Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1905-08-10

- Guilty in which he was
not consulted during those eight years,
and there were hundreds of private
cases, some Of them of the most in
tricate and extraordinary character,
in which he played a prominent part.
AS l tAlve preserved very full notes Of
all these cases and was myself person
ally engaged in many of them, it may
be imagined that it is no easy task to
know which l should select to lay be-
fore the public. l shall, however, pre-
serve 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
darlington, and the curious sequel Of
our Investigation, which eliminated in
unexpected tragedy.
On referring to my notebook for the
year 1885 l find that 1t was upon Sat
urday, the 23d Of April, that we first
heard of Miss Violet Smith. Her visit
was, l remember, extremely unwel-
ONE to Holmes, for he was immersed
at the moment in a very abstruse and
complicated problem concerning the
cent Harden, the we'll 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 tail,
graceful and queenly, who presented
herself at Baker street late in the
evening and implored his assistance
and advice. 1t 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 a resigned air and
a somewhat weary smile, Holmes beg
ged the beautiful intruder 10 take a
seat and to inform US what it was that
was troubling her.
AT least it n be Your health -
said he as his keen eyes larJed owe,
her. so ardent a bicyclist must be
full of energy"
She glanced down in surprise at her
own feet, and ! observed the slight
roughening Of the side of the sole caus.
ed by the friction Of the edge of tn
pedal.
eyes, I bicycle a good deal, Mr.
Holmes, and hat has something to G.
with my visit to you today"
My friend took the lady's unglove
hand and examined it with as close q.
attention and as little sentiment as .
scientist would show to a specimen.
You will Excuse me, l am sure. l
Is my business said he as he dro1.rn
it. x nearly fell into the error Of sui,
posing that you were typewriting. y
course it is obvious that it is mus:
0 observe the spatulate finger ed:
Watson, which is commo to both DO
fessions? There is a spirituality aDon
the face, however''-sLe gently turuc.
it toward the light-''which the tyne
writer does not generate. This lady i
a musician"
YES. Mr.. Holmes, l teach music"
TN the country, l presume, iron
your complexion"
Yes, sir: near Farnham. on the boz
ders Of Surrey
"Now, Miss Violet, what has happen
! ed to you near Farnham. on the DO:
l ders of S%uTrey?'
Z b young lady, with great cIearncs
: and composure, made the followin
curious statements:
My father is dead, Mr.. Holmes. II
was James Smith. who conducted I'll
a orchestra at tue old Imperial theatc.
e My mother and | were left without
IS relation in the world except one u!
e Gle, Ralph Smith, who went to Afric
It twenty-five years ago, and we hay
'e heVer had i word from him sine
Il When father died we were left yer
poor, but one day VIC were told I'll;
1t therc was an advertisement in II
,e Times inquirlng for our %whereabout
you can imagine how excited wa wa