The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1906-02-27

could only be his rothe
Mycroft Holmes was a much larger
and stouter man than Sherlock. His
body was absolutely corpulent, but
his face, though massive, had pre-
served something OF the sharpness 81
expression which was so remarkable
i'm that OF his brother. His eyes.
which were Of a peculiarly light,
WaterE gray. seemed to always retain
that f~aI-away. introspectiVe look
which ] had only observed in Sher-
locks when he was eXerting his fun
covers
Il am glad to meet you, sir" said
he. putting out a broad, fat hand
like the Ripper Of a seal. Il hear
Of Sherlock everywhere since you be-
came his chronicler. BY the way.
Sherlock. / expected to sec You round
last week, to consult me oVeI h Il
Manor House case. J thought YOU
might be a little out Of your depth"
No, / solved it," said my friend,
smiling.
1T was ADAMS, Of course
YES, it was Adams"
II was sure of it from the first"
The two sat down together in the
hoW--WindoW of the club, TO any
one who wishes TO study mankind
this is the spot" said Mycroft. Look
at tho magnificent types! Look at
these two men who are coming to-
wards us, Ior example.
The billiard-Inarker and the 9TH
err"
"Precisely. What do You make of
the other"
The W men had stopped opposite
the window. Some chalk marks over
the Waistcoat pocket were the only
signs of billiards which | could see in
one OF them. The ether was a small.
dark fellow. with his hat pushed
back and several packages under his
arm.
\ old soldier. 1 perceive" said
Sherlock.
And very recently discharged" re
marked the brother.
Served in India. ! see
And a non-commisSioncd officer"
ROYAL Artillery, l fancy" said
Sherlock.
And Il widoWer."
But with = child"
"Childrcn, my dear boy, children"
Come" said l laughing, this is q
little too much"
~"Surely,' answered Holmes, lit is
not hard to say that a man with that
bearing. expression Of authority and
s%unbaked skin, is q soldier. is
than n private, and is not long from
India"
long is shown by his still wearing
his ammunition boots, as they are
called" observed M-croft.
He had not the cavalry stride, vet
he wore his hat on one side, as Is
shown by the lighter skin on that side
Of his brow. His weight is against
his being II sapper. He is in the ar
tii!ery."
Then Of course, his complete
mourning shows hat he has lost
some one very dear. The fact hat
he is doing his own shopping looks
as though it were his wife. He has
been buying things for children. YOU
perceive. There is a rattle, which
shows that one of them is very
young. The wife probably died in
childbed. Tho fact that he has .
ricturebook under his arm shows that
there is another child to be thought
of"
I began to understand what my
friend neanC when he said that his
brother possessed even kccner facul
ties than he did himself. He glanced
across at me and smiled. Mycroft
took snuff from a toltoise-shell box
and brushed away the Wandering
grains from his coat front with q
large. red silk handkerchief,
by the way, Sherlock" said he. 81
have had something qlite after your
own heart-a most singular problem
submitted to my Judgment. real
y had not the energy to follow it up
save in a very incomplete fashion,
but it gave me Il basis for some pleas
ing speculations. II YOU would care
to hear the facts"
My dear Mycroft. I should be de-
lighted"
The brother scrubbed a note upon
the leaf of his p~ocketbooh, and ring
ing the bell, he handed it to the wait
Ell.
Il ave asked Mr.. Melas to step
across" said he. II lodges on the
loor above me. and / have some slight
acquaintance with him. which led
him to come to ne in his pcrplexity.
Mr.. Melas is q Greek by extraction,
as ] understand. and he is a remark
able linguist. He earns his living
partly as Interpreter in the law courts
and partly by acting as guide to any
wealthy Orientals who may visit the
northumberland avenue hotels.
think | will leave him to tell his very
remarkable experience in his own
fashion,
\ few minutes later We were join
ed by q short. stout man whose olive
face and coal black hair proclaimed
his Southern origin, though his speech
was that Of an educated Englishman
Fie SHOOT; hands eagerly with Sherlock
HOlmeS. and his dark eyes spanked
with pleasure when he understood
that the specialist was anxious to hear
ms story.
II do not believe that the police
credit moon my word, l do not"
said he in n Wailing voice. Just be-
cause they ave never heard of it be-
fore, they think that such u thing can
not be. But | know that I shall never
be easy in my mind until | know
what has hecome of my poor man
witt the sticking plaster POI mis-
face"
Il am air attention. said Sher-
lock Holmes.
This is Wednesday evening said
Mi. MeIas. well then it was Mon
day night-only two days ago, YOU
underStand-that all his happened. |
am an interpreter. "a perhaps my
ncighbor there has told YOU. ] inter-
pref all languages-Or nearly al1-but
as | am Il Greek, by birth and with
q Grecian name, it is with that par
tiCular tongue that | am principally
associated. Fol- man years | lave
been the chief Greek interpreter in
London. ana my name Is very we'll
known in the hotels.
ct happens not in~frcquently that L
ain sent for at strange hours by for
eigners who get into difficulties. or by
travellers who arrive late and wish nv