Speaker 1: A case of Identity by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, my
dear fellow, said Solo Hoolmmes, as we sat on either
side of the fire in his lodgings at Baker Street.
Life is infinitely stranger than anything which the mind of
man could invent. We would not dare to conceive the
things which are really mere common places of existence. If
we could fly out of that window, hand in hand,
hover over this great city, gently remove the rooms, and
peep in at the queer things which are going on,
the strange coincidences, the plannings, the cross purposes, the wonderful
change of events, working through generations and leading to the
most outer reasons. It should make all fiction, with its
conventionalities and forcing conclusions, more stale and unprofitable. And yet
I am not convinced of it, I answered. The cases
which come to lighting the papers are as a rule
bold enough and vulgar enough. We have in your police
report's realism pushed to its extreme limits. And yet the
result is it must be confessed neither fascinating nor artistic.
A certain selection and discretion must be used in producing
a realistic effect, remarked Holmes. This is one thing in
our police report, where mostress is laid, perhaps of the
platitude of the magistrate, done up under details which to
a nobserver contained the vital essence of the whole matter
depend upon it. There is nothing so unnatural as the
common place. I smiled and shook my head. I can
quite understand your thinking, so I said, of course, in
your poision of unofficial adviser and helper to everybody who
is absolutely puzzled throughout three continents, you are brought in
contact with all that is strange and bazaar. But here
I picked up a morning paper from the ground. Let
us put it to a practical test. Here is the
first heading upon which I come, A husband's cruelty to
his wife. There is half a column of print, but
I know that reading it, that it is all perfectly
familiar to me. There is, of course the other roman,
the drink, the push, the blow, the bruise, the sympathetic sister,
all enlady. The crudest of writers could invent nothing more rude. Indeed,
dear example is an unfortunate one for her argument, said Holmes,
taking the paper and glancing his eye down it. This
is the Dundas separation case, and as it happens, I
was engaged in carrying up some small points in connection
with it. The husband was a teetotaler. There is no
other Roman, and the count complaint of was that he
had drifted into the habit of winding up every meal
by taking out his false teeth and hurling them at
his wife, which you will love, is not an action
likely to occur to the imagination of the average story teller.
Take a pinch of snuff, doctor, and acknowledge that I
have scored over you in your example. He held out
his snob box of old gold with a great amatus
in the center of the lead. Its splendor was in
such contrast to his homely ways and simple life that
I could not help commenting upon it. Ah said he.
I forgot that I had not seen you for some weeks.
It is a little surveny from a king of Bohemia
in return for my assistance in the case of diary, ndler,
papers and the ring. I asked, glancing at a remarkable
brilliant which sparkled upon his finger. It was from the
reigning family of Holland. Though the matter in which I
served him was of such delicacy that I cannot converte
it even to you, who have been good enough to
chronicle one or two of my little problems. And have
you any on hand just now? I asked with interest,
some ten or twelve, but none which present any feature
of interest very important, you understand, would have been interesting. Indeed,
I have found that it is usually in unimportant matters
that there is a field for observation and for a
quick analysis of cause and effect, which gives the chum
to an investigation. The large at the crimes her up
to be the simpler. For the big at a crime,
the more obvious, as a rule is the motive. In
these cases, Save for one rather intricate matter which has
been referred to me from Marseilles, there is nothing which
presents any features of interest. It is possible, however, that
I may have something better before very minutes so over,
for this is one of my clients, or I am
much mistaken. He had risen from his chair and was
standing between the parted blinds, gazing down into the dullly
twente inted London street. Looking over his shoulder, I saw
that on the payment opposite there stood a lawyer's woman
with a heavy farvor around her neck, and a laws
curling red feeder in a broad brimmed hat, which was
tilted in a cockati's Duchess of Devonshire fashion over her ear.
From what that is great pan ofly she pepped up
in a nervous, hesitating fashion at her windows, while her
body oscillated backward and forward, and her fingers with jetted
with her buttons. Suddenly, with a plunge, euch of the
swimmer who leaves the banks, he hurried across the road,
and we heard the shamp flank of the bell. I
have seen those symptoms before, said Holmes. Throwing a cigarette
into the fire. Oscillation upon the pavement always means an
affair dechoir. She like advice, but is not sure that
the matter is not too delicate for communication. And yet
even here remain discriminate. When a woman has been seriously
wronged by a man, see no longer osolids. And the
angel seemed to make a broken bell ware. Here we
may take it that there is a love matter, but
that the maiden is not sure much angry as perplex
or grieved. But here she comes in person to resolve
all doubts. As he spoke, there was a tap at
the door, and the boy in button sent it to
announce miss Mary Sutherland, while the lady horse a bloomed
behind a small black figure like a full sail marchingman
behind a tiny bike that boat. Challocmes welcomed her with
the easy courtesy for which she was remarkable, and having
closed the door and bowed her into an ouchair, he
looked her over in the minute and yet abstracted facion
which just pick clear to him. Do you not find?
He said, that with your short sight it is a
little trying to do so much typewriting. I did at first,
she answered, but now I know where the letters are
owed at looking then, suddenly realizing the full power part
of his watch, she gave a violent start and looked
up with fear and astonishment upon her broad, good humored face.
You have heard about me, mister Holmes, she cried. Else,
how could you know all that? Never mind, said Holmes, laughing,
it is my business to not things. Perhaps I have
trained myself to see what other soul look. If not,
why should you come to consult me. I came to you, sir,
because I heard of you from missus Atridge, whose husband
you found so easy When the police, and every one
had given him up or that. Oh, mister Holmes, I
wish you'd do as much for me. I am not rich,
but still I have a hundred a year in my
own right, besides the little that I make by the machine,
and I would give it all to know what has
become of mister Holsmore angel, why did you come way
to counsel me in such a hurry, asked Charlow Holmes,
with his finger tips together and his eyes to the ceiling. Again,
A startled look came over the somewhat vagous face of
miss Mary Sirderland. Yes, I did bang out of the house,
she said, for it may be angry to see the
easy way in which mister Windibank, that is my father
took it all. He would not go to the police,
and he would not go to you. And so at last,
as you do nothing and kept on saying that there
is no harm done, it made me mad, and I
just on it my things and came right away to you.
Your father, said Holmes, your step father, surely since the
name is different, Yes, my stepfather, I call him father.
Do it sounds funny too? For he is only five
years and two months older than myself. And your mother
is alive. Oh, yes, mother is alive and well. I
wasn't best pleased mister Holmes once he married again so
soon after father's death, and a man who was nearly
fifteen years younger than herself. For there was a plumber
in the Tottenham Court Road, and he left a tidy
business behind him, which mother carried on with mister Hardy,
the foreman. But when mister Windibank came he made her
seal the business, for he was very superior, being a
traveler in wines. They got pound four thousand, seven hundred
for a good will and interest, which wasn't near as
much as father could have got if he had been alive.
I had expected to see Charlocomn's impatient on a disrambling
and inconsequential narrative, but on the contrary, he had listened
to the greatest concentration of attention. Your own little ingom,
he asked, does it come out of the business, Oh no, sir,
it is quite separate and was left to me by
my uncle ned in Auckland. It is an easyland stock
paying four and a half percent two thousand, five hundred
pounds worth. The amount but I can only touch the interest.
You interest me extremely, said Holmes. And since you draw
so large a sum as a hundred a year, what
what you awn into the bargain? You would no doubt
travel a little and indulse yourself in every way. I
believe that a single lady can get on very nicely
upon an income of about sixty pounds. I could do
it much less than that, mister Holmes. But you understand
that as long as I live at home, I don't
wish to be burdened to them, and so they have
the use of the money just while I am staying
with them. Of course, that is only just for the time.
Mister Windibank draws my interest every quarter and pays it
over to murder. And I find that I can do
pretty well with what I am at typewriting. It brings
me two pounds a sheep, and I can often do
from twifteen to two any sheets in a day. You
have made your poison very clear to me, said Holmes.
This is my friend, doctor Watson. Before you can speak
as freely as before myself, kindly tell us now all
about her connection with mister Horsmaar and jail a flush
stole over Missus Sunderland's face and safick nervously and a
fringe of a jacket. I met him first at the
Guess Peters ball. She said they used to send father
tickets when he was alive, and then afterwards terrybin butters
and send them to murder. Mister Windibank did not wish
us to go. He never did uses to go anywhere.
You'd get quite mad if I wanted so much as
to join a Sunday school treat. But this time I
was set on going, and I would go for what
ride had he to prevent. He said the folk were
not fit for us to know when all further s
rains were to be there. And he said that I
had nothing fit to air when I had my purple,
plus that I had never so much as taken out
of the drawer at last, and nothing else would do.
He went off to Friendship on the business of the farm.
But we went Mother and I with mister Hardy, who
used to be our foreman, and it was there I
met mister Holsmore angel I suppose, said Holmes that when
mister Windibick came back from front, he was very annoyed
at your having gone to the ball. Oh well, he
was very good about it. He loved I remember, and
shrugged his shoulders and said, there's no use anything to
a Omen, for she would have her way. I see. Then,
at a guest Wheter's volume met, as I understand, a
gentleman called mister Holsmore Angel. Yes, sir, I met him
that night, and he called next day to ask if
we had got home all safe. And after that we
met him, that is to say, mister Holmes. I met
him twice for works. But after that Father came back again,
and mister Holsmore Angel could not come to the house
any more. No. Well, you know Father did not like
anything of that sort. He would not have any visitors
if he could help it. And he used to say
that an Omen should be happy in her own family circle.
But then, as I used to say to mother, a
Omen wants her own circle to begin with, and I
had not got mine yet. But how about mister Holsmoer Angel.
Did he make no attemp to see you? Well? Father
was going off to France again in a week, and
Horseman wrote and said that he would be safe for
and better not to see each other until he had gone.
We could write in the meantime, and he used to
write every day. I took the letters in the morning,
so there was no need for father to know where
were engaged to the gentleman at this time. Oh, yes,
mister Holmes, were engaged after the first work that we
took Holsemer. Mister Angel was a cashier in an office
in Leadenhall Street. And what office? That is the worst
of it, mister Holmes. I don't know where did they leave?
Then he slept on the premises, and you don't know
his address, no, except that it was Ladenhead Street. Where
did you address your letters? Then to the Ladenhall Street
post office to be left Dill called for He said
that if they were sent to the office, he would
be shafted by all the other clerks about having letters
from a lady. So I offered to typewrite them like
he did his. But you didn't have that for he
said that when I wrote them they seemed to come
from me, but when theyar typewritten, he always felt that
the machine had come between us. That'll just show you
how fond he was of me, mister Holmes, and the
little things that he would think of It is most suggestive,
said Holmes. It has long been an exium of mine
that the little things are infinitely the most important. Can
you remember any other little things about mister Holsmore Angel?
He was a very shy man, mister Holmes. He would
rather walk with me in the evening than in the daylight,
for he said that he had it to be conspicuous,
very returning, and gentlemanly he was, even his voice was gentle.
He had at quincy and swollen glance when he was young,
he told me, and it had left him with a
weak troath and hesitating whispering fashion of speech. He was
always well dressed, very neat and plain, but his eyes
were weak, just as mine, and he wore tinted glasses
against the glare. Well, and what happened when mister Windibanker's
step father returned to France. Mister Hosmer Angel came to
the house again and proposed that we should marry before
father came back. He was in dreadful, honest, and when
we sure with my hands on the testament that whatever happened,
I had always be true to him, Mother said he
was quite right to make me swear, and that it
was a sign of his passion, but it was all
in his favor from the first, and was even fonder
of him than I was. Then when they talked of
Marrywood in the week, I began to ask about Father,
but they both said never to mind about Father, but
just to tell him afterwards, and Mother said she would
make it all right with him. I didn't quite like that,
mister Holmes. It seemed funny that I should ask as leave,
as he was only few years older than me. But
I didn't want to do anything on the sligh, so
I wrote to Father had bought you where the company
had its French offices. But the letter came back to
me on the very morning of the wedding. It missed him, then, yes, sir,
for he had started to England just before it arrived. Ah,
that was unfortunate. Your reading was arranged then for the Friday.
Was it to be in Search, Yes, sir, but very quietly.
It was to be at Saint Sayvir's near King's Cross,
and we were to have breakfast afterwards at Saint Pancras's hotel.
Hosmer came for us in a handsome but as there
were two of us, he put as both into it
and stepped himself into a four whaler, which happened to
be the only other cab in the street. We got
to the chairs first, and when the four wheeler drove up,
we waited for him to step out, but he neighver did.
And when the cabin got on from a box and looked,
there was no one there. The cabin said he couldn't
imagine what had become of him, for he had seen
him get in with his own eyes. That was last Friday,
mister Holmes, and I have never seen nor heard anything
since then to throw any light upon what had become
of him. It seems to me that you have been
very shamefully treated, said Holmes. Oh no, sir, he was
too good and kind to leave me, Sir. Why all
the morning he was saying to me that whatever happened
I was to be true, and that if something quite
unfortunate occurred to separate us, I was always to remember
that I was pledged to him, and that he would
claim his place sooner or later. It seems strange dog
for a wedding morning, but what has happened since gives
a meaning to it. Most certainly this Your opinion is then,
that some unforceen catastrophe has occurred to him. Yes, sir,
I believe that he forced us some danger, or else
he would not have talked so. And then I think
that what ifforce had happened? But you have no notion
as to what it could have been? None? One more question?
How did her mother take the matter? Still was angry
and said that I was never to speak of the
matter again? And your father did you tell him? Yes?
And he seemed to think with me that something had happened,
and that I should hear of ozmar again, as he said,
what interest could anyone have in bringing me to the
doors of the chairch and then leaving me? Now, if
he had borrowed my money, or if he had married
me and got my money settled on him, there might
be some reason. But Horsemarrow was very independent about money.
A neighbor whould look at a shilling of mine? And
yet what could have happened? And why could he not write? Oh?
He trifling halfman to think of it? And I can
sleep a wink at night. She pulled a little handkerchief
out of her muff and began to sob heavily into it.
I shall glance into the case for you, said Holmes rising,
and I have no doubt that we shall read some
definite result. Let the weight of the matter rest upon
me now, and do not let your mind dwell upon fodder.
Have I all tried to let mister Hosmon Angel vanish
from a memory as he has done from your life?
And you don't think I'll see him again? I fear not. Then?
What has happened to him? You'll leave that question in
my hands. I should like any cure description of him,
and any letters of his which you can spare. I
advertise for him in ast to this chronicle, said she,
Here is the sleep, and here four letters from him?
Thank you, and your address number thirty one Lamb, please
camberwell mister Angel's address you never had. I understand. Where
is your father's place of business? He travels for Wasteous
and Marbank, the great clareting porters of cher Street. Thank you.
You have made your statement very clearly. You will leave
the papers here and remember the advice which I have
given you. Let the whole incident be a sealed book,
and do not allow it to affect your life. You
are very kind, mister Holmes, but I cannot do that.
I shall be true to Hosmer, he shall find me
ready when he comes back. For all the preposter's hat
and the vacuous face, there is something noble in the
simple fate of our visitor. What scumpled our respect? She
led her little bundle of papers upon the table went
her way, but he promised to come again whenever she
might be some moned Scharlocombe sat silent for a few minutes,
with his fingertips still pressed together, his legs stretched out
in front of him, and his cage directed upward to
the ceiling. Then he took down from the rack the
old and the oily clay pipe, which just to him
as a counselor, and having lit it, he leaned back
in his chair, with the thick blue cloud rats spinning
up from him, and a look of infinite languor in
his face. Quite an interesting study that maiden, he oujered.
I found her more interesting than her little problem, which
by the way, is rather a tried to one. You
will find parallel cases if you consule my index in
and or in seventy seven. And there was something of
the sort at the hag last year old, as is
the idea. However, there were one or two details which
are new to me. But the maiden her was most instructive.
We appeared to read a good deal upon her, which
was quite invisible to me, I remarked, not invisible, but unnoticed. Watson,
he did not know what to look, and so he
missed all that was important. I can never bring you
to realize the importance of sleeves, the suggestiveness of thumb
nails on the graatish shoes that may hang from a
boot lace. Now, what did you gather from that woman's appearance?
Describe it well? She had a slate colored, broad brimmed
straw hat, what a figure of brickish reil. Her jacket
was black, with black beads sewn upon it, and a
fringe of little black jet ornaments. Her race was brown
and a darker than coffee color, with a little purple
plush at the neck and sleeves. Her gloves were grayish
and her own true and a right forefinger. Her boots
I did not observe. She had small, round hanging gold
ear rings, and a genuine air of being fairly well
to do in a vulgar, comportable, easy going way. Scharlocombs
clapped his hands softly together and chuckled on my word.
Watchin you are coming along wonderfully. We have really done
very well. Indeed, it is true that you have missed
everything of importance, but you have beat up on the method,
and you have a cookye for color. Never trust to
generally impresions, my wife, but concentrate yourself upon the tails.
My first glance is always at the omen's sleeve. In
a man, it is perhaps better for us to take
the knee of the trouser. As you observed, this woman
had plushed off on her sleeves, which teach a most
useful material for showing traces. The devil line a little
above the wrist for the typewriter's presses against the table
was beautifully defined. The sewing machine of the hunt I
leaves a similar mark, but only on the left and
on the side of it furthest from the term, instead
of being right across the broader spot as this was.
And then glanced at her face and observing the dint
of a pinch nance at either side of her nose,
I ventured a remark upon short sight and typewriting, which
seemed to surprise her. It surprised me, but surely it
is obvious. I was at much surprised, interested on glancing
down to observe that to the boots which she was wearing,
when not unlike each other, they were really odd ones,
the one having slightly deckoed a toe cape and the
other a plain one. One is button only in the
two lower buttons out of five, and the other at
the first thirdred and fifth. Now, when you see that
a young lady, other as neatly dressed, has come away
from home with odd boots half buttoned, it is no
great deduction to say that she came away in a hurry.
And what else? I asked, keenly interested as I always was,
by my friend's incisive reasoning. I noted in passing that
she had written a note before leaving home. But after
being fully dressed, you observed that her right glove was
stone at a forefinger, But he did not ever see that,
but glove and finger stained with violet ink. She had
written in a hurry and dipped her pain too deep.
It must have been this morning, or the mark would
not remain clear upon the finger. All this is amusing
to rather elementary, but I must go back to business. Watson,
would you mind reading me the advertised description of mister
Hosmer and Zel I had a little printed slip to
the light missing. It said, on the morning of the
fourteint a gentleman named horsemar Angel, about five seven ins
in height, strongly built, sallow complexion, black hair, a little
ball in the center, bushy black side, whiskers and mustache
tinted glasses, slightly informityos Pitch was dressed when less seen,
in black frockcoat, faced with its silk black waistcoat, cold
Albert Jane and gray hairy sweet trousers with brown caters
over elastic sides, boots known to have been employed in
an office in Leaden Hall Street. Anybody bringing that will do,
said Hulme. As to the letters, he continued, glancing over them, dear,
very common place. Absolutely no clue in them to mister Angel,
save that he courts baljack once. There is one remark point, however,
which will no doubt strike you, dear typewritin, I remarked,
Not only that, but the signature is type written. Look
at the neat little horsemar Angel at the bottom. There
is a date you see, but no superscription except Leydenhill Street,
which is rather vague. The point of our signature is
very sayestive. In fact, we may call it conclusive. Of what,
my dear fellow, is it possible you do not see
how strongly it bears upon the case. I cannot say
that I do unless it was that he wished to
be able to deny his signature if an action for
breach or promise or instituted. No, that was not the point. However,
I like two letters which should settle the matter. One
is to form in the city. The other is to
the young lady's stave father, mister Windibank, asking whether he
could meet us here at six o'clock tomorrow evening. It
is just as well that we should do business with
the male relatives, and now, doctor, we can do nothing
until the answers to those letters come, so we may
put our little problem upon the shelf for the interim.
I had had so many reasons to believe in my
friend's subtle powers of prisoning an extraordinary energy in action,
that I felt that he must have some solid grounds
for assured and easy demarrior with which he treated the
singlear mystery which he had called upon to fathom once.
Only had I known him to fail in the case
of the King of Bohemia and of the iron Allar photograph.
But when I look back to the wide business of
the sign of war, and the extraordinary circumstances connected with
the study in Scarlet, I felt that it would be
a strange tangle, indeed, which he could not unravel. I
left him, then, still puffing at his black clay pipe,
with a conviction that when I came again on the
next evening, I'd find that he held in his hands
all the clues which should lead up to the identity
of the disappearing bridegroom of Miss Mary's Shadowland. A professional
case of great gravity was engaging my own attention at
the time, and the whole of next day I was
busy at the bedside of the sufferer. It was not
until it was upon six o'clock that I found myself
free and was able to spring into a handsom and
drive to beck A Street, half afraid that I might
be too late to assist. At the tenement of the
little mystery, I found Charlock Holms alone, however, half asleep,
with his long tin form called up in the recesses
of his arm chair, a formidab lary of bottles and
taste us with a pungent, cleanly smell of hydrochloric acid.
Told me that he had spent his day in the
chemical work which was so dear to him. Well have
you solved it, I asked as I entered. Yes, it
was myself ato Berta. No, no, the mystery, I cried,
Oh there I thought of the solve that I had
been working upon. Trewas never any mystery in the matter, though,
as I said yesterday, some marey details are of interest.
The only dropic is that there is no law. If
he had agin touch the scoundrel, who was he then?
And what was his object in deserting miss Sutherland. The
question was hardly out of my mouth, and Holmes had
not yet opened his lips to reply when we heard
a heavy footfall in the passage and the tap at
the door. This is the girl's step father, mister James' Swindebank,
said Holmes. He has written to me to say that
he would be here at six. Come in. The man
who entered was a sturdy, middle sized fellow, some thirty
years of age, clean shaven and shallow skin, with a
bland insinuating manner, and a pair of wonderfully sharp and
penetrating gray eyes. He shot a questioning glance at each
of us, placed his shiny turved upon the sideboard, and
with his slight bows, settled down into the nearest chair.
Good evening, mister James win the Bank, said Holmes. I
think that this steprien a letter is from you in
which you made an appointment with me for six o'clock. Yes, sir,
my afraid that I am a little late, but I'm
not quite my own master. You know. I'm sorry that
Miss Shudderland has troubled you about this little matter, for
I think it is far better not to watch lenan
of that sort in public. It was quite against my
wishes that she came, but she is a very excitable,
impulsive girl, as you may have noticed, and she is
not easily controlled when she has made up her mind.
On a point of course, I didn't mind you so much,
as you are not connected to the official police. But
it is not pleasant to have a family misfortune like
this noised abroad. Besides, it's a useless expense, for how
could you possibly find this horsemar Angel. On the contrary,
said Holmes quietly, I have every reason to believe that
I will succeed in discovering mister Horsmer Angel. Mister Windibank
gave a violent start and dropped his gloves. I am
delighted to hear it, he said. It is a curious thing,
remarked Holmes, that a typewriter has really quite as much
individuality as a man's handwriting, unless dear quite new No
two have them writing jactly alike. Some letters got more
one than others, and somewhere only on one side. Now
you remark in this none appears, mister Windibank, that in
every case there is some little slurring over the e
and a slight defect in the tale of the R.
There are fourteen other characteristics, but those are the more obvious.
We do all our correspondence with this machine at the office,
and no doubt it is so little worn, old visitor answered,
glancing keenly at home, so with his bright little eyes.
And now I'll show you what is really a very
interesting study, mister Windibank, Holmes continued, I think of writing
another little monograph some of these days on a typewriter
and its relation to crime. It is a subject to
which I have devoted some little attention. I here four
letters which perpa to come from the missing man. They
are all type written, and each case not only are
the easelert and ours tale liss. But you will observe
if you care to use my magnifying lands that to fourteen.
Other characteristics to which I have alluded are dear as well.
Mister sprang out of his chair and picked up his hat.
I cannot waste him over this sort of fantastic talk,
mister Holmes, he said, if we can catch the man,
catch him and let me know when you have done it, certainly,
said obs, stepping over and turning the key in the door.
I'll let you know then that I have caught him.
What where, shulted mister Windibank, turning white to his leaves
and glancing about him like a rat in a trap.
Oh it won't do, really, it won't, said om swavely.
There is no possible getting out of it, mister Windybank.
It is quite too transparent. And it was a very
bad compliment when you said that it is impossible for
me to solve so simple a question. That is right,
Sit down and let us talk it over. Our visitor
collapsed into a chair with a gustly face and a
glitter of moisture on his brow. It isn't actionable, he stammered.
I'm very much afraid that it is not, but betting
ourselves in the bank. It was as Gralent's selfis, and
heartless as a trick in a petty way, as ever
came before me. Now let me just run over the
course of the events, and he will contradict me if
I go wrong. The man sat huddled up in his chair,
with his head sunk up on his breast, like one
who is utterly crushed. Holmes struck his feet up on
the corner of the mantelpiece, and leaning back, with his
hands in his pockets, began talking rather to himself, as
it seemed, than to us. The man married a women
very much older than himself for her money, said he,
And he enjoyed the use of the money of the
daughter as long as she lifted them. It was a
considerablesome for people in their position, and the loss of
it would have made a serious difference. It was what
an effort to preserve it. The daughter was a big, good,
amable disposition, but affectionate and warm hearted in her ways,
so that it was evident that with her fair personal
advantages and her little income, she would not be allowed
to remain seeing along. Now her marriage would mean, of course,
the loss of a hundred a year. So what does
a stiff feather do to prevent it? He takes the
obvious course of keeping her at home and forbiding how
to seek the company of people of her own age.
But soon he found that that would not answer forever.
She became restive, insisted upon her rights, and finally announced
her positive intention of going to a certain ball. What
does he, claver stiff for the do? Then he conceives
an idea more creditable to his head than to his heart.
With the connivance and assistance of his wife, he disguised
himself Kavardou's keen eyes with tinted glasses, master's face with
mustache and a pair of pushy whiskers, sunk that clear
voice into an insinuative whisper and doubly secret. Account of
the girl's short sight, he appears as mister Hosmer Angel
and keeps up other lovers by making love himself. It
was only joke at first, groaned our visitor. We never
thought that she would have been so carried away. Very
likely not, however, that may be. The young lady was
very decidedly carried away, and having quite made of her
mind that her staffather was in French, the suspicion of
treachery never for an instant entered her mind. She was
flattered by the gentleman's attentions, and the effect was increased
by the loudly expressed admiration of her murder. Then mister
Angel began to call for It was obvious that the
matter should be pushed as far as it would go,
if a real effect were it to be produced to
her meetings, and an engagement which should finally secure the
girl's affections from turning towards anyone else. But the deception
could not be kept up forever to pretend the journeys
to French were rather cumbers The thing to do was
clearly to bring the business to an end in such
a dramatic manner that he would leave a permanent temperas
upon the young lady's mind and prevent her from looking
upon any other suitor for some time to come. Hens
Doo's vows of fidel they exjected upon a testament, and
hence also the allusions to a possibility of something happening.
On the very morning of the wedding. James in the
vanguished Miss Sir Land to be so bound to hostmar
angel and so uncertain as to his fate, that for
ten years to come, at any rates you not listen
to another man. As far as the church door he
brought her, and then as he could go no farther
he conveniently vanished away by the old chiekock, stepping in
at one door of a four wheeler and out at
the other. I think that was the chain of Evans,
mister w in the bank, our visitor had recovered something
of his assurance while Holmes had been talked, and he
rose from his chair now with a cold sneer on
his whale face. It may be so, or it may
be not, mister Holmes, said he. But if you are
so very sharp, you ought to be sure enough to
know that it is you who are breaking the law
now and not me. I have done nothing actionable from
the first. But as long as you keep that to
a locked you lay yourself open to an action for
assault and illegal constraint. The lock cannot, as you say,
touch you, said Holmes, unlocking and drawing open the door.
Yet there never was a man who diss a punishment. More.
If the young lady has a brother or a friend,
he ought to lay a whip across your shoulders. By jove,
he continued, flushing up at the shite of the bait,
too sneer upon the man's face. It is not part
of my duties to my client. But here is a
hunting craft handy, and I think I shall just treat
myself to He took two swift steps to the whip,
but before he could grasp it, there is a wildcatter
of steps up on the stairs. The heavy haul door banged,
and from the window could see mister James Windypank running
on the top of his pit down the road. There
is a cold blood scoundrel, said Holmeson, laughing as he
threw himself down into his chair once more. That fellow
will rise from crime to crime until he does something
very bad and ends upon the gallows. The case has,
in some respects been not entered at a wad of interest.
I cannot entirely see all the steps of your reasoning,
I remarked, Well, of course, it is obvious frown of
us that this mister Horstman Angel must have some strong
object for his curious conduct, and it was equally clear
that the only man who rarely profited by the incident,
as far as we could see, was the step. Further
then the fact that the two men were never together,
but that the one always appeared when the other was away.
He was such stiff, so added tinted spectacles and a
curious voice, which put hinted at the disguise, as did
the bussy whishkers. My suspicions were all confirmed by his
peculiar action in type writing his signature, which of course
felt that his handwriting was so familiar to her that
she would recognize even the smallest sample of it. You see,
all these isolated facts, together with many minor ones, all
pointed in the same direction, And how did you verify them?
Having once spotted my man, it was easy to get corroboration.
I knew the form for which the men worked. Having
taken the printed description, I eliminated everything from it which
could be the result over disguise, the whiskers, the glasses,
the voice, and I sent it to the farm. Would
they request that they would inform me whether it answered
to the description of any of the travelers I had
already noticed the peculiarities of the typewriter. Can I wrote
to the man himself at his visitors address, asking him
if he could come here as he expected. His reply
was typewritten and reveled the same treevial but characteristic defects.
The same post brought me later from west House and Marlbank,
off Fancher Street, to say that the description telled in
every respect with that of their employ James in the Bank.
While a two and miss Sir Land, if I tell
hers you will not believe me. You may remember the
old person saying there is a danger for him who
taketh the tiger cup, and danger also for whoso snatches
a delusion from an omen. There is as much sense
in her ease as in her asse, and as much
knowledge of the world and of a case of identity.