Read The Adventure of the Tired Captain A Sherlock Holmes Case for Free Online Page A

tired as I felt. I noticed his syringe lying on the mantelpiece, but I had too much on my mind to rebuke him for indulging in this, his most loathsome method of self poisoning.
    “You knew it was me at the door,” I said breathlessly, wis hing the moment I had uttered the words, that I had said nothing. Of course he would have recognized my familiar tread upon the stairs but to my surprise he did not reply with one of his all too common patronizing comments.
    “Pray sit, Watson,” he said motioning me to my old chair. “I see by the state of your beard and suit that you did not get much sleep last night, and that you left home in a rush this morning.”
    “Holmes,” I blurted out, ignoring these rather trivial observations, “Mary left to visit Kate Whitney in Woolwich three days ago and has not yet returned. I expected her to return home yesterday afternoon but there has of yet been no sign of her.”
    For what seemed like a long time he sat there his chin resting on his steepled fingers. He did not look at me.
    “Holmes, d id you hear what I said?”
    He continued to look out into the street. “I heard you Watson. You want me to investigate the whereabouts of your wife. That will not be necessary Doctor, for I already know where she is.”
    “Where is she then?” I asked him excitedly, “and what has caused her disappearance?”
    “She is with friends,” Holmes said, “and it was I who caused her disappearance.”

CHAPTER 3
    “Thank God, Holmes, I thought for a moment that she had met with foul play.”
    It was then the import of his words struck me.
    “You have done this?” I said rising to my feet almost overturning my chair while doing so.
    “Calm yourself, Watson. Your wife is perfectly safe,” he said soothingly.
    “I will not calm myself. Not only has my wife vanished but now I find that it was my best friend who has caused her disappearance. You had best explain yourself, Holmes.”
    “Sit down, Watson,” he said a little more sharply.
    I sat down. He walked over to the sideboard and mixed a whisky and soda.
    “Let me repeat Watson, your wife is perfectly safe. There is no great mystery here. Two days ago when you were in these rooms you mentioned that you had foolishly let her travel alone to Woolwich. I knew....”
    “I had no choice but to let her go alone, Holmes as I had a patient who required my services.”
    “Be that as it may Watson, you should have forbidden her to go unchaperoned.”
    I thought of how little my friend knew of Mary.  No one, myself included, could prevent my wife from doing what her heart would dictate. It was this spirit of independence which I found so endearing in her.
    Holmes continued. “It seemed to me that if it was someone’s intent to do Mrs. Watson harm they may seize upon this opportunity. When you told me on Friday that she had gone away upon her errand of mercy I made it my business to act as her guardian. Yesterday morning as I took a cab to the Whitney residence I saw a familiar figure on the pavement of Kashgar Road.”
    “The disreputable fruit seller who has been watching my house?” I asked.
    “No, Watson. That particular gentleman seems to have vanished for now.”
    “Who then?” I asked.
    “It was none other than Colonel Sebastian Moran,” said Holmes.
    His words sent shivers down my spine.
    “Why should he be interested in my wife?”
    “Let us not jump to conclusions, Doctor. It may have been Mrs. Whitney or even yourself who was the object of his scrutiny, however I must admit the odds are against it.”
    “If it is vengeance for the death of Professor Moriarty which he seeks why not attempt to murder you or I. Neither my wife nor Kate Whitney had any thing to do with the Professor’s demise.”
    “I think that there is more to this than the death of the late Professor. I do not yet have all of the data but I do know for a fact that Colonel Moran and Mrs. Watson’s father were in the same regiment in India.”
    “Mary has