DarqueDante/test2 · Datasets at Hugging Face

text stringlengths 0 74
you about this little matter, for I think it is far better not to
wash linen of the sort in public. It was quite against my wishes that
she came, but she is a very excitable, impulsive girl, as you may
have noticed, and she is not easily controlled when she has made up
her mind on a point. Of course, I did not mind you so much, as you
are not connected with the official police, but it is not pleasant to
have a family misfortune like this noised abroad. Besides, it is a
useless expense, for how could you possibly find this Hosmer Angel?"

"On the contrary," said Holmes quietly; "I have every reason to
believe that I will succeed in discovering Mr. Hosmer Angel."

Mr. Windibank gave a violent start and dropped his gloves. "I am
delighted to hear it," he said.

"It is a curious thing," remarked Holmes, "that a typewriter has
really quite as much individuality as a man's handwriting. Unless
they are quite new, no two of them write exactly alike. Some letters
get more worn than others, and some wear only on one side. Now, you
remark in this note of yours, Mr. Windibank, that in every case there
is some little slurring over of the 'e,' and a slight defect in the
tail of the 'r.' There are fourteen other characteristics, but those
are the more obvious."

"We do all our correspondence with this machine at the office, and no
doubt it is a little worn," our visitor answered, glancing keenly at
Holmes with his bright little eyes.

"And now I will show you what is really a very interesting study, Mr.
Windibank," Holmes continued. "I think of writing another little
monograph some of these days on the typewriter and its relation to
crime. It is a subject to which I have devoted some little attention.
I have here four letters which purport to come from the missing man.
They are all typewritten. In each case, not only are the 'e's'
slurred and the 'r's' tailless, but you will observe, if you care to
use my magnifying lens, that the fourteen other characteristics to
which I have alluded are there as well."

Mr. Windibank sprang out of his chair and picked up his hat. "I
cannot waste time over this sort of fantastic talk, Mr. Holmes," he
said. "If you can catch the man, catch him, and let me know when you
have done it."

"Certainly," said Holmes, stepping over and turning the key in the
door. "I let you know, then, that I have caught him!"

"What! where?" shouted Mr. Windibank, turning white to his lips and
glancing about him like a rat in a trap.

"Oh, it won't do--really it won't," said Holmes suavely. "There is no
possible getting out of it, Mr. Windibank. It is quite too
transparent, and it was a very bad compliment when you said that it
was impossible for me to solve so simple a question. That's right!
Sit down and let us talk it over."

Our visitor collapsed into a chair, with a ghastly face and a glitter
of moisture on his brow. "It--it's not actionable," he stammered.

"I am very much afraid that it is not. But between ourselves,
Windibank, it was as cruel and selfish and heartless a trick in a
petty way as ever came before me. Now, let me just run over the
course of events, and you will contradict me if I go wrong."

The man sat huddled up in his chair, with his head sunk upon his
breast, like one who is utterly crushed. Holmes stuck his feet up on
the corner of the mantelpiece and, leaning back with his hands in his
pockets, began talking, rather to himself, as it seemed, than to us.

"The man married a woman very much older than himself for her money,"
said he, "and he enjoyed the use of the money of the daughter as long
as she lived with them. It was a considerable sum, for people in
their position, and the loss of it would have made a serious
difference. It was worth an effort to preserve it. The daughter was
of a good, amiable disposition, but affectionate and warm-hearted in
her ways, so that it was evident that with her fair personal
advantages, and her little income, she would not be allowed to remain
single long. Now her marriage would mean, of course, the loss of a
hundred a year, so what does her stepfather do to prevent it? He
takes the obvious course of keeping her at home and forbidding her to
seek the company of people of her own age. But soon he found that
that would not answer forever. She became restive, insisted upon her
rights, and finally announced her positive intention of going to a
certain ball. What does her clever stepfather do then? He conceives
an idea more creditable to his head than to his heart. With the
connivance and assistance of his wife he disguised himself, covered
those keen eyes with tinted glasses, masked the face with a moustache
and a pair of bushy whiskers, sunk that clear voice into an
insinuating whisper, and doubly secure on account of the girl's short
sight, he appears as Mr. Hosmer Angel, and keeps off other lovers by
making love himself."

"It was only a joke at first," groaned our visitor. "We never thought
that she would have been so carried away."

"Very likely not. However that may be, the young lady was very
decidedly carried away, and, having quite made up her mind that her
stepfather was in France, the suspicion of treachery never for an
instant entered her mind. She was flattered by the gentleman's
attentions, and the effect was increased by the loudly expressed
admiration of her mother. Then Mr. Angel began to call, for it was

you about this little matter, for I think it is far better not to

wash linen of the sort in public. It was quite against my wishes that

she came, but she is a very excitable, impulsive girl, as you may

have noticed, and she is not easily controlled when she has made up

her mind on a point. Of course, I did not mind you so much, as you

are not connected with the official police, but it is not pleasant to

have a family misfortune like this noised abroad. Besides, it is a

useless expense, for how could you possibly find this Hosmer Angel?"

"On the contrary," said Holmes quietly; "I have every reason to

believe that I will succeed in discovering Mr. Hosmer Angel."

Mr. Windibank gave a violent start and dropped his gloves. "I am

delighted to hear it," he said.

"It is a curious thing," remarked Holmes, "that a typewriter has

really quite as much individuality as a man's handwriting. Unless

they are quite new, no two of them write exactly alike. Some letters

get more worn than others, and some wear only on one side. Now, you

remark in this note of yours, Mr. Windibank, that in every case there

is some little slurring over of the 'e,' and a slight defect in the

tail of the 'r.' There are fourteen other characteristics, but those

are the more obvious."

"We do all our correspondence with this machine at the office, and no

doubt it is a little worn," our visitor answered, glancing keenly at

Holmes with his bright little eyes.

"And now I will show you what is really a very interesting study, Mr.

Windibank," Holmes continued. "I think of writing another little

monograph some of these days on the typewriter and its relation to

crime. It is a subject to which I have devoted some little attention.

I have here four letters which purport to come from the missing man.

They are all typewritten. In each case, not only are the 'e's'

slurred and the 'r's' tailless, but you will observe, if you care to

use my magnifying lens, that the fourteen other characteristics to

which I have alluded are there as well."

Mr. Windibank sprang out of his chair and picked up his hat. "I

cannot waste time over this sort of fantastic talk, Mr. Holmes," he

said. "If you can catch the man, catch him, and let me know when you

have done it."

"Certainly," said Holmes, stepping over and turning the key in the

door. "I let you know, then, that I have caught him!"

"What! where?" shouted Mr. Windibank, turning white to his lips and

glancing about him like a rat in a trap.

"Oh, it won't do--really it won't," said Holmes suavely. "There is no

possible getting out of it, Mr. Windibank. It is quite too

transparent, and it was a very bad compliment when you said that it

was impossible for me to solve so simple a question. That's right!

Sit down and let us talk it over."

Our visitor collapsed into a chair, with a ghastly face and a glitter

of moisture on his brow. "It--it's not actionable," he stammered.

"I am very much afraid that it is not. But between ourselves,

Windibank, it was as cruel and selfish and heartless a trick in a

petty way as ever came before me. Now, let me just run over the

course of events, and you will contradict me if I go wrong."

The man sat huddled up in his chair, with his head sunk upon his

breast, like one who is utterly crushed. Holmes stuck his feet up on

the corner of the mantelpiece and, leaning back with his hands in his

pockets, began talking, rather to himself, as it seemed, than to us.

"The man married a woman very much older than himself for her money,"

said he, "and he enjoyed the use of the money of the daughter as long

as she lived with them. It was a considerable sum, for people in

their position, and the loss of it would have made a serious

difference. It was worth an effort to preserve it. The daughter was

of a good, amiable disposition, but affectionate and warm-hearted in

her ways, so that it was evident that with her fair personal

advantages, and her little income, she would not be allowed to remain

single long. Now her marriage would mean, of course, the loss of a

hundred a year, so what does her stepfather do to prevent it? He

takes the obvious course of keeping her at home and forbidding her to

seek the company of people of her own age. But soon he found that

that would not answer forever. She became restive, insisted upon her

rights, and finally announced her positive intention of going to a

certain ball. What does her clever stepfather do then? He conceives

an idea more creditable to his head than to his heart. With the

connivance and assistance of his wife he disguised himself, covered

those keen eyes with tinted glasses, masked the face with a moustache

and a pair of bushy whiskers, sunk that clear voice into an

insinuating whisper, and doubly secure on account of the girl's short

sight, he appears as Mr. Hosmer Angel, and keeps off other lovers by

making love himself."

"It was only a joke at first," groaned our visitor. "We never thought

that she would have been so carried away."

"Very likely not. However that may be, the young lady was very

decidedly carried away, and, having quite made up her mind that her

stepfather was in France, the suspicion of treachery never for an

instant entered her mind. She was flattered by the gentleman's

attentions, and the effect was increased by the loudly expressed

admiration of her mother. Then Mr. Angel began to call, for it was