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: 1 : j Mi (M.: f r ? v 'if-: , - 17 -;.' ;4 .11 J v OF IDENTITY By SIR ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE Coprrlkt, 1021, by Harper & Bros. Published by apeelnl arrangement with The McClure Aewifaper Syndicate This im the necond of he erles of 37 Sherlock Holmes stories that will appear every Sunday momiiUf in The Stnr. The title of the story for next Sunday 1st "The Rcigrate Puzzle.! "Mv dear fellow," said Sherlock Holmes, as we sat on either side of the fire in his lodgings at Baker street, life If infinitely stranger than any thing which the mind of man could in dent. We -would not dare to conceive the things which are really mere com monplaces of existence. If we could fly ieut of that window- hand In hand, hover lever this great cit-Y. gently remove the (roofs, and "peep in at the queer things trhich are going on, the strange coln Idences, the plannings, the cross-pur-tposes, the wonderful chains of events, fworkingr through generations, and heading to the most outre results, it would make all fiction with its conven tionalities and foreseen conclusions nost stale and unprofitable." 'fid yet I am not convinced of it" answered. "Tho cases which come to tight in the paiicrs are, as a rule, bald snough, and vulgar; enough, we have In our police reports realism pushed to fttt extreme limits, and yet the result is, t must be confessed, neither fascinat ng nor artistic." "A certain selection and discretion nust be used in producing a realistic (effect." remarked Holmes. "This is Jw-anting in the police report, where fcnOre stress is laid, perhaps, upon the platitudes of the magistrate than u:pan h details, which to an observer con tain the vital essence of the whole mat ter. Depend upon it there is nothing ho unnatural as the commonplace." I smiled and shook my head. "I can iuite understand you thinking so," I aid. "Of course, in . your position of Unofficial adviser and helper to every body -who is absolutely puzzled, throughout- three continents, you are; Drought in contact with all that is wtrange and bizarre. But here" I (picked up the 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 Ihis wife.' There is half a column of print, but I know without reading It that it is all perfectly familiar to me. There of course, the 6ther woman, the drink, tho push, the blow, the bruise, the sympathetic sister or land lady. The crudest of writers could in vent nothing more crude." "Indeed, your example is an unfortu- fiate one'' for your argument," said Holmes,, taking the paper and glancing Ilia eye rloWn it. "This is the Dundag separation case, .and, as it happens, I was engaged in clearing up some small points in connection with it. The hus band was a teetotaler, there was no ether woman, and the conduct com- plained 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 allow, 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 snuffbox of old gold, with a great amethyst in the center of me net. its spienaor was in sucn con trast to his homely ways and simple-j life that I could not help commenting upon It. v "Ah," said he, "I forgot that I had not seen you for some weeks. It is a little souvenir from the king of Bo hemia in return for ray assistance in the case of the Irene Adler papers." "And the ring?" I asked, glancing at a remarkable, brilliant which sparkled unon hia flnerer . '-'It was from the reigning family off nuiiauu, kiiuugu me mn.i-i.er in wjuuii x served them was of such delicacy that I cannot confide 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. They are Important, you understand, without being interesting. "Indeed, I have found that it is usually In unimpor tant matters that there is a field for the observation, and for the quiotk analysis of cause' and effect which gives the charm to an investigation. The' larger crimes are. apt to be the simpler, for the bigger the crime, the more obvious, as a rule, is the motive. In these cases, save for one rather in tricate matter which has been refer red" 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 many minutes are 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 dull, neutral tinted London street. Looking over his shoulder, I saw that on the pavement opposite there stood a large woman With a heavy fur boa round her neck, and a large curling red feather in a broad-brimmed hat which was tilted In a coquettish Duchess-of-Devonshire fashion over her ear. From under this great panoply she ipeeped up in a nerv ous, hesitating fashion at our windows, while her body oscillated backward and forward, and her fingers fidgetted with her glove buttons. Suddenly, with a plunge.-as of the swimmer who leaves the bank, she hurried across the road, and we heard the sharp clang of the bell. "I have seen those symptome. be fore," said Holmes, throwing his ci garette into the fire. "Oscillation upon the pavement always means an affaire de coeur. She would like advice, but is not sure that the matter is not too delicate for communication. And yet even here we may discriminate. When a woman has been seriously wronged by a man she no longer oscillates, and the usual symptom is a 'broken bell wire. Here we may take it that , there is a love matter, but that the jnaiden is not so much 'angry as perplexed, or grieved. But here she comes in person to resolve our doubts." - As he spoke there was a tap at the door, and the boy in buttons entered to announce Miss Mary Sutherland, while the lady herself loomed behind his small black figure like a full-sailed merchant-man behind a tinv pilot boat. Sherlock Holmes welcomed? her with the easy courtesy for which he was re markable, and havingclosed the door, and bowed her into an armchair, he looked her over in the minute, and yet' abstracted fashion which was peculiar 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 without looking." Then, suddenly real izing the full purport of his words, she "gave a violent start and lokcd up. with fear and astonishment upon her broad, good-humored face. "You've heard about me, Mr. Holmes," she cried, 'else how could you know all that?" "Never mind," said Holmes, laugh ing; "it is my business to know things. Perhaps I' have trained myself to see vrtiat others overlook. If not. why should you come to consult me?" "I came to you sir. because I heard of you from Mrs. Etherege. whose hus band you found so easy when the po lice and every one had given him up for . dead. Olv.Mr. Holmes, I yish you would do as much for me. I'm not rich, but still I have a hundred a year in my own right, besides the little that I make iby the machine, and I would give it all to know what has become of Mr. Hosmer Angel." "Why did you come away to consult me in such a. hurry?" asked Sherlock Holmes, with his finger-tips together, and his eyes to the ceiling. - Again a startled look came Vlr the somewhat vacuous face of Miss Mary Sutherland. "Yes. I did hang out of the house," she said, "for it made me angry to see the easy way in which Mr. 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 he would do nothing, and kot on savins: that there was no harm done, it made me mad, and I just on j with my things and came right away to you." "Your father," said Holmes, "your step-father, surely, since the name is different." ' "Yes, my step-father. I cal.1 him father, though 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, Mr Holmes, when she married again so soon after father's death, and a man who was nearly fifteen years younger than hr Belf. Father was a plumber in the Tot tenham court road, and he left a tidy business behind him, which mother carried on withMr. Hardy, the ford man; but when Mr. Windibank "Same he made her sell the business, for he was very superior1, being a traveller In wines. They got 4700 pounds for the good-will and interest, which wasn't near as ranch as father could have got if he had been alive." I had expected to see Sherlock Holmes impatient under this rambling and inconsequential narrative, but, on the contrary, he had listened with the greatest concentration of attention. "Your own little income," he asked, "does it come out of" the "business?" "Oh no, sir. It is quite separate, and was left me by my Uncle Ned In Auck land. It is in New Zealand stock, pay ing 4-1-tJ per cent. Two thousand five hundred pounds was 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, with what you earn into the bargain, you no doubt travel a'little, and indulge your self in every way. I believe that a single lady can get on very nicely upon an income of about 60 pounds." "I could do with muQh less, than that, Mr. Holmes, but you understand that as long as I live at home, I don't wish to be a burden 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. Mr. Windibank -draws my interest every -quarter, and pays it over to mother, and I find that I can do pretty well with what I earn at typewriting. It brings me twopence a sheet, and I can often do from fifteen to twenty sheets in a day." "You have made your position very clear to -me," said Holmes. "This is my friend, Dr. Watson before whom yott can speak as freely as before myself. Kindly tell us now all about your con nection with Mr. Hosmer Angel." A flush stole over Miss Sutherland's face, and she picked nervously at the fringe of her jacket. "I met him first at the gasfttters' ball." she said. "They used to send father tickets when he was alive, and then afterwards they remembered us. and sent them to mother. Mr. Windibank did not wish us to go. He never did wish us to go anywhere. He would 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 right had he to prevent? He said the folk were not fit for us to know, when all father's friends were to be there. And he said that -I had nothing fit to wear, when I had my purple plush that I had never so much as taken out of the drawer. At last, when nothing else would do, he went off to France upon the ibusiness of the firm, but we went, mother and I, with Mr. Hardy, who used to be our foreman, and it was there I met Mr. Hosmer Angel." "I suppose," said Holmes, "that when h Mr. Windibank came back from France he wag very annoyed . at ..your having gone to the ball." v"-: -V "Oh, well, he was vefar food about It. He laiigihed, I remember, and shrugged bis shoulders, and said there- was no use denying anything to oman, for she would havA her way." ' "1 see. Then at the gasfitters 'ball you met, as I understand, a gentleman called Mr, Hosmer Angel." ""Yes, sir, I met him tha night, and he called next day to ask if we had got home all safe, and after that we met lUm that is to say, Mr. Holmes, I met ,him twice for walks, but after that father came back again, and Mr. Hos mer Angel Could not some to the house any more." "No?" "Well, you know, father didn't like any visitors if he could help it, and he used to say that a woman should be happly in her own family circle. But then, as I used to say to mother, a woman wants her own nircle to begin with, and I had not got mine yet.' "But how about Mr. Hosmer Angel? Did lie make no attempt to see you?" "Well, father was going off to France again in a week, and Hosmer wrote and said that it would be safer and better not to see each other until he had gone. We could write in the mean time, and he used to write every day. I took the letters in in the morning, so there was no need for father to know." "Were you engaged to the gentleman at this time?" asked Mr. Holmes. "Oh, yes, Mr. Holmes. We were en gaged after the first walk that we took. Hosmer Mr. Angel wa.s a cashier in an office in Leadenhall street and" "What office?" ' . "That's the worst of It, Mr. Hohnes, I don't know.' "Where did he live, then?" "He slept on the premises." "And you don't know his address?" "No except that It was leadenhall street." "Where did you address your letters, then?" "To the Leadenhall street postofHce, to be left till called for. He said that if they were sent to the office he would be chaffed by all the other clerks about having letters from a -lady, o I offered to" typewrite them, like he did Us. but he wouldn't have that, for he said that when I -wrote them they seemed to come from me, but when they were typewritten he always felt that the machine had come between us. That will jpst show you how fond he was of me, Mr. Holmes, and the little things that he would think of." "It was most suggestive," said Holmes. "It has long been an axiom of mine that the little things are infi nitely the most important. Can you remember any other little things about Mr. Hosmer Angel?" "He was & very shy man, Mr. Hohnes. He would rather walk with me in the evening than In the daylight, for he said that he hated to be conspicuous. Very retiring and gentlemanly he was. "Evn his voice was gentle. He'd had the qui n By and swollen glands when he was young, he told me,, and it had left him with a weak throat, and a hesitat ing, whispering fashion of speech. He iras always well dressed, very neat and T plain, but his, eyes were weak, just as mine are, and he wore tinted glasses against,; the glare." . "Well; and what happened when Mr. Windibank, your stepfather, 'returned to France Y "Mr. Hosmer Angel came to the house again, and proposed that we should marry before father came bactt. He was In dreadful earnest, end made me swear, with my hands on the Testa ment, that whatever happened I would always be true o hirp. Mother said he was quite riffht to make me swear, and that it was a sign of his passion. Mother was all in his favor from the first, and was even fonder of him than I was. Then, when they talked of marrying within 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. Mr. Holmes. It seemed funny that I should ask his leave, as he was only a few years older than me; but I didn't want to do any thing on the sly, so I wrote to rather at Bordeaux, where the company has Its French offices, but the letter came back to me on the very morning of the wedding." "It missed him, then?" "Ye, sir; for he had started to Eng land Just before it arrived." "Ha! .that was unfortunate. Tour wedding was arranged, then, for the Friday. Was it to be In church?" "Yes, sir, but very quietly. It was to be at St. Saviour's near King's Cross, and we were to have breakfast after wards at the St. Pancras hotel. Hos mer came for us In a hansom, but as there were two of us, he put us both Into It, and stepped himself into a four wheeler, which happened to'be the only other cab In the street. We got to the church first, and when the four-wheeler drove up we waited for thlm to step out, but he never did, and when the cabman got down from the bo and looked, there was no one there The cabman said thht he could not Imagine what had become of him, for hi had seen him get in with fcts own eyes. That was last Friday, Mr. Holmes, and I have never seen or heard anything since then to throw any light upon what became of him." "It seems to me that you, have been very shamefully treated," eald Holmes. "Oh no, sir! He was too good and Acind to leave me so. Why, all the morning he was saying to me that, whatever happened, I was to be true; and that even if something quite un foreseen occurred to separate us, I was always to remember that I was pledged to him, and that he would claim his pledge sooner or later. It seemed strange talk for a wedding-morning, but what has happened since gives a meaning to it." "Most certainly it does. Your own opinion is, then, that some unforeseen catastrophe has occurred to him?" "Yes, sir. I believe that he foresaw some danger, or else he would not have talked so. And then I think that what he foresaw happened." "But you have no notion as to what it could have fceen?" "None." "One more question. "How did your' mother take the matter?' "She was angry, and said that I was never to speak of the matter a t "And your father? Df v,B him?" a "Yes, and he seemed to thim me that something had happed that I should hear of UosTe T As he-said, what interest ,., one have in bringing mc to tl!" of the church, and then lc.iv n Now, if he had borrowed mv m, i if he had married nie nnd E money settled on him, thcro soma reason: but Mosmr dependent about money, and would look at a shilling of minP yet, what could have happened' why could he not write? Oh it' me 'half.mad to think of: and i sleep a. wink at night." she t) little handkerchief out of her mu began to sob heavily into it." "I shall glance into the case for said Holmes, rising; "and l ha doubt that we shall reach some d result. Let the weight of the i rest upon me now, and do not le mind dwell upon it further. Abo try to let Mr. Hosmer Ansel . from your memory, as he has from your llfo." "Then you don't think 111 8e again?" "I fear not." "Then what has happened to h1 "You will leave that question hands. I should like an accura scrlption of him, and any letters which you can spare." "I advertised for him in Inst day'B Chronicle," said she. "Here slip, and here are four letters him." "Thank you. And your nddm "No. 31 Lyon Place, Camberwe "Mr. Angel's address yoti neve I understand. Where is your f; place of business?" "He travels for Westhous & bank, the great claret Import Fenchurch street." "Thank you. You have nud statement very clearly. You wll the papers here, and remember t vice which I have given you. L whole Incident be a sealed boo! do not allow it to affect your llf "Your are very kind. Mr. Holmi I cannot do that. I shall be ti Hosmer. He shall find me ready he comes back." For all the preposterous hat a vacuous face, there was somethli ble In the simple faith of our which compelled our respect. SI her little bundle of papers up table, and went her way, with a Ise to come again whenever she be summoned. Sherlock Holmes sat silent for minutes withfiis finger-tips still ed together, his legs stretched front Of him, and his gaze direct ward to the ceiling. Then he down from the rack the - old an clay pipe, which was to him as a sellor, and, having lit it, he (back In his chair, with the thic cloud-wreaths spinning up fron and a look of infinite langour face. "Quite an Interesting study, maiden," he observed. "I foun more Interesting than her little lem, which, by the way, is rai trite one. You will find parallel If you consult my index, In Ai (Continued on page 18) est HELPS AND NEEDS TB7 V? 1 mingtons Greatest Charity. HELP Jam es Walker Memorial Hospital For the first time in its twenty years of service the James Walker Memorial Hospital is coming before the public with a gen eral appeal for funds. The burden of the management of the hospital has been car ried; in ail these years, by a very small group of citizens who, at the sacrifice of time and money, have served without remuneration. ' While this service has been ungrudgingly rendered in the past, and will continue in the future, there has been a growing conviction that the maintenance of a high standard of efficiency must here after depend to a great extent upon the measure of support given by the citizens at large to their hospital. The hospiital faces a deficit of approximately $30,000 and this must be liquidated. This deficit is due solely to necessary perma nent improvements and repairs which have been made in the past fiye or six years. There is no deficit in the current operating ac count. The hospital must have more room for medical and - surgical cases. This can be secured by moving the nurses' quarters from the hospital building, and building a nurses' home. This is an ur-' gent need and the cost will approximate $70,000. The nurses' home will be known as the A. D, McCljire Nurses' Home to honor the memory of one of Wilmington's former univer sally loved citizens. Beginning on the evening of Tuesday, February 15, and con tinuing for five days, ending Monday, -February, 21, a committee of 120 volunteer workers will call upon the public for their contribu tions toward the $100,000 needed to carry out the plans. v Wilmington has evef been sensitive to appeals for worthy causes and jealous of her position as a progressive and responsible community. f ; - We shall not falter in meeting the needs of our own hospital. DO YOU KNOW That through the will of the late James Walker the main hospital building was erected and presented to the people of Wilming ton and surrounding communities? That through the beneficence of Mr. W. H. Sprunt, the Jate Mr. Samuel Bear, Dr. James Sprunt ajitf the late Mrs. James Sprunt and Mrs. George R. French, a number of other build ings have been added to the original building? That a leading contractor recently estimated the present value of the several buildings at $349,303.09, which together with the value of the equipment indicates that the people of Wilming ton and surrounding communities have at their service a plant representing a value of $397,684.30? That $11 this has been done for the people without calling upon them for financial aid? YOU WILL AGREE, THEREFORE That the management is fully justified ii this present emergency in asking that the people should, for the First Time, rally to the financial support of their own Hospital. SOME INTERESTING FACTS: 1919. ' Patients admitted 2,734 Days treatments, pay patients 16.062 1,794 1,312 1,128 187,028 .25 6,695 . . . .' . '. GENERAL CHAIRMAN George JB-EHiott EduardAhrens Henry C. Bear H. Bleuthenthal James Cowan Charity patients Surgical operations Dressings Ambulance calls Meals served ..... Average cost per meal Milk feedings ....... Operating costs ...... w v. ... ; $94,9340 $118,694.27 Operating cost per day . ..... T 3.85 4.23 53 H per cent of days' treatments was for charity patients . 1920. 2,885 13,121 14,907 1,801 6,988 1,191 198,397 .27 6,508 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Rev Frank D. Dean; Chr. Mrs. J. V. Grainger Daniel H. Penton Dr. J. G. Murphy i sO.Reilly Campaign for $100,000 EebMairy Headquarters: Home Savings Bank Building J. V Grainger, Treasurer Jesse Roache Mrs. S. Solomon W.H. SPRUNT D. C.Love Walker Taylor 15-2 1 " ' ..rf .
Wilmington Morning Star (Wilmington, N.C.)
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Feb. 13, 1921, edition 1
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