.Yourrighthandisquiteasizelargerthanyourleft.Youhaveworkedwithit,andthemusclesaremoredeveloped.”
“Well,thesnuff,then,andtheFreemasonry?”
“Iwon’tinsultyourintelligencebytellingyouhowIreadthat,especiallyas,ratheragainstthestrictrulesofyourorder,youuseanarc-and-compassbreastpin.”
“Ah,ofcourse,Iforgotthat.Butthewriting?”
“Whatelsecanbeindicatedbythatrightcuffsoveryshinyforfiveinches,andtheleftonewiththesmoothpatchneartheelbowwhereyourestituponthedesk?”
“Well,butChina?”
“ThefishthatyouhavetattooedimmediatelyaboveyourrightwristcouldonlyhavebeendoneinChina.Ihavemadeasmallstudyoftattoomarksandhaveevencontributedtotheliteratureofthesubject.Thattrickofstainingthefishes’scalesofadelicatepinkisquitepeculiartoChina.When,inaddition,IseeaChinesecoinhangingfromyourwatch-chain,thematterbecomesevenmoresimple.”
Mr.JabezWilsonlaughedheavily.“Well,Inever!”saidhe.“Ithoughtatfirstthatyouhaddonesomethingclever,butIseethattherewasnothinginitafterall.”
“Ibegintothink,Watson,”saidHolmes,“thatImakeamistakeinexplaining.‘Omneignotumpromagnifico,’youknow,andmypoorlittlereputation,suchasitis,willsuffershipwreckifIamsocandid.Canyounotfindtheadvertisement,Mr.Wilson?”
“Yes,Ihavegotitnow,”heansweredwithhisthickredfingerplantedhalfwaydownthecolumn.“Hereitis.Thisiswhatbeganitall.Youjustreaditforyourself,sir.”
Itookthepaperfromhimandreadasfollows:
“TOTHERED-HEADEDLEAGUE:OnaccountofthebequestofthelateEzekiahHopkins,ofLebanon,Pennsylvania,U.S.A.,thereisnowanothervacancyopenwhichentitlesamemberoftheLeaguetoasalaryof￡4aweekforpurelynominalservices.Allred-headedmenwhoaresoundinbodyandmindandabovetheageoftwenty-oneyears,areeligible.ApplyinpersononMonday,ateleveno’clock,toDuncanRoss,attheofficesoftheLeague,7Pope’sCourt,FleetStreet.”
“Whatonearthdoesthismean?”IejaculatedafterIhadtwicereadovertheextraordinaryannouncement.
Holmeschuckledandwriggledinhischair,aswashishabitwheninhighspirits.“Itisalittleoffthebeatentrack,isn’tit?”saidhe.“Andnow,Mr.Wilson,offyougoatscratchandtellusallaboutyourself,yourhousehold,andtheeffectwhichthisadvertisementhaduponyourfortunes.Youwillfirstmakeanote,Doctor,ofthepaperandthedate.”
“ItisTheMorningChronicleofApril27,1890.Justtwomonthsago.”
“Verygood.Now,Mr.Wilson?”
“Well,itisjustasIhavebeentellingyou,Mr.SherlockHolmes,”saidJabezWilson,moppinghisforehead“Ihaveasmallpawnbroker’sbusinessatCoburgSquare,neartheCity.It’snotaverylargeaffair,andoflateyearsithasnotdonemorethanjustgivemealiving.Iusedtobeabletokeeptwoassistants,butnowIonlykeeponeandIwouldhaveajobtopayhimbutthatheiswillingtocomeforhalfwagessoastolearnthebusiness.”
“Whatisthenameofthisobligingyouth?”askedSherlockHolmes.
“HisnameisVincentSpaulding,andhe’snotsuchayouth,either.It’shardtosayhisage.Ishouldnotwishasmarterassistant,Mr.HolmesandIknowverywellthathecouldbetterhimselfandearntwicewhatIamabletogivehim.But,afterall,ifheissatisfied,whyshouldIputideasinhishead?”
“Why,indeed?Youseemmostfortunateinhavinganemployéwhocomesunderthefullmarketprice.Itisnotacommonexperienceamongemployersinthisage.Idon’tknowthatyourassistantisnotasremarkableasyouradvertisement.”
“Oh,hehashisfaults,too,”saidMr.Wilson.“Neverwassuchafellowforphotography.Snappingawaywithacamerawhenheoughttobeimprovinghismind,andthendivingdownintothecellarlikearabbitintoitsholetodevelophispictures.Thatishismainfault,butonthewholehe’sagoodworker.There’snoviceinhim.”
“Heisstillwithyou,Ipresume?”
“Yes,sir.Heandagirloffourteen,whodoesabitofsimplecookingandkeepstheplaceclean—that’sallIhaveinthehouse,forIamawidowerandneverhadanyfamily.Weliveveryquietly,sir,thethreeofusandwekeeparoofoverourheadsandpayourdebts,ifwedonothingmore.
“Thefirstthingthatputusoutwasthatadvertisement.Spaulding,hecamedownintotheofficejustthisdayeightweeks,withthisverypaperinhishand,andhesays:
“‘IwishtotheLord,Mr.Wilson,thatIwasared-headedman.’
“‘Whythat?’Iasks.
“‘Why,’sayshe,‘here’sanothervacancyontheLeagueoftheRed-headedMen.It’sworthquitealittlefortunetoanymanwhogetsit,andIunderstandthattherearemorevacanciesthantherearemen,sothatthetrusteesareattheirwi