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

/ had never heard him refer to his
relations. and hardly ever to his own
early life. This rcticence upon mis-
part had increased the somewhat in
human effect which ne produced upon
me. until sometimes | found myself
regarding him as an isolated phcnOn-
cnon. a brain without a heart. as dc
ficicnt in human sympathy as he was
prc-emincnt in intelligence. His aver
sion to women and mis- dissemination
to form new friendships were both
typical of his Unconditional character
but not more so than his complete
suppression Of every reference to his
own people. [ had come to believe
that he was an orphan with no rela-
tiVes living; but one day to my veEY
great surprise, he began to talk to me
bou his brother
1t was after tea on a summer even
ing. and the conversation. which had
roamed in Il desultory, s~pasmodiC
fashion from golf clubs to the causes
of the change in the obliquitY of the
ccliptic. came round at last to the
question of atavism and hereditary ap-
titudes. The point under discussion
was, how far any singular gift 10 an
individual was u to his ancestry and
how far to his own early training.
In your own case said /. from
all that you have told me, it seems OBJ
viOus that your faculty of observation
and your peculiar facility for deduc-
ton are due to your own systematic
training"
ITO some extent he answered.
thoughtfully. My ancestors were
Ountr squires. who appear to
have led much the same life as is nat
uraI to their class. But, none the less.
my turn that way is in my veins, and
may have come with my grandmOthc~,
who was the sister of Vernet, the
French artist. Art in the blood is Ii
able to take the strangest forms"
"Eut how do YOU know that it is
hereditary? ?"
because my brother Mycroft pos-
scsses it in a larger degree than / do"
This was news TO me indeed. II
there were another man with such sin
Gular powers in England. how was it
that neither police o public had
heard Of him? | put the question with
II hint that it was my companions
modesty which made him acknowledge
his brother as his superior. Holmes
au~he at my suggestion.
M dear Watson" said he. 81
cannot agree with those who rank
modeSty among the virtues. To the
logici2n all things should be seen ax-
actly as they are, and to underesti-
mate ones self is as much a depar-
turc from truth as to exaggerate ones
powers When I say, therefore.
hat Mycroft has better powers of OBJ
= Edtl'I tiI6th L, YOU may ldht 1t llldl
| am speaking he exact and literal
truth"
as he your junior?"
Seven years my senior"
GLOW comes it hat he is I'M
known"
ooh. he is very we'll known in his
own circle"
"Where, hem"
well, in the Diogenes Club. for
example"
L had never heard of the institu-
ton. and my face must have pro-
claimed as much. for Sherlock Holmes
pulled out his watch.
The Diogenes Club is the uuecrest
club in London and Mycroft one of
the pueerest men. He's always there
from quarter to five to twenty to eignt.
It's six now, so if you care for a stroll
this beautiful evening l shall be very
happy to introduce you to two curl
D~sities."
Five minutes later we were in the
street, walking oWard Regents Cir
Gus.
you wonder" said my
"Why MycrOft does not use his pow
ers for detective work. He is inca
pablc of it."
But thought you said"
Il said that he was my superior
III observation and deduction. If the
art of the detective began and endea
III '1't1'iiiHS I'll q ill-tllL1l, illN
brother would be the greatest crimi-
nal agent that ever lived But he hes
no ambition and no energy. He Will
not even &c out of his way to verify
ms own solutions, and would rather
be considered wrong than take the
trouble to prove himself right. Again
and again | have taken a problem TO
hlm, and have received an e%Xplana-
ton which has afterwards proved 10
be the correct one. And yet he was
absolutely incapable of working out
the practical points which must he
gone into before a case could be lai1
before a judge or jury"
1t is not his profession. then? -"
by no means. What is to me a
means of livelihood is to him the
merest hobby of q dilettante. He las
an extraordinary faculty for figures.
and ADULTS the books in. some Of the
government departments. Mvcroft
lodges in Pail Mall. and he walks
round the corner into Whitehall cv-
cry morning and back every yening
From years end to years end ne takes
no other exercise. and IS seen no
where else. except only in the Diog-
enes Club. which is Just opposite his
oOms.
81 cannot recall the name"
very likely not. There are many
men in London, o know. who, some
from ShyneSS. some from misanthrOpv
ioNS ~ > - nc company OF UnEic
fellows. Yet they are not averse to
comfortable chairs and the latest pc
rlodicals. 1t is for the convenience of
these that the Diogenes Club was
started. ana it now contains the moss
unsociable n unclubabIe men III
town. No membe is permitted to
take the least notice of any other
one. Save in the Strangers Room. no
talking IS. under any circumstances.
allowed. and three Offences, il
brought to the notice of the commit
tee. render the talker' liable to eXpul-
sion. NV brother was one of the
and | have myself found it
q very soothing atmosphere
We had reached Pail Mall as we
talked, and were walking down it
from the st. James end. Sherlock
Holmes stopped at q loo some little
distance from the Carlton, and, eau
tioning me not to speak, led the way
into the hall. Through the glass
lanelling | caught n glimpse of a
large and luxurious room. in which a
considerable nurnbe of men were sit
ting. about and reading papers, each
in his own little nook. Holmes show
ed me into a sinai chamber which
lCok ed out into Pail Mall. and then. ;