The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-08-15

Scarlet, / was seized with a keen de-
sire to see Holmes again, and 10
know how he was employing his ex-
traordinary powers His rooms were
brilliantly lit, and even as I looked
up, | saw his tall spare figure pass
twice in dark silhouette against the
blind. He was pacing the room swift
ly, eagerly, with his head sunk upon
his chest and his hands clasped be-
hind him. To me, who knew his
every mood and habit, his attitude
and manner told their own story. He
was at work again He had arisen
was hot upon the scent of some new
problem. l rang the bell. and was
shown up to the chamber which had
| formerly been in part my own.
| His manner was not effusive. 1t
seldom was; but he was glad, think,
| to see me- With hardly word
spoken, but with a kindly eye, he
waved me to an armchair, threw
across his case of cigars, and indicat-
ed spirit case and a gasogene in the
corner. Then he stood before the fire
and looked me over in his singular
retrospective fashion.
'Wedlock suits you," he remarked
81 think, Watson, you have put or
seven and a half pounds since l saw
you"
Seven" I answered.
Indeed, l should have thought z
little more. Just a trifle more,
fancy. Watson. And in practice again
l observe You did not tell me thai
you intended to go into harness"
| Then how do you know"
Il see it; ! deduce it How do
know that you have been getting your
self very wet lately, and that you have
a most clumsy and careless servan
girl?"
My dear Holmes" said I, this i;
too much You would certainly have
been burned had you lived few cen
turtles ago. 1t is true that | had {
country, walk on Thursday and came
home in a dreadful mess; but as
have changed my clothes, l can't in
agine how you deduce it. AS to Mary
Jane, she is incorrigible, and my wife
has given her notice; but there, again
feel to see how you work it out"
He chuckled to himself and rubbed
his long nervous hands together.
1T is simplicity itself" said he! IN!
eyes tell me that on the inside of you
left shoe, just where the fireligh
strikes it, the leather is scored by 81,
almost parallel cuts. Obviously the!
have been caused by some one wht
has very carelessly scraped round tht
edges of the sole in order to remove
crusted mud from it. Hence you SCI
my double deduction that you have
been out in vile weather. and tina
you had particularly malignant boo
sitting specimen of the London slavey
AS to your practice, if a gentleman
walks into my room smelling of lode
form, with a black mark of nitrate o
silver upon his right forefinger, and
bulge on the side of his top hat I
show where he has secreted his stett
oscope, I must be dull indeed, if / d
not pronounce him an active membe
of the medical profession
| could not help laughing at the cas-
/ with which he explained his process
/ of deduction. When / hear you Civ
f your reasons" l remarked, "the thin
, always appears to me to be so ridic
: lousy simple that l could easily do
: myself, though at each successive il
: stance of your reasoning I am bafflet
: until you explain your process. An
r yet l believe that my eyes are d
e good as yours"
e quite so,' he answered, lightin
4 a cigarette, and throwing himse
r down in an armchair. You see, bI
|, you do not observe. The distinctio
9 is clear. For example, you have fir
y quently seen the steps which lead u
e from the hall to this room"
r Frequently"
e How often?"