The farmer and mechanic., 1911-10-17

last words in which / Sndll ever re-
cord the singular gifts by which my
friend Mr.. Sherlock Holmes was dis
tinguished. In an incoherent and, as
] deeply feel an entirely inadequate
fashion, I have endeaVored to give
some account of my strange expert
ence in his company from the chance
which first brought us together at the
period of the Study in Scarlet up
to the time of his Interference in the
matter of the Naval Treaty"-an in
reference which had the unquestion-
able effect of preventing a serious in
ternational complication. 1t was
my intention to have stopped there,
and to have said nothing of that
event which has created void IN
my life which the lapse of two years
has done little to fill. My hand has
been forced, however, by the recent
letters in which Colonel James Mo-
rarity defends the memory Of his
brother, and I have no choice but to
lay the facts before the public ex-
actly as they occurred. [ alone know
the absolute truth of the matter, and
/ am satisfied that the time has come
when no good purpase is to be served
by it's suppression. AS far as I
know, there have been only three ac-
counts in the public press: that in
the Journal de Geneve on May 9Th,
1891, the Reuters dispatch in the
English papers on May 7th, and fin
ally the recent letters to which l
have alluded. Of these the first and
second were extremely condensed,
an absolute preversion OF the facts.
1t lies with me to tell for the first
time what really took place between
Professor Moriarty and Mr.. Sherlock
Holmes.
It may be remembered that after
start in private practice, the very in
innate relations which had existed
between Holmes and myself became
to some extent modified He still
came to me from time to time when
he desired a companion in his inves-
LEGATIONS, but these occasions grew
more and more seldom, until / find
that in the year 1890 there were only
three cases Of which I retain any re-
cord. During the winter of that year
and the early spring OF 1891, l saw
in the papers that he had been en-
gagged by the French government
upon a matter Of supreme Importance
and I received two notes from Holmes
dated from Narbonne and from Mime
from which / gathered that his stay
in France was likely to be long
one. It was with some surprise,
therefore, that I saw him walk into
my consulting room upon the evening
Of April Oath. 1t struck me that he
was looking even paler and thinner
than usual.
Yes, have been using myself up
rather too freely he remarked, in
answer to my look rather than to my
words: Il have been a little pressed
of late. Have you any objection to
my closing your shutters?"
The only light in the room came
which I had been reading. Holmes
edged his way round the wall and
f1inging the shutters together, he
bolted them securely.
You are afraid of something?"
asked
We'll, I am
''Of what?'
"Of air-guns''
MY dear Holmes, what do you
mean?''
I think that you know me we'll
enough, Watson. to understand that
At the same time, it is stupidity rath-
er than courage to refuse to recog-
nize danger when it is close upon you
Might | trouble you for match %
He drew in the smoke Of his cigarette
as if the soothing influence was
grateful to him.
Il must apologize for calling so
late said he, -and l must further
beg you to be so unconventional as
to allow me to leave your house pre-
sently by scrambling over your back
garden WALL
But what does it all mean?" I
asked.
He held out his hand. and I saw
in the light of the lamp that two of
his knuckles We're burst and bleeding
Its not an airy nothing. you see
said he, smiling. "On the contrary
it is solid enough for man to break
his hand over. Is Mrs. Watson in -
She is away upon visit"
indeed! You are alone -
Quite"
Then it makes it the easier for
me to propose that you should come
away With me for week to the Con-
tinent'
Where -
"Oh, anywhere. It's all the same
TO me-
There was something very strange