The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes Part 12 (2/2)
”Well, have you solved it?” I asked as I entered
”Yes It was the bisulphate of baryta”
”No, no, the ht of the salt that I have been working upon
There was never any h, as I said yesterday, some of the details are of interest The only drawback is that there is no law, I fear, that can touch the scoundrel”
”Who was he, then, and as his object in deserting Miss Sutherland?”
The question was hardly out of my mouth, and Holmes had not yet opened his lips to reply, e heard a heavy footfall in the passage and a tap at the door
”This is the girl's stepfather, Mr James Windibank,” 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, e, clean-shaven, and sallow-skinned, with a bland, insinuating rey eyes He shot a questioning glance at each of us, placed his shi+ny top-hat upon the sideboard, and with a slight bow sidled down into the nearest chair
”Good-evening, Mr James Windibank,” said Holmes ”I think that this typewritten letter is from you, in which you made an appointment with me for six o'clock?”
”Yes, sir I am afraid that I am a little late, but I am not quite my own master, you know I am sorry that Miss Sutherland has troubled you about this little matter, for I think it is far better not to wash linen of the sort in public It was quite against my wishes that she cairl, as you may have noticed, and she is not easily controlled when she has made up her mind on a point Of course, I did not mind you so much, as you are not connected with the official police, but it is not pleasant to have a family misfortune like this noised abroad Besides, it is a useless expense, for how could you possibly find this Hosel?”
”On the contrary,” said Holmes quietly; ”I have every reason to believe that I will succeed in discovering Mr Hosave a violent start and dropped his gloves ”I a,” remarked Holmes, ”that a typewriter has really quite asUnless they are quite new, no two of theet more worn than others, and some wear only on one side Now, you remark in this note of yours, Mr Windibank, that in every case there is soht defect in the tail 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 a little worn,” our visitor answered, glancing keenly at Holht little eyes
”And noill show you what is really a very interesting study, Mr Windibank,” Holraph some of these days on the typewriter and its relation to crime It is a subject to which I have devoted some little attention I have here four letters which purport to co man They are all typewritten In each case, not only are the 'e's' slurred and the 'r's' tailless, but you will observe, if you care to uselens, that the fourteen other characteristics to which I have alluded are there as well”
Mr Windibank sprang out of his chair and picked up his hat ”I cannot waste time over this sort of fantastic talk, Mr Holmes,”
he said ”If you can catch the man, catch him, and let me knohen you have done it”
”Certainly,” said Hol the key in the door ”I let you know, then, that I have caught hi white to his lips and glancing about him like a rat in a trap
”Oh, it won't do--really it won't,” said Hol out of it, Mr Windibank It is quite too transparent, and it was a very bad compliment when you said that it was iht! Sit down and let us talk it over”
Our visitor collapsed into a chair, with a ghastly face and a glitter of moisture on his brow ”It--it's not actionable,” he stammered
”I am very much afraid that it is not But between ourselves, Windibank, it was as cruel and selfish and heartless a trick in a petty way as ever came before me Now, let me just run over the course of events, and you will contradict ”
The man sat huddled up in his chair, with his head sunk upon his breast, like one who is utterly crushed Holmes stuck his feet up on the corner of theback with his hands in his pockets, began talking, rather to himself, as it seemed, than to us
”The man married a woman very much older than himself for her money,” said he, ”and he enjoyed the use of theas she lived with them It was a considerable sum, for people in their position, and the loss of it would have made a serious difference It orth an effort to preserve it
The daughter was of a good, amiable disposition, but affectionate and warm-hearted in her ways, so that it was evident that with her fair personal advantages, and her little inco Now her e would mean, of course, the loss of a hundred a year, so what does her stepfather do to prevent it? He takes the obvious course of keeping her at ho her to seek the coe But soon he found that that would not answer forever She becahts, and finally announced her positive intention of going to a certain ball What does her clever stepfather 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 hilasses, masked the face with a moustache and a pair of bushy whiskers, sunk that clear voice into an insinuating whisper, and doubly secure on account of the girl's short sight, he appears as Mr Hos love himself”