The Horry herald. (Conway, S.C.) 1886-1923, May 01, 1913, Image 5
THE RED HEA
BY SIR A. CX;
In Throe Parhs.?Part I. ,
I HAD called upon my friend, Mr.
Sherlock Holmes, one day in the '
autumn of last year, and found him
in deep conversation with a very
stout, florid-faced elderly gentleman,
with fiery red hair. With an apology
for my intrusion. 1 was about to
withdraw, when Holmes pulled me
abruptly into the room and closed the
door behind mo.
"You could not possibly have come
at a better time, my dear Watson,"
ho said, cordially.
"1 was afraid that you were engaged."
"So 1 am. Very much so."
"Then I can wait in the next .
room."
"Not at all This pontlnmnn Mr !
Wilson, has boon my partner and j
helper in many of my most successful i
cases, and I have no doubt that he i
will be of the utmost use to me in
yours also."
The stout gentleman half rose from
his chair and gave a bob of greeting,
with a quick little questioning glance
from his small, fat-encircled eyes.
"Try the settee," said Holmes, relapsing
into his armchair, and putting
his finger-tips together, as was
his custom when in judicial moods.
"I know, my dear Watson, that you
share my love of ail that is bizarre
and outside the conventions and
humdrum routine of everyday life.
You have shown your relish for it by
the enthusiasm which has prompted
you to chronicle, and if you will excuse
my saying so, somewhat to embellish
so many of my own little adventures."
"Your cases have indeed been of
the groatost interest to me," I observed.
"You will remember that I remarked
the other day, just before we
went into the very simple problem
presented by Miss Mary Sutherland,
that for strange effects and extraordinary
combinations we must go to
life itself, which is always far more
daring than any effort of the imagination."
"A proposition which I took the
liberty of doubting."
"You did, doctor, but none the less
you must come round to my view, for
otherwise I shall keep on piling fact
upon fact on you, until reason breaks
down under them and acknowledges
me to bo right. Now, Mr. Jabez Wil
son here has been good enough to
call upon me this morning, and to begin
a narrative which promises to bo
, one of the most singular which I
have listened to for some time. You
have heard mo remark that the
strangest and most unique things are
?vsy often connected not with the
larger but with the smaller crimes,
and occasionally, indeed, where there
is room for doubt whether any positive
crime has been committed. As
far as I have heard, it. is impossible '
for mo to say whether the present'
case is an instance of crime or not,
but the course of events is certainly
among the most singular that I have
ever listened to. Perhaps, Mr. Wilson,
you would have the great kind-i
ness to recommence your narrative.
I ask you, not merely because my
friend, Dr. Watson, has not heard the
opening part, but also .because the
peculiar nature of the story makes
me anxious to have every possible detail
from your lips. As a rule, when
I have heard some slight indication
of the course of events I am able to
guide myself by the thousands of
other similar cases which occur to
my memory. In the present instance
I am forced to admit that the facte
are, to the best of my belief, unique."
The portly client puffed out his
chest with an appearance of some
little pride, and pulled a dirty and
wrinkled newspaper from the inside
pocket of his greatcoat. As he glanced
down the advertisement column,
with his head thrust forward, and
the paper (lattened out upon his knee,
I took a good look at the man, and
endeavored, after the fashion of my
companion, to read the indications
which might bo presented by his
dress or appearance.
I did not gain very much, however,
by my inspection. Our visitor bore
every mars oi oeing an average commonplace
British tradesman, obese,
pompous, and slow. He wore rather
haggy gray shepherd's check trousers,
a not over-clean black frock-coat,
unbuttoned in the front, and a drab
waistcoat with a heavy brassy All>ert
chain, and a square bit of metal
dangling down as an ornament. A
frayed top hat and a faded brown
overcoat with a wrinkled velvet collar
lay upon a chair beside him. Altogether,
look as I would, there was
nothing remarkable about the man
save his blazing red head and the expression
o? extreme chagrin and discontent
upon his features.
Sherlock Holmes' quick eye took in
my occupation, and he shook his
head with a smile as he noticed my
questioning glances. "Beyond the
obvious facts that he has at some
time done manual labor, il.at he
takes snuff, that he is a Freemason,
that he has been in China, anC that
he has done a considerable amount
of writing lately, I can deduce nothing
else."
Mr. Jabez Wilson started up in his
chair, with his forefinger upon the
paper, but his eyes upon my companion.
"How, in the name of good fortune,
did you know all that. Mr.
Holmes?" he asked. "How djd you
know, for example, that I did ihanuaL
lDED league
NAN DOYLE.
labor? It's as truo as gospel, for I
began as a ship's carpenter."
"Your hands, my dear sir. Your
right hand Is quit? a size larger than
your left. You have worked with it
and the muscles are more developed."
"Well, the snuff, then, and the
Freemasonry?"
"I won't insult your intelligence by
telling you how 1 read that, especial
ly as, rattier against the strict rules
of your order, you use an arc and
compass breastpin."
"Ah, of course, I forgot that. Rut
" 'This is Mr. Jabez Wilson,' said
my assistant, 'and he is willing to till
a vacancy in the League.'
" 'And he is admirably suited for
it,' the other answered. 'He has every
requirement. I cannot recall
when 1 have seen'anything so fine.'
lie took a step backward, cocked his
head on one side, and gazed at my
hair until I felt quite bashful. Then
suddenly he plunged forward, wrung
my hand, and congratulated me
warmly on my success.
" 'It would he injustice to kesitate,'
said he. 'You will, however, I
am sure, excuse, me for taking an
obvious precaution.' -With that he
seized my hair in both his hands,
and tugged until 1 yelled with the
pain. *1 perceive that all is as it
should be. Rut we have to he careful,
for we have twice been deceived
by wigs and once by paint. I could
tell you tales of cobbler's which
would disgust you with human nature.'
He stepped over to the window
and shouted through it at the
top of his voice that the vacancy was
filled. A groan of disappointment
came up from below, and the folk all
trooped away in different directions,
until there was not a red head to Ve
seen except my own and that of the
manager,
the writing?"
"What else can be indicated by
that right cuff so very shiny for five
inches, and the left one with the
smooth patch near the elbow where
you rest it upon the desk."
"Well, but .China?"
"The fish which you have tattooed
immediately above your wrist could
only have been done ill China. I
have made a small study of tattoo
marks, and have even contributed to
the literature of the subject. That
trick of staining the iishes' scales of
a delicate pink is quite peculiar to
China. When, in addition, I see a
Chinese coin hanging from your
watch-chain, the matter becomes
even more simple."
Mr. Jnbez Wilson laughed heavily.
"Well, I never!" said he. "I thought
at first that you had done something
clever, but I see that there was nothing
in it after all."
"1 begin to think, Watson," said
Holmes, "that I make a mistake in
I explaining. 'Omne ignotuni pro magniflco,'
you know, and my poor little
reputation, such as it Is, will suffer
shipwreck if I am so candid. Can
you not find the advertisement, Mr.
Wilson?"
"Yes, I have got it now," he answered,
with his thick, red finger
planted half-way down the column.
"Here it is. This is what began it
all. - You just read it for yourself,
sir."
I took the paper from him and
read as follows:
"To the Ited-Headed League: On
account of the bequest of the lite
Kzekiah Hopkins, of Lebanon, Pa., TJ.
S. A., there is now another vacancy
open which entitles a member of the
League to a salary of four pounds a
week for purely nominal services.
All red-headed men who are sound in
body and mind and above the age of
twenty-one years are eligible. Apply
in person on Monday, at eleven
o'clock, to Duncan Ross, at the offices
of the League, 7 Pope's Court, Fleet
Street."
"What on earth does this mean?" I
ejaculated, after 1 had twice read
ever the extraordinary announcement.
Holmes chuckled and wriggled in
his chair, as was his habit when in
high spirits. "It is a little off the
beaten track, isn't it?" said he. "And
now, Mr. Wilson, off you go at
scratch, and tell us all about yourself,
your household, and the effect which
this advertisement had upon your fortunes.
You will first make a note,
doctor, of the paper and the date."
"It is The Morning Chronicle of
April 27, 1 890. Just two months
ago."
"Very good. Now, Mr. Wilson."
"Well, it is just as I have been telling
you, Mr. Sherlock Holmes," said
Jftbez Wilson, mopping his forehead,
"I have a small pawnbroker's business
at Coburg Square, near the City.
It's not a very large affair, and of late
I years it has not done more than just
give me a living. I used to be able to
j keep two assistants, but now I only
! keep one; and I would have a job to
pay him but that he is willing to
come for half wages, so as to learn
the business."
' ' ll r. la 111/. r.ar?a H. la
?v iidi in tin; iit*.inw in linn uuil^lli^
youth?" asked Mr. Sherlock Holmes.
"His name is Vvncont Spaulding,
and he's not such a youth either.
It's hard to say his age. I should not
wish a smarter assistant, i.Vlr. Holmes;
and I know very well that he could
better himself, and earn twice what I
am able to give him. Rut, after all,
if ho is satisfied, why should I put
ideas in his head?"
"Why, indeed? You seem most
fortunate in having an employee who
comes under the full market price.
It is not a common experience among
employers iu this age. 1 don't know
Lhut your assistant is not as remarkable
as your advertisement."
"Oh, he has his faults, too." said 1
Mr. Wilson. "Never was such a fellow
for photography. Snapping 1
away with a camera when he ought
to be improving his mind, and then
diving down into the cellar like a '
rabbit Into his hole to develop his 1
pictures. That is his main fault;
but, 011 the whole, he's a good worker.
There's 110 vice In him." 1
"He is still with you, I presume?"
M V ..I - if- 1 - ' - ? - -
i ? ?, ?ir. riv uiiu a gin 01 iour- i
teen, who does a bit of simple cooking,
and keeps the place clean
that's all 1 have in the house, for I
am a widower, and never had any
family. We live very quietly, sir,
the three of us; and we keep u roof
over our heads, and pay our debts, if
we do nothing more.
"The iirst thing that put us out
was that advertisement. Spaulding, 1
he came down into the ofliee just this
day eight weeks, with this very paper
in his hand, and he says:
" '1 wish to the Lord, Mr. Wilson,
that I was a red-headed man.'
" 'Why that?' 1 asks.
" 'Why,' says he, 'here's another
vacancy on the League of the RedHeaded
Men. It's worth quite a little
fortune to any man who gets it.
and I understand that there are more
vacancies than there are men, so
that the trustees are at their wits'
end what to do with the money. If
my hair would only change color
here's a nice little crib all ready for
me to step into.'
" 'Why, what is it, then?' 1 asked.
You see, Mr. Holmes, I am a very
stay-at-home man, and, as my business
came to me instead of my having
to go to it, I was often weeks on end
without putting my foot over the
door-mat. In that way I didn't know
much of what was going on outside,
and I was always glad of a bit of
news.
"'Have you never heard of the
League of the Red-Headed Men?' he
asked, with his eyes open.
"vsever.'
"'Why, I wonder at that, for you
pre eligible yourself for one of the
vacancies.'
"'And what are they worth?' 1
asked.
" 'Oh, merely a couple of hundred
a year, but the work is slight, and it
need not interfere very much with
one's other occupations.'
"Well, you can easily think that
that made me prick up my ears, for
the business has not been over good
for some years, and an extra couple
of hundred would have been very
handy.
" 'Tell me all about it,' said I.
" 'Well,' said he, showing me the
advertisement, 'you can see for yourself
that the League has a vacancy,
and there is the address where you
should apply for particulars. As far
as 1 can make out, tin? League \Vas
founded by an American millionaire,
Ezekiah Hopkins, who was very peculiar
in his ways. He was himself
red-headed, and had a great sympathy
for all red-headed men; so,
so, when he died, it was found that
ho had left his enormous fortune in
the hands of trustees, with instructions
to apply the interest to the providing
of easy berths to men whose
hair is of that color. From all I hear
it is splendid pay, and very little to
do.'
' 'Hut.' said I, 'there would be millions
of red-headed men who would
apply.'
" 'Not so many as you might think,'
he answered. 'You see it Is really
confined to Londoners, and to grown
men. This American had started
from London when he was young, and
ne wanted to do the old town a good
turn. Then, again, 1 have heard it
is no use your applying if your hair
is light red, or dark red, or anything
but real, bright, blazing, tirory red.
Now, if you oared to apply, Mr. Wilson,
you would just walk in; but perhaps
it would hardly be worth your
while to put yourself out of the way
for the sake of a few hundred
pounds.'
"Now it is a fact, gentlemen, as
you may see for yourselves, that my
hair is of a very full and rich tint, so
that it seemed to me that, if there
was to bo any competition in the matter,
I stood as good a chance as any
man that I had ever met. Vincent
Span 1 ding seemed to know so much
about it that I thought he might
prove useful, so I just ordered him
to put up the shutters for the day,
and to come right away with me. He
was very willing to have a holiday, so
we shut the business up, and started
off for the address that was given us
in the advertisement.
"I never hope to see such a sight
as that again, Mr. Holmes. From
north, south, east, and west every
man who had a shade of red in his
hair had tramped into the City to
answer the advertisement. Fleet
Street was choked with red-headed
folk, and Pope's Court looked like a
coster's orange barrow. I should not
have thought there were so many in
the whole country as were brought
together by that single advertise
mem. r-jvery snacie 01 coior uiey
wore straw, lemon, orange, brick,
Irish-setter, liver, clay; but, as
Spaulding said, there wero not many
who had the real vivid (lame-colored
tint. When I saw how many were
waiting, I would have given it up in
despair; but Spaulding would not
hear of it. How he did it I could not
imagine, but he pushed and pulled
and butted until he got me through
the crowd, and right up to the steps
11 H 1 i I .u'
which led to the oitlce. There was a '
double stream upon the stair, some i
going up in hope, and some coming
back dejected; but we wedged In as <
well as we could, and soon found
ourselves in the otl\ce."
"Your experience has been a most
entertaining one," remarked Holmes,
as his client paused and refreshed his
memory with a huge pinch of snuff.
"Pray continue your very interesting
statement."
"There was nothing in the oilice
but a couple of wooden chairs and a
ileal table, behind which sat a small
man, with a head that was even redder
than mine. He said a few words
to each candidate as he came up, and
then he always managed to And some
fault in them which would disqualify
them. (letting a vacancy did not
seem to be such a very easy matter
after all. However, when our turn 1
came, the little man was much more
favorable to me than to any of the
Others, and lie closed the door as we i
entered, so that he might have a pri- i
vate word with its. ;
In Throe Parts?Part If. <
" '.My name,' stiid he, 'is Mr. Dun- 1
can Ross, and I am myself one of the '
pensioners upon the fund left by our 1
noble benefactor. Are you a married
man, Mr. Wilson? Have you a fani- 1
ily? 1
"I answered that I had not.
*'ilis face fell immediately.
" 'Dear me!' he said, gravely, 'that
is very serious, indeed! 1 am sorry
to hear you say that. The fund was,
of course, for the propagation and (
spread of the red-heads its well as tor
their maintenance. It is exceedingly '
unfortunate that you should be a
bachelor.'
"M> lace lengthened at this, Mr.
Holmes, for I thought that 1 was not ^
to have the vacancy after all; hut, j
after thinking it over for a few min- .
utes, he said that it would be all
right.
" In the case of another,' said he,
'the objection might be fatal, but we. ^
nust stretch a point in favor of a man ^
with such a head of hair as yours.
When shall you he able to enter upon t
your new duties?'
" 'Well, it is a little awkward, for
1 have ?i business already,' said 1.
"'Oh, never mind about that, Mr. '
Wilson!' said Vincent Spoulding. '1 (
shall be able to look after that for
you.' .
"'What would be the hours?' 1
asked.
" 'Ten to two.'
"Now a pawnbroker's business is
mostly done of an evening, Mr.
Holmes, especially Thursday and Friday
evening, which is just before pay- ,
day; so it would suit me very well to
earn a little in the mornings. liesides,
knew that my assistant was a
good man, and that he would see to
anything that turned up.
" 'That would suit me very well,'
said I. 'And the pay?'
" 'Is four pounds a week.'
" 'And the work?'
" 'Is purely nominal.'
" 'What do you call purely nominal?'
" 'Well, you have to he iu the office,
or at least in the building, the
whole time. If you leave, you forfeit
your whole position forever. The
will is very clear upon that point.
You don't comply with the conditions
if you budge from the office during
that time.'
" 'It's only four hours a day, and 1
should not think of leaving,' said I.
" ,lNo excuse will avail,' said Mr.
Duncan Koss, 'neither sickness, nor
business, nor anything else. There
you must stay, or you will lose your
billet.'
" 'And the work?'
" 'Is to copy out the "Encyclopaedia
iBritannica". There is the first
volume of it in that press. You must
find your own ink, pens, and blottingpaper.
but we provide this table and
chair. Will you be ready to-morrow?'
" 'Certainly,' I answered.
" 'Then, good-by, iMr. Jabez Wilson,
and let me congratulate you
once more on the important position
which you have been fortunate
enough to gain.' lie bowed me out
of the room, and I went home witli
my assistant hardly knowing what to
say or do, I -was so pleased at my
own good Tor tune.
"Well, 1 thought over the matter
all day, and by evening I was in low
spirits again; for I had quite persuaded
myself that the whole affair
must be some great hoax or fraud,
though what its object might be I
could not imagine. It seemed altogether
past belief that any one could
make such a will, or that they would
pay such a sum for doing anything so
simple as copying out the 'Encyclopaedia
Mritannica'. Vincent Spaulding
did what he could to cheer me up,
but by bed-time I had reasoned myself
out of the whole thing. However,
in the morning I determined to
have a look at it anyhow, so I bought
a penny bottle of ink, and with a
quill pen and seven sheets of foolscap
paper I started off for Pope's Court.
i
"Well, to my surprise and delight
everything was as right as possible.
The table was set out ready for me,
and Mr. Duncan Rosa was there to
see that I got fairly to work. He
started me off upon the letter A, and
then he left me; but he would drop
In from time to time to see that all
was right with me. At two o'clock
he bade me good-day, complimented
me upon the amount that I had written,
and locked the door of the ofllco
after me.
"This went on day after day, Mr.
Holmes, and on Saturday the manager
came iu and planked down four
golden boverelgns for my week's
work. It wus the same next week,!
anil the same the week after. Every |
morning I was there at ten, anil
avery afternoon I left at two. Hy degrees
Mr. Duncan Ross took to coming
in only once of a morning, ami
then, after a time, he did not come
in at all. Still, of course, I never
inred to leave the room for an lnRant,
for I was not sure when he
night come, and the billet was such
x good one, and suited me so well,
uit I would not risk the loss of it.
"Eight weeks passed away like
this, and I had written about Abbots,
mil Archery, and Armor, and Architecture,
and Attica, and hoped with
liligence that I might get on to the
it's before very long. It cost mo
something in foolscap, and I had
pretty nearly filled a shelf with my
writings. And then suddenly the.
?iwvE. i : * ~ ? ?
iHiii- lp uni iifr>ts l'ii nir m iiu t'lid.
"To and end?"
"Yes, sir. And 110 later than this
morning. I wont to my work as
usual at ton o'clock, but the door was
;hut and lockod, with a littlo square
jf cardboard hammered onto the
middle of the panel with a tack,
[lore it is, and you can read for yourself."
He held up a piece of white cardboard,
about the size of a sheet of
note-paper. It read in this fashion:
'The lteed-1 leaded Iseaguo is Dissolved.
Oct. 9, 1890."
Sherlock Holmes and I surveyed
his curt announcement and the rueful
face behind it, until the comical
aide of the affair so completely overLopped
every consideration that we
both burst out into a roar of laugher.
"I cannot see that there is anything
very funny," cried our client,
Hushing up to the roots of his Hailing
head. "If you can do nothing
bettor than laugh at me, I can go
dsew hero."
"No, no," cried Holmes, shoving
iiim back into the chair from which
lie had half risen. "I really wouldn't
miss your case for the world. It is
nost refreshingly unusual. Hut
there is, if you will excuse my saying
wa, something just a little tunny
ibout it. i'ray what steps did you
lake when you found the card upon
llie door?"
*1 was stautrered sir I iliii nnl
know what to do. Then I called at I
the offices round, but none of them
-eemed to know anything about it.
Finally, 1 went to the landlord, who
is an accountant living on the ground i
tloor,, and I asked him If he could '
tell ine what had become of the IfredHeaded
League. He said that he had
never heard of any such body. Then
I asked him who Mr. Duncan (loss
was. He answered that the name
was new to him.
" 'Well,' said I, 'the gentleman at
So.
" 'What, the red-headed man?'
" 'Yes.'
" 'Oli,' said he, 'his name* was William
Morris. He was a solicitor, and
was using ny room as a temporary
convenience; until his new premises
were ready. He moved out yesterday.'
" 'Where could I lind him?'
"'Oh, at his new ollices. He did
'ell mi! the address. Yes, 17 King
10dward Street, near St. Haul's.'
"1 started off, Mr. Holmes, but
when I got to that address it was a
manufactory of artificial knee-caps,
and no one in it had ever heard of
either Mr. William Morris, or Mr.
Duncan Ross."
"And what did you do then?" asked
Holmes.
"1 went home to Saxe-Coburg
Square, and I took the advice of my
assistant. Hut he could not help ran*
in any way. Ho could only say that
if 1 waited I should hear by post.
Hut that was not quite enough, Air.
Holmes. 1 did not wish to lose such
a place without a struggle, so, as I
had heard that you were good
cnougn to give auvice to poor ioik
who were in need of it, I came right
away to you."
"And you did very wisely," said
Holmes. "Your case is an exceedingly
remarkable one, and I shall be
happy to look into it. From what
you have told me I think that it is
possible that, graver issues hang from
it than might at first sight appear."
"Grave enough!" said Mr. Jabez
Wilson. "Why, I have lost four
pounds a week."
"As far as you are personally concerned,"
remarked Holmes, "I do not
see that you have any grievance
against this extraordinary league.
On the contrary, you are, as I understand,
richer by some thirty pounds,
to say nothing of the minute knowledge
which you have gained on every
subject which comes under the letter
A. You have lost nothing by them."
"No, sir. Hut 1 want to find out
about them, and who they are, and
what their object was in playing this
prank- if it was a prank?upon me.
It was a pretty expensive joke for
f Iwidi i t t luiin f n'A.o n/Lt h 1 rt
pounds."
"Wo shall endeavor to clear up
these points for you. And, first, one
or two questions, Mr. Wilson. This
assistant of yours who first called
your attention to tho advertisement
how long had he been with you?"
"About a month then."
"How did he come?"
"In answer to an advertisement "
"Was he the only applicant?"
"No, I had a dozen."
"Why did you pick him?"
"Because he was handy and would
come cheap."
" At half wages, in fact."
"Yes."
"What is he like, this Vincent
Spauldlng?"
"Small, stout-built, very quick lu
Ms ways, no hair on his face, though
he's not short of thirty. Has a white
splash of acid upon his forehead."
Holmes sat up In rus chair in considerable
excitement. "1 thought an
much," said he. "Have you ever observed
that his ears are pierced for
earrings?"
"Yes, sir. He told me that a gypsy
had done it for him when he was a
lad."
"Hum!" said Holmes, sinking bac-u
*n deep thought. "He is still witn
you?"
"Oh, yes, sir; I have only Just left
him."
"And has your business been attended
to in jour al>sence?"
"Nothing to complain of, sfr.
There's never very much to do of a
morning."
nrtMw. ? ...til i - %?_ ? *
i niii win no, .Mr. wnson. i snail
be happy to give you an opinion upon
the subject in the course of a day or
two. To-day is Saturday, and I hope
that by Monday wo may com* to a
conclusion."
"Well, Watson," said Holmes, when
our visitor had left us, "what do you
make of it. all?"
"I make nothing of it," I answered
frankly. "it is a most mysterious
business."
"As a rule," said Holmes, "the
more bizarre a thing is the less mysterious
it proves to lie. It is your
commonplace, featureless crimes
which are really puzzling, just as a
commonplace face is the most diflleult
to identify. 15111 I must he
prompt over this matter."
"What are you going to do, th> u.'"
I asked.
"To smoke," ho answered. "It is
quite a three-pipe problem, and I hep
that you won't speak to mo for tlltj
minutes." lie curled himself n > in
his chair, with his thin knees Irawn
up to lis hawk-like nose, and the.r"
he sat witli his eyes nose I and ids
Mack clay pipe thrusting o?r like the
hill of some strange bird. 1 had
come to tlie conclusion that lie had
dropped asleep, and Indeed was nodding
myself, when he suddenly
sprang out of his chair witli the gesture
of a man who has made up his
mind, and put his pipe down upon
the mantelpiece.
"Sarasate plays at St. James' Hall
this afternoon," lie remarked. "What
do you think, Watson? Could your
patients spare you for a few hours?"
i idi *i: urn ii iii^ iu uu iu-uay. my
practice is nevor very absorbing."
"Then put on your hat unci come.
I am going (iirough the City first,
and we can have some lunch on the
way. I observe that there is a good
deal of Gorman music on the program,
which is rather more to my
taste than Italian or French. It is
introspective, and I want to introspect.
Come along!"
We traveled by the Underground
as far us Aldersgate; and a short
walk took us to Saxe-Coburg Square,
the scene of tin* singular story which
we had listened to in the morning.
It was a poky, little, shabby-genteel
place, where four lines of dingy, twostoried
brick houses looked out into
a small railed-ln Inclosure, whore a
lawn of weedy grass, and a few
(lumps of faded laurel bushes made
a hard light against a smoke-laden
and uncongenial atmosphere. Three
gilt balls and a brown board with
Jahez Wilson in white hitters, upon
a corner house, announced the place
where our red-headed client carried
or. his business. Sherlock Holmes
stopped In front of it with his head
on one side, and looked it all over,
wmi nis eyes sinning brightly between
puckered lids. Then he walked
slowly up the street, and then
down again to the corner, still looking
keenly at the houses. Finally he
returned to the pawnbroker's, and,
having thumped vigorously upon the
pavement with his stick two or three
times, lie went up to the door and
knocked. It was instantly opened by
a bright-looking, clean-shaven young
fellow, who asked him to step in.
"Thank you," said Holmes, "I only
wished to ask you how you would go
from here to the Strand."
"Third right, fourth left," answered
the assistant, promptly, closing
the door.
"Smart fellow, that," observed
Holmes as we walked away. "He is,
in my judgment, the fourth smartest
man in London, and for daring 1 am
not sure that he has not a claim to
third. I have known something of
him before."
"Evidently," said I, "Mr. Wilson's
assistants counts for a good deal in
this mystery of the Ked-headed
League. I am sure that you might
see him.''
"Not him."
"What then?"
"The knees of his trousers."
"And what did you see?"
"What I expected to see."
"Why did you beat the pavement?"
MMy dear doctor, this is a time for
observation, not for talk. We are
spies in an enemy's country. We
know something of Saxe-Coburg
Square. Let us now explore the parts
which lie behind it."
(To be continued.)
Fails IHuul in Field.
Thomas J. Monts, Confederate voteran
and prominent farmer, dropped
dead while plowing in his hold at his
home about four miles from Lexington
Monday afternoon. Mr. Monts
had been to his house about ten minutes
before, and appeared to be In
the best of health. A few moments
after he returned to the field he was
found lying dead between the handles
of his plow.