THE OUTLET

PERPETRATED BY WALT McDOUGALL

THE RETURN OF SHERLOCK HOLMES

We stood outside of the door. Holmes stopped fiddling, took an injection cf bensile and after examining the doormat with a spectroscope, said: "There's been an old woman here named Jones who wore a wig and blue glasses and carried a skye terrier named Dido. She is deaf in her left ear, Watson."

"Marvelous!" I exclaimed.

"That isn't all. She has had asthma twice this year, her brother-in-law conducts a Correspondence School in Birmingham and has a note coming due on Tuesday. He is a Swede and is crosseyed, a plumber by trade but is a judge of pickles."

"You're some detective! But don't I smell smoke?"

"Yes," replied Holmes. "On closer examination I perceive the house to be on fire from cellar to garret. We must look into this, Watson! Kindly call a hansom and we will notify the fire department. There's mystery here. This fire started in the ice-box on the roof!"

The secret of Holmes' great penetration is now solved. lt has been discovered that he always had a confederate on the job. This man's name Is now known to be Conan Doyle.

The Alliance Herald, 11 May 1911