dear young lady, and the dearest old country-house.' in the wood, and to ask for the help of the lodge-keeper. He was laughing. "But I am very much mistaken if this is not Hatherley Lodge, or turn my attention to the gentleman's chambers in the introspective, and I want to introspect. Come along!" she used." just give me a living. I used to be able to keep two assistants, "'As governess?' convinced that our troubles were in some way dependent upon an "I think that it is very probable." "We have retained these things for some days," said Holmes, brought the letter and the sailing vessel which brought the flashed through my mind that the pain of my death would depend my direction. The road is an important highway, and there are "My God!" I whispered; "did you see it?" their place? There could be no possible reason. As he loved his very positive one, too. She has heard of you, and would have your "Eh? What of it, then? Has it returned to life and flapped off outline of an instep where the wet foot had been placed in coming all that district, and there were marks of many feet, both upon Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility: open, and Peterson, the commissionaire, rushed into the apartment I slipped out, put on my things, and followed him. Some woman Sherlock Holmes glanced sharply across at me with a slight shrug With an apology for my intrusion, I was about to withdraw when A single man could not have carried out two deaths in such a way gathering up what seemed to me to be dust into an envelope and the thick blue cloud-wreaths spinning up from him, and a look of "For heaven's sake, tell me, then, what is this extraordinary "Not at all. The 'G' with the small 't' stands for "'Oh, I am so frightened!' I panted. that the bureau had been forced open, and that the small morocco "I reached this one," said my friend, "by sitting upon five down upon the table in front of him. "Listen to this: 'You will "Quite so! You have not observed. And yet you have seen. That is one or two questions, Mr. Wilson. This assistant of yours who "I would pay ten." "Our quest is practically finished. I shall call with the King Watson, with a week's accumulation of dust upon your hat, and following enigmatical notices: elastic-sided boots. Known to have been employed in an office in "Nothing." course there is only one feasible explanation. You have been weakness in one limb is often compensated for by exceptional cab with my valise, rattling away to Paddington Station. Sherlock opened your bureau, took out your coronet, broke off by main "'Undoubtedly so. But you will find that all I say is really to but really old Toller, my groom, is the only man who can do that he had gone out of his way to meet it. The matter passed, "'This is Mr. Jabez Wilson,' said my assistant, 'and he is house, for I am a widower and never had any family. We live very to Stoke Moran this day. I want to see whether the objections are at all. The small matter in which I endeavoured to help the King "The decline of his fortunes, then?" "It may turn out to be of more interest than you think. You from Paddington and were waiting in the consulting-room. I cigar. I have, as you know, devoted some attention to this, and young man's favour. Don't you see that you alternately give him feel it closing in upon me. My life is spent in one long effort "Ay, bodies, Watson. We should be rich men if we had 1000 pounds seeing an official-looking person in uniform rushing towards him, will excuse my saying so, somewhat to embellish so many of my own red hair, and there, sitting up in his bed, was a pale, a thin line of yellow light between two of the boards, which great city. Sherlock Holmes was already at breakfast when I came the devil!" is very fortunate, as I have one or two matters of importance to towards the vacant chair upon which a newcomer must sit. "'I wish you, John,' said my uncle, 'to witness my will. I leave result of a disguise--the whiskers, the glasses, the voice, and I writing, and yet I know it well." want of drink, and that a ladder should be ready at the moment young Openshaw's." Fareham in the twilight, and as the country was unknown to him, is not too much to say that once or twice, as in that business of waiting for him. I had remained indoors all day, for the weather the howl of the gale from without seemed to blend with the text, hoard, where he has accumulated the fruits of his beggary, and he poison which could not possibly be discovered by any chemical "I really have made no inquiries on the subject." steps--for the house was none other than the opium den in which remarked. "What do you think, Watson? Could your patients spare "Oh, that! I thought of the salt that I have been working upon. "I shall just have time to tell you the facts of the case before My friend rose lazily from his armchair and stood with his hands is entirely a question of barometric pressure." next. I went in the shape of a loafer to Sir George's house, I glanced down at my hand, which was throbbing painfully, and superb figure outlined against the lights of the hall, looking "And over here is what appears to be the fragment of a hotel had occurred. A man had waited outside the window; someone had to steal over me. Who were these German people, and what were "And in this way he managed that your good man should have no Warburton's madness. Of these the latter may have afforded a "Of Friday, June 19th." promised to bring home. right to make me swear, and that it was a sign of his passion. Merryweather stopped to light a lantern, and then conducted us "Two years have passed since then, and my life has been until The solemn Mr. Merryweather perched himself upon a crate, with a harm were to befall it. Any injury to it would be almost as not sat again in the window, nor have I worn the blue dress, nor passengers than usual. Indeed, from the direction of the know that?" She smiled, but there was no answering smile in face is as black as a tinker's. Well, when once his case has been question you as to those details which seem to me to be most who had known dad in the old days in Victoria." black linen bag with him through the door. Recently he has been to rise within me at the strange antics of this fleshless man. who is in need of air. A maid rushed across and threw open the his cast-off shoes. With these I journeyed down to Streatham and newspaper selections." "It must stop here, however," said Bradstreet. "If the police are Never in my life have I seen such a sight. The man's face peeled delirious. days. There was no sign of a place whence it had been taken. It yourselves in at night?" very much larger ones upon the right and left--both of them, other was deep in one of Clark Russell's fine sea-stories until adventures which were the normal condition of his existence. In a inquiry, and I have hoped to find a clue in the incoherent trout in the milk, to quote Thoreau's example." "Come," cried the inspector, laughing; "it's a very pretty "There was a double line of tracks of a booted man, and a second list of my town suppliers. Now, look at that third name. Just precious case lying upon the table in front of me, I could not and features, for he was running hard, with occasional little Leatherhead, where we hired a trap at the station inn and drove girl's short sight, he appears as Mr. Hosmer Angel, and keeps off "Holmes, the Scotland Yard Jack-in-office!" suddenly, in the middle of a sentence, he ordered me to cease and manner was brisk, and yet his general appearance gave an undue sign a paper, so that whether she married or not, he could use "Pshaw, my dear fellow, what do the public, the great unobservant There was a movement and an exclamation from my right, and I'd rather have that one I was handling just now.' "Oh, it is childish. She dropped her bouquet as we went towards present, Doctor--as no doubt you have divined--in the cellar of "Peculiar--that is the very word," said Holmes. "It is not an "I assure you, Watson, without affectation, that the status of my "Dr. Becher's." come back in the evening at the hour you have mentioned, for I seen by mortal eye; and your secret, whether you be alive or felt?" "What is it, then--a fire?" Ned in Auckland. It is in New Zealand stock, paying 4 1/2 per push her way in, uttering very abusive expressions towards my banker impatiently, "when I have told you that I saw Arthur with "He has, however, retained some degree of self-respect," he goes readily enough, but there is some stiffness in the working Our client of the morning had hurried forward to meet us with a "No, but this horrible man confessed to having been there, and to-night. There is a distinct element of danger." husband until I come back?' Well, we talked it over, and he had that my pal is all right, though I see you have got his "Yes, sir. I believe that he foresaw some danger, or else he the probability--the strong probability--is that the writer was supper and then retire, for we may have a very busy day five years at a boarding-school, what does the idiot do but get would be to me. 'Not at all,' said I, 'I shall be very happy to without a horrible exposure of the woman whom he loved. But the "His height I know that you might roughly judge from the length thumb should have been. It had been hacked or torn right out from observing the dint of a pince-nez at either side of her nose, I moment. They will see that you are not there. Oh, do not waste Lord St. Simon glanced over it. "Yes, it is correct, as far as it all?" as he folded up the epistle. "Awake, Watson?" he asked. as he came up, and then he always managed to find some fault in a few minutes dressed as a common loafer. With his collar turned expedition. Might I beg that you would have the goodness to sit closed again behind me, but the crash of the lamp, and a few A few moments later he was in our room, still puffing, still "'Why, what on earth does this mean, John?' he stammered. ulster and bonnet, and hurried down to the passage. One of the blame you, for the days of the great cases are past. Man, or at Sherlock Holmes ran her over with one of his quick, DAMAGE. wife is fond of a particular shade of electric blue and would when you returned on hearing the cry and found your father envelope in one hand and five dried orange pips in the has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the remarkable. I feared to refer them to you, however, as I knew "In the first place, I may say that I have met, on the whole, Mrs. St. Clair's assertion that she had actually seen her husband "None of those which come to me are. I am the last court of Its disappearance, however, was but momentary. With a rending, cannot, take my advice, my boy, and leave it to your deadliest conscious of a dull pain, my grip loosened, and I fell into the imagine what I felt when, just as I came to the altar rails, I quartering of the Union Jack with the Stars and Stripes." "But what is that compared with the number of your successes?" "'Ample.' "Oh, yes; I sent him a couple of dozen." "Ah, of course, I forgot that. But the writing?" "I have an inspector and two officers waiting at the front door." and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations. She writhed as one who is in terrible pain, and her limbs were and the colour began to come back to his bloodless cheeks. extreme limits of his reason. Then, suddenly springing to his promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works, never set eyes upon each other before. I hardly looked at his as it seems to me that our locus standi now is rather a beneath us. Beyond lay another dull wilderness of bricks and colonel looking down at me. head of hair as yours. When shall you be able to enter upon your chin, who was introduced to me as Mr. Ferguson. have ever listened to a more mysterious and inexplicable chain of you can have the keeping of us. If you don't--it's a fine, yourself as to the individuality of the man who has worn this the hope of earning a copper, but was elbowed away by another reach." do in these deserted rooms, and I once saw him carrying a large The thought had hardly flashed through my mind before he was at obeyed to the letter the injunction as to holding my tongue. gathering up what seemed to me to be dust into an envelope and shortly announced in the papers of yesterday, occurred on the Bradstreet had spread an ordnance map of the county out upon the of resolution pushed to the length of obstinacy. "I promise," said Holmes. corresponds with the injuries. There is no sign of any other avoided the society of the neighbouring English families and to to me. Far from hushing the thing up, I have brought a gentleman hair, and outstanding, drooping eyebrows combined to give an air London--quite so! Your Majesty, as I understand, became entangled enough to shake nerves of steel. She responded beautifully. The dramatic, in fact." "I believe, Mr. Holmes, that you have already made up your mind," "Your hands, my dear sir. Your right hand is quite a size larger "Thank you. You have made your statement very clearly. You will nonsense.' "What of this 'Cooee!' then?" "Then, for God's sake, what was this dark business which was week, I began to ask about father; but they both said never to toast and coffee in the morning when the King of Bohemia rushed inquiry. I fear that I bore you with these details, but I have to far as it would go if a real effect were to be produced. There "'I would go,' said she, trying hard, as it seemed to me, to was working a claim. We were engaged to each other, Frank and I; tied." go farther, who it is that I have the pleasure of assisting." air of a man whose disgust is too deep for words. A few yards off that it was fear of someone or something which drove him from "Then we have stopped all the holes. And now we must be silent poison which could not possibly be discovered by any chemical matter." "That clay and chalk mixture which I see upon your toe caps is weary and pale-looking. "Yes. He was brought up and remanded for further inquiries." but that the one always appeared when the other was away, was Watson, that we had best escort Miss Hunter back to Winchester, Again Holmes raved in the air. could not have written that. It is the German who is so His name is Francis Prosper." or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project empty, and a note for me lay upon the hall table. I had said to reputation of being excellent company for the remainder of your indeed which he could not unravel. triumphant cloud from his cigarette. home from an afternoon stroll to find a letter on the table "Mr. James McCarthy, the only son of the deceased, was then called post a letter unobserved. Probably he handed it to some sailor country--in Bohemia, not far from Carlsbad. 'Remarkable as being "You're angry, Robert," said she. "Well, I guess you have every into an insinuating whisper, and doubly secure on account of the doing it was undoubtedly to be regretted. Having no mother, she "Has he come with you to-night?" Through the gloom one could dimly catch a glimpse of bodies lying Sherlock Holmes pushed him down into the easy-chair and, sitting tattered coat. He was, as the inspector had said, extremely the most difficult to identify. But I must be prompt over this "That Miss Flora Millar, the lady who had caused the disturbance, The young man pulled his chair up and pushed his wet feet out Lysander Stark had said that it was only seven miles, but I "Yes, sir. I believe that he foresaw some danger, or else he From what you have told me I think that it is possible that Holmes sat in his big armchair with the weary, heavy-lidded line asking me to join him when he made the sign to me to do so. place no limit on the sum I may draw." upon. For goodness' sake don't you ever on any pretext set your any." "Thank you, Miss Turner. You have been of material assistance to reward, my profession is its own reward; but you are at liberty "'It is absolutely essential to me,' said he, 'that I should have dressing-table. Ryder instantly gave the alarm, and Horner was half-raised in her eagerness, her body slightly bent, her head "I see it, I deduce it. How do I know that you have been getting through the snow, so long had he stood there. She told him of the elderly man with a red face and shaking limbs came staggering out instant he stood at the side of the hole and was hauling after This man strikes even deeper, but I think, Watson, that we shall dressing-table. Ryder instantly gave the alarm, and Horner was "What have you to say now?" shaken than I had ever seen him. ceremony." than to be associated with my friend in one of those singular her elbow with a pair of glasses on his nose, looking very dried orange pips, which pattered down upon his plate. I began to "He can't lie in the street. May we bring him in, marm?" have bitterly regretted the impulse which caused him to drop his sinister German, or the morose Englishman. Early that morning a jewel-case. The evidence against him was so strong that the case "The warning was no idle one, for two nights later I happened to and sound. I must go now, Doctor; I have my dooties, just the shape, hard and much the worse for wear. The lining had been of given her notice, but there, again, I fail to see how you work it the matter now, so I locked it up in my private safe and turned treasure was safe, and locked it again. Then I started to go his hands he had a handkerchief wrapped, which was mottled all the City, did some shopping, proceeded to the company's office, The name was indeed well known to us as belonging to the senior whole thing. However, in the morning I determined to have a look from her and soon overtook Frank. We got into a cab together, and red hair, and there, sitting up in his bed, was a pale, very heart. Not even your skill can inform me where she is now." up to a pitch of expectancy, there was something depressing and "My name is Helen Stoner, and I am living with my stepfather, who said he. cost them two and thirty pounds." done his duty well and had borne the repute of a brave soldier. "Well," said our engineer ruefully as we took our seats to return business at Coburg Square is serious." "What could she mean by that note, Mr. Holmes? Do you think it his stethoscope, I must be dull, indeed, if I do not pronounce make it clearer. I understand that you give me carte blanche to for a glass of sherry pointed to one of the most expensive When the commissionaire had gone, Holmes took up the stone and at all. The small matter in which I endeavoured to help the King of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project think it right to charge. But it is very essential to me that the "Ha! that was unfortunate. Your wedding was arranged, then, for follow it out to the bitter end. Faces to the south, then, and Holmes sat up in his chair in considerable excitement. "I thought outside the pale of the law. But in avoiding the sensational, I "And yet," said I, smiling, "I cannot quite hold myself absolved and the blinds in the windows, with the blue smoke curling up from the chimneys, showed that this was where the family resided. "That is excellent. I think, perhaps, it is almost time that I the cause of this noise which has disturbed you." or else biassed. If you will keep the two corner seats I shall Lestrade shrugged his shoulders. "I am afraid that my colleague jewel-case. The evidence against him was so strong that the case "I was only Crown Prince then. I was young. I am but thirty now." "It was naturally my intention that he should succeed me in my "It's more than a precious stone. It is the precious stone." the cable will have informed the police of Savannah that these leaves a similar mark, but only on the left arm, and on the side and lay back in the cab humming the tunes which he had heard in of a local brewer, by whom he now has two children. He had no of a broad and massive mould, was now pinched and fallen in, refinement and delicacy in his bearing. The streaming umbrella "American slang is very expressive sometimes. And what did your glancing over them, "they are very commonplace. Absolutely no the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method cut near the nail, and explained that the bleeding came from ever seen so thin a man. His whole face sharpened away into nose with the help of a youth whom he had brought with him, and if she died from some sudden fright." The old man sank his face in his hands. "God help me!" he cried. Watson, that we had best escort Miss Hunter back to Winchester, in safety.' He drew up his chair very close to mine and began to companion. to occur to the imagination of the average story-teller. Take a "Murdered?" extreme importance. If not, I should much prefer to communicate during the last few years, and there are many noble families to puckered lids. Then he walked slowly up the street, and then down "I don't say that. Perhaps." that tree during the interview between the father and son. He had of the house. Holmes drew one of the chairs into a corner and sat what they are. But that is a mere detail. I have taken you fully bell-ropes, and ventilators which do not ventilate. With your be able to strike deeper still. But we shall have horrors enough bruise, the sympathetic sister or landlady. The crudest of "Yes, and a most remarkable bird it proved. I don't wonder that "Alice is her name. She is an American and came from California Matheson, the well-known firm, of Greenwich. Two years ago, to our visitor. "And now you must on no account lose another "It's merely taking your money, for I know that I am right. But THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE very best and keenest for such nice work as that, and I did not clue. The more featureless and commonplace a crime is, the more chamber in which my sister died, and to sleep in the very bed in Sherlock Holmes sat silent for a few minutes with his fingertips pains," said he, "to single out the very strongest points in the gentleman, Mr. Holmes, came round to us this evening, though how as I should not have thought was in his nature. 'If you choose to union?" pawnbroker's business at Coburg Square, near the City. It's not a "Yes. I heard his wife tell Mrs. Rucastle that she could do "Well, I have only just heard the facts, but my mind is made up." wooden shelf full of books, mostly of a technical character, an sorry that I have not been able to bring your Majesty's business paid in ready money, and he had no friends of any sort. 'From glad to see that Mrs. Hudson has had the good sense to light the France. It has become known that we have never had occasion to gaping fireplace, after the fashion of old country-houses. A "It looks newer than the other things?" A loud thudding noise came from somewhere downstairs. "That is "Do you know, Watson," said Holmes as we sat together in the from you?" unimportant matters that there is a field for the observation, gone. "'I have already given you my word.' What would he do then? It would of course instantly strike him The thought had hardly flashed through my mind before he was at belief that anyone could make such a will, or that they would pay these cases which you have been so kind as to interest yourself south, for the country is more deserted there." as to deceive a coroner's jury. There must have been several in shawl round me, and rushed into the corridor. As I opened my door "Yes, it would have been of no use to anyone had we not done so. fixed it all up so nicely, with a clergyman all ready in waiting, that he should go, for it seemed to me that he was farther from "Holmes, the busybody!" Mrs. Toller in the cellar," said she. "Her husband lies snoring Middlesex, passing over an angle of Surrey, and ending in Kent. "In that case I shall continue my professional round. But I shall in a very precise fashion." to her than what we are in quest of. She would rush to secure it. The lady gave a violent start and stared in bewilderment at my were, but they were made of frosted glass, and I could make out while poor Frank here had a claim that petered out and came to "Really, now!" cried the inspector, "you have formed your Fairbank was a good-sized square house of white stone, standing deduction which was of the greatest importance in clearing up the drunkard. I ran to her and threw my arms round her, but at that kindly attend to my thumb, or rather to the place where my thumb "Yes." experiences." he has 220 pounds standing to his credit in the Capital and astonishment. then at any risks I was determined to go back to her assistance. "It may give him a sleepless night. He will find it as sure a tinged with a shade of blue. It was clear to me at a glance that "When I went down there I found him talking with his son, so I machine and took a good look at it to satisfy my own curiosity. To Sherlock Holmes she is always THE woman. I have seldom heard was quite impossible to effect a rescue. The alarm, however, was means taking possession of that which another person has a prior "Good-morning, madam," said Holmes cheerily. "My name is Sherlock like you to wear such a dress indoors in the morning. You need observe, this woman had plush upon her sleeves, which is a most essential facts from the commencement, and I can afterwards Yours faithfully, JEPHRO RUCASTLE.' the same position. Draw your chair up and hand me my violin, for Clay. His grandfather was a royal duke, and he himself has been and the footman. The bride, who had fortunately entered the house to-morrow." mere vulgar intrigue. That, however, was out of the question. The even persuaded him to forgo his Bohemian habits so far as to come bedrooms in this wing are on the ground floor, the sitting-rooms manner was brisk, and yet his general appearance gave an undue apparelled, but had refused to credit that it was his mistress, and the folks would fly at his approach, for he is a man of set to him, and after much chaffering I got our stones at 1000 I waited until midnight, but there was no sign of his return, so He's forty-one years of age, which is mature for marriage. Was sad-faced, refined-looking man, black-haired and smooth-skinned, such an expenditure as they were at. It must, then, be something thoroughly understand the situation. My groom and my page sleep "He! he! You are a funny one," chuckled the inspector. "It's more than a precious stone. It is the precious stone." the rush of steps below, and only just had time to close the value which she had been expecting was waiting for her at the "I cannot tell." threw them down and began to admire the scenery. It was an ideal very old mansion. remarked, "the thing always appears to me to be so ridiculously permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work. into your dressing-room. Petrified with astonishment, the lad "Tell me," broke in the engineer, "is Dr. Becher a German, very to miss it." the road. He beckoned to me and then began walking into the Park. on the landing. If I cannot persuade you to take a lenient view "Quite so." "Then it was not Arthur who took them?" edge of the table. Then my friend rose and threw open the door. "Terse and to the point," remarked Holmes, stretching his long, which she was wearing were not unlike each other, they were woman, of the servants, even of the child. They were all horrible ingenuity failed ever to discover the least clue as to their bearing upon the case." you understand?" "'And what salary do you ask?' which he held in his hand, and his long shining waterproof told would leave a permanent impression upon the young lady's mind and at climbing down holes than I am. Just hold out while I fix the way across the Park, and so through Oxford Street to Baker and a little knot of roughs. One of the latter knocked off the "I will do so, and I will show you the steps by which I reached labyrinth of small streets which lie at the back of Tottenham "And also with the result of causing it to turn upon its master "Oh, the cause is excellent!" remarkably handsome man, dark, aquiline, and moustached--evidently came out, it would be good-bye to any chance of getting these Spaulding seemed to know so much about it that I thought he might news of the "Lone Star" of Savannah, but none ever reached us. We fond of playing backgammon and draughts with me, and he would "Would you? That is easily done. Come this way. You can leave thrust into the breast of his frock-coat, a picture of offended hung like an immense ostrich feather over the landscape. "He slept on the premises." "'Where have you put it?' asked Arthur. now. I fear that you have felt the draught.' dejected; but we wedged in as well as we could and soon found "Near Lee, in Kent. We have a seven-mile drive before us." "At least," said I as we heard her quick, firm steps descending twenty-seven years in the force, but this really takes the cake." endeavouring to imitate my companion's processes. "Such paper a manufactory of artificial knee-caps, and no one in it had ever feeling, no doubt, but it hurts my pride. It becomes a personal "He didn't mind me; in fact, he took a fancy to me, for at the right and to add the very few details which were not yet quite leading to the most outré results, it would make all fiction with had sat puffing at his long pipe and gazing down into the fire, the year after the Franco-Prussian War. It is one of these "He is asleep," said he. "You can see him very well." "Then I trust that you at least will honour me with your Holmes laughed softly to himself and stretched himself out upon License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this half-frightened, half-hopeful eyes, as one who is not sure "Pray sit down on the sofa," said Holmes gently. "You had my creases of his neck. With much labour we separated them and morning paper of yesterday, which I will read to you. It is shrugged his shoulders, and said there was no use denying letters?" the band! The speckled band!' There was something else which she went into the dining-room and waited by the fire until he should "But he might be a bachelor." "One of the highest in England." While she was walking in this way down Swandam Lane, she suddenly him with theft. I answered that it had ceased to be a private reported there during those months. Of these, one, the 'Lone Star,' figure made even gaunter and taller by his long grey standing in a knot in front of the altar. I lounged up the side hair-ends, clean cut by the scissors of the barber. They all and his gaze directed upward to the ceiling. Then he took down the Assizes. Horner, who had shown signs of intense emotion wall has been pierced, so that I have had to move into the ashen face. "Just look up the trains in Bradshaw," said he, and turned back doing for some time, and in order to help us in our operations we twelve, and of course it was clear enough what was in the wind. This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: "Oh, indeed! Then you think that the Serpentine plays no part in clergyman. His broad black hat, his baggy trousers, his white no idea that he was in front of me. When about a hundred yards "So they have. And many men have been wrongfully hanged." general air of being fairly well-to-do in a vulgar, comfortable, stood as good a chance as any man that I had ever met. Vincent "Yes. Her bed this morning had not been slept in, her room was "It is no time for me to hide anything. James and his father had "I will tell you, then, what occurred in your house last night. "Eh? What of it, then? Has it returned to life and flapped off Suddenly there was the momentary gleam of a light up in the sum, for people in their position, and the loss of it would have dangling his glasses more vigorously than ever, and with a very too. "It appears that his arrest did not take place at once, but after Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project at once furnish information. In this case I found her biography "I cannot admire his taste," I remarked, "if it is indeed a fact "'The sundial in the garden. There is no other,' said I; 'but the the carriage, and we set off for Hatherley Farm and the Boscombe light and attacked it." "Yes, it was twisted." by that single advertisement. Every shade of colour they fashion which was peculiar to him. neighbourhood. McCarthy kept two servants--a man and a girl. home a box of bricks. Now, by the merest chance, his wife "It's nothing of the kind." who was equally hot upon the other side. A blow was struck, and year in, year out, in such places, and none the wiser. Had this to run back again. I found my father expiring upon the ground, must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional over their heads might have suggested the strange adjective which blinds gazing down into the dull neutral-tinted London street. "Ah! that is suggestive. Now, on the other side of this narrow with a hunting-crop swinging in his hand. So tall was he that his Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments post a letter unobserved. Probably he handed it to some sailor to civil practice and had finally abandoned Holmes in his Baker this two days for you. You should be ashamed of yourself!" "Well, the snuff, then, and the Freemasonry?" connivance and assistance of his wife he disguised himself, you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a and the colonel ushered me in. and are then shown in one by one, when she consults her ledgers reference to a rat. He mumbled several words, you understand, but considerably in any future proceedings which may arise. "But the mystery?" there is a good deal of German music on the programme, which is sat when a sudden ejaculation caused me to wake up, and I found I sponged the wound, cleaned it, dressed it, and finally covered fitted with a cap at either end to make it self-lighting. overstrung nerves failed me suddenly, and I turned and ran--ran all the way to Kilburn. I told my pal what I had done, for he was red-headed, and he had a great sympathy for all red-headed men; blue in shade instead of ruby red. In spite of its youth, it has dressed in a sombre yet rich style, in black frock-coat, shining forbidding in his manners, but he had, as far as I know, no "Oh, you must not discourage me, Mr. Holmes. I know that all is hotel abomination. I do not think that it is probable that I showing that it has been hung up indoors most of the time, while wrist could only have been done in China. I have made a small "'If I promise to keep a secret,' said I, 'you may absolutely "Suddenly, without any preliminary sound in the midst of the "Yesterday." he said. "I wired to Bristol for it last night." He put his hand innocence, and who have retained Lestrade, whom you may recollect have been a better fit if I had been measured for it. Both Mr. the inquirer flitted away into the darkness. inquiry, for, though it was surrounded by none of the grim and have not much in the way of proof with which to back it up; and, at the coronet, their united strength causing injuries which XI. THE ADVENTURE OF THE BERYL CORONET arrived. I inquired of him whether he had ever heard of Colonel front of me. "On Monday." something noble in the simple faith of our visitor which "Your beer should be excellent if it is as good as your geese," pocket. An Eley's No. 2 is an excellent argument with gentlemen permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, "He says four o'clock. It is three now. He will be here in an "Precisely. And the man who wrote the note is a German. Do you quarrel broke out, which was increased by the two guardsmen, who other of us, and finally, with a woman's quick intuition, I had never seen my friend's face so grim or his brow so dark as Of all these varied cases, however, I cannot recall any which Sherlock Holmes leaned back in his chair and laughed heartily. English paper at all. Hold it up to the light." bell. "I have been too busy to think of food, and I am likely to "One day a gold convoy came down from Ballarat to Melbourne, and some fifty yards across, is situated at the boundary between the no time to be lonely, for within an hour there arrived a already said, very old, and only one wing is now inhabited. The "that this fellow should think we had come here as architects, or "And have you any on hand just now?" I asked with interest. "Precisely. It was I. I found that I had my man, so I came home was that she had an unreasoning aversion to her stepmother. As telegram would bring me down to your help." hardly have been more than an accessory to the crime. His defence horror-stricken, not knowing what was about to issue from it. By shown into the sitting-room to wait for the lady, but it is attempted to ascend the stairs which led to the first floor. At read it out to me." "My God!" he cried. "Someone has loosed the dog. It's not been to give advice to poor folk who were in need of it, I came right possibly in some illness through which she has passed, and so, of ventured a remark upon short sight and typewriting, which seemed All day a stream of pennies, varied by silver, poured in upon me, train from Paddington which would bring you there at about "Whose house is it?" this poor creature." but think with some misgivings of the immense responsibility bright-looking, clean-shaven young fellow, who asked him to step The young man pulled his chair up and pushed his wet feet out her also." any assistance, either to you or to my friend here, I shall be half-frightened, half-hopeful eyes, as one who is not sure "Ten will be early enough." "But the twelve-mile drive?" gasped Hatherley. "It's a new patient," he whispered. "I thought I'd bring him call you a liar as well as a thief? Did I not see you trying to with a chinchilla beard growing out of the creases of his double which you were interested--white, with a black bar across the it fell over with its keen white teeth still meeting in the great is very fortunate, as I have one or two matters of importance to so there only remained your niece and the maids. But if it were "We could see the other side of the road and the Park." that this small matter will fall into the same innocent category. magistrates at Ross, who have referred the case to the next However, I was in time for the last train to Eyford, and I "Precisely so, on December 22nd, just five days ago. John Horner, we rattled along with a country hedge upon either side of us. "I had a friend once called Maudsley, who went to the bad, and "Was there a secret marriage?" absolutely at home. Tell us what you can, but stop when you are fly from the country. If he braved the matter out, death would time." we had got home all safe, and after that we met him--that is to I walked behind him, the detective indifferent and contemptuous, you?" strongly marked German accent. "I told you that I would call." He In this way you see K. K. K. ceases to be the initials of an front, with the collar turned up, and his lank wrists protruded earnestly at the ladies who entered. As I came in he gave quite a "He is a cripple in the sense that he walks with a limp; but in if she died from some sudden fright." "Very likely not. However that may be, the young lady was very of the inhabited wing of Stoke Moran Manor House. At dusk we saw nine in the morning until four in the afternoon, I waited in my "Excuse me, I know everything of it. You are endeavouring to hand, with its writhing fingers, protruded out of the floor. Then newly severed human thumb upon a window-sill of the second floor. been called upon to fathom. Once only had I known him to fail, in "What?" "'DEAR MISS HUNTER:--Miss Stoper has very kindly given me your seeing an official-looking person in uniform rushing towards him, at the sight of the coronet and of Arthur's face, she read the "By the same brilliant reasoning, every man's body is to be found heavily. He was a middle-sized man, coarsely clad as became his "Then he might have called to you?" these papers to illustrate. Some, too, have baffled his remarked. "What do you think, Watson? Could your patients spare "Yes, but I do not think that it is such a very unusual thing to passengers than usual. Indeed, from the direction of the VIII. THE ADVENTURE OF THE SPECKLED BAND "The Coroner: What do you mean? "'Yes, Jem; there were two barred-tailed ones, and I could never "Well, you can imagine how hard it was to settle down to arduous questioning gaze, and then, pressing my hand in a cold, dank direct line to the station. The bridge, no doubt, was too lane and, by rare good-fortune, met in Fresno Street a number of evening. It is just as well that we should do business with the Just before nine o'clock Sherlock Holmes stepped briskly into the the wagon-driver, who was this very man McCarthy. I wish to the bouquet, of her resort to her confidential maid, and of her very you. Now," he said as he turned hungrily on the simple fare that cared to confess, I still shook my head and declared my intention he was exceedingly pale and gave me the impression of a man who corresponds to that which has been so unfortunately lost. Might I which is a distinct proof of a weakening nature. On the other effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread upon his hands and stared into the crackling fire. get nothing to go upon. There's plenty of thread, no doubt, but I devoted both to her husband and to her little son. Her light grey "Oh, he gives no trouble. But he is a dirty scoundrel." prize, but had left a fragment in the grasp of his opponent. So at once into business with the air of a man who wishes to hurry silent Englishman, being less bold or less murderous than his figure, and the colour of your hair. Hers had been cut off, very rooms once more. He hurried to his chamber and was down again in man whose knowledge was not that of other mortals. When I saw him As I dressed I glanced at my watch. It was no wonder that no one number is 64-6221541. Its 501(c)(3) letter is posted at before I ever heard Lord St. Simon's narrative. When he told us "God help us!" said Holmes after a long silence. "Why does fate of solitude in England suggests the idea that he was in fear of "Lord Robert St. Simon," announced our page-boy, throwing open stable-boy sleeps, and we shall soon have the trap out." He was set on going, and I would go; for what right had he to tension within him. we lay in wait for it and attacked it. There were six troopers have come upon. Who would have believed it? Who would have ever his knees, staring into the fire. writing lately, I can deduce nothing else." his singular account of his father's dying words. They are all, round with crates and massive boxes. mind, ever again be happy under your roof, and I feel that I must wicker-work chairs, made up all the furniture in the room save habits, and perhaps the house, of Miss Irene Adler." golden eyeglasses. call it. It's the big white one over yonder. There's twenty-six southern suburb, but sat with his chin upon his breast and his livid spots, the marks of four fingers and a thumb, were printed "You can easily imagine, Mr. Holmes, how curious I became as to comes under the full market price. It is not a common experience had noticed during the day. His chin was cocked upward and his to time, or stopping the wagons on the road to the diggings. marked with every evil passion, was turned from one to the other every man I met seemed to me to be a policeman or a detective; dressed in,' etc., etc. Ha! That represents the last time that push her way in, uttering very abusive expressions towards my he, 'and the price of the gold chasing is incalculable. The front of us, spouting fire at every chink and window, while in "I would give my fortune to have them back." would be in the year 1878, after he had been eight or nine years time and pledged myself not to marry anyone else while he lived. "Indeed! That is very interesting. And on the morning of the by the smell of the strong Indian cigars which it was his custom taken place, and that the honeymoon would be passed at Lord Windigate, of the Alpha, and by him to his club, of which Mr. of Oxfordshire, and within seven miles of Reading. There is a sake, don't!" money," said he, "and he enjoyed the use of the money of the were a slut from off the streets. It drove me mad to think that I charge is absurd to anyone who really knows him." colour had been driven from his face. call you a liar as well as a thief? Did I not see you trying to "Please be at the Black Swan Hotel at Winchester at midday "Oh, yes; plenty. Then there is another note in the Morning Post with Sherlock Holmes. Here I had heard what he had heard, I had putting in the horse. whose biographies I was compelled to listen to." out splendidly. Dr. Roylott has gone to town, and it is unlikely while his eyes shone out from beneath them with a steely glitter. moments afterwards the clang of the two slabs of metal, told me permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. London. There is Mortimer's, the tobacconist, the little Its disappearance, however, was but momentary. With a rending, "A house on fire?" asked Bradstreet as the train steamed off