登陆注册
5384500000051

第51章 THE ADVENTURES OF SHAMROCK JOLNES(1)

I am so fortunate as to count Shamrock Jolnes, the great New York detective, among my muster of friends.Jolnes is what is called the "inside man" of the city detective force.He is an expert in the use of the typewriter, and it is his duty, whenever there is a "murder mystery"to be solved, to sit at a desk telephone at headquarters and take down the messages of "cranks" who 'phone in their confessions to having committed the crime.

But on certain "off" days when confessions are coming in slowly and three or four newspapers have run to earth as many different guilty persons, Jolnes will knock about the town with me, exhibiting, to my great delight and instruction, his marvellous powers of observation and deduction.

The other day I dropped in at Headquarters and found the great detective gazing thoughtfully at a string that was tied tightly around his little finger.

"Good morning, Whatsup," he said, without turning his head."I'm glad to notice that you've had your house fitted up with electric lights at last.""Will you please tell me," I said, in surprise, "how you knew that? I am sure that I never mentioned the fact to any one, and the wiring was a rush order not completed until this morning.""Nothing easier," said Jolnes, genially."As you came in I caught the odour of the cigar you are smoking.I know an expensive cigar; and I know that not more than three men in New York can afford to smoke cigars and pay gas bills too at the present time.That was an easy one.But I am working just now on a little problem of my own.""Why have you that string on your finger?" I asked.

"That's the problem," said Jolnes."My wife tied that on this morning to remind me of something I was to send up to the house.Sit down, Whatsup, and excuse me for a few moments."The distinguished detective went to a wall telephone, and stood with the receiver to his ear for probably ten minutes.

"Were you listening to a confession?" I asked, when he had returned to his chair.

"Perhaps," said Jolnes, with a smile, "it might be called something of the sort.To be frank with you, Whatsup, I've cut out the dope.I've been increasing the quantity for so long that morphine doesn't have much effect on me any more.I've got to have something more powerful.That telephone I just went to is connected with a room in the Waldorf where there's an author's reading in progress.Now, to get at the solution of this string."After five minutes of silent pondering, Jolnes looked at me, with a smile, and nodded his head.

"Wonderful man!" I exclaimed; "already?"

"It is quite simple," he said, holding up his finger."You see that knot? That is to prevent my forgetting.It is, therefore, a forget-me-knot.A forget-me-not is a flower.It was a sack of flour that I was to send home!""Beautiful!" I could not help crying out in admiration.

"Suppose we go out for a ramble," suggested Jolnes.

"There is only one case of importance on hand just now.Old man McCarty, one hundred and four years old, died from eating too many bananas.The evidence points so strongly to the Mafia that the police have surrounded the Second Avenue Katzenjammer Gambrinus Club No.2, and the capture of the assassin is only the matter of a few hours.The detective force has not yet been called on for assistance."Jolnes and I went out and up the street toward the corner, where we were to catch a surface car.

Half-way up the block we met Rheingelder, an acquaintance of ours, who held a City Hall position.

"Good morning, Rheingelder," said Jolnes, halting.

"Nice breakfast that was you had this morning." Always on the lookout for the detective's remarkable feats of deduction, I saw Jolnes's eye flash for an instant upon a long yellow splash on the shirt bosom and a smaller one upon the chin of Rheingelder -- both undoubtedly made by the yolk of an egg.

"Oh, dot is some of your detectiveness," said Rheingelder, shaking all over with a smile."Vell, I pet you trinks und cigars all round dot you cannot tell vot I haf eaten for breakfast.""Done," said Jolnes."Sausage, pumpernickel and coffee."Rheingelder admitted the correctness of the surmise and paid the bet.

When we had proceeded on our way I said to Jolnes:

"I thought you looked at the egg spilled on his chin and shirt front.""I did," said Jolnes."That is where I began my deduction.Rheingelder is a very economical, saving man.Yesterday eggs dropped in the market to twenty-eight cents per dozen.To-day they are quoted at forty-two.

Rheingelder ate eggs yesterday, and to-day he went back to his usual fare.A little thing like this isn't anything, Whatsup; it belongs to the primary arithmetic class."When we boarded the street car we found the seats all occupied --principally by ladies.Jolnes and I stood on the rear platform.

About the middle of the car there sat an elderly man with a short, gray beard, who looked to be the typical, well-dressed New Yorker.At successive corners other ladies climbed aboard, and soon three or four of them were standing over the man, clinging to straps and glaring meaningly at the man who occupied the coveted seat.But he resolutely retained his place.

"We New Yorkers," I remarked to Jolnes, "have about lost our manners, as far as the exercise of them in public goes.""Perhaps so," said Jolnes, lightly; "but the man you evidently refer to happens to be a very chivalrous and courteous gentleman from Old Virginia.He is spending a few days in New York with his wife and two daughters, and he leaves for the South to-night.""You know him, then?" I said, in amazement.

"I never saw him before we stepped on the car," declared the detective, smilingly.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 养生高手(现代生活实用丛书)

    养生高手(现代生活实用丛书)

    随着社会的发展,人们生活节奏的加快给我们带来了前所未有的机遇,同时也给我们带来了各种的社会压力和生活压力。身体是否健康日见突出。据权威部门统计我国绝大多数人口处在亚健康状态。怎样调养和护理自己的身体被越来越多的人所重视。养生防病,延年益寿成为人们的普遍愿望。本书所介绍的各种养生方法,大都已经被前人所使用和应验,还汇集了许多人们所熟知的宫廷养生方法、民间传统养生方法,甚至包括国内很多少数民族安全、实用的传统养生方法。
  • 意外生还

    意外生还

    22岁的女孩遭遇重大车祸,侥幸存活后失去了全部记忆。她知道的只有:她的名字是靳雅笙,她的丈夫是霍亦琛。她安静而简单的世界里只有他,而他繁华且复杂的世界里却似乎没有她。她毫无保留的努力爱他,他却一直似有隐藏,最终在异国他乡的机场里将她抛弃。为了找回爱情和车祸前的记忆,她独自前行,追索昔日的自己。在重新成为雅笙的时间里,她发现了豪门世家的种种秘密,并以善良和勇气步步化解危机。
  • 诡眼阴阳

    诡眼阴阳

    我拥有一双极其诡异的眼睛,能看透阴阳的同时也具备着某些特殊的能力;在七月半之时让我见识到了一年一度的除灵大会,而我的人生也刚刚展开!诡异莫测的黄河、神乎其神的叫魂、百城追灵等离奇诡异事件,看似毫无瓜葛的事件却有着某种特殊的联系!一切来源于那辆奇特的鬼车......
  • 石头记索隐

    石头记索隐

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 求娶上神

    求娶上神

    兮归是远古神祗应劫后存活的为数不多的上神之一,其本体乃是父神于二十几万年前亲手雕刻的一尊石塑,地位极其尊贵。然而不似其他本体为活物的神仙,她没有心,因此又被称之为最无情之神。当无心的兮归遇上生性淡漠的父神嫡子慕寻,二人之间又会延伸出怎样的故事?真正无情的,又会是谁?总而言之,这是一部无心石头与淡漠上神的JQ发展史,有搞笑,有煽情,有狗血,众位看官跳坑前请自带避雷针,咳咳,慎入,慎入。声明(必看:作者笔名:长安,后changan为拼音注:封面图片来自网络,如能告知我原图作者,万分感谢。
  • 一个神秘事件调查员的秘密笔记6:至尊家族

    一个神秘事件调查员的秘密笔记6:至尊家族

    罗欢的身份明确后,他遭到各种势力的争夺,而痛苦血原的生物也趁机大举侵略人类世界。圣战随即拉开帷幕,疑点也随之而来,痛苦血原的生物真的是恶魔吗?超级妖兽渐渐开始活跃。马天行真正的身份也显露了,原来他一直在用特殊手段复活自己。而马天行身后有一个惊天的秘密,超级妖兽想借助他的法术复活自己的老祖宗——本领堪比阴阳书生的超级妖兽。这真的能实现吗?至尊家族露面,准备迎战血族,可白骨真人并没有出现。他究竟是什么人?最后,在天灵族圣地的山洞里,各方势力展开了最后的决战,阴阳书生也神秘现身。罗欢身上的秘密能全部被揭开吗?一切悬疑的答案、诡秘事件的真相尽在大结局——至尊家族。
  • 大玄后

    大玄后

    巫者,小者明吉凶,测未来,判祸福,定行止;大者识天象,知天道,育万物,和天下!景元二十九年。姜羲睁眼,从姜族巫主,成了大云南宁侯府的痴傻儿。####木屐竹杖青翠袖,杏花满头足风流,樟州少年游;踏舞九歌问天否,星坠月落荡九州,不周与天寿!吾为大巫主——观的是天机乱象,逐的是帝星起落,平的是天下动荡,定的是九鼎江山。我于百姓悲苦中得见仁慈,我于金戈铁马中得见太平;我于乱世纷争中得见秩序,我于无所希望中得见光明。我来了,我见了,我以我血换新天。这是一个穿越者的故事,只因她不想被世界改变,就只有改变世界。####穿越而来还要女扮男装的姜羲表示心很累。老爹长安有名软饭郎,老弟错把继姐当亲姐。继母骄纵尊为长公主,继妹伪善绝世白莲花。她不仅要装神棍骗路费,还要应对各路奇葩。到最后,她以为的人还都不是她以为的样子!个个都是精分影帝!所以人生如戏,我们都是戏精。####【重点在此】1.以上都是一个故事。2.男主不是最重要的,结局还是一对一的。3.这是女强女强女强。
  • 张颔传

    张颔传

    张颔先生是我省考古事业的创始人之一,在新中国考古事业上有重大贡献,其代表性成果为《侯马盟书》,即对1965年在侯马新田发现的春秋末期晋国赵、韩、魏诸国结盟文字进行了全面的考证。张颔先生在史学界、考古界、天文学界、书法界的多方面才华,被社会所广泛认可。《张颔传》由我省著名作家韩石山根据张颔先生的经历,采用采访体的形式撰写而成,是韩石山继《李健吾传》《徐志摩传》之后的又一部名人传记力作。
  • 不可重来的时代

    不可重来的时代

    回顾萧红传奇一生,期待汤唯《黄金时代》 。腾讯大家联手汤唯新片《黄金时代》,从传奇女作家萧红颠簸的一生,到风云际会中一代弄潮儿的群像,重现动乱年代中年轻人的热血、天真,以及他们面对的困境与挣扎。天才辈出的时代还会重来吗?我们能拥有属于自己的黄金时代吗?《不可重来的时代》,在讲述往事的同时,也来谈谈我们身处的现在。
  • 相识相爱

    相识相爱

    “你是谁?”紫筱疑惑的看着自己眼前的这名红衣男子。“筱儿终于把你找回来了”血寂当着所有人的面紧紧的抱着她。紫筱歪着脑袋疑惑的问“我们认识吗?”某人拼命点头。不等他点完头立马就被自己的大舅子给扯离紫筱的身边。几个月后血寂挽起袖子“等着,我这就把他们揍回去”不等紫筱阻止直接飞出去了,紫筱很想说他们是我认的干哥哥呀。他们只是送成年礼来的,何来聘礼一说?(纯属宠文qwq,无虐,男主陪着女主一步一步成长。)