"My face lengthened , Mr Holmes, for that not the vacancy after all; but after thinking it over all right

"' case of another,' said he, 'the objection fatal, but stretch point in favor of man head of hair as yours When shall you to enter upon your new duties ? '

"'Well, little awkward, for business already,' said I

"'Oh, never mind , Mr Wilson ! ' said Vincent Spaulding ' able to look '

"'What the hours ? ' I asked

"'Ten to two '

"Now pawnbroker's business is mostly done of an evening, Mr Holmes, especially Thursday and Friday evening, just before pay-day; so it would suit me to earn little mornings Besides, that my assistant was good man, see to anything that turned up

"' suit me ,' said I ' pay ? '

"'Is 4 pounds week '

"' work ? '

"'Is purely nominal '

"'What call purely nominal ? '

"'Well, office, or building, the whole time leave, you forfeit your whole position forever The will is very clear upon that point You don't comply conditions budge office during '

"'It's only four hours day, and I think of leaving,' said I

"'No excuse will avail,' said Mr Duncan Ross; 'neither sickness nor business nor anything else There stay, or you lose your billet '

"' work ? '

"'Is to copy out the Encyclopaedia Britannica the first volume of it press find your own ink, pens, and blotting-paper, but we provide this table and chair be ready to-morrow ? '

"'Certainly,' I answered

"'Then, good-bye, Mr Jabez Wilson, and let me congratulate you once more important position which fortunate enough to gain ' He bowed me room and I went home with my assistant, hardly knowing what or do, so pleased at my own good fortune

"Well, over the matter all day, and by evening in low spirits again; for I had quite persuaded myself whole affair some great hoax or fraud, though what its object imagine It seemed altogether past belief that anyone could make such will, or that pay such sum for doing anything so simple as copying out the Encyclopaedia Britannica Vincent Spaulding did what to cheer me up, but by bedtime I had reasoned myself whole thing However, morning I determined look at it anyhow, so I bought penny bottle of ink, and with quill-pen, and seven sheets of foolscap paper, I started off for Pope's Court

"Well, to my surprise and delight, everything was as right as possible The table was set out ready , and Mr Duncan Ross was there that I got fairly to work He started me off letter A, and then he left me; but drop in that all was right with me At two o'clock he bade me good-day, complimented me amount that I had written, and locked the door office after me

"This went on day after day, Mr Holmes, and on Saturday the manager came in and planked down four golden sovereigns week's work It same next week, same the week after Every morning there at ten, and every afternoon I left at two By degrees Mr Duncan Ross took to coming in only once of morning, and then, after time, come in at all Still, , I never dared to leave the room for an instant, for not sure when he might come, billet was such good one, and suited me , that risk the loss of it

"Eight weeks passed away like this, and I had written about Abbots and Archery and Armour and Architecture and Attica, and hoped with diligence that get on B's before very long It cost me something in foolscap, and I had pretty nearly filled shelf with my writings And then suddenly the whole business came to an end "

"To an end ? "

"Yes, sir And no later than I went to my work as usual at ten o'clock, but the door was shut and locked, with little square of card-board hammered on middle panel with tack Here , and read "

He held up piece of white card-board size of sheet of note-paper It read fashion:

THE RED-HEADED LEAGUE

IS

DISSOLVED

October 9, 1890

Sherlock Holmes and I surveyed this curt announcement rueful face behind it, until the comical side affair so completely overtopped consideration that we both burst out into roar of laughter

"I anything very funny," cried our client, flushing roots flaming head " do nothing better than laugh at me, go elsewhere "

"No, no," cried Holmes, shoving him back chair he had half risen "I really wouldn't miss your case world most refreshingly unusual But , excuse my saying so, something just little funny Pray what steps did you take found the card door ? "

" staggered, sir know what Then I called offices round, but seemed anything Finally, I went landlord, an accountant living ground-floor, and I asked him if tell me what had become Red-headed League that he had never heard of any such body Then I asked him who Mr Duncan Ross was He answered name was new to him

"'Well,' said I, 'the gentleman at No 4 '

"'What, the red-headed man ? '

"'Yes '

"'Oh,' said he, 'his name was William Morris solicitor and was using my room as temporary convenience until his new premises were ready He moved out yesterday '

"'Where could him ? '

"'Oh, at his new offices tell me the address Yes, 17 King Edward Street, near St Paul's '

"I started off, Mr Holmes, but when I got address manufactory of artificial knee-caps, and no one had ever heard of either Mr William Morris or Mr Duncan Ross "

"And what did then ? " asked Holmes

"I went home to Saxe-Coburg Square, and the advice assistant But help me in only say that if I waited hear by post But that was not quite good enough, Mr Holmes wish to lose such place without struggle, so, as I had heard that you were good enough advice to poor folk who were in need of it, right away "

"And very wisely," said Holmes "Your case is an exceedingly remarkable one, and happy to look From what told me possible that graver issues hang than might at first sight appear "

"Grave enough ! " said Mr Jabez Wilson "Why, lost four pound week "

"As far personally concerned," remarked Holmes, " that any grievance against this extraordinary league contrary, , as I understand, richer by some 30 pounds, nothing minute knowledge which gained on every subject which comes under the letter . lost nothing "

"No, sir But out , and who , and what their object was in playing this prank-- prank--upon me pretty expensive joke , cost them two and thirty pounds "

" endeavor to clear up these points And, first, questions, Mr Wilson This assistant of yours who first called your attention advertisement--how long had he been ? "