and I recognized in his voice the
JOY and pride which the artist takes in
his own creation. 1T really is rather
Ike me. is ii not?"
Il should be prepared to swear that
il was YOU"
The credit ot the execution is due
TO Monsieur Oscar Meunier of Greno-
bic. who spent some days in doing the
molding II is bust in wax. The rest
1 arranged myself during my visit to
Baker street this afternoon"
But why?"
Because, my dear Watson, had the
strongest possible reason for wishing
certain people to think that 1 was
there when 1 was really elsewhere.
And you thought the rooms were
watched?"
Il knew that they were watched"
BY whom?"
BY my old enemies, Watson BY
the charming society whose leader lies
in the Reichenbach Fall. You must
remember that they knew, and only
they knew. that was still alive. Soon
er or later they believed that 1 should
come back TO my rooms. They watched
them continuously, and this morning
they saw me arrive"
How do you know?"
Because I recognized their sentinel
when l glanced out my window. He is
a harmless enough fellow, Parker by
name, garroter by trade, and a re-
markable performer upon the jews
harp / cared nothing for him. But 1
cared great deal for the much more
formidable person who was behind
him, the bosom friend of Moriarty, the
man VINO dropped the rocks over the
cliff, the most cunning and dangerous
criminal n London. That is the man
who is after me tonight, Watson, and
that is the man who is quite unaware
that we are after him."
My friends plans were gradually re-
Tealing themselves. From This con-
venient retreat the watchers we're DO
ing watched and the trackers tracked.
That angular shadow up yonder was
The bait, and we were the hunters. In
silence we stood together In the dark
ness and watched the hurrying figures
who passed and repassed in front Of
US. Holmes was silent and motionless;
but l could tell that he was keenly
alert, and that his eyes were fixed in
tently upon the stream of passersby.
1t was a bleak and boisterous night.
and the wind whistled shrilly down the
long street. Many people were moving
TO and fro, most Of them muffled in
their coats and vravats. Once or
twice it seemed to me that
had seen the same figure be-
fore, and especially noticed
two men who appeared to be shelterine
themselves from the wind in the door
way Of a house some distance up the
street / tried to draw my compan-
ions attention to them, but he gave
little ejaculation of inpatience and
continued TO stare into the street
More than once he fidgeted with his
feet and tapped rapidly with his fingers
upon the wall. 1t was evident to me
that he was becoming uneasy and that
his plans were not working out alto
gether as he had hoped. At last, as
midnight approached and the street
gradually cleared, he paced up and
down the room in uncomfortable agi-
tation. l was about to make some re-
mark to him, when I raised my eyes
to the lighted window and again ex-
perienced almost as great a surprise
as before. l clutched Holmes arm
and pointed upward
The shadow has moved" l cried.
1t was indeed no longer the profile,
but the back, which was turned to-
ward US.
Three years had certainly not
smOothed the asDerities of his temper
or his impatience with a less active
intelligence than his own.
"Of course it has moved" said he.
Am such a farcical bungler, Watson,
that ! should erect an obvious dummy
and expect that some of the sharpest
men in Europe would be deceived by
IL we nave Deen In this room two
hours and Mrs. Hudson has mada
some change in that figure eight times,
or once in every quarter of an hour.
She works it from the front, so that
her shadow may never be seen. Ali"
He drew in his breath with a shrill,
excited intake. In the dim light saw
his head thrown forward, his whole
attitude rigid with attention. Outside
the street was absolutely deserted.
Those two men might still be crouch
ing in the doorway, but 1 could no
longer see them. All was still and
dark, save only that brilliant yellow
screen in front of us with the black
figure outlined upon its center Again
in the utter silence / heard that thin.
sibilant note which spoke of intense
suppressed excitement. An instant
later he pulled me back into the black
est corner of the room and 1 felt his
warning hand upon my lips The fin
gers which clutched me were uuiyer-
ing. Never had / known my friend
more moved and yet the dark street
still stretched lonely and motionless
before us.
But suddenly / was aware of that
which his keener senses had already
distinguished. A low, stealthy sound