Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-05-29

and there were hundreds of private cases, some of them of the most in tricate and extraordinary character, in which he played prominent part. As have preserved very full notes of all these cases and was myself person Tally engaged in many of them, 1t may be imagined that it Is no easy task to know which I should select to lay be fore the public I shall however, pre- oerve my former rule and give the pref erence to those cases which derive their interest not so much from the brutality of the crime as from the ingenuity and dramatic quality of the solution. For this reason I will now lay before the reader the facts connected with Miss Violet Smith. the solitary cyclist of Charlington, and the curious sequel of our investigation. which eliminated in unexpected tragedy.
 On referring to my notebook for the year 1895 find that 1t was upon Sat urday, the 23d of April. that we first heard of Miss Violet Smith. Her visit was, I remember. extremely unwel- come to Holmes. for he was immersed at the moment in very abstrlse and complicated problem concerning the peculiar persecution to which John Vim cent Harden. the well known tobacco millionaire, had been subjected. My friend, who loved above all things pre- cision and concentration of thought, re sented anything which distracted his attention from the matter in hand. And yet, without a harshness which was foreign to his nature. it was i'm possible to refuse to listen to the story of the young and beautiful woman. tall. graceful and queenly, who presented herself at Baker street late in the evening and implored his assistance |. and advice It was vain to urge that = his time was already fully occupied, for the young lady had come with the determination to tell her story. and 1t was evident that nothing short of force could get her out of the room until she had done SO. With resigned air and somewhat weary smile. Holmes beg ged the beautiful intruder to take a seat and to inform us what 1t was that was troubling her.
 At least ii cannot be your health" said he as his keen eyes darted over her. 'So ardent bicyclist must be full of energy"
 She glanced down in surprise at her own feet. and I observed the slight roughening of the side of the sole caus- cd by the friction of the edge of the pedal.
 'Yes, I bicycle a good deal. Mir Holmes, and that has something to do with my visit to you today"
 My friend took the lady's ungloved hand and examined 1t with as close an attention and as little sentiment as & scientist would show 10 a specimen.
 You will excuse me. I am sure. IL is my business" said he as he dropped it ''I nearly fell into the error of sup posing that you were typewritIng. Of course 1t Is obvious that 1t is music You observe the spatulate finger ends. Watson. wbich is common to both pro fessions; There Is a spirituality about the face. hovever'-she gently turned 1t toward the lght-"wtich the type writer does not generate. This lady 1. a musician"
 "Yes. Mr. Holmes. I teach nusic.-
 'In the country. presume. from your complexion"
 "Yes. sir; near FaTnhan. on the bor- ders of Surrey
 "Now. Miss Violet. what has happen cd to you near Farnham. on the Dor ders of surrey:'
 The young lady. with great clsarness and coinposurs. made the following -rrious statement:
 >My father is dead, Mir. Holmes. He was James Smith. who conducted the nrchestrs al the old Imperial theater. IT mother and were Jeff without a .eiafion iE the world except one un- -le. Ralph Smith. who went to Africa twenty-five years ago. and we have never had a word from him sinoa When fatber died we were left vesy poor. but one day VIC were told that there was an advertisement in tF- rime< iiquiring for orr uhereaho1fs Yor can imagine how ezritaf u-e were. Tor we tbcuzbt that some one had left r< q fortune. We went at onre to t1e swyer whose name was given fn the paper. There We met two gentlemen MT. Car-ufherS and Nr WoeIler. who were home on rfsi; from SSuth Afr "a. Tbey said that ny uneEe was friend of theirs. that he had died some months before In great poverty in Jo- ,anne<hurg- and that b. had asked ben win his Isst breath ts hunt up ,is relztions an1 SO that they were fa 10 want it s-szie-i strzn-e to us that rneSe EaiF1. vbo trat no notice of us rhe1 Sr zs< alive sisoslid l.e So care nj te Ao-5k sffe- Es when he Ess dead. ,ur Mr. CsrTutheTs explained that fae ~sssH was that Ey ulcie had Jsst s~xr.I cf the death of his h7p1her sad e <eIr r-s5-sns5fie fcr CIT fate
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