The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-07-21

asleep, ana indeed was noddlng my
self, when he suddenly sprang out of
his chair with the gesture of a man
who has made up his mind, and put his
pipe down upon the mantel-piece.
'Sarasate plays at the st. James's
Hall this afternoon" he remarked
what do you think, Watson? Could
your patients spare you for few
hours?"
Il have nothing to do today My
practice is never very absorbing"
Then put on your hat and come
am going through the city first, and
we can have some lunch on the way.
observe that there is good deal Of
German music On the program, which
is rather more to my taste than Ital-
ian or French. 1t is retrospective, and
want to introspect Come along!"
We travelled by the Underground as
far as Aldersgate; and short walk
took US to Saxe-Coburg Square. the
scene of the singular story which he
had listened to in the morning. 1t was
a pokey little shabby genteel place,
where four lines of dingy two-storied
brick houses looked out into a small
railed-in enclosure, where a lawn of
weedy grass and a few clumps of
! faded laurel-bushes made a hard fight
against smoke-laden and uncongenial
atmosphere. Three gilt balls and a
brown board with "Jabez Wilson in
white letters, upon a corner house,
announced the place where our red
headed client carried on his business.
Sherlock Holmes stopped in front of
it with his head on one side, and
looked it all over, with his eyes shining
brightly between puckered lids Then
he walked slowly up the street, and
then down again to the corner, still
looking keenly at the houses. Finally
he returned to the pawnbrokers, and
having thumped vigorously upon the
pavement with his stick two or three
times, he went up to the door and
knocked. 1t was instantly opened by
bright-looking, clean-shaven young
| fellow, who asked him to step in
Thank you,' said Holmes. Il only
| wished to ask you how you would GO
from here to the Strand"
Third right, fourth left" answered
the assistant, promptly, closing the
door.
Smart fellow. that" observed
! Holmes, as we walked away. "He is,
in my judgment, the fourth smartest
man in London, and for daring l am
not sure that he has not a claim to
be third. I have known something OF
| him before"
| Evidently" said I, "Mr. Wilson S
assistant counts for a good deal in
| this mystery of the Red-hea.ded League
am sure that you inquired your way
merely in order that you might see
| him"
mot him."
! What them"
''The knees of his trousers"
"And what did you see?"
What l expected to see"
why did you beat the pave
ment?"
my dear doctor, this is a time for
observation, not for talk. We are
spies in an enemy's country We know
! something of Saxo-Coburg Square
Let US now explore the parts which
lie behind it,
! The road in which we found our
selves as We turned round the corner
from the retired Saxe-Coburg Square
presented as great contrast to il
as the front of a picture does to the
back. 1t was one of the main arteries
which convey the traffic of the city
to the north and west. The roadway
was blocked with the immense stream
lof commerce flowing in a double tide
inward and outward, while the foot
lpaths were black with the hurryins
swarm of pedestrians 1t was diff
cult to realize as we looked at the
line of fine shops and stately bushes:
premises that they really abutted OF
! the other side upon the faded anc
stagnant square which we had quilted
Let me see" said Holmes, stand
ing at the corner, and glancing alon,
the line, Il should like just to remem
Der the order of the houses here. 1
is hobby of mine to have an exac
knowledge of London There is Nor
timers, the tobacconist, the littl,
newspaper shop, the Coburg branch o
the City and Suburban Bank, tn,
Vegetarian Restaurant, and McFar
lanes carriage-building depot. Tha
carries us right on to the other block
And now doctor, we've done our worl
so it's time we had some play. 4
sandwich and cup of coffee, ant
then off to violinland, where all il
lEGAI NNTtNE