SOME SHERLOCK HOLMES DOPE

Sherlock Holmes was ill at ease. I could see that something was bothering him, but disliked to say anything.

The great detective paced up and down restlessly.

"Watson," he finally remarked, "for the lirst time in my life I am puzzled."

I was about to reply when he checked me with an angry wave of his hand.

"Keep still!" he cried, "and let rne think."

Resuming his walk up and down the room, he was silent for perhaps half an hour. Then he brightened up. "I have it!" he shouted, "It was the kitchen key."

"What do you mean, Holmes?" I queried.

"Just this." he replied. "They entered by way of the kitchen, stole the cookies and escaped through the dining room."

"You are a wonderful man," I said, for perhaps the sixtieth time. "A wonderful man."

He laughed lightly. "Not at all," he said. "Merely a simple deduction, that is all. You see, when I was called to the house the occupants showed me the empty cookie jar. Therefore, I reasoned, the cookies had disappeared. None of the occupants of the house knew about it, so it must have been done by outsiders, without the consent of the owners - i.e., by stealth. In the morning the kitchen door was found open, and some footprints on the freshly painted dining room floor led to the window, also open. It is all very simple."

Just then the doorbell rang and a portly gentleman was shown in.

"Ha!"' said Sherlock Holmes, "you are the party who rang that bell!"

"Yes," admitted the visitor, "I am. But how in the world did you know it?"

Holmes smiled. "I heard you," said he, rolling up his sleeve and shooting a little dope into his muscular forearm.

"Well," said the caller, "have you any trace of them cookies?"

"Not yet," said Holmes, "but I expect to have them located by 10: 36 a.m. tomorrow. You were shaved at Whittington's shop this morning by a red-headed barber," he declared, looking his man keenly in the eye.

"Wonderful," said the fat man. "How in the world did you learn of it?"

"Nothing could be simpler," said Sherlock. "I was in the next chair at the time!"

Arizona Republican, 9 October, 1904