“Here you are!” he cried, waving a paper over his head. “Ithought I should be in time to get you. Mr. Nathan Garrideb, mycongratulations! You are a rich man, sir. Our business is happilyfinished and all is well. As to you, Mr. Holmes, we can only say weare sorry if we have given you any useless trouble.”
He handed over the paper to our client, who stood staring at amarked advertisement. Holmes and I leaned forward and read itover his shoulder. This is how it ran:
Howard Garrideb
Constructor Of Agricultural Machinery
Binders, reapers, steam and hand plows, drills, harrows, farmer’scarts, buckboards, and all other appliances.
Estimates for Artesian Wells
Apply Grosvenor Buildings, Aston
“Glorious!” gasped our host. “That makes our third man.”
“I had opened up inquiries in Birmingham,” said the American,“and my agent there has sent me this advertisement from a localpaper. We must hustle and put the thing through. I have writtento this man and told him that you will see him in his office tomorrowafternoon at four o’clock.”
“You want me to see him?”
“What do you say, Mr. Holmes? Don’t you think it would bewiser? Here am I, a wandering American with a wonderful tale.
Why should he believe what I tell him? But you are a Britisherwith solid references, and he is bound to take notice of what yousay. I would go with you if you wished, but I have a very busyday to-morrow, and I could always follow you if you are in anytrouble.”
“Well, I have not made such a journey for years.”
“It is nothing, Mr. Garrideb. I have figured out our connections.
You leave at twelve and should be there soon after two. Then youcan be back the same night. All you have to do is to see this man,explain the matter, and get an affidavit of his existence. By theLord!” he added hotly, “considering I’ve come all the way from thecentre of America, it is surely little enough if you go a hundredmiles in order to put this matter through.”
“Quite so,” said Holmes. “I think what this gentleman says isvery true.”
Mr. Nathan Garrideb shrugged his shoulders with a disconsolateair. “Well, if you insist I shall go,” said he. “It is certainly hard forme to refuse you anything, considering the glory of hope that youhave brought into my life.”
“Then that is agreed,” said Holmes, “and no doubt you will letme have a report as soon as you can.”
“I’ll see to that,” said the American. “Well,” he added looking at hiswatch, “I’ll have to get on. I’ll call to-morrow, Mr. Nathan, and seeyou off to Birmingham. Coming my way, Mr. Holmes? Well, then,good-bye, and we may have good news for you to-morrow night.”
I noticed that my friend’s face cleared when the American leftthe room, and the look of thoughtful perplexity had vanished.
“I wish I could look over your collection, Mr. Garrideb,” saidhe. “In my profession all sorts of odd knowledge comes useful, andthis room of yours is a storehouse of it.”
Our client shone with pleasure and his eyes gleamed frombehind his big glasses.
“I had always heard, sir, that you were a very intelligent man,”said he. “I could take you round now if you have the time.”
“Unfortunately, I have not. But these specimens are so welllabelled and classified that they hardly need your personalexplanation. If I should be able to look in to-morrow, I presumethat there would be no objection to my glancing over them?”
“None at all. You are most welcome. The place will, of course,be shut up, but Mrs. Saunders is in the basement up to four o’clockand would let you in with her key.”
“Well, I happen to be clear to-morrow afternoon. If you wouldsay a word to Mrs. Saunders it would be quite in order. By the way,who is your house-agent?”
Our client was amazed at the sudden question.
“Holloway and Steele, in the Edgware Road. But why?”
“I am a bit of an archaeologist myself when it comes to houses,”
said Holmes, laughing. “I was wondering if this was Queen Anneor Georgian.”
“Georgian, beyond doubt.”
“Really. I should have thought a little earlier. However, it iseasily ascertained. Well, good-bye, Mr. Garrideb, and may youhave every success in your Birmingham journey.”
The house-agent’s was close by, but we found that it was closedfor the day, so we made our way back to Baker Street. It was nottill after dinner that Holmes reverted to the subject.
“Our little problem draws to a close,” said he. “No doubt youhave outlined the solution in your own mind.”
“I can make neither head nor tail of it.”
“The head is surely clear enough and the tail we should see tomorrow.
Did you notice nothing curious about that advertisement?”
“I saw that the word ‘plough’ was misspelt.”
“Oh, you did notice that, did you? Come, Watson, you improveall the time. Yes, it was bad English but good American. Theprinter had set it up as received. Then the buckboards. That isAmerican also. And artesian wells are commoner with them thanwith us. It was a typical American advertisement, but purportingto be from an English firm. What do you make of that?”
“I can only suppose that this American lawyer put it in himself.
What his object was I fail to understand.”
“Well, there are alternative explanations. Anyhow, he wantedto get this good old fossil up to Birmingham. That is very clear.
I might have told him that he was clearly going on a wild-goosechase, but, on second thoughts, it seemed better to clear the stageby letting him go. To-morrow, Watson—well, to-morrow will speakfor itself.”
Holmes was up and out early. When he returned at lunchtime Inoticed that his face was very grave.
“This is a more serious matter than I had expected, Watson,” saidhe. “It is fair to tell you so, though I know it will only be an additionalreason to you for running your head into danger. I should know myWatson by now. But there is danger, and you should know it.”
“Well, it is not the first we have shared, Holmes. I hope it maynot be the last. What is the particular danger this time?”
“We are up against a very hard case. I have identified Mr. JohnGarrideb, Counsellor at Law. He is none other than ‘Killer’ Evans,of sinister and murderous reputation.”