gentleman　named　Hosmer　Angel。　　About　five　feet　seven　inches　in
  height；　strongly　built；　sallow　complexion；　black　hair；　a
  little　bald　in　the　centre；　bushy；　black　side…whiskers　and
  moustache；　tinted　glasses；　slight　infirmity　of　speech。　　Was
  dressed；　when　last　seen；　in　black　frock…coat　faced　with　silk；
  black　waistcoat；　gold　Albert　chain；　and　gray　Harris　tweed
  trousers；　with　brown　gaiters　over　elastic…sided　boots。　　Known
  to　have　been　employed　in　an　office　in　Leadenhall　Street。
  Anybody　bringing〃
  〃That　will　do；〃　said　Holmes。　　〃As　to　the　letters；〃　he
  continued；　glancing　over　them；　〃they　are　very　commonplace。
  Absolutely　no　clue　in　them　to　Mr。　Angel；　save　that　he　quotes
  Balzac　once。　　There　is　one　remarkable　point；　however；　which　will
  no　doubt　strike　you。〃
  〃They　are　typewritten；〃　I　remarked。
  〃Not　only　that；　but　the　signature　is　typewritten。　　Look　at　the
  neat　little　‘Hosmer　Angel'　at　the　bottom。　　There　is　a　date；　you
  see；　but　no　superscription　except　Leadenhall　Street；　which　is
  rather　vague。　　The　point　about　the　signature　is　very
  suggestivein　fact；　we　may　call　it　conclusive。〃
  〃Of　what？〃
  〃My　dear　fellow；　is　it　possible　you　do　not　see　how　strongly　it
  bears　upon　the　case？〃
  〃I　cannot　say　that　I　do　unless　it　were　that　he　wished　to　be
  able　to　deny　his　signature　if　an　action　for　breach　of　promise　were
  instituted。〃
  〃No；　that　was　not　the　point。　　However；　I　shall　write　two
  letters；　which　should　settle　the　matter。　　One　is　to　a　firm　in　the
  City；　the　other　is　to　the　young　lady's　stepfather；　Mr。　Windibank；
  asking　him　whether　he　could　meet　us　here　at　six　o'clock　to…morrow
  evening。　　It　is　just　as　well　that　we　should　do　business　with　the
  male　relatives。　　And　now；　Doctor；　we　can　do　nothing　until　the
  answers　to　those　letters　come；　so　we　may　put　our　little　problem
  upon　the　shelf　for　the　interim。〃
  I　had　had　so　many　reasons　to　believe　in　my　friend's　subtle
  powers　of　reasoning　and　extraordinary　energy　in　action　that　I　felt
  that　he　must　have　some　solid　grounds　for　the　assured　and　easy
  demeanour　with　which　he　treated　the　singular　mystery　which　he　had
  been　called　upon　to　fathom。　　Once　only　had　I　known　him　to　fail；　in
  the　case　of　the　King　of　Bohemia　and　of　the　Irene　Adler　photograph；
  but　when　I　looked　back　to　the　weird　business　of　‘The　Sign　of
  Four'；　and　the　extraordinary　circumstances　connected　with　‘A　Study
  in　Scarlet'；　I　felt　that　it　would　be　a　strange　tangle　indeed　which
  he　could　not　unravel。
  I　left　him　then；　still　puffing　at　his　black　clay　pipe；　with
  the　conviction　that　when　I　came　again　on　the　next　evening　I　would
  find　that　he　held　in　his　hands　all　the　clues　which　would　lead　up
  to　the　identity　of　the　disappearing　bridegroom　of　Miss　Mary
  Sutherland。
  A　professional　case　of　great　gravity　was　engaging　my　own
  attention　at　the　time；　and　the　whole　of　next　day　I　was　busy　at　the
  bedside　of　the　sufferer。　　It　was　not　until　close　upon　six　o'clock
  that　I　found　myself　free　and　was　able　to　spring　into　a　hansom　and
  drive　to　Baker　Street；　half　afraid　that　I　might　be　too　late　to
  assist　at　the　denouement　of　the　little　mystery。　　I　found　Sherlock
  Holmes　alone；　however；　half　asleep；　with　his　long；　thin　form
  curled　up　in　the　recesses　of　his　armchair。　　A　formidable　array　of
  bottles　and　test…tubes；　with　the　pungent　cleanly　smell　of
  hydrochloric　acid；　told　me　that　he　had　spent　his　day　in　the
  chemical　work　which　was　so　dear　to　him。
  〃Well；　have　you　solved　it？〃　I　asked　as　I　entered。
  〃Yes。　　It　was　the　bisulphate　of　baryta。〃
  〃No；　no；　the　mystery！〃　I　cried。
  〃Oh；　that！　　I　thought　of　the　salt　that　I　have　been　working
  upon。　　There　was　never　any　mystery　in　the　matter；　though；　as　I
  said　yesterday；　some　of　the　details　are　of　interest。　　The　only
  drawback　is　that　there　is　no　law；　I　fear；　that　can　touch　the
  scoundrel。〃
  〃Who　was　he；　then；　and　what　was　his　object　in　deserting　Miss
  Sutherland？〃
  The　question　was　hardly　out　of　my　mouth；　and　Holmes　had　not
  yet　opened　his　lips　to　reply；　when　we　heard　a　heavy　footfall　in
  the　passage　and　a　tap　at　the　door。
  〃This　is　the　girl's　stepfather；　Mr。　James　Windibank；〃　said
  Holmes。　　〃He　has　written　to　me　to　say　that　he　would　be　here　at
  six。　　Come　in！〃
  The　man　who　entered　was　a　sturdy；　middle…sized　fellow；　some
  thirty　years　of　age；　clean…shaven；　and　sallow…skinned；　with　a
  bland；　insinuating　manner；　and　a　pair　of　wonderfully　sharp　and
  penetrating　gray　eyes。　　He　shot　a　questioning　glance　at　each　of
  us；　placed　his　shiny　top…hat　upon　the　sideboard；　and　with　a　slight
  bow　sidled　down　into　the　nearest　chair。
  〃Good…evening；　Mr。　James　Windibank；〃　said　Holmes。　　〃I　think
  that　this　typewritten　letter　is　from　you；　in　which　you　made　an
  appointment　with　me　for　six　o'clock？〃
  〃Yes；　sir。　　I　am　afraid　that　I　am　a　little　late；　but　I　am　not
  quite　my　own　master；　you　know。　　I　am　sorry　that　Miss　Sutherland
  has　troubled　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　doreally　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。　　〃Itit'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