The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1905-06-11
Copyright 1893 by A. Conan DoyIe)
Copyright 1894 by Harper & Bros.)


TN glancing over the somewhat IN
coherent series of memoirs with
which 1 have endeavored to illus
trate few of the mental peculiari-
ties of my friend MIR Sherlock Holmes,
have been struck by the difficulty
which I have experienced in picking out
examples which shall in every way an
swer my purpose For in those cases in
which Holmes has performed some tour
de-force of analytical reasoning, and
has demonstrated the value Of his Pc
culiar methods of investigation, the
facts themselves have often been SO
slight or so commonplace that I could
not feel justified in laying them before
the public. On the other hand. 1t has
frequently happened that he has been
concerned in some research where the
facts have been of the most remarkable
and dramatic character. but where the
share which he has himself taken in de-
term.ning their causes has been less
pronounced than I, as his biographer.
could wish. The small matter which I
have chroniclod under the heading Of "A
Study in Scarlet and that other later
one connected with the loss of the Gloria
Scott, may serve as examples of this
Scylla and Charybdis which are forever
threatening the historian. It may be
that in the business of which I am now
about to write the part which my
friend played is not sufficiently accentu-
ated; and yet the whole train Of circum-
stances is SO remarkable that I cannot
bring myself to omit it entirely from
this series.
1t had been a close. rainy day in Oc-
t1k~
Holmes lay curled upon the sofa, read
Ing and rereading letter which he had
received by the morning post. For my
self, my term of service in India had
trained me to stand heat better than
cold. and a thermometer of 80 was no
hardship. But the paper was uninter-
esttns. Parliament had risen. Every
body was out Of town. and 1 yearned for
the glades of the New Forest or the
shingle of Southsea- A depleted bank
account had caused me to postpone my
holiday, and as to my companion, neith-
er the country nor the sea presented
the sig ntest attraction to him. He loved
to lie in the very center OF five millions
of people, with his filaments stretching
cut and running through them, respon-
sive 70 every little rumor or suspicion
of unsolyed crime. Appreciation of ma
ture found no place among his many
gifts. and his only change was when he
turned his mind from the evil-doer of
the town to track down his brother of
the country
Finding that Holmes was too alb
scrbed for conversation. 1 had tossed
aside the barren paper, and leaning
back in my chair, 1 fell into a brown
study Suddenly my companions voice
broke in upon my thoughts
You are right. Watson" said he. ''it
does seem a very preposterous way of
settling a dispute
Most preposterous.'' exclaimed, and
then, suddenly realizing how he had
echoed the Utmost thought of my soul.
/ sat up IN my chair and stared at him
IL blank amazement.
What is this, Holiness" 1 cried
This Is beyond anything which I could
have imagined
He laughed heartily at my perplexity.
You remember.' said he. that some
little time ago, when 1 read you the
passage In one of Poe's cketches, in
which close reasoner follows the I'M
spoken thoughts of his companion, you
We're inclined to treat the matter as a
mere tour-de-force of the author. On
my remarking that I was constantly in
the habit OF doing the same thing you
expressed incredulity."
'tOh. nor
Perhaps not with your tongue, my
dear Watson, but certainly with your
eyebrows. So when I saw you throw
Gown your paper and enter upon a train
OF thought. was very happy to have
the opportunity of reading 1t off, and
eventually Of breaking into il, as a
proof that / had been en- rapport with
you"
But l was still far from satisfied. I'm
the example which you read to me,
said 1, 1.-The reasoner drew his conclu-
sicns from the actions of the man
whom he observed. If 1 remember
right. he stumbled over heap of
stones. looked up at the stars. and so
Oh. But i have been seated quietly in
M, chair, and what clues can l have
given you?
features are given to man as the means
bv which he shall express his emotions,
and yours are faithful servants"
"Do YOU mean to say that you read
my train of thoughts from my fea-
tufes?"
..your features, and especially your
eyes. Perhaps you cannot yourself re-
ca,, how your reverfe commenced?'
NO. / cannot
linen / will tell you After throwing
down your paper, which was the action
which drew my attention 10 yoa, you
sat for half a minute with vacant ex-
uress,on. Then your eyes fixed them
selves upon your newlv-framed picture
of General Gordon, and l saw by the
alteration in your face that train of
thought. had been started But il did
not lead very far. Your eyes turned
across TO the unframed portrait of
Henry Ward Beecher which stands upon
the top Of your books. You then glanced
up at the wall. and of course your
meaning was obvious. You Were think
ing that II the portrait were framed 1t
would lust cover that bare space and
with Gordons picture over
there"
you have followed me wonderfully"
I exclaimed.
so far ] could hardly have gone
astray. But now your thoughts went
back to Beecher, and you looked hard
across as IL YOU were studying the
character In his features. Then your