No. 2 The Adventure of the Cardboard Box by Arthur Conan Doyle
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observed that_the knot was one which_is popular with sailors, that_the parcel had_been posted at a port, and_that the male ear was pierced for an earring which_is so_much more common among sailors than landsmen, i_was quite certain that all the actors in_the tragedy were to_be found among our seafaring classes .

" when I_came to examine the address of_the packet I observed that_it_was to miss S .Cushing . now, the oldest sister would, of_course, be miss Cushing, and although her initial was 'S' it might belong to one_of_the others as_well . in_that case we_should_have to commence our investigation from a fresh basis altogether .I therefore went into_the house with_the intention of clearing up this point . i_was about to assure miss Cushing that i_was convinced that a mistake had_been made when_you may remember that I_came suddenly to a stop . the fact was_that I had just seen something which filled me with surprise and at_the same time narrowed the field of_our inquiry immensely .

" as a medical man, you_are aware, Watson, that_there_is no part of_the body which varies so_much as_the human ear . each ear is as a rule quite distinctive and differs from all other ones . in last year's anthropological journal you_will_find two short monographs from my pen upon_the_subject .I had, therefore, examined the ears in_the box with_the eyes of an expert and had carefully noted their anatomical peculiarities . imagine my surprise, then, when on looking at miss Cushing I perceived that her ear corresponded exactly with_the female ear which I had just inspected . the matter was entirely beyond coincidence . there_was the same shortening of_the pinna, the same broad curve of_the upper lobe, the same convolution of_the inner cartilage . in all essentials it was_the same ear .

" of_course I at once saw the enormous importance of_the observation . it_was evident that_the victim was a blood relation and probably a very close one .I began to_talk to her about her family, and you remember that she at once gave_us some exceedingly valuable details

" in_the first place, her sister's name was Sarah, and her address had until recently been the same, so that_it_was quite obvious how the mistake had occurred and for whom the packet was meant . then we heard of_this steward, married to_the third sister, and learned that he had at one_time been so intimate with miss Sarah that she had actually gone up_to Liverpool to_be near the Browners, but a quarrel had afterwards divided them . this quarrel had put a stop to all communications for some months, so_that if browner had occasion to address a packet to miss Sarah, he_would undoubtedly have_done so to her old address .

" and now the matter had begun to straighten itself out wonderfully . we had learned of_the existence of_this steward, an impulsive man, of strong passions -- you remember that he threw up what must_have been a very superior berth in_order_to_be nearer to_his wife -- subject, too, to occasional fits of hard drinking . we had reason to_believe that his wife had_been murdered, and_that a man -- presumably aseafaring man -- had_been murdered at_the same time . jealousy, of_course, at once suggests itself as_the motive for_the crime . and why should these proofs of_the deed be sent to miss Sarah Cushing ? probably because during her residence in Liverpool she had some hand in bringing about_the events which led to_the tragedy . you_will observe that_this line of boats calls at Belfast, Dublin, and Waterford; so_that, presuming that browner had committed the deed and had embarked at once upon his steamer, the may day, Belfast would_be the first place at which he_could post his terrible packet .

"A second solution was at_this stage obviously possible, and although i_thought it exceedingly unlikely, i_was determined to elucidate it before going further . an unsuccessful lover might_have killed Mr and Mrs browner, and_the male ear might_have belonged to_the husband . there were many grave objections to_this theory, but it_was conceivable .I therefore sent off a telegram to my friend Algar, of_the Liverpool force, and asked him to_find out if Mrs browner were at home, and if browner had departed in_the may day . then we went on to Wallington to visit miss Sarah .

" i_was curious, in_the first place, to_see how far the family ear had_been reproduced in her . then, of_course, she might give_us very_important information, but i_was not sanguine that she_would . she must_have heard of_the business the day before, since all Croydon was ringing with it, and she alone could_have understood for whom the packet was meant . if she had_been willing to help justice she_would probably have communicated with_the police already . however, it_was clearly our duty to_see her, so we went . we_found that_the news of_the arrival of_the packet -- for her illness dated from_that_time -- had such an effect upon her as_to bring on brain fever . it_was clearer than ever that she understood its full significance, but equally clear that we_should_have to wait some_time for any assistance from her .

" however, we were really independent of her help . our answers were waiting for_us at_the police- station, where I had directed Algar to send_them . nothing could_be more conclusive .Mrs browner's house had_been closed for more than three days, and_the neighbours were of opinion that she had gone south to_see her relatives . it had_been ascertained at_the shipping offices that browner had left aboard of_the may day, and I calculate that she_is due in_the Thames to- morrow night . when he arrives he_will_be met by_the obtuse but resolute Lestrade, and I_have no_doubt that we_shall_have all our details filled in ."

Sherlock Holmes was not disappointed in_his expectations . two days later he received a bulky envelope, which contained a short note from_the detective, and a typewritten document, which covered several pages of foolscap .

"Lestrade has got him all right," said Holmes, glancing up at me ." perhaps it would interest you to hear what he_says .

" my dear_Mr .HOLMES: " in accordance with_the scheme which we had formed in_order to test our theories" [" the ' we' is rather fine, Wat son, is_it not ? "] "I went down to_the Albert dock yesterday at 6 P .M ., and boarded the S .S . may day, belonging to_the Liverpool, Dublin, and London steam packet company . on inquiry, I_found that there_was a steward on board of_the name of James browner and_that he had acted during the voyage in_such an extraordinary manner that_the captain had_been compelled to relieve him of_his duties . on de- scending to_his berth, I_found him seated upon a chest with_his head sunk upon his hands, rocking himself to and fro . he_is a big, powerful chap, clean-shaven, and very swarthy -- something like Aldridge, who helped us in_the bogus laun- dry affair . he jumped up when he heard my business, and I had my whistle to my lips to_call a couple of river police, who were round the corner, but he_seemed to_have no heart in him, and he held out his hands quietly enough for_the darbies . we brought him along to_the cells, and_his box as_well, for we thought there_might_be something incriminat- ing; but, bar a big sharp knife such as most sailors have, we got nothing for_our trouble . however, we_find that we_shall want no more evidence, for on being brought before_the inspector at_the station he asked leave to_make a statement, which_was, of_course, taken down, just as he_made it, by our shorthand man . we had three copies typewritten, one of_which I_enclose . the affair proves, as I always thought it would, to_be an extremely simple one, but I_am obliged to_you for assisting me in my investigation . with kind regards, " yours_very_truly, "G .LESTRADE

" hum ! the investigation really was a very simple one," remarked Holmes, " but I don't think it struck him in_that light when he first called us in . however, let_us_see what Jim browner has_to say for himself . this_is his statement as made before inspector Montgomery at_the Shadwell police station, and it has_the advantage of being verbatim ."

" ' have I anything to_say ? yes, I_have a deal to_say . I_have to_make a clean breast of it all . you_can hang me, or you_can leave me alone .I don't care a plug which you_do .I tell you I've not shut an eye in sleep since I_did it, and I don't believe I ever will again until I get past all waking .Sometimes it's his face, but most generally it's hers .I'm never without one or the other before me . he looks frowning and black- like, but she has a kind o' surprise upon her face .Ay, the white lamb, she might well be surprised when she read death on a face that had seldom looked anything but love upon her before .

" ' but it_was Sarah's fault, and may the curse of a broken man put a blight on her and set the blood rotting in her veins ! it's not that i_want to clear myself . I_know that I went back to drink, like the beast that i_was . but she would_have forgiven me; she would_have stuck as close to_me as a rope to a block if_that woman had never darkened our door . for Sarah Cushing loved me -- that's the root of_the business -- she loved me until all her love turned to poisonous hate when she knew that i_thought more of_my wife's footmark in_the mud than I_did of her whole body and soul .

" ' there were three sisters altogether . the old one was just a good woman, the second was a devil, and_the third was an angel .Sarah was thirty- three, and Mary was twenty-nine when I married . we were just as happy as_the day was long when we set up house together, and in all Liverpool there_was no better woman than my Mary . and then we asked Sarah up for a week, and_the week grew into a month, and one_thing led to another, until she was just one of ourselves .

" ' i_was blue ribbon at_that_time, and we were putting a little money by, and all was as bright as a new dollar . my god, whoever would_have thought that_it could_have come to_this ? whoever would_have dreamed it ?

" 'I used to_be home for_the week-ends very often, and sometimes if_the ship were held back for cargo i_would_have a whole week at_a_time, and in_this_way I_saw a deal of_my sister- in- law, Sarah . she was a fine tall woman, black and quick and fierce, with a proud way of carrying her head, and a glint from her eye like a spark from a flint . but when little Mary was there I had never a thought of her, and_that I swear as I_hope for god's mercy .

" ' it had seemed to_me sometimes that she liked to_be alone with me, or to coax me out for a walk with her, but I had never thought anything of_that . but one evening my eyes were opened .I had come up from_the ship and found my wife out, but Sarah at home ." where's Mary ? " I asked ."Oh, she has gone to_pay some accounts ." i_was impatient and paced up and down the room ." can't you be happy for five minutes without Mary, Jim ? " says she ." it's a bad compliment to_me that you_can't be contented with my society for so short a time ." " that's all right, my lass," said I, putting out my hand towards her in a kindly way, but she had it in both hers in an instant, and_they burned as if_they were in a fever .I looked into her eyes and I_read it all there . there_was no need for her to_speak, nor for_me either .I frowned and drew my hand away . then she stood by my side in silence for a bit, and then put up her hand and patted me on_the shoulder ." steady old Jim ! " said she, and with a kind o' mocking laugh, she ran out_of_the room .

" ' well, from_that_time Sarah hated me with her whole heart and soul, and she_is a woman who_can hate, too . i_was a fool to let her go on biding with_us -- a besotted fool -- but I never said a word to Mary, for I_knew it would grieve her . things went on much as before, but after a time I began to_find that there_was a bit of a change in Mary herself . she had always been so trusting and so innocent, but now she became queer and suspicious, wanting to_know where I had_been and what I had_been doing, and whom my letters were from, and what I had in my pockets, and a thousand such follies . day by day she grew queerer and more irritable, and we had ceaseless rows about nothing . i_was fairly puzzled by_it all .Sarah avoided me now, but she and Mary were just inseparable . I_can_see now how she was plotting and scheming and poisoning my wife's mind against me, but i_was such a blind beetle that I_could_not understand it at_the_time . then I broke my blue ribbon and began to drink again, but i_think I should_not have_done it if Mary had_been the same as ever . she had some reason to_be disgusted with me now, and_the gap between_us began to_be wider and wider . and then this Alec Fairbairn chipped in, and things became a thousand times blacker .

" '

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