The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1913-05-21

| up from the hall to this room.
Frequently
"How often?"
well, some hundreds of times"
"Then how many are there?"
How many? I don't know"
| quite so! You have not observ-
ed. And yet you have seen. That is
just my point. Now. I know there
are seventeen steps, because I have
both seen and observed. By the way,
since you are interested in these lit
tie problems, and since you are good
enough to chronicle one or two of my
trifling experiences, you may be in
terested in this" He threw over a
sheet of thick pink-tinted note-paper
which had been lying open upon the
table. ''It came by the last post,
said he. Read it aloud"
The note was undated, and without
either signature or address.
There will call upon you tonight,
at a quarter to eight o'clock" it
said, "a gentleman who desires to
! consult you upon a matter Of the very
! deepest moment Your recent ser
vices to one of the royal houses Of
Europe have shown that you are one
who may safely be trusted with mat
tiers which are of an importancewh
can hardly be exaggerated. This ac-
count of you we have from all quar-
tiers received. Be in your chamber,
then, at t,:at hour, and do not take it
amiss if your visitor wears mask. "
This is indeed a mystery" I re-
marked. What do you ina line that
it means?"
IT have no data yet. It is capi-
tai mistake to theorize before one has
data. Insensibly one begins to twist
facts to suit theories, instead of the
ories to suit facts. But the note it.
self-what do you deduce from it,"
| carefully examined the writing,
and the paper upon which it was
written.
"The man who wrote it was pre-
sumably well to do," remarked, en-
deavoring to initiate my companions
processes. "Such paper could not be
bought under half crown a packet.
It is peculiarly strong and stiff"
"Peculiar-that is the very word, "
said Holmes. cit is not an English
paper at all. Hold it up to the light
I did so and saw a large "E" with
small "g", ''P" and large "G'
with a small ct" woven into the tex
ture of the paper.
What do you make Of that?" ask
ed Holmes.
"Tne name of the maker, no
doubt; or his monogram, rather"
"Not all. The &C. with the small
t. stands for 'Gesellschaft,' which is
the German for Company. 1t is a
customary contraction like our Co.
!'P,' Of course, stands for 'Papier'
Now for the 'Eg'. Let US glance at
our Continental Gazetteer. He
took down a heavy brown volume
from his shelves. "Eglow, Eglonitz
here We are, Egria. 1t is a Ger
man-speaking country-in Bohemia,
not far from Carlsbad. Remarkable
as being the scene Of the death OF
Wallenstein, and for its numerous
glass factories and paper mills Ha!
ha! my boy, what do you make OF
that" His eyes sparkled. and he
sent up a great blue triumphant
cloud from his cigarette.
''The paper was made in Bohemia, "
I said.
Precisely. And the man who
wrote the note is German. Do you
note the peculiar construction Of the
sentence-'This account of you we
have from all quarters received? A
| Frenchman or Russian could not
have written that? 1t is the German
who is so uncourteous to his verbs.
It only remains, therefore, to discov-
er what is wanted by this German
who writes upon Bohemian paper,
and prefers wearing mask to show
ing his face. And here he comes, if
am not mistaken, to resolve all our
doubts"
AS he spoke there was the sharp
sound of horses hoefs and grating
wheels against the curb, followed by
sharp pull at the bell. Holmes
whistled.
ga pair, by the sound" said he.
eyes," he continued, glancing out of
the window. "a nice little bfoug-
ham and a pair of beauties. A hun
dred and fifty guineas piece. There's
money in this case, Watson, if there
is nothing else."
II think had better go, Holmes"
'Not a bit, doctor. Stay where
you are. I am lost without my Bos-
we'll. And this promises to be inter-
esting. 1t would be pity to miss it."
But your client"
"Never mind him. I want your
help, and so may he. Here he comes.
Sit down in that armchair. doctor,
and give Us your best attention"
A slow and heavy step, which had
been upon the stairs and in the pas
sage, paused Immediately outside the
door. Then there was a loud and
authoritative tap.
"Come in" said Holmes.
A man entered who could hardly
have been less than six feet six inches
in height, with the chest and limbs of
a Hercules. His dress was rich with
a richness which would, in England,
be looked upon as akin to bad taste.
Heavy bands of astrakham were slash
ed across the sleeves and front of h.S
double-breasted coat, while the deep
blue cloak which was thrown over his
shoulders was lined with fame-color-
ed silk, and secured at the neck with
brooch which consisted Of single