The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes Part 6 (2/2)

”'Never'

”'Why, I wonder at that, for you are eligible yourself for one of the vacancies'

”'And what are they worth?' I asked

”'Oh, ht, and it need not interfere very much with one's other occupations'

”Well, you can easily think that that made ood for some years, and an extra couple of hundred would have been very handy

”'Tellme the advertiseue has a vacancy, and there is the address where you should apply for particulars As far as I can ue was founded by an American millionaire, Ezekiah Hopkins, as very peculiar in his ways He was hireat sympathy for all red-headed men; so when he died it was found that he 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 colour From all I hear it is splendid pay and very little to do'

”'But,' said I, 'there would be millions of red-headed ht think,' he answered 'You see it is really confined to Londoners, and to grown , and he wanted to do the old town a good turn Then, again, I have heard it is no use your applying if your hair is light red, or dark red, or anything but real bright, blazing, fiery red Now, if you cared 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 be any coood a chance as anyseeht prove useful, so I just ordered hiht aithto have a holiday, so we shut the business up and started off for the address that was given us in the advertiseain, 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 ether by that single advertisee, brick, Irish-setter, liver, clay; but, as Spaulding said, there were not many who had the real vivid fla, I would have given it up in despair; but Spaulding would not hear of it How he did it I could not iot ht up to the steps which led to the office There was a double strea back dejected; but edged in as well as we could and soon found ourselves in the office”

”Your experience has been aone,” remarked Hole pinch of snuff ”Pray continue your very interesting state in the office but a couple of wooden chairs and a deal table, behind which sat a small man with a head that was even redder than mine He said a feords to each candidate as he caed to find so a vacancy did not seem to be such a very easy matter, after all However, when our turn came the little man was much more favourable to me than to any of the others, and he closed the door as we entered, so that he ht have a private ith us

”'This is Mr Jabez Wilson,' saidto fill a vacancy in the League'

”'And he is admirably suited for it,' the other answered 'He has every require so fine' He took a step backward, cocked his head on one side, and gazed at ed forward, wrung ratulated me warmly on my success

”'It would be injustice to hesitate,' said he 'You will, however, I a an obvious precaution'

With that he seized ed until I yelled with the pain 'There is water in your eyes,' said he as he released me 'I perceive that all is as it should be But we have to be careful, for we have twice been deceived by wigs and once by paint I could tell you tales of cobbler's hich would disgust you with huh 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 be seen except er

”'My name,' said he, 'is Mr Duncan Ross, and I am myself one of the pensioners upon the fund left by our noble benefactor Are you a married man, Mr Wilson? Have you a family?'

”I answered that I had not

”His face fell iravely, 'that is very serious indeed! I am sorry to hear you say that The fund was, of course, for the propagation and spread of the red-heads as well as for their ly unfortunate that you should be a bachelor'

”My face lengthened at this, Mr Holht that I was not to have the vacancy after all; but after thinking it over for a few ht

”'In the case of another,' said he, 'the objection ht be fatal, but we must stretch a point in favour of a man with such a head of hair as yours When shall you be able to enter upon your new duties?'