“Youappearedtoreadagooddealuponherwhichwasquiteinvisibletome，“Iremarked。
“Notinvisible，butunnoticed，Watson。Youdidnotknowwheretolook，andsoyoumissedallthatwasimportant。Icanneverbringyoutorealizetheimportanceofsleeves，thesuggestivenessofthumbnails，orthegreatissuesthatmayhangfromabootlace。
Now，whatdidyougatherfromthatwoman’sappearance？Describeit。“
“Well，shehadaslate-colored，broad-brimmedstrawhat，withafeatherofabrickishred。Herjacketwasblack，withblackbeadsseweduponitandafringeoflittleblackjetornaments。Herdresswasbrown，ratherdarkerthancoffeecolor，withalittlepurpleplushattheneckandsleeves。Herglovesweregrayish，andwerewornthroughattherightforefinger。HerbootsIdidn’tobserve。Shehadsmallround，hanginggoldearrings，andageneralairofbeingfairlywell-to-do，inavulgar，comfortable，easygoingway。“
SherlockHolmesclappedhishandssoftlytogetherandchuckled。
“’Ponmyword，Watson，youarecomingalongwonderfully。Youhavereallydoneverywellindeed。Itistruethatyouhavemissedeverythingofimportance，butyouhavehituponthemethod，andyouhaveaquickeyeforcolor。Nevertrusttogeneralimpressions，myboy，butconcentrateyourselfupondetails。Myfirstglanceisalwaysatawoman’ssleeve。Inamanitisperhapsbetterfirsttotakethekneeofthetrouser。Asyouobserve，thiswomanhadplushuponhersleeve，whichisamostusefulmaterialforshowingtraces。Thedoublelinealittleabovethewrist，wherethetypewritistpressesagainstthetable，wasbeautifullydefined。
Thesewingmachine，ofthehandtype，leavesasimilarmark，butonlyontheleftarm，andonthesideofitfarthestfromthethumb，insteadofbeingrightacrossthebroadestpart，asthiswas。Ithenglancedatherface，andobservingthedintofapince-nezateithersideofhernose，Iventuredaremarkuponshortsightandtypewriting，whichseemedtosurpriseher。“
“Itsurprisedme。“
“But，surely，itwasveryobvious。Iwasthenmuchsurprisedandinterestedonglancingdowntoobservethat，thoughthebootswhichshewaswearingwerenotunlikeeachother，theywerereallyoddones，theonehavingaslightlydecoratedtoecapandtheotheraplainone。Onewasbuttonedonlyinthetwolowerbuttonsoutoffive，andtheotheratthefirst，third，andfifth。Now，whenyouseethatayounglady，otherwiseneatlydressed，hascomeawayfromhomewithoddboots，half-buttoned，itisnogreatdeductiontosaythatshecameawayinahurry。“
“Andwhatelse？“Iasked，keenlyinterested，asIalwayswas，bymyfriend’sincisivereasoning。
“Inoted，inpassing，thatshehadwrittenanotebeforeleavinghome，butafterbeingfullydressed。Youobservedthatherrightglovewastornattheforefinger，butyoudidnot，apparently，seethatbothgloveandfingerwerestainedwithvioletink。Shehadwritteninahurry，anddippedherpentoodeep。Itmusthavebeenthismorning，orthemarkwouldnotremainclearuponthefinger。
Allthisisamusing，thoughratherelementary，butImustgobacktobusiness，Watson。WouldyoumindreadingmetheadvertiseddescriptionofMr。HosmerAngel？“
Iheldthelittleprintedsliptothelight。“Missing，“itsaid，“onthemorningofthefourteenth，agentlemannamedHosmerAngel。
Aboutfivefeetseveninchesinheight；stronglybuilt，sallowcomplexion，blackhair，alittlebaldinthecenter，bushyblackside-whiskersandmustache；tintedglasses；slightinfirmityofspeech。Wasdressed，whenlastseen，inblackfrock-coatfacedwithsilk，blackwaistcoat，goldAlbertchain，andgrayHarristweedtrousers，withbrowngaitersoverelastic-sidedboots。KnowntohavebeenemployedinanofficeinLeadenhallStreet。Anybodybringing，“etc。，etc。
“Thatwilldo，“saidHolmes。“Astotheletters，“hecontinued，glancingoverthem，“theyareverycommonplace。AbsolutelynoclewinthemtoMr。Angel，savethathequotesBalzaconce。Thereisoneremarkablepoint，however，whichwillnodoubtstrikeyou。“
“Theyaretypewritten，“Iremarked。
“Notonlythat，butthesignatureistypewritten。Lookattheneatlittle’HosmerAngel’atthebottom。Thereisadate，yousee，butnosuperscriptionexceptLeadenhallStreet，whichisrathervague。
Thepointaboutthesignatureisverysuggestive——infact，wemaycallitconclusive。“
“Ofwhat？“
“Mydearfellow，isitpossibleyoudonotseehowstronglyitbearsuponthecase？“
“IcannotsaythatIdo，unlessitwerethathewishedtobeabletodenyhissignatureifanactionforbreachofpromisewereinstituted。“
“No，thatwasnotthepoint。However，Ishallwritetwoletterswhichshouldsettlethematter。OneistoafirmintheCity，theotheristotheyounglady’sstepfather，Mr。Windibank，askinghimwhetherhecouldmeetushereatsixo’clockto-morrowevening。Itisjustaswellthatweshoulddobusinesswiththemalerelatives。
Andnow，doctor，wecandonothinguntiltheanswerstothoseletterscome，sowemayputourlittleproblemupontheshelffortheinterim。“
Ihadhadsomanyreasonstobelieveinmyfriend’ssubtlepowersofreasoning，andextraordinaryenergyinaction，thatIfeltthathemusthavesomesolidgroundsfortheassuredandeasydemeanorwithwhichhetreatedthesingularmysterywhichhehadbeencalledupontofathom。OnceonlyhadIknownhimtofail，inthecaseoftheKingofBohemiaandtheIreneAdlerphotograph，butwhenI
lookedbacktotheweirdbusinessofthe“SignoftheFour，“andtheextraordinarycircumstancesconnectedwiththe“StudyinScarlet，“Ifeltthatitwouldbeastrangetangleindeedwhichhecouldnotunravel。
Ilefthimthen，stillpuffingathisblackclaypipe，withtheconvictionthatwhenIcameagainonthenexteveningIwouldfindthatheheldinhishandsalltheclewswhichwouldleaduptotheidentityofthedisappearingbridegroomofMissMarySutherland。
Aprofessionalcaseofgreatgravitywasengagingmyownattentionatthetime，andthewholeofnextdayIwasbusyatthebedsideofthesufferer。Itwasnotuntilcloseuponsixo’clockthatIfoundmyselffree，andwasabletospringintoahansomanddrivetoBakerStreet，halfafraidthatImightbetoolatetoassistatthedenouementofthelittlemystery。IfoundSherlockHolmesalone，however，halfasleep，withhislong，thinformcurledupintherecessesofhisarmchair。Aformidablearrayofbottlesandtest-
tubes，withthepungent，cleanlysmellofhydrochloricacid，toldmethathehadspenthisdayinthechemicalworkwhichwassodeartohim。
“Well，haveyousolvedit？“IaskedasIentered。
“Yes。Itwasthebisulphateofbaryta。“
“No，no；themystery！“Icried。
“Oh，that！IthoughtofthesaltthatIhavebeenworkingupon。
Therewasneveranymysteryinthematter，though，asIsaidyesterday，someofthedetailsareofinterest。Theonlydrawbackisthatthereisnolaw，Ifear，thatcantouchthescoundrel。“
“Whowashe，then，andwhatwashisobjectindesertingMissSutherland？“
Thequestionwashardlyoutofmymouth，andHolmeshadnotyetopenedhislipstoreply，whenweheardaheavyfootfallinthepassage，andatapatthedoor。
“Thisisthegirl’sstepfather，Mr。JamesWindibank，“saidHolmes。
“Hehaswrittentometosaythathewouldbehereatsix。Comein！“
Themanwhoenteredwasasturdy，middle-sizedfellow，somethirtyyearsofage，cleanshaven，andsallow-skinned，withabland，insinuatingmanner，andapairofwonderfullysharpandpenetratinggrayeyes。Heshotaquestioningglanceateachofus，placedhisshinytophatuponthesideboard，and，withaslightbow，sidleddownintothenearestchair。
“Goodevening，Mr。JamesWindibank，“saidHolmes。“Ithinkthistypewrittenletterisfromyou，inwhichyoumadeanappointmentwithmeforsixo’clock？“
“Yes，sir。IamafraidthatIamalittlelate，butIamnotquitemyownmaster，youknow。IamsorrythatMissSutherlandhastroubledyouaboutthislittlematter，forIthinkitisfarbetternottowashlinenofthesortinpublic。Itwasquiteagainstmywishesthatshecame，butsheisaveryexcitable，impulsivegirl，asyoumayhavenoticed，andsheisnoteasilycontrolledwhenshehasmadeuphermindonapoint。Ofcourse，Ididnotmindyousomuch，asyouarenotconnectedwiththeofficialpolice，butitisnotpleasanttohaveafamilymisfortunelikethisnoisedabroad。
Besides，itisauselessexpense，forhowcouldyoupossiblyfindthisHosmerAngel？“
“Onthecontrary，“saidHolmes，quietly，“IhaveeveryreasontobelievethatIwillsucceedindiscoveringMr。HosmerAngel。“
Mr。Windibankgaveaviolentstart，anddroppedhisgloves。“Iamdelightedtohearit，“hesaid。
“Itisacuriousthing，“remarkedHolmes，“thatatypewriterhasreallyquiteasmuchindividualityasaman’shandwriting。Unlesstheyarequitenewnotwoofthemwriteexactlyalike。Somelettersgetmorewornthanothers，andsomewearonlyononeside。
Now，youremarkinthisnoteofyours，Mr。Windibank，thatineverycasethereissomelittleslurringoverthee，andaslightdefectinthetailofther。Therearefourteenothercharacteristics，butthosearethemoreobvious。“
“Wedoallourcorrespondencewiththismachineattheoffice，andnodoubtitisalittleworn，“ourvisitoranswered，glancingkeenlyatHolmeswithhisbrightlittleeyes。
“AndnowIwillshowyouwhatisreallyaveryinterestingstudy，Mr。Windibank，“Holmescontinued。“Ithinkofwritinganotherlittlemonographsomeofthesedaysonthetypewriteranditsrelationtocrime。ItisasubjecttowhichIhavedevotedsomelittleattention。Ihaveherefourletterswhichpurporttocomefromthemissingman。Theyarealltypewritten。Ineachcase，notonlyarethee’sslurredandther’stailless，butyouwillobserve，ifyoucaretousemymagnifyinglens，thatthefourteenothercharacteristicstowhichIhavealludedarethereaswell。“
Mr。Windibanksprungoutofhischair，andpickeduphishat。“I
cannotwastetimeoverthissortoffantastictalk，Mr。Holmes，“hesaid。“Ifyoucancatchtheman，catchhim，andletmeknowwhenyouhavedoneit。“
“Certainly，“saidHolmes，steppingoverandturningthekeyinthedoor。“Iletyouknow，then，thatIhavecaughthim！“