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THE RED CLOUD CHIEF, RED CLOUD, NEBRASKA, FRIDAY, DEC. 1, 1893.
2
T
'"jOX A.I OOWAW DOYIiD. J
ABT I. I
Mrinf a rtprtntfrtm (hi rtmlnltctneti f JoW
1L Watson, M. 1) , hit thi rai ifrrffcoj
Difrtmtnt.
CHAPTER L
ma iHimn hoi.mm.
RyS3jNthoycarl878l
.! r t
took my degree
of doctor of
medicine of the
university of
London, and
proccoded to
Netloy to go
through tho
co u mo pro
scribed for sur
peons in tho
nrniy. Having
C fe CMl" completed my
N JP studies thero I
wa.uly attached to the Fifth North
umberland fusiliers ns assistant sur
peon. Tho regiment wns htutioned in
India nl tho time, and before I could
Join it tho second Afghan war hud
broken out. On landing at llombay I
learned that my corps had advanced
through tho passes and was already
deep in tho enemy's country. I fol
lowed, however, with many other offi
cers who were in the same situation an
myself, and succeeded in reaching
Cundahar in safety, where I found my
regiment, and at once entered upon my
new duties.
Tho campaign brought honors and
promotion to many, but for mo it had
nothing but misfortune and disaster.
I was removed from my brigade and
attached to the llorkshlros, with whom
I served at the fatal battle of Maiwand.
There I was struck on tho shoulder by
ft Jczail bullet, which shattered tho
1ono and grazed the subclavian artery.
I should havo fallen into tho hands of
tho murderous tihnzls had it not been
for tho devotion and courago shown
hy Murray, my orderly, who threw mo
across a pack-horse and succeeded in
bringing inu safely to tho llritish lines.
Worn with pain, and weak from the
prolonged hardships -which I had un
dergone, I was removed, with a great
, train of wounded sufferers, to the base
hospital at l'cshawur. Hero I rallied,
I and had already improved so far as to
be able to walk about tho wards, and
even to bask a little upon tho veranda,
when I was struck down by enteric
fever, that curse of our Indian posses
sions. For months my lifo was do-
ron
MONTHS MV MFC
Bl'AinED OF.
WAS
spalred of, nnd when at last I camo to
myself and becamo convalescent I
was so weak and emaciated that a
medical board determined that not a
day should be lost in sending mo back
to England. I was dispatched, accord
dlngly, in the troop-ship Orontes, and
landed a month later on Portsmouth
jetty, with my health irretrievably
ruined, but with permission from a pa
ternal government to spend tho ne.t
nino months In attempting to im
prove It.
I had neither kith nor kin in Eng
land, and was therefore as free as nir
or as free as an Incomo of eleven
shilling and sixpence a day will per
mit a man to be. Under such circum
stances I naturally gravitated to Lon
don, that great cesspool into which
nil tho loungers and Idlers of tho em
pire arc irresistibly drained. Thero
1 stayed for somo time nt a private
hotel In tho Strand, lending a com
fortless, meaningless existence, and
spending such money as I had con
siderably more freely than I ought.
So alarming did tho state of my finances
become that I soon realized that 1 must
cither leave tho metropolis and rusti
cate somewhere in the country, or that
1 must make n complete alteration in
my btylo of living. Choosing tho lat
ter alternative, I began by making up
my mind to leave the hotel, uiul to
take up my quarters in some less pre
tentious aud less expensive domicile.
On the very day that I had como to
this conclusion, i wus standing at the
Criterion bar, when some one tupped
mo on the bhouldcr, and turning
round I recognized young Stamford,
who had been :i dresser under mo at
Hart's. Tho sight of a friendly face
in the great wilderness of London is a
pleasant thing indeed to a lonely man.
In old days Stumford had never been
u particular crony of mine, but now I
hailed him with enthusiasm, aud he,
in turn, appeared to bo delighted tot.eo
me. ' in tho exuberance of my joy I
asked him to lunch with me lit the
liolborn, and we blurted off together In
a hansom.
"Whatever havo you been doing
with yourself, Watson?" ho asked, in
undisguised wonder, us we rattled
through the crowded Loudon streuts.
'You aro as thin as a lath nnd as brown
s a nut' .
aaxhI
----I
DC-
1 gave hun a short sketch of my ad
ventures, and had hardly concluded it
by tho time that wo reached our des
tination. "Poor devil!" he said, commiserating
ly, after ho had listened to my misfor
tunes. "What are you up to now'"
"Looking for lodgings," I answered.
"Trying to solve tho problem ns to
whether it Is possible to get comforta
ble rooms at a reasonable price."
"That's a strange thing," remarked
tav companion: "you arc tho second
man to-day that has used that expres
sion to me."
"And who was tho first?" I asked.
"A fellow who is working at tho
chemical laboratory up at tho hospital.
Ha was bemoaning himself this morn
ing because lie could not get some otio
to go halves with him in some nice
rooms which he had found, and which
were too much for Ills purse."
"Iy Jove!" I cried; "if he really wants
some one to share tho rooms and the
expense, 1 mn tho very man for him.
I should prefer having a partner to be
ing alone."
Young Stanford looked rather
strangely at mo over his wineglass.
"You don't know Sherlock Holmes
yet," he said; "perhaps you would not
care for him ns n constnntcompanlon."
"Why, what is thero against him?"
"Oh, I didn't say thero was any
thing against hlin. He is a little queer
In his ideas an enthusiast in some
branches of science. As far as I know,
ho Is it decent fellow enough."
"A medical student, 1 suppose?" said
"No I have no Idea what ho intends
to go in for. I bellevo he Is well up in
nnatomy, nnd he is n first-class
chemist; but, as far as I know, ho has
never taken out nny systematic medi
cal classes, His studies aro very
desultory and eccentric, but hu has
amassed a lot of out-of-the-way
knowledge which would astonish his
professors."
"Did you never ask hlin what ho was
going In for?" I asked.
"No; he is not a man that It is easy
to draw out, though lie can be com
municative enough when tho fancy
seizes him."
"I should llko to meet him," I said.
"If I am to lodge with anyone, 1
should prefer a man with studious and
quiet habits. 1 am not strong enough
yet to stand much noise or excitement.
I had enough of both in Afghanistan
to last mo for tho remainder of my
natural existence. How could I meet
this friend of yours?"
"Ho Is suro to bo at the laboratory.
He either avoids tho place for weeks,
or else ho works thero from morning
tonight. If you like, we shall drive
round together after luncheon."
"Certainly," I answered, nnd tho
conversation drifted nway into other
channels.
As wo made our way to the hospital
after leaving tho liolborn, Stamford
gave mo n few more particulars about
the. gentleman whom I proposed to
take as a fellow lodger.
"You mustn't blame me If you don't
get on with him," lie said; "I know
nothing more of him than I have
learned from meeting him occasional
ly in tho laboratory. You proposed
this arrangement, soyoumustnot hold
me responsible."
"If we don't get on It will be easy to
part company," I answered. "It seems
to me, Stamford," I added, looking
hard at my companion, "that you havo
some reason for washing your hands
of tho matter. Is this fellow's temper
so formidable, or what is It? Don't be
mealy-mouthed about it."
"It is not easy to express tho Inex
pressible," ho answered, w ith a laugh.
"Holmes Is a little too scientific for my
tastes It approaches to cold-blooded
ness. I could imagiuu his giving a
friend u little pinch of the latest ege
table alkaloid not out of malevolence,
you understand, but simply out of u
spirit of inquiry in order to have an
accurate Idea of the effects. To do
him justice, I think that he would take
It himself with the tame readiness. He
appears to have a passion for definite
nnd exact knowledge."
"Very right, too."
"Yes; but it may bo pushed to ex
cess. When It comes to beating tho
subjects in the dissecting-rooms with
a stick It is certainly taking rather a
bizarre shape."
"Heating the subjects!"
"Yes, to verify how far bruises may
bo produced after death. I saw him at
' it with my own ryes."
"And yet yon say ho lr, not a medical
btudent?"
"No. Heaven Imow.s what tho ob
jects of his studies are! Hut hero wo
ure, and you must form your own im
pressions about him." As lie tpoko wo
turned down a narrow lane and passed
through a smull side door which
iqicncd Into a wing of the great hos
pital. It was familiar ground 10 me
nnd I needed no guiding as wo us
eended the hlcth stone staircase and
made our way down the long corridor
with Its vista of whitewashed wall and
dun-colored doors. Near tho farther
end u low, arched passage branchod
away from it aud led to the chemical
laboratory.
This wasu lofty chamber, lined and
littered with countless bottles, llroad,
low tables were scattered about, which
bristled with retorts, test-tubes and
little IJun'cn lumps, with their blue
dickering Haines. There was only ono
student In the loom, who was bending
over a distant table absorbed in his
wot It. At the sound of our steps Ii3
glanced round and sprang to his feet
with a cry of pleasure. "I've found It!
I've found It!" he shouted to my com
panion, running toward us with n test
tube in his hand. "1 have found a
reagent which Is precipitated by
hicmoglobln, and by nothing ole."
Had lie discovered n gdhl mine, great
er delight could not have shonu upon
his features.
"Dr. Watson Mr. Sherlock Holmcr,"
said Stamford, introducing us.
"How nro you?" ho said, cordially,
griping my hand with a strength for
which i should hardly have given him
credit. "You have been in Afghanis
tan, I perceive."
"How on earth did you know that?"
I n'ked, in astonishment.
"Ncicr mind," said he, chuckling to
himself. "The question now is about
hteinoglobln. No doubt you seo the
significance- of this discovery of
mine?"
"It Is interesting, chemically, no
doubt," I answered; "but practically
"Why, man, it is tho most practical
mcdtco-legal discovery for years.
Don't you see that It gives us an in-fallible-
test for blood-stains? Coma
T1IKRE WAS ONLY ONE BTUDKNT IN THE
I100M.
over here, now!" Ho seized mo by the
coat-sleeve in his eagerness, and drew
me over to the tablo at which ho had
been working. "Let us havo some
fresh blood," he said, digging n long
bodkin into his finger, and drawing off
tho resulting drop of blood in a chem
ical pipette. "Now, I add this small
quantity of blood to a lltro of water.
You perceive that tho resulting mix
ture has the appearanco of true water.
Tho proportion of blood cannot be
more than one in a million. I have no
doubt, however, that we shall bo able
to obtain tho characteristic reaction."
As ho spoke, he threw Into tho vessel a
few white crystals, and then added
some drops of a transparent fluid. In
an instant the contents assumed a dull
mahogany color, and a brownish dust
was precipitated to tho bottom of the
glass jar.
"Ha! ha!" he cried, clapping his
hands, and looking as delighted as a
child with a new toy. "What do you
think of that?"
"It seems to be a very delicate test,"
I remarked.
"Hcautlfull beautiful! Tho old
gualacum test was very clumsy and un
certain. So is tho microscopic exami
nation for blood-corpuscles. The lat
ter is valueless if the stains are a few
hours old. Now, this appears to act
as well whether tho blood is old or
new. Had this test been invented,
thero aro hundreds of men now walk
ing the eartli who would long ago have
paid tho penulty of their crimes."
"Indeed!" I murmured.
"Criminal cases aro continually
hinging upon that one point. A man
Is suspected of u crimo months per
haps after it has been committed. His
linen or clothes are examined, and
brownish stains discovered upon them.
Aro they blood-stulns, or mud-stains,
or rust-stains, or frult-stalns, or what
aro they? That is a question which
has puzzled many nn expert, and why?
Itccauso thero was no reliable test.
Now wo have the Sherlock Holmes
test, aud thero will no longer be any
difficulty."
His eyes fulrly glittered as he spoke,
and he put his hand over his heart and
bowed as If to some applauding crowd
conjured up by his imagination.
"You are to be congratulated," I re
marked, considerably surprised at his
enthusiasm.
"There was the case of Von Hlschoff
nt l'rnnkfort last year. He would cer
tainly have been hung had this test
Won In existence. Then thero was
Mason, of llradford, aud the notorious
Muller and Lefevre, of Montpelier,
and Samson, of New Orleans. I could
flume a score of cases in which it would
have been decisive."
"You seem to bo u walking calendar
of crime," said Stamford, with a laugh.
"You might stnrt a paper on those
lines. Call it the Poltco News of the
Past."
"Very interesting reading It might
bo made, too," remarked Sherlock
Holmes, sticking n .small picco of plas
ter over tho prick on his finger. "I
have to be careful," he continued, turn
ing to me with n smile, "for I dabble
with poisons a good deal." Hu held
out his haud as he spoke, and I noticed
that it was all mottled over with simi
lar pieces of plaster and discolored with
strong uclds.
"We camo here on business," said
Stamford, sitting down on a three
legged stool and pushing another one
In my direction with his foot "My
friend hero wnnts to take diggings,
and nsyou ere complaining that you
could get no ono to go halves with
you, I thought h.at I had better bring
you together."
Sherlock Holmes seemed delighted
at the Idea of shaving his rooms with
mo. "1 havo my eye on a suite In
Kakcr btrcet," ho said, "which would
suit us down to tho ground. You don't
mind the smell of strong tobacco, I
hope?"
"I always smoko 'ship's' myself," I
answered.
"That's good enough. I generally
have chemicals about, und occasional
ly do experiments. Would that annoy
you?"
"Uy no mean.1
"Let me see what arc my other
shortcomings? I pet In the dumps at
times and don't open my mouth for
days on end. You must not think I
am sulky when I do that. Just let mo '
alone and I'll soon be all right. What
have you to confess, now? It's Just ns
well for two fellows to know tho
worst of ono another before they be
gin to live together."
I laughed at this cross-examination.
"I keep a bull-pup," I said, "und ob
ject to rows, because my nerves ore
shaken, aud I get up at all sorts of un
godly hours, and I am extremely buy.
1 have another set of vices when I'm
well, but those are tho principal ones
at present."
"Do you Include vlolln-playlng In
your category of rows?" he asked,
anxiously.
"It depends on the player," I an
swered. "A well-played violin Is a treat
for the gods; a badly played one"
"Oh, that's all right," ho cried, with
a merry laugh. "I think we may con
sider the thing as settled that is, if
tho rooms aro agreeable to you."
"When shall we sec them?"
"Call for mo here at noon to-morrow,
and we'll go together nnd settle every
thing," he answered.
"All right noon exactly," said I,
shaking his hand.
Wo left him working among his
chemicals, nnd wo walked together to
ward my hotel.
"Uy tho way," I asked suddenly,
stopping nnd turning upon Stamford,
"how the deuce did he know that I had
come from Afghanistan?"
My companion smiled an enigmatical
smile. "That's just his little pecul
iarity," ho said. "A good many peo
ple havo wanted to know how ho finds
things out."
"Oh! a mystery, Is it?" I cried, rub
bing my hands. "This Is very piquant.
I nm much obliged to you for bringing
us together. 'Tho proper study of
mankind is man,' you know."
"You must studj him, then," Stam
ford said, as ho bade mo good-by.
"You'll find him a knotty problem,
though. I'll wager ho lenrns more
about you than you about him. Good
by." "Good-by," I answered, and strolled
on to my hotel, considerably Inter
ested in my new acquaintance.
CHAPTF.K It
TUB SCIENCE Or DEDCCTJON.
Wo met next day as ho had ar
ranged, and inspected tho rooms nt
No. S3 in Itakcr street, of which he hnd
spoken at our meeting. They con
sisted of a couplo of comfortable bed
rooms and a single large, airy sitting
room, cheerfully furnished, nnd Il
luminated by two broad windows. So
desirable in every way were the apart
ments, and so moderate did tho terms
seem when divided between us, that
the bargain was concluded upon the
spot, and we at once entered into pos
session. That very evening I moved
my things round from the hotel, nnd
on tho following morning Sherlock
Holmes followed me with several
boxes and portmanteaus. For a day or
two we were busily employed in un
packing and laying out our property
to tho best ndvantage. That done, we
gradually began to scttlo down and to
accommodate ourselves to our new sur
roundings. Holmes was certainly not a difficult
man to livo with. He was quiet In his
ways and his habits were regular. It
was rare for him to bo up nfter ten at
night, nnd ho had Invariably break
fasted and gone out before I rose In
the morning. Sometimes he spent his
day at the chemical laboratory, some
times in tho dissecting-rooms and oc
casionally in long walks, which ap
peared to take him into tho lowest por
tions of tho city. Nothing could ex
ceed his energy when tho working fit
was upon him, but now and again n re
action would seize him and for days
on end he would lie upou the sofa in
tho sitting-room, hardly uttering a
wonl or moving a inu solo from morn
ing to night. On these occasions
I havo noticed such a dreamy, vacant
expression In his eyes 'that I might
have suspected him of being addicted
to the uso of some narcotic had not
the temperance and cleanliness of his
whole, life forbidden such a notion.
As tho weeks went by, my interest
in him nnd my curiosity as to his alms
in lifo gradually deepened and in
creased. Ills very person and ap
pearance were such as to strike the at
tention of tho most casual observer.
In height he was rather over six feet,
und so excessively lean that he seemed
to bo considerably taller. His eyes
wero sharp and piercing, save during
those intervals of torpor to which I
have alluded; nnd his thin, hawk-like
nose gnve his whole expression an air
of alertness aud decision. His chin,
too, had the prominence and square
ness which mark the man of determina
tion. Ills hands were invariably blotted
with ink and stained with chemicals,
yet he was possessed of extraordinary
delicacy of touch, as I frequently had
occasion to observe when I watched
him manipulating his fragile philo
sophical instruments.
Tho reader may set mo down as n
hopeless busybody, when I confess
how much this man stimulated my
curiosity and how often I endeavored
to breuk through the reticence which
ho showed on nil that concerned him
i nuunwi, v. ,1,4 .... i wuuw. ,- .... -
If. Heforo pronouncing judgment,
)w e ver, bo It remembered how object-
so
how
less was my life und how llttlo there
was to engage my attention. My
health forbade me from venturing out
unless the weather was exceptionally
genial, and I had no friends who would
call upon me und break tho monotony
of my dally existence. Under theso
circumstances I eagerly hailed the llt
tlo mystery which hung around my
companion, and spent much of my
timo in endeavoring to unravel it
Ho was not studying medicine. Ho
had himself, in reply to a question,
confirmed Stamford's opinion upon
that point. Neither did ho appear to
have pursued any courso of reading
wliloh might fit him for a degreo
In sclcnco or any other recognized
portal which would give Mm an en
trance Into tho learned, world. Yet
bit seal for certain tudleejvaj re
t f
maskable, nnd within eccentric limits
his knowledge was so extraordinarily
ample nnd minute Unit his observa
tions linve fulrlv astounded mc. Sure-
ly no man would woik so hard to nt
tain such proviso Information unless
hu had some definite end In view.
Desultory readers aro seldom rcmark
nbio for the exactness of their learn
ing. No man burdens his mind with
small matters unless he lias somo very
rood reason for doing so.
Ills Ignorance wns as remarkable as
his knowledge. Of contemporary lit
erature, philosophy nnd politics ho
nppenred to know next to nothing.
Upon my quoting Thomas Carlylc, ho
inquired In the nutvest way who ho
might be nnd what he had done. My
surprise reached a climax, however,
when I found incidentally that ho was
Ignorant of theCopcrnlcan theory aud
of the composition of tho solar sys
tem. That nny civilized human being
in this nineteenth century should not
bo aware that tho earth traveled
round tho sun appeared to bo to ma
such an extraordinary fact that I could
hurdlv realize It '
"You appear to bo astonished," he
said, smiling nt my expression of sur
prise. "Now that I do know It I shall
do ray best to forget It"
"To forget It!"
"Ycu see," he explained, "I consider
that a man's brain originally Is llko a
little empty attic, and you havo to
stock it with Mich furniture as you
choose. A fool takes In all the lumber
of every sort that he comes across, so
that tho knowledge which might be
useful to him gets crowded out, or at
best is jumbled up with a lot of other
tilings, so that ho has a difficulty in
laying his hands upon it. Now the
skillful workman is very careful indeed
as to what ho takes into his brain
attic. Ho will havo nothing but tho
tools which may help him in doing his
work, but of these ho has n large
assortment, aud all in tho most perfect
order. It is a mistake to think that
that llttlo room has clastic walls and
can distend to nny extent. Depend
upon it, there comes a timo when for
every addition of knowledge- you for
get something that you knew before.
It is of tho highest importance, there
fore, not to hBvo useless facts elbowing
out the useful ones."
"I5ut the solar systcml" I protested.
"What tho deuce is it to me?" ho In
terrupted Impatiently; "you say that
wo go round tho sun. If wo went:
round tho moon it would not make a
pennyworth of difference to me or to
my work."
I was on tho point of asking him
what that work might be, but some
thing in his manner showed me that
tho question would be an unwelcoino
one. I pondered over our short con
versation, however, and endeavored to
draw my deductions from it. He said
that ho would acquire no knowledge
which did not bear upon his object.
Therefore all the knowledge which ho
possessed was such as would bo useful
to him. I enumerated in my own mind
all tho various points upon which ho
had shown mc that he was exception
ally well informed. I even took a
pencil and jotted them down. I could
not help smiling at the document when
I had completed it. It ran In this way:
SncuLOCK Holmes his limits.
1. Knowledge ot Literature. Nil.
2. Knowledge of Philosophy. NIL
a. KnowledRo of Astronomy. NIL
4. Knowledge of Politic. Feeble.
5. Knowledgo of Uotany. Variable. Well up
In belladonna, opium ami poisons generally.
Knowi nothing of practical gardening.
fl. Knowledge of Gcoloay. Practical, but
limited. Tells at a glance different soils from
each other. After walks tus shown mo splashes
upon his trousers, and told mo by their color
and consistence In what part of London ho had
received them.
7. Knowledgo of Chemistry. Profound.
8. Knowledge cf Anatomy. Accurate, but un
systematic. V Knowledge of Sensational Literature.
Immense. He appears to know every detail of
every horror perpetrated In the century.
ia Plays the violin well
II. Is an expert alcglc-stlck player, bozerand
swordsman.
10. Has a good practical knowledge of Drltlsh
law.
When I had got bo far in my list I
threw it into the fire in despair. "If I
can only find what the fellow Is driv
ing at by reconciling all these accom
plishments, and discovering a calling
m
HE WOULD CLOSE HIS EVES AND SCTIAVK
CAnEI.EBSLV AT THE TIDDLK.
which needs them nil," I said to my
self, "I may as well give up the at
tempt at once."
I see that I have alluded above tohls
powers on tho violin. Theso wero very
rcmurknble, but as eccentric ns all
his other accomplishments. That ho
could play pieces, nud difficult pieces,
I knew well, becauso at my request he
. - . ---- -j-, ,....
' l"s played mo borne of Mendelssohn's
Metier and other favorites. When left
to himself, however, he would seldom
produce any music or attempt any rec
ognized uir. Leaning back in his arm
chair of an evening ho would close his
eyes and scrapo carolessly at tho lldtllo
which was thrown across his knee.
Sometimes the chords were sonor
ous and melancholy. Occasionally they
vere fantastic and cheerful. Clearly
they reflected tho thoughts which
twssesscd him, but whether the music
aided those thoughts, or whether the
playing was simply tho result of a
whim or fancy was more thuu I could
determine. I might hnio rebelled
against these oxasperatlng solos hud It
not been that ho usually terminated
them by playing In quick succession a
whole series of my favorite nlrs us u
light compensation for the trial upon
B7 pftUence,
jfrnk
' Durlug tho first week or boavo had no
callers, and I had begun to think that
my companion was as friendless a man
ns I was myself. Presently, however,
I found that he had man. acquaint
unces, and those In most different
classes of society. There was one lit
tle, sallow, rat-faced, dark-eyed fellow
who was introduced to me ns Mr. Los
trade, nnd who camo thnaiffor fotfr
! times In a single week One morning
, n young girl called, fashionably
dressed, and stayed for half an hour or
niorc. The same afternoon brought n
grny-licaileil, seedy visitor, looking llko
a Jew peddler, whonppoarcd tome to bo
much excited, anil who was closely fol
lowed by a slip-shod elderly woman.
On another occasion nn old white
haired gentleman had an interview
with my companion; and on another a
railway porter In his velveteen uni
form. When nny of these nondescript
individuals put In nn appearance, Sher
lock Holmes used to beg for the use of
the sitting-room, und I would retire to
my bedroom, lie always apologized
to mo for putting mo to tills Inconven
ience. "I have to use this room as a
place of business," ho said, "and theso
ONE
MOnNINO A V0UN0 GI1IL CALLED
FAS1II0NAULV DilKSSCO.
people are my clients." Again I had
an opportunity of asking him a point
blank question, and again my delicacy
prevented mo from forcing another
man to confide in mc. I imagined nt
tho time that ho hnd somo strong rea
son for not alluding to it, but ho soon
dispelled tho Idea by coming round to
the subject of his own accor-!.
It was upon tho 4th of March, as X
havo good reason to remember, that I
roso somewhat earlier than usual, aud
found that Sherlock Holmes had not yet
finished his breakfast Tho landlady
had become so nccustomed to my lato
habits that my place had not been laid
nor my coffee prepared. With tho un
reasonable petulance of mankind I
rang tho bell and gave a curt intima
tion that I was ready. Then I picked
up a magazine from the table aud at
tempted to while away the time with
it, while my companion munched si
lently at his toast. One of the articles
had a pencil mark at tho heading,
and I naturally began to run my eye
through it.
Its somewhat ambitious title was
"Tho Hook of Life," and it nttempted
to show how much an observant man
might learn by an nccurato and sys
tematic examination of all that ca
In his way. It struck mo as being'
mnrknbln mtvturn nt slirMvilnouArO
absurdity. Tho reasoning wa.y and
and intense, but tho deduction ap
peared to bo far-fetched and ox gger
atcd. Tho writer claimed by mo
mentary expression, a twitch if a
musole or a glance of nn eye, to ft thorn
a man'B inmost thoughts. Deceit, ac
cordfng to him, wns an impossibility
in tho case of ono trained to observa
tion and nnalysls. His conclusions
were as infallible as so tnjny propo
sitions of Luclld. So starring would
his results appear to the uninitiated
that, until they learned tne processes
by which ho had arrived ft them, they
might well consider hlin nnecromanccr.
'.'From n drop of wtter," said tho
writer, "a logician couXl Infertile pos
sibility of nn Atlantic or a Niagara
without having seen of heard of ono or
tho other. So all llfu Is a great chain,
the nature of which is known whenever
we nro bhown a single link of it. Llko
all other arts, the science of deduction
aud analysis is ono which can only be
acquired by long and patient study,
nor is lifo long enough to allow any
mortal to attain tho highest possible
perfection in it lteforo turning to
thoso moral and mental aspects of tho
matter which present tho greatest dif
ficulties, let tho Inquirer begin by mas
tering more elementary problems. Let
him, on meeting a fellow-mortal, learn
nt a glance to distinguish tho history
of the man, nnd tho trndo or profession
to which hu belongs. I'uerlio as such
nn exercise may seem, It sharpens the
faculties of observation and teaches
ono where to look nnd what to look
for. Uy a man's finger-nails, by his
coat-sleeve, by his boot, by his trouser
knees, by tho callosities of his fore
finger nnd thumb, by Ids expression,
by his shirt-cuffs by each of thoso
tilings a man's calling Is plainly ro
vealed. That all united should fail to
enlighten tho competent inquirer In
nny rase Is almost Inconceivable."
"What Ineirable twaddle!" I cried,
slapping tho magazine down on tho
table, "I no ver read such rubbish in
my life."
"What is lt?"sked Sherlock Holmes.
(To bo ponlinued.)
Mu'ilM-hiilr.
Notice Is luivLy gUcn, that iiiuIit ami by
Nlitliool :ui oult'i uf ali isstiml from lliu olllot
nfC. II, t'louo ( ti lU nl tlitulMilct eniirt of tho
lenlliJiiiliol.il ilietikl, villlilii.iml for Wdh-ter
loiinly, .VIir.isKu. upon nn .ittlun iiullii.',
Iln it'in. wlu'Hint iurli'H.I l-itMoKlltiiLi'itlll,
ninl nnUiist Julia a. hllieit, M,u I.. Mbirt,
llliintialil mv,sS li. I.jn.un'ir V. Tillli')t.
ninl rMmiio K Hesse, Tutslce nutl twiu'lb liry
iriisteo di-rt'iiil.mia.
, ,1 shall oner fur mi'o at imtilta u-mliie. to tin'
IiIkIivM Wilder lor c.isti In liatul, at tlio east
ilnorof ilituonrt li iiiv, nt llcil Cliiinl, In sua
WchMcr cminiy, irbr.isk.i, (Unit being tlw
limlillnit wlini'lu Hut List ieri.1 of s.iM court
wuh linlileii) mi tho I !Mi i, n I'cvemluT A. I.
lc!J.iiit II o'llock a. M.,ol talil iliw. tlio follow
In,: nWrlliul iioperi tottluTliu similicHt
i nrtt-r of m-cilmi llilrtvllt (M) township m
II) liordliirinmnttnclirdS) west of tho tin
I'. .M , coniali.liiK mvunlliii: lu Kouiuinciit
none) icoiicics.
, (ilieiitimifi iii) li ma this lOlli ilnyot Nouni
bvi A. !.. Is'JJ.
Oko. It CooN.Hlierlif.
.. . . hyA J.TOML1KSUN, PC-put).
flxo.W .Darker, HthuliTs .utortio.
M W fib 'jffiT A
1 K
r
