The farmer and mechanic., 1911-10-17

Re ripe, and the Professor with all
the principal members of his gang,
VIII be in the hands q the police
Then will come the greatest criminal
t lal of the century, the clearing up
of over forty mysteries. and the rope
for all of them; but if we move at
all prematurely, you understand, they
may slip out of our hands even at
the last moment.
Now, if / could have done this
without the knowledge Of Professor
Moriarty, all would have been Well.
But he was too willy for that He
saw every step which l took to draw
he strove to break away, but | as
often headed him off. | tell you, my
friend, that if a detailed account Of
that silent contest could be written it
would take its place as the most bril-
liant bit of thrust -and-parry work in
the history of detection. Never
have / risen to such a height. and
never have / been SO hard pressed by
an opponent He cut deep, and Yet
/ just undercut him. This morning
the last steps were taken, and three
days only We're wanted to complete
the business. / was sitting in my
room thinking the matter over, when
the door opened and Professor Mo-
riarty stood before me.
my nerves are fairly proof, Wat
son, but l must confess to a start
when saw the very man who had
been SO much in my thoughts stand
ing there. on my threshold. His ap-
pearance was quite familiar to me.
He is extremely tall and thin his fore
head dOmes out in white curve, and
his two eyes are deeply Sunken in
his head. He is clean-shaven. pale.
thing Of the professor in his features.
His shoulders are rounded from much
study, and his face protrudes forward
and is forever slowly oscillating from
side to side in curiously reptition
fashion. He peered at me with great
curiosity in his puckered eyes.
"'You have less frontal develop
ment than | should have expected
said he at last. 1t is dangerous
habit to finger loaded firearms in the
pocket Of ones dressing gown
The fact is that upon his entrance
extreme personal danger in
which lay. The only con-
ceivable escape for him lay
in silencing my tongue. In an In
slant | had slipped the revolver from
the drawer into my pocket, and was
covering him through the cloth. At
his remark | drew the weapon out
and laid it cooked upon the table. He
still smiled and blinked, but there
was something about his eyes which
made me feel very glad that l had
it there.
You evidently don't know me-
said he.
On the contrary I answered. I
think 1t is fairly evident that / do
Pray take chair. / can spare you
five minutes if YOU have anything to
say.
"'All that I have to say has already
crossed your mind said he
Then possibly my answer has
crossed yours | replied.
You stand fast?
" 'AbSOlu telv.'
'He clapped his hand into his
pocket, and ! raised the pistol from
the table. But he merely drew out
a memorandum book in which he had
scrubbed some dates.
You crossed my path on the 4th
OF January, said he On the 23d you
lncommoded me; by the middle of
February | was seriously inconven-
fenced by you, at the end of March I
and now, at the close Of April I find
myself placed in such a position
through your continual persecution
that | am in positive danger of losing
my liberty. The situation is becom-
ing n impossible one
Have you any suggestion TO
make? | asked
You must drop it, Mr. Holmes
said he, sWaying his face about You
really must YOU know
After Monday said /.
Tut. tut, said he. 1 am quite
sure that a man Of your intelligence
will see that there can be but one
outcome to this affair. L is necessary
that YOU should withdraw You have
worked things in such a fashion that
we have only one resource left. Tt
has been an intellectual trear IL me
10 see the way in which Won have
grappled with this affair. and I sav.
unaffectedly. that il would be a grief
to me TO be forced to take any eS
treme measure: You smile. sir. but
I assure YOU that il really would
Danger IS part Of my trade
remarked
The train had already begun 10
This is not danger said he IT
i ineVita BILE deS1rnctfor So,, e+o,S