DERLETH, August - The Adventure of the Norcross Riddle (A Solar Pons story)文档.DOCVIP

THE ADVENTURE OF THE NORCROSS RIDDLE A Solar Pons story By August Derleth (From Regarding Sherlock Holmes: The Adventures of Solar Pons, Copyright 1945 by August Derleth) Version 1.0 - January 17, 2002 THE SCIENCE OF deduction rests primarily on the faculty of observation, said Solar Pons, looking thoughtfully at me with his keen dark eyes, the ghost of a smile at his thin, firm lips. Perhaps youre right, I answered, but I find that much of my so-called observation arises out of intuition. What do you make of that? Pons chuckled. I dont deny it. We are all intuitive in varying degrees. But for accuracy in conclusions, observation must stand first. He turned and rummaged through the papers scattered on the table beside his chair; from among them he drew an ordinary calling card, which he tossed over to me. What does your intuition make of that? The card bore an embossed legend: Mr. Benjamin Harrison Manton, and in one corner, in smaller print, Norcross Towers. I turned it over. The caller had written on its back, Will call at three. My observation tells me that the gentleman used a broad-point pen; the character of the writing indicates that he is firm and steady. I see he uses the Roman e consistently; my intuition tells me he is an intelligent man. Pons smile widened, and he chuckled again. What do you make of it? I asked, somewhat nettled. Oh, little more, replied Pons matter-of-factly, except that the gentleman is an American by birth, but has resided in England for some length of time; he is a man of independent means, and is between thirty-five and thirty-nine years of age. Furthermore, his ancestry is very probably Southern United States, but his parents were undoubtedly members of the American Republican political party. You have seen the man! Nonsense! Pons picked up the card. Observe:--The name Manton is more common to the Southern part of the United States than to any other region; undoubtedly it is English in ancestry. In that part of the States, politica