HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Wingham Times, 1896-03-27, Page 2R�4 'e .m tA.YPro4i
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By A, Conan Doyle,
CHAPTER I.
THE SCIENCE OP DEDUCTION,
• Sherlock Holmes took his bottle from
the corner of the mantelpiece and his
hypodermic syringe from its neat mo-
rocco ease. With his long, white. iter -
Vous fingers he adjusted the delicate
needle, told. rolled hack leis left shil't-
euff. .For some little time his eyes
rested thoughtfully upon the sinewy
- forearm and wrist, all dotted and
scarred with innttlnerable puncture
marks. !Finally he thrust the sharp
point home, pressed down the tiny
p stou, and sank back into the velvet -
lined aria chair with a long sigh of
satisfaction.
Three times a day for many months
I had witnessed this performance, but
custom had not reconciled my mind to
it, On the contrary, from day to day
I had become more irritable at the
sight, incl my conscience swelled
nightly within me at the t1h0upllt that
I had lacked tho courage to protest.
Again end again I had registered a
vow that I should deliver my soul
• upon the subject, but there was that in
the cool, nonchalant air of my com-
panion which made him the last man
with whom one would care to take
anything approaching to a liberty. His
great powers, his masterly manner,
and the experience which I had had of
his many extraordinary qualities, all
made lie diffident and backward in
Oressiltg flim.
Yet upon that afternoon, whether it
was the claret which I httd taken with
.lunch or the add't'1o
re
by which I succe7led in unray.�lill; it,"
I was annoyed at thin criticism of a
work which had been speeially designed
to please him. I confess, too, that I
was irritated by the egotism which
seemed to demand that evere- line of
me- pamphlet should be devoted to his
own spe'c'ial doings. More than once
during the years that 1 had lived with
Lim in Laker street I had observed that
a,emall vanity underlay my compan-
ion's quiet and didactic manner, I
made no remark, however, but sat
nursing, my wounded leg, I had had a
J czail bullet through it some time be-
fore, 1111(1 though it slid not prevent fine
from walking, it ached wearily at
every change of the weather."
"My- practice has extended recently
to the Continent," said Holmes, after a
while, filling up This old briar -root pipe.
"I was consulted last week by Francois
L� Villard, who, as you • probably
know, has come rather to the front
lately i11 the French detective service.
He has all the Celtic power of quick
intuition. but he is deficient in the
wide range of exact knowledge which
ie. essential to the higher developments
of his art. The case was concerned
w.th a will, and possessed some fea-
tures of interest. I was able to refer
heti to two parallel eases ; the one at
Riga, id.1857, and the other at St. Loris
in 1871, which have suggested to him
the true solution. Here is the letter
which 1 Unci this morning acknowledg-
ing:thy assistance." He tossed over, as
lie spoke, a crumpled sheet of foreign
note -paper. I glanced my- eyes down
1 1•
+t ,1aela•••1 -
time produced by the extreme delibera-
tion of his manner, I suddenly felt that
I could hold out no longer.
"Which is it to -day?" I asked.
"Mor1•i,ine or cocaiue?"
He raised his eyes Ianguidly from
the old black -letter volume which he
had. opened. "It is cocaine," he said •
"a seven per cent. solution. Would
you etre to try it?"
"No, indeed,"I answered, brusquely.
«
ilfv constitution has not got over the
Afglutn campaign yet. I cannot afford
to throw any extra strain upon it."
He smiled at my vehemence "Per-
haps you are right, Watson,,' he said.
"I suppose that its influence is physi-
cally a bad one. I find it, however, so
. transcendently stimulating and clari-
fying to the mind that its secondary
action is a matter of small moment."
"But c'onsider!" I said, earnestly.
"Count the cost ! Your brain may, as
you tray, be roused and excited, but it
it, ("fuelling a profusion. of notes of ad-
miration, with stray "magnifiques,"
"corp-de-nraitr'es." and"tours de force,"
all testifying to the ardent admiration
of the 1'i'thtchmen,
"He speaks as a pupil to his master,"
said I.
"Oh, he rates my assistance too
highly," said Sherlock Holmes, lightly.
"Hc has cousiderable gifts himself, Ile
possesses two out of the three qualities
neves' ary for the ideal detective. He
has the power of observation and that
of deduction. He is only wanting in
knowledge; and that may come in
time, He is now translating my small.
works into French."
"Your works ?" •
"Oh, didn't you know ?" he cried,
laughing. ""Yes, I have been guilty of
several monographs. They are all
upon technical subjects, Here, for ex-
ample, is one 'Upon the Distinction
Between the Ashes of the Various To- rr
,;Locos,' In it I enumerate a hundreda
grain ?"
"Wiry, of coarse I knew that you
had not written a letter, since I sat op-
posite to you all mornilig. I see also
in your open desk there that you have
to sleet of stamps and a thick bundle of
post -cards. What could you go into
the postofhce for, then, but to sezicl
wire? Eliminate all other factors, and
the ono which reinafrls must be the
truth."
"lit this ease it certainly- is so," I
t rel,lied, after a little thought, "The
I thing, However, is, as you say, of the
simplest, Would you think me imper-
' tinent if I were to ant your theories to
a more severe test ?fi'
"'Oi the contrary," he answered. ''it
• would prevent me from taking a second
dose of cocaine. I should be delighted
to Iook into any problem which you
ini;�lit subinit to nme,?'
".I have heard you say that it is
difficult for a man to have any object
in daily use without leaving the im-
press of leis individuality- upon it in
such a way that a trained observer
might react it. Now, I have hese a
watch which has recently come into
my possession. Would you have the
kindness to let me have an opinion
upon the character or habits of the late
owner ?"
I handed him the watch with some
slight feeling of amusement in my
heart, for the test was, as I thought,
an impossible one, and I intended it as
, a lesson against the somewhat dog-
matic. tone which he occasionally as-
sumed. He balanced,tlhe watch in his
Hanel, gazed haiti at ;the dial, opened
the beck, and examined the works,
first with his naked eyes ant then with
a powerint suave, -. ,..., ...sold hardly.
keep from smiling. et his crest -fallen
face when he finally snapped the case
to and Banded it back.
"There are hardly any data," he re-
marked, "The watch has been recently
cleaned, which robs me of my most
sttgctestive facts,"
"You aro right," I. answered. "It
was cleaned before being sent to me."
In my heart I accused my companion
of putting forward a most lame and
impotent excuse to cover las failure.
What data could Ito expect from an
uncleaned watch?
"Thought unsatisfactory, my research
has not been entirely barren," he ob-
served, staring up at the ceiling• with
dreamy, lack: luster eyes. "Subject to
your correction, I should judge that
the watch belonged •to your elder
brother, who inherited• it from your
father.""'That you gather, no doubt, from the
H. W. upon the back?"
"Quite so. The \\' .suggests ,your
own name. The date of the watch is
nearly fifty years back, and the initials
are as old `as the ware' ; so it was
made for the last generation. Jewel-
ery usually descends to the eldest son,
and he is most likely to have the sem(
name as the fattier. 5,'.our father has
if I remember right, bden dead litany
years. It has, therefore, been in the
hands of yonr eldest brother."
"Right, so far." said I. "Anything
elec.?"
"He was a man of untidy habits—
very untidy and lip e was left
'ith good prospects, but he threw
twat' his chances, lived for some time
n poverty, with occasional short inter-
vals of prosperity, and finally, taking
o drink, he died. That is all I can
gather."
I sprttllg from my chair incl limped
mpatiently about the r0o111. with con-
iclerable bitterness in my heart.
"This is unworthy of you, Holmes,"
said. "I could not have believed that
-ou would have (les:settlecl to this.
'ou have made enc t tl l
IS a pat chOlOgheti and morbid process,
which involves increases. tissue -change
and may at last leave a permanent t
-weal:ac.,ss. You know, too, what a 1
blacia reaction collies upon you. Surely ' U
_thegame is hardly worth the candle,
'Why :•hotld you, for a mere passing
plcabtr, ;.';1 isle the loss of those great
powers s with which you have beep. en -
Slowed ? Remember that I speak not
onlysee onr, comrade to another, but as
a1 medic aI man to one for whose consti-
Ind forty- forms of cigar, cigarette and. i
Ripe tobacco, with colored plates illus -
rating the difference in the ash. It is t
point which is continually turning
p in criminal trials, and which is
•
sometimes of supreme importance as a 1
clue. If you can say dlefinitely', for s
example, that some murder has been
done by a, pian who was smoking an I
Indian lunkah, it obviously narrows r
your field of search. To the trained eve j•
tution he is to some extent answer- 1
able."
hese is a$ much difference between the t
Jack ash of a Trinchinopoly and the 11
white fluff of bird's-eye as there is be- h
tui IL`:, 111 0 le 118-
ory of my unhappy brother, and you
ow pretend tin deduee this klowledgc
1 so me falld'iftll way. YOu can not
xpect me to believe that you have
Bald till this front his old watch ! It is
nkind, and, to speak plainly, has a
ouch of charlatanism in it."
"MGie dear doctor," said he, kindly,
pray accept my apologies. Viewing.
le platter as all abstract problem, I
act forgotten how personal and pain -
u1 a tiling it !night 1)e to you, I assure
0u, however, that I never even knew
hat you had a brother until you
ended lie the watch."
"Then how in the name of all that is
yonderful dirt you ::gt all these facts?
hey Etre absolut0ly correct in every
. 1't le alar."
"Alt, that ist^r>od luck, 1 could only
ly' what was the balance of probabil-
y. I dirt not act ell expect to be so
"Ilia it was not mere guess -work?"
"No, no ; T near guess. It is a
locking habit destructive to the
)gic.al factrl'ty. What seems strange
p you is "tett so because you do not
clow lay train Of thought or °beery°
le. small facts upon which large ins
lances play &peed. For example, I
'U1 1,y st thin:: that your 1 rrotbcr was
irelves. \Vire 11 you observe the lower
trt Of that ryttteh-('tie you notice that
is not only dented in two places, but
is cut and marked all over from the
tbit of keeling other hard objects,
telt as teens or 1:r .y)', ill the same
edict. ,MUl'c1y it i:( no great feat to
ssume
that 41 m1u1 1110 treat„ aL fifty-
inea watt('h 80 eayali('rly n11,181 bre as
Lrrlesa plan. Ncithc•r is it a very fal'-
t, h/'d i11fe•rellt'e that a to:1)1 who in-
'1•itss Ora article of styli value is pretty
ell provided for in other' r( s:)..ets,"
I nodded t(, s110ty that I followed his
teaming.
"It i a very enstOirla'y tot' pawn-
okers in England, when they take a
atoll, to scratell the number of the
eket with a ,in -print upon the inside
the ease. It is more )'handy than a
bele as there is no risk of the number
'ing lost or tr'anspo.eed. 'Thea, are no
ss than four suc11 numbers visible to
y lens 011 the inside of this case. In-
ference-thftt your brother was often
at lore water. Seeondary inference--
•
nf, ren e
, that he had oec•asional bursts of pros-
• Iterity, or he could not hove redeemed
e pledge. Finally, I <811 you 10I0011
the inner !)late rt'lliell contains the
He did not seem offended. On the
contrary, he. put his finger-tips to-
gether 11(1 leaned his elbows on tile
stets o: his chair, like one who has a
110111411 f01' (•elle (''rsati0n.
"\ly iii;ilii." he said, "rebels at stag-
nation. Wive me problems, give me
work, give, 'n' the most abstruse cryp-
togl'r•;rl, or the most intricate analysis,
and I ars in me own proper atinofe
There. I can dispense then with arti-
ficial ukhnulants. But I abhor the dull
routine of existence. I erave for
�tuentnl exaltation. That is why I
ave chosen lay own particular pro-
essYn1---or rather created it, for I am
alio only one in the world."
' ""Th • only tuh0f ficial detective?" I
said, rill:i ng my ee-ebrows.
"Tried only unofficial consulting de -
t etirr'," he answered, "I tun the Iast
sand hie:hest court of appeal in detec..-
ltion When Gregson, or Lcstrade, or
4thrlie*'y .hones are out of their depths
,N -wheel,, by the catty, is their normal
Istate- f lee platter i5 laid before Ine. I
examIne;' the -lata, as all expert, and
pronoune(' a specialist's opillioll. I
:Clain 110 credit ilt such eases. 'My
'frame, li,tnres in 110 newspaper, The
work ;t elf, the pleasure of finding a
field f,•r 1.1y peculiar porrlers, is my
highest reward. But you Shave your-
self 11- ' some experlertee of 1n t methods a
of rvi - 11 the Jefferson Hobe (ase,"
".' :s, indeed," said I, cordially.
i"I rt•ac,' never so struck by anything in
my 1ih'. I even embodied it in a small
broch it e with flet somewhat fantastic
title o; 'A ,Study in S."arlet.'"
He elp)olc his head sadly. ""I glanced
•over it." said he. "Honestly I can
21ot (�ou;rratulatc you upon it. Deter,-
eon
etect
'lion is, or ought to be, an exact science,
Land should be treated. in the salve ('o1(1
tend tut, :notional manner. You have
atten,l)ted to tinge it with romanticism,
which produces much the same effect
as if you worked a love story or an
elopement into the fifth proposition of
Euclid,"
"But the romt.Ince was ,there," I re-
mo11.. attr'(1. "I could not tamper with
itbe fiats."
"Nome facts should he suppressed, or 1,
at least a lust :tells° of proportion
'ishouid be observed in treating thele. Il
The- only point in the ('138(5 1. 110 de- . I
tween as cabbage and a potato." e
"You have an extraordinary genius r
for minutiae," I remarked.. u
"I appreciate their importance, Here t
is my monograph upon the tracing of
footsteps, with some remarks upon the "
11Fe8 of plaster of Paris as a preserver of ti
impresses. Here, too, is a curious little 11
work upon the influence of a trade f
upon the form of the hand, with litho- y
types of the elands of slaters, sailors, tl
core: -cutters, compositors, weavers and 11
diamond -polishers. That is a matter
of great practical interest to the salon- -
tifie detective—especially in cases of T
lulciaimed bodies, or in discovering the pct
tulteeedents of criminals. But I weary
you with lay hobby." • st
"Not at aIl," I answered, earnestly, it
"It is is of the greatest interest to me, as
especially since 1 have had the tipper-
trnity of observing. your practical ap-
plica tion of it. But you spoke just 110w sl
of observation at;c1 deduction. Surely lc
the one to acme extent implies the ! tc
(ghee." fo
"\G'hy,. hardly," he answered, lean- ; tl
ing back lmenriously in his arm -chair, ' fe
and sanding up thick blue wreaths le
from his pipe, 'For example, observe- ! et
tion short's me that you have been to ', pt
the Wigmore street I'os`off%ce this :' it
meenitna., but deduction lets rite know
that when there you dispatched a tele- ; lu
gram." ; at
"Right 1" said I. "Right on both ,
points ! But I col11(88 that I don't see • IL.
how you arrived at it. It was a sled tin
dde11 i1 inose upon my part, a11(1 I have ! et
mentioned it to no one's'. 1 fr.
" It issimplieity itself," he remarked, i 111
(buckling at my 14tirpriee, ; "'se al,csill'diy I w'
simple that an explanation is a.11per-
flttoits ; and. yet it may serve to ch fine re
the limits of observation and of deduc-
tion, Observation tells ince that you 2 br
have as little reddish mold tailoring to 1 ry
your instep. just opposite the St'y-ti
hour street office tlli'y have taken ui) , of
the pavement and thrown up some ! la
earth 1111011 lies ill wucll a rvae- that it fid
is difficult to avo;.l treading in it in � le
elltel'ing. The earth is of this peculiar I 111
ddisll tint whiclt hi found, so far 13w I
now, nowhere else in the neigllbor-
00(1. So inch is observation. The
est is deduction."
uervc»i mention was the 011Uous analyt-
"How. then, did you deduce the tele- th
teal rcat ilrg from effects to causes at
? key --hole. Look at the thousands of
scratches all around the hole ---marks
where the key has slipped. What sober
man's key. could have scored those
grooves? "But y0u will Heyer see a
drunkard's wateli without them. He
winds it at night, and Ito Leaves these
traces of his unsteady hand. Where is
the mystery ill all this?"
1 "It pis as clear as daylight." I an-
sworc'd, I !'egret the injustice which
, I olid you, 1 should have heel 11i
faith ill your marvelous faculty, it
" R r1 ld It 1 y Gn Iiar'e x113' �n•0
f essional laeuiry 011 foot at present e"
i "None. Hence the cocaine. I can
not livti without brain -work. What
' else is there to live for ? Stanch at the
window here. Was ever such a dreary,
dismal, Unprofitable world ? See how
the yellow fog swirls down the street
and drifts across dun -colored ]louses.
What could be more hopelessly prosaic
and material ? What is the use of
having powers, doctor, when ono has
no field upon which to exert them ?
Crime is commonplace, and existence is
commonplace, and no qualities save
those which aro commonplace have
any function upon earth."
1 had opened my mouth. to reply to
his tirade, when, with a crisp kneel:,
our landlady entered, bearing a card
upon the brass salver, .
"A young lady for yott, sir," slle
said. addressing e�yy companion.
"Miss Mary Morstan," he res
"Hum ! I have no recollection of th
name. Ask the young lady to step u
Mrs. Hudson, Don' • go, doctor.
Khali prefer that you remain,"
CHAPTER II.
THE S:T..TEMENT OF THE CAS
oro ward. '!'here was no name or address
fay appended. I lead at that time just en-
tered the family' of 111'x, Cecil Veerestex
in the capacity of governess. Cy her
advice 1 published my address in t]10
advertisement column. The same day
there arrived through the post a small
carol -board box addressed to me, which
I found to contain a very large and
lustrous pearl. No word of writing
WIte enclosed, Since then every year
upon the same date there has appeared
a similar box, containing a similar
pearl, without any clue to the sender.
They have been pronounced by an ex -
Pest to 1>0 of a rare variety and of con-
siderable value. Yon can see for your-
selves that they are very handsome."
She opened a fiat box as she spoke, and
showed the six of the finest pearls that
I had ever seen,
"Your statement is most interest-
ing." salol Sherlock Holmes. "Has any-
thing. else occurred to yon?"
d, "Yes ; and no later than to -day.
at That is Why I have come to you. This
lnorrling 1 received this letter, which
pz you will perhaps read. for yourself,"
"Thank you," said Holmes. "The
envelope, too, please. Post -mark, Lon-
don, S.W., date, July 7. Hum 1 Man's
thumb -mark on corner—probably -post-
E. man. Best quality paper. Envelopes
11 at sixpence a packet. Particular titan
re is his stationery. N9 address. 'Be at
the third. pillar from; the left outside
e the
cloc'lc. 11nyou Theater are 'Jistt'u.tfalt t bring
re g
c-
all
10
a really, tliis is a very' pretty littic,anvs-
e„' tory. ,'IVhat do you intend to do, loess.
Morstan ?"
"That is exactly* what I want to ask
ty' yO1Then we shall mt,st certainly go.
tib You and I and—yet, why, Doctor
'Watson is the very roan. Your cor-
respondent says two friends. He and
T have worked togethel' before."
d "But would lie come?" she asked,
✓ with something appealing in her voice
✓ and expression.
O "I should be proud and happy," said
I, fervently, "if I can bo of any see-
k vice."
- • "You are both very kind," elle on-
o swered. "I have led a retired life, and
d have no friends whom I could appeal
to. If I am here at six it will o, I
lose?"
"You must ilea be later," said
O Holmes. ""There is orie other point.
however. Is this ha n1writing the
- same as that upon the pearl -box ad-
dresses ?"
"1 have them here," she answered,
f producing half -a -dozen pieces of raper.
"You arc certainly- a model client.
You have the correct intuition. Let 118
ace, now." He spread out ,the papers
rc'•."- '''' tel )le, nn { :-ave little dal' ing
I glan e, from , n0 is the othe..
ac, este.: •,a .. , .. see a the let-
, ter," ::,::eosin presently, '"and. there can
be no lllleSti
fore, and lived at t peer No,wood: We
communicated with him, of course, but
Ile did not even know that Itis brother
officer was in England."
"A singular case," remarked Holmes.
"I have not yet described to ,you the
most singular part. About Six ye;trs
ago—to 1)e exact, upon the 4th of May,
18s?- an advertisement appeared in the
Times asking for the address of Miss
Mary Morstan, and. stating that it
would bo to her advantage to come for -
hiss Moreton entered the room wit
a firm step and an outward compose
of manner. She was it blonde youn
lady ; small, dainty, well gloved, all
dressed in the host perfect taste. The
was, however, a plainness and simple
ity about her costume which bore wi
it a suggestion of limited means. Tl
dress was a somber grayish beige, uu
trimecl and upbraided, and she wore
a small turban of the Same dull leu
relieved only by a suspicion of whit
feather in the side. 1-3er face ha
neither regularity of feature nor beau
of complexion, but her expression w.
sweet and amiable, and.her large btu
eyes were singularly spiritual and sym
pathetic. In all experience of wome
which extends over many nations an
titre separate continents I have neve
looked upon a face which gave a oleate
promise of a refined 'and sensitiv
nature. I could not but observe that
as she took the seat which Sherloc
Holme•:placecl for her, her lip trem
bled, her handl quivered, and sh
showed every sign of intense hewer
agitation.
"'111avo come to yottT Mr. Holmes,
she said. "because vole once enable(
my employer, Mrs. Odie Ione. seer, t
unravel- a little domestic complication
She was much impressed by your kind
nese and skill."
"Mrs. Cecil Forrester," he repeated
thoughtfully. I believe that I was o
some slight service to her. The case
however, as I remember it was a very
simple one."
"`She did not think so. But, at least
you cannot say the same of mine.
can hardly imagine anything more
strange, more utterly inexplicable, than
the situation in which I find myself."
Holmes rubbed his hands, and itis
oyes glistened. He leaned forward in
his chair with an expression of extra
ordinary concentration upon his clear-
cut, hawklike features, "'State you
case," said he, in brisk, business tones.
I felt that my position 1V118 1111 em-
barrassing one. 'You pill, I am sure,
excuse lie," I said, rising from my
chair.
To my surprise, the young lady- held
up her gloved hand to detain me. "If
your friend," she said, "would be good
enough to stay, he might be of inestim-
able service to me,"
I relapsed into my chair.
•
"Briefly," she continued, "the facts
aro these. My father was an officer in
an Indian regiment, who sent me home
when I was quite a child. My mother
was dead, and I had no relativo in
England. 1 was placed, however, in a.
comfortable hoarding establishment at
Edinburgh, and there I remained until
1 was seventeen years df age. In the
year 18781113- father, who was senior
captain of his regimcjnt, obtained
twelve lnonths' leave anel came home.
He telegrc, phecl to me froin London that
he had arrived all safe and directed
me to come clown at once, giving the
Langham Hotel as his address. Isis
message, as I remember, was full of
kindness and love. ()11 reaching. Lon-
don I drove to the Langham, and was
informed that Captain liorstan was
staying there, but that he had gone out
the night before and had not returned.
1 waited all day without news of him.
That nicht, 011 the advice, of the man-
eger of the hotel, I communicated with
the pollee, and. next morning we ad-
vertised in all the papers, Our in-
quiries led to no result ; and from that
clay to this no word Has ever been heard
of lay unfortunate. father, tic came
home, with his heart full of ]lope, to
find some pence. some comfort, and in-
stettd--" She put her hand to her
throat, and. a chid:irt:; soh cut short the
8(111 'flee.
"`Tile elate?" asked Holmes, opening
his notebook.
"He disappeared lt; ;en the ;Ira of I)0-
celnl er, 1878--nr'arl;, t:en,years ago."
"His li:':g1g ?"
"It,'lain•d at the hotel. 'There was
nothing in it to suggest to /dn.—stone
clothes, .nine books Land .t consitleraide
nt,lnlr ' of curiredl i•s from. the Anda-
man henna. He had been ono of then
Dili; et'e ill -charge of the Convict gaud
th re,"
'' 1111(1 he any friends in town ?"
'Only one. that rv,' know of ----Major
Shell, , of his ost'li i'i+gi1U('11t, the
Thee y40'11.113 Bombay Infantry. 'The
ina'or had ref heel seine little time be -
two friends. on ale a wronged wo-
man, and shall llavqq justice. 1)o not
bring police. If you'ilo, all will be i.0
vain. Your unknown friend,' Well,
is to the authorship,
See how the irrepressible Greek e will
break out, and sec the twirl of the final
s. May are undoubtedly by the same
person. I should not, like to suggest
r false hopes., Miss Morstan, but is there
any resemblance between this hand
and that of your father ?"
"Nothing could he more unlike."
"I expected So hear you say so. We
shall look out for. you, then, at six.
Pray allow me to keep the papers. I
may look into the matter before then.
t1Iti1Eis',u.only" half -past three. Au revoir,
"Au revoir," said. our visitor, ancl,
with a bright, kindly glanec from one
to the other of us, she !replaced her
pearl -box in her bosom and hurried
mailable ever penneit
be back in an hour."
I sat in the winilow with the volume
in my hand, but my thoughts were far
front the daring speculations of the
writer, My mind ran upon our late
visitor—her smiles, the deep,. rich tones
of her voice, the strange mystery
es-hieh overhung her life. If she were
seventeen at the time of her father's
disappearanee she must he seven -and -
twenty now—a Meet age, when. youth
has lost ite self-coneciousnees and bee
come littlo sobered by experience. So7
I sat and mused, until such dangeroua
thoughts came into nee- head that I.
hurried away to my desk and' plunged
furiously into the latest treatise upon
pethology. What was 1, an army
officer with a weak leg and a weaker
banking account, thee I should dare to
think of such things? She was a unit„
a factor—nothing more. If my future
were black, it was better surely to face
it like a mrn than to attempt to bright-
en it by mere will-o'-the-wisps of the
imagination.
CHAPTER III. •
IN QUEST OF A SOLUTION,
It was half -past five before Holmes
returned. Ho was bright, eager and.
in excellent spirite—a mood which in
his case alterneted with fits of the
blackest depression.
'There is no greet mystery in this
matter," he said, taking the cup of ten.
which I had poured. out for him. "The
facts appear to admit of Only One ex -
"What ! you have solved. it al -
"Well, that will be too much to say.
I have discovered a, suggestive fa,et,
that is all. It is, however, very sug-
.gestive. The details are still to be
added. I have Just found, on consult-
ing the. heel: files of the Times, that
Major Sholto of Upper Norwood, late
of the Thirty-fourth Bombay Infantry,
"I may be very obtuse, Hohnes, but
I fail to see what this sug•gests."
"No ! You surprise -me. Look at it
in this way, then. Captain Morstant
disappears. The onlv person in Lon-
don whom he could have visited is
having lward that he was in London_
Four yeftes later Sholto dies. Within
a week of his death, Captain Morstan's
daughter receives a valuable present,
which ie repeated. from year to year,
and now cuhnivates in a letter whieh.
describes her it8 it wronged woman.
Whet wrong ean it. refer to except this
deprivation of her father ? And why
should the presents begin immediatel3s
after Sholto's death, unless it is that
mystery, and desires to make compen-
maim t' Have you any alternative
theory which will meet the facts?"
"But what a strong.° compensation
And how strangely made ! Why, too,
should ho write a letter noes-, rather
than six years apo,?. Again, the letter
.epeaks of giving her justice. What
justice can she have ? It is too much
to stipp080 that her father is still alive.
There is no other injustice in her ease
that you know of."
"There lire (Utiles-titles ; there are core
thinly difficulties," amid Sherlock
:Holmes, pensively. "But our expedi-
tion of to-ni,ght will salve them all.
Ali, here is a four -wheeler, and Miss
Morstan is inside. Are you. all ready
Then we had better po down, for it is a.
little past the limns '
I picked up my hate and my heaviest
stick, but I observed that Holmes took
his revolver from hie drawer and
tamed it into his pocket. It was clear •
that he thought our night's work might
be a serious one.
Miss Morstan 'War, muffled. in a dark
cloak. and her sensitive feet,. was com-
posed, but pale. She must have been.
more than woman if she did not feel
some uneasiness at the strange enter-
prise -upon which we were embarkina .
yet her self-control 11,118 perfect, and
sits readily answered. the few addi-
"M tjor Sholto was a very partici/IA
rim]. of -papa's," elle said.. "His tette ea
svera full of allusions to tho major Ile
Mil papa, Were in command of the
roops at the Andaman Islands, so they
vere thrown a Arent deal together. By
he way, a curious paper W118 101111(.1 irt
apa'a desk \Odell no one could. under -
tend. don't suppose that it is of tho
-ou might care to see it, 80 I brought
ti with me, It is here."
Holincs unfolded tho paper carefully
utl.- smoothed. it out upon his knee.
lie then very methodically examined
t all over with his double Ions.
"It is. paper of native Indian mane -
acture,"" he, remarked. "It has at
ome Hine been pinned to a board.
The diagram upon it appears to be
don of part of a large building, wi.th
numerotni corridors, and pas-
sagee. At one point is a small eross
lone in red ink, and above it is "B.37
rom loft," in faded pencil-writina.
Induce like four (Tosses in a line with
heir arum touching. Bred& it is ,
han Small, Mahomet Singh, Abdullah
than, Dost Akbar.' No, I eonfesse that
ception disproves the rule. Have yen t
ver Alta occasion to study character in 1
handwriting ? What do you make of
this fellow a scribble?"
"It ie legible and regular," I answer -
el "A man of business habits and
I do not see how this beers upon the
matter ! Yet it is evidently a doeu-
nent of importanee. It has been kept :
arefully in a pocket -book ; for the one
ale is as clean as the other."
"It was in his pocket -book that We
mind it."
forstan, for it may prove to he of 1180
o us. begin to stispect that this
atter linty turn out to bo much deeper ,
nd more subtle than I at, first sup-
osed. must reconsider my ideas."
some force of diameter," s
Holmes shook his head. "Look n.t
his long letters," he Raid. "They hard- f
ly ritet above the minium herd. That
of (diameter always differentiate their t
long letters, however illegibly they al
may write. There is vacillation in his a
k's and self-esteem in his capitals, I a
am going. out now, I have some feW 1r
references to make. Let me recoms
mend this book—oim of the most re-