The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-09-06

yet there are few others which rep
resent at least a strong balance of
probability. That the man was highly
intellectual Is 70 course obvious upon
the face of IL, and also that he was
fairly well-todo within the last three
years. although he has now fallen
has less now than formerly, pointing
to a moral retrogression, which, when
taken with the decline of his fortunes,
seems to indicate some evil influence.
probably drink, at work upon hirn.
This also may account for the fact
that his wife has ceased to love him. :"
my dear Holmes!"
HE has. however. retained some de-
gree of self respect" he continued.
disregarding my remonstrance. HE
is a man who leads a sedentary life,
goes out little, Is out of training en-
tirely, is middle-aged, has grizzled
hair which he has had cut within the
last few days, and which he annoints
with lime-cream. These are the more
patent facts which are to be deduced
from this hat. Also, by the way, that
1t is extremely improbable that he has
had gas laid on in his house"
You are certainly joking, Holmes. :
Not in the least. Is 1T possible that
even now, when l give you these re
suits, you are unable to see how they
are attained?"
81 have no doubt that 1 am very
stupid; but l must confess that I am
unable to follow you. For example,
how did you deducs that this man was
intellectual"
For answer Holmes clapped the hat
upon his head. 1t came right over the
forehead and settled upon the bridge
of his nose. 1T is a question of cubic
capacity" said he; "a man with SO
large brain must have something in
it."
THE decline Of his fortunes, them
This hat is three years old. These
fat brims curled at the edge came in
then. 1t is a hat of the very best quail.
ity. Look at the band Of ribbed silk
and the excellent lining. II this man
could afford to buy so expensive hat
three years ago, and has had no hat
since, then he has assuredly gone down
in the world"
We'll, that is clear enough certainly
But how about the foresight and the
moral retrogression?
Sherlock Holmes laughed. Here Is
the foresight" said he, putting his fin
ger upon the little disk and loop of the
hat-securer. They are never sold upon
hats. If this man ordered one, it is q
! sign of certain amount of foresight
since he went out of his way to take
this precaution against the wind. But
since we see that he has broken the
! elastic, and has not troubled to replace
/ it, it is obvious that he has less fore
sight now than formerly, which is &
| distinct proof of a weakening nature
On the other hand, he has endeavoreC
to conceal some of these stains upor
the felt by daubing them with ink
which is a sign that he has not entirely
lost his self-respect."
Your reasoning is certainly plaus
ible"
The further points, that he is mid
dle-aged that his hair is grizzled, thai
| it has been recently cut, and that he
uses lime-cream, are all to be gathered
! from a close examination of the lower
part of the lining The lens discloses
! a large number of hair-ends, clean GU
! by the scissors of the barber The,
all appear TO be adhesive, and there i!
a distinct odor of lime-cream. Thi!
dust, you will observe, is not the gritty
gray dust of the street, but the fluff.
brown dust of the house showing tina
it has time: while the marks of mois
ture upon the inside are proof positiv,
that the wearer perspired very freely
and could, therefore, hardly be in tn,
best of training"
But his wife-you said that she hat
ceased to love him"
This hat has not been brushed 70
weeks. When I see you, my dear Wat
son, with a weeks accumulation O
dust upon your hat. and when you
wife allows you to go out in such
7 state, l shall fear that you also hav,
been unfortunate enough to lose you
wifes affection"
But he might be a bachelor"
Nay, he was bringing home tn
goose as a peace-offering to his wife
Remember the card upon the bird
leg"
You have an answer to everything
But how on earth do you deduce tina
the gas is not laid on in his house,
One tallow stain, or even TIVE