Central High School - Almanac Yearbook (Toledo, OH)

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Holmes was evidently very gloomy. He tore the bread and stabbed savagely at the steak. Worrell, said he suddenly, do you notice anything peculiar about this steak?', '4It is very tough,', said I. True, that is an innate quality of all steakg I refer to my steak, this upon my platefi I looked at it for a moment, No, said I, I see noth- ing peculiar about it. Without further comment he wrapped the steak care- fully in his napkin, dropped it into a side pocket, and then strode up to the desk. I do not know just how it happened, but he very clumsily let his purse fall into the umbrella-jar, a very unusual thing for one always so graceful and precise in all his movements. He fumbled for a moment and recov- ered it, and we ascended to the street. Apparently forget- ful of his original intention, he turned homeward, and when we were once more Within the cosy precincts of his reading room he threw off the air of reserve which he had worn of late and became quite voluble. You may know, he began in the serious style of a platform lecturer, that there is a great difference between teethg between the teeth of a man and those of a woman, between the teeth of one individual and those of another, and between the precise conditions of the same teeth at one time and another, involving different conditions. I nodded. ' Now, as to this steak, it is made of Para rubber of good quality, and it is of the regular shape and dimensions, it is in fact the same as the ordinary steaks found in every restaurant, but you will notice the difference between this and the steak you had, for instance. This is comparatively new, it has not been used more than once or twice, I should say, whereas yours was covered with the myriad indenta- tions left by previous lunchers and diners, this bears traces of only one. Do you see those marks there, and there, and

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hurried step outside. The door was opened and Without being announced in rushed our nocturnal visitor. Mr. Holmes arose. Good evening, Monsieur Jardi- nier, said he, extending his long White hand, Monsieur Jardinier, Mr. Worrell. Good evening, Monsieur Jardinierj I said, I believe that it has been my pleasure to meet you beforef' Ah, yes, he replied, as he grasped my hand in a pe- culiar Way and murmered a phrase in Greek, which I repeated after him, H but pardon me if I proceed immediately to the business in hand, it is very urgent, I assure you. I ventured to Withdraw, but our visitor insisted on my remaining. Then a conversation something like the follow- ing ensued: Monsieur Jardinierj' said I-Iolmes, I already perceive in many Ways that you are the trusted friend of the Baron von Livervvorst of this city, that you are sent to night on a very important errand, that you Wish to obtain my services in securing a lost article, and that article is the famous Tanjora Diamond, Which has just been stolen from the per- son of the Baroninfi Jardinier gasped in astonishment. Exactly, exactly, but how did you know - Now, Monsieur, as the facts with which I am already acquainted are but generalities, you Would oblige me much by' giving me a full account of the case from the beginning. Well, began Jardinier, after a pause, tithe Baron Von Liverworst, as you very likely know, lived for a number of years as a private citizen of this city, bearing the name of Walter Braun. About six years ago he found himself heir to the ine estates of Livervvorst and Sauer Kraut. To be brief, he became the ovvner of the famous Tanjora Diamond Which, as you remember, Was once the pride of the Rajah of Tanjora. I-Iis majesty lost one of his slippers While out hunting tigers and the article Was found by the third Baron von Dunder and Blitzen, of the royal body guard. Upon

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there? Now, this bears upon its surface a message so plain that any one may read it, tell me what it is. I must confess that I do not see anything. Come now, you are excessively modest. But look, see how deeply these are imprinted, that proves conclusively that our previous diner was- A man, said I confidently. Wrong, a woman. These show great development of the maxillary muscles, a development rarely found in the male and only attainable by constant and vigorous exercise, our diner then was a woman. There is another considera- tion, when one is quiescent, at rest in mind and body, he bites with the front teeth, nibbles as it were, When agitated or ill at ease, one places the food well under the molars in an effort to vent his feelings in the vigorous motion thus produced. Observe the marks, they are the impressions left by the first three molars, hence we conclude With the geat- est precision that the individual in question was laboring under extreme mental excitement-extreme I say, for no ordinary mood could have produced marks such as these. So much as to the steak. Here is another matter: Ascend- ing the trellis employed by the thief in his descent on the night of the robbery, I found this bit of satin from a fan or something of that sort, upon it you will see traced, very faintly with apencil, the name CW-i-l-l G-a-r-d-i-n-e-r,' and below the initials 'R-H-B ' . I see, said I excitedly, go on! Furthermore, I found this little bauble in the umbrella jar where I purposely dropped my pocket-book, not an hour ago, and he pulled from his vest pocket and presented to my gaze a stone of dazzling brilliancy and great size, larger by far than any which I had ever seen before, even in India. The Tanjora Diamond! I gasped. The Tanjora Diamond, he echoed, and now what do you make of it? Why, said I, eager to open the nut now that he had