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!”