DarqueDante/test2 · Datasets at Hugging Face

text stringlengths 0 74
I took the paper from him and read as follows:

"To the Red-headed League: On account of the bequest of the late
Ezekiah Hopkins, of Lebanon, Pennsylvania, U. S. A., there is now
another vacancy open which entitles a member of the League to a
salary of £4 a week for purely nominal services. All red-headed men
who are sound in body and mind and above the age of twenty-one years,
are eligible. Apply in person on Monday, at eleven o'clock, to Duncan
Ross, at the offices of the League, 7 Pope's Court, Fleet Street."

"What on earth does this mean?" I ejaculated after I had twice read
over the extraordinary announcement.

Holmes chuckled and wriggled in his chair, as was his habit when in
high spirits. "It is a little off the beaten track, isn't it?" said
he. "And now, Mr. Wilson, off you go at scratch and tell us all about
yourself, your household, and the effect which this advertisement had
upon your fortunes. You will first make a note, Doctor, of the paper
and the date."

"It is The Morning Chronicle of April 27, 1890. Just two months ago."

"Very good. Now, Mr. Wilson?"

"Well, it is just as I have been telling you, Mr. Sherlock Holmes,"
said Jabez Wilson, mopping his forehead; "I have a small pawnbroker's
business at Coburg Square, near the City. It's not a very large
affair, and of late years it has not done more than just give me a
living. I used to be able to keep two assistants, but now I only keep
one; and I would have a job to pay him but that he is willing to come
for half wages so as to learn the business."

"What is the name of this obliging youth?" asked Sherlock Holmes.

"His name is Vincent Spaulding, and he's not such a youth, either.
It's hard to say his age. I should not wish a smarter assistant, Mr.
Holmes; and I know very well that he could better himself and earn
twice what I am able to give him. But, after all, if he is satisfied,
why should I put ideas in his head?"

"Why, indeed? You seem most fortunate in having an employee who comes
under the full market price. It is not a common experience among
employers in this age. I don't know that your assistant is not as
remarkable as your advertisement."

"Oh, he has his faults, too," said Mr. Wilson. "Never was such a
fellow for photography. Snapping away with a camera when he ought to
be improving his mind, and then diving down into the cellar like a
rabbit into its hole to develop his pictures. That is his main fault,
but on the whole he's a good worker. There's no vice in him."

"He is still with you, I presume?"

"Yes, sir. He and a girl of fourteen, who does a bit of simple
cooking and keeps the place clean--that's all I have in the house,
for I am a widower and never had any family. We live very quietly,
sir, the three of us; and we keep a roof over our heads and pay our
debts, if we do nothing more.

"The first thing that put us out was that advertisement. Spaulding,
he came down into the office just this day eight weeks, with this
very paper in his hand, and he says:

"'I wish to the Lord, Mr. Wilson, that I was a red-headed man.'

"'Why that?' I asks.

"'Why,' says he, 'here's another vacancy on the League of the
Red-headed Men. It's worth quite a little fortune to any man who gets
it, and I understand that there are more vacancies than there are
men, so that the trustees are at their wits' end what to do with the
money. If my hair would only change colour, here's a nice little crib
all ready for me to step into.'

"'Why, what is it, then?' I asked. You see, Mr. Holmes, I am a very
stay-at-home man, and as my business came to me instead of my having
to go to it, I was often weeks on end without putting my foot over
the door-mat. In that way I didn't know much of what was going on
outside, and I was always glad of a bit of news.

"'Have you never heard of the League of the Red-headed Men?' he asked
with his eyes open.

"'Never.'

"'Why, I wonder at that, for you are eligible yourself for one of the
vacancies.'

"'And what are they worth?' I asked.

"'Oh, merely a couple of hundred a year, but the work is slight, and
it need not interfere very much with one's other occupations.'

"Well, you can easily think that that made me prick up my ears, for
the business has not been over-good for some years, and an extra
couple of hundred would have been very handy.

"'Tell me all about it,' said I.

"'Well,' said he, showing me the advertisement, 'you can see for

I took the paper from him and read as follows:

"To the Red-headed League: On account of the bequest of the late

Ezekiah Hopkins, of Lebanon, Pennsylvania, U. S. A., there is now

another vacancy open which entitles a member of the League to a

salary of £4 a week for purely nominal services. All red-headed men

who are sound in body and mind and above the age of twenty-one years,

are eligible. Apply in person on Monday, at eleven o'clock, to Duncan

Ross, at the offices of the League, 7 Pope's Court, Fleet Street."

"What on earth does this mean?" I ejaculated after I had twice read

over the extraordinary announcement.

Holmes chuckled and wriggled in his chair, as was his habit when in

high spirits. "It is a little off the beaten track, isn't it?" said

he. "And now, Mr. Wilson, off you go at scratch and tell us all about

yourself, your household, and the effect which this advertisement had

upon your fortunes. You will first make a note, Doctor, of the paper

and the date."

"It is The Morning Chronicle of April 27, 1890. Just two months ago."

"Very good. Now, Mr. Wilson?"

"Well, it is just as I have been telling you, Mr. Sherlock Holmes,"

said Jabez Wilson, mopping his forehead; "I have a small pawnbroker's

business at Coburg Square, near the City. It's not a very large

affair, and of late years it has not done more than just give me a

living. I used to be able to keep two assistants, but now I only keep

one; and I would have a job to pay him but that he is willing to come

for half wages so as to learn the business."

"What is the name of this obliging youth?" asked Sherlock Holmes.

"His name is Vincent Spaulding, and he's not such a youth, either.

It's hard to say his age. I should not wish a smarter assistant, Mr.

Holmes; and I know very well that he could better himself and earn

twice what I am able to give him. But, after all, if he is satisfied,

why should I put ideas in his head?"

"Why, indeed? You seem most fortunate in having an employee who comes

under the full market price. It is not a common experience among

employers in this age. I don't know that your assistant is not as

remarkable as your advertisement."

"Oh, he has his faults, too," said Mr. Wilson. "Never was such a

fellow for photography. Snapping away with a camera when he ought to

be improving his mind, and then diving down into the cellar like a

rabbit into its hole to develop his pictures. That is his main fault,

but on the whole he's a good worker. There's no vice in him."

"He is still with you, I presume?"

"Yes, sir. He and a girl of fourteen, who does a bit of simple

cooking and keeps the place clean--that's all I have in the house,

for I am a widower and never had any family. We live very quietly,

sir, the three of us; and we keep a roof over our heads and pay our

debts, if we do nothing more.

"The first thing that put us out was that advertisement. Spaulding,

he came down into the office just this day eight weeks, with this

very paper in his hand, and he says:

"'I wish to the Lord, Mr. Wilson, that I was a red-headed man.'

"'Why that?' I asks.

"'Why,' says he, 'here's another vacancy on the League of the

Red-headed Men. It's worth quite a little fortune to any man who gets

it, and I understand that there are more vacancies than there are

men, so that the trustees are at their wits' end what to do with the

money. If my hair would only change colour, here's a nice little crib

all ready for me to step into.'

"'Why, what is it, then?' I asked. You see, Mr. Holmes, I am a very

stay-at-home man, and as my business came to me instead of my having

to go to it, I was often weeks on end without putting my foot over

the door-mat. In that way I didn't know much of what was going on

outside, and I was always glad of a bit of news.

"'Have you never heard of the League of the Red-headed Men?' he asked

with his eyes open.

"'Never.'

"'Why, I wonder at that, for you are eligible yourself for one of the

vacancies.'

"'And what are they worth?' I asked.

"'Oh, merely a couple of hundred a year, but the work is slight, and

it need not interfere very much with one's other occupations.'

"Well, you can easily think that that made me prick up my ears, for

the business has not been over-good for some years, and an extra

couple of hundred would have been very handy.

"'Tell me all about it,' said I.

"'Well,' said he, showing me the advertisement, 'you can see for