Sherlock Holmes.

Chapter 28 Adventure History (6)
"You have some fish patterns tattooed on your right wrist. I think they must have been tattooed in China. I have done some research on tattoos and published papers on them. Only China can color small fish of different sizes with such delicate colors. It can only be done by the superb skills of the technicians. Besides, the Chinese copper coins hanging on your watch chain, don't you further illustrate the problem?"

Wilson suddenly burst out laughing and said, "Great, I really didn't think of this. At first I thought you were a prophet, but once I told you the truth, I didn't find it strange."

"Watson, shouldn't I be so thorough? It should be 'great wisdom and foolishness'. You know, my little reputation may not be able to withstand being too frank and frank. Mr. Wilson, the advertisement found Yet?"

"I found it, here it is," he said, pointing his thick red finger in the middle of the billboard.Says to us: "Here, it's all about it, gentlemen, see for yourselves."

We took the newspaper and read it carefully.

To Redhead members:

Due to the bequest of the late Lebanese Izikia Hopkins in Pennsylvania, USA, the association is now authorized to add one vacant position, which is of a nominal salary nature. All members of the Red Hair Society are eligible to apply. The salary is four pounds.Anyone with red hair, good health, over 21 years of age and normal intelligence can apply.Candidates are kindly requested to come to the Redhead office at [-] Pope's Court, Fleet Street, at [-]:[-] on Monday morning, contact Duncan Ross.

What a weird ad, I read it twice and couldn't help but ask, "What the hell is going on here?"

Holmes sat in his chair laughing and looking excited, as he always did.He said: "It's a weird ad, isn't it? Mr. Wilson, please tell me a little bit about yourself and the people you live with, and what luck this ad has brought you, and what the results are. Come and listen. Watson, take note of the name and date of the newspaper."

"Here is the Annals of April 1890, 4, exactly two months ago."

"Very well, Mr. Wilson, let's begin."

"Well, Mr. Sherlock Holmes, as I told you just now," said Wilson, wiping his brow, "I have a small pawn shop in Sachs-Coburg Square near the city. It is a very small business. I lived off it for a few years. I used to be able to keep two clerks, but now I can only keep one. Even so, I don't think I can, and it's a good thing he only takes half the wages, because he wants to learn the trade."

"What is the name of this devoted young man?" asked Holmes.

"It's Vincent Spaulding. He's not young, actually, but I don't know how old he is, I just know he's a smart, capable guy who could get a better job than that, Make more money. But anyway, why should I advise him to be smart if he wants to?"

"Oh, really? You're so lucky to have hired a good guy at such a low salary. It's rare for such a thing to happen to an employer of your age. Isn't that guy an ordinary person?"

Mr. Wilson said: "He also has shortcomings, that is, he likes to take pictures very much. He takes pictures with a camera all day long and has no ambition at all. After taking pictures, he immediately runs to the basement to develop the pictures, as fast as a rabbit drilling a hole. Although he Flaws don't please me, but I'm still a guy who doesn't have a bad heart."

"I suppose you two still live together?"

"That's right, sir. Besides him, there's a 14-year-old girl. She cooks and cleans the house. I've never been married, and I don't have a home, but the three of us live together very well.

“This ad was the first thing that disrupted our lives. Exactly two months ago today, Spaulding walked into the check-in room with a newspaper and said to me:
"'Mr. Wilson, I would like to pray to God to bless me with a red head.'

"I asked him confused: 'Why?'

"He said: 'Why? Didn't you know that the Redhead Society has an extra vacant position recently? If anyone takes up the position, it will definitely make a lot of money. As far as I know, there are many vacancies and few redheads. Those who have designated property in their wills are very distressed. They simply have money and have no place to spend it. If my hair can turn red, I will enter heaven immediately.'

"I asked again: 'Can you be more specific?' You know, Mr. Holmes, in our business, we always wait for the business to come automatically, and we don't have to run around to get business. Therefore, I haven't been out for a long time. I don't know anything about the outside world, so I want to know more information.

"Sipo Erding looked at me suspiciously and asked, 'Have you never heard about the Redhead Society?'

"'Never heard of it,' I replied.

"'You don't know? You are fully qualified to apply for that vacancy. Although you are only paid two hundred pounds a year, you basically don't have to do anything. If you have other jobs, it won't hinder you.'

"You can imagine how much this appeals to me. My business has been bad for a few years, and it would be great to have an extra income of two hundred pounds.

"So I said to him, 'Tell me all about it.'

"He showed me the ad while he said, 'You should see for yourself, the Redheads have a vacancy right now, and you can go to the place where it says in the ad to apply. As far as I know, the Redheads are a man named Yi Initiated by the American millionaire Zikia Hopkins. He is very eccentric, with red hair and a soft spot for redheads. It is only known after his death that he gave the entire property to the trustees to manage , hoping to use his inheritance to find a good job for those men who are also red-haired. It is said that the red-haired society hardly does anything, but the salary is very high.'

"I said, 'There must be a lot of redheads applying.'

"He said: 'Not as much as you think. The American, who made his fortune in London when he was young, wanted to do something for London, so this good thing is only for Londoners, and must be over 21 years old. Redhead man. Also, if the hair is light red or deep red, not really hot red, then it's useless to apply. That's all I'm saying, if you want to apply, hurry up, it's a few hundred pounds anyway, don't waste it ah.'

"As you have seen, gentlemen, my hair is indeed fiery red. I therefore thought that if I were to seek employment, I should have better hopes than anyone else. Since Spaulding knew so well about the matter, I let the He went with me.

"I tell you, Mr. Holmes, I never want to see that scene again. People of all shades of hair crowded there, and Fleet Street was full of redheads. It's like a big box of red clementines. Didn't expect to get so many applicants for one ad. Their hair came in all colors - brick red, orange, khaki, lemon, etc. But , as Spaulding said, fiery red is very rare. Seeing so many people come to apply, I was a little discouraged and wanted to go home, but Spaulding dissuaded me. He dragged me into the The crowd came to the bottom of the interview steps. On the steps, some people were walking down one after another with their heads down. We managed to squeeze in and finally arrived at the office.”

Holmes took a snuff while he paused, thought for a while and said, "It's interesting, let's go on."

"The office was very simple, with only a few chairs and a desk. Behind the desk sat a short man with redder hair than mine. After each applicant passed by, he would comment a few words and try to find a way to pick on them. Make some mistakes and send them all away. It seems that it is difficult to sit on that throne. When it was our turn, I found that the short man was more polite, and he closed the door to talk to us alone.

"'He's Mr. Jaberts Wilson, applying for the vacancy,' said my clerk.

"Mr. Shorty said: 'I think he is very suitable for this position. I have never seen anyone with a more perfect hair color than him.' He took another step back, tilted his head, and looked at him carefully. My hair, I was a little embarrassed to be looked at by him. Then he quickly came over and held my hand, expressing his congratulations loudly.

"He said to me, 'I'd be disrespectful to you if I hesitated any longer. But please forgive me, I have to be careful, so you don't mind.' He grabbed my hair and pulled it hard. I cried out in pain. Then he let go of his hand and said: "You are in tears, which proves that this hair is not fake. We have been deceived by wigs twice before, and once by dyed hair. We have to Be careful. It sounds like a story, someone even used the wax on the shoe thread, it is disgusting." He shouted out the window, "We have qualified candidates!" There was a sigh outside, and people were disappointed The ground spread out, and soon there were only two redheads left, me and the little gentleman.

"'My name is Duncan Ross. I am a pensioner of the Redhead Foundation myself. Are you married, Mr. Wilson?

"I answered: 'No.'

"His expression immediately became serious.

"He said: 'Gee! What a mess! It's a pity that you're in the situation. The fund was set up to feed more redheads and you're not married. It's a pity!'

"Mr. Holmes, after hearing these words, I was really disappointed. I thought it was over, and I was still not eligible to apply after all. However, the man thought about it later and said that it didn't matter too much.

"He said: 'In other people's terms, this defect may be critical, but your hair is too good. We have special care for special people. When can you come to work?'

"I said, 'Oh, I've got another business, I've got my own little pawn shop.'

"'Never mind, I'll look after the shop for you,' said Vincent Spaulding.

"I asked, 'What are the working hours?'

"'Ten in the morning to two in the afternoon.'

"You should know, Mr. Holmes, that pawnshops usually do their business mainly in the evenings, especially on Thursday and Friday nights, which are the two days before wages are paid, so I think it is good to make some money in the morning. Besides. I've got a smart and capable chap who'll run the shop.

"I said, 'I'd love to, what's the salary?'

"'Four pounds a week.'

"'What about the job?'

"'It's just a name.'

"'how do I say this?'

"'Oh, you have to come during office hours, at least stay in this building, as long as you leave for a while, it is tantamount to giving up this position. The will is very clear about this. As long as you leave without authorization during office hours , is a breach of contract.'

"I said: 'I'm not going to walk away during these four hours.'

"Mr. Duncan Ross said: 'No matter what the reason is, sick or otherwise, you must not be absent from work. You must stay here honestly, or your position will be lost.'

"'And what exactly does it do?'

"'Responsible for the copying of the Encyclopedia Britannica. I have the first volume here. Bring your own ink and pen and paper. We will provide you with a desk and chair. Can you come to work tomorrow?'

"I replied: 'Yes.'

"'That's it, Mr. Wilson, good-bye, and congratulations again on your appointment.' He bowed to me, and we turned away. I was overjoyed to have such good fortune.

"At first, I thought about it almost all the time, and then I started to worry that it was a hoax. But I really couldn't figure out if it was a hoax, what was its purpose. According to common sense, How can anyone make a will just to spend a lot of money to have the Encyclopedia Britannica copied? It's ridiculous. Vincent Spaulding comforted me for a long time. When I went to bed, I made up my mind , no matter what, I must go to see what happened tomorrow. The next morning, I bought a bottle of ink, a brush, and seven pages of writing paper, which cost a penny in total, and then went to the Pope's Court.

"It is a relief that everything is perfectly normal. The desks and chairs in the office have been put away, and Mr. Duncan has remained there to help me get to work. He told me to start copying from the letter A, and then walked away. But, Every once in a while he would check on my work. When we parted at two o'clock in the afternoon, he praised me for copying quickly. After I left the office, he locked the door.

"It went on like this. On Saturday, the man came again and paid me a week's salary of four pounds in gold coins, and it was the same every week after that. I also insisted on going to work at ten o'clock every day and leaving work at two o'clock. Never came late and left early. Gradually, I noticed that Mr. Duncan Ross came less often. Sometimes only once, and then almost never came. But I still stayed in the office as usual, because I didn't know when he would come. , besides, I don't want to lose this good job.

"Eight weeks have passed like this. I have copied many entries, such as 'Abbot', 'Armor', 'Architecture', 'Athens', etc., and I am still working on it, hoping to copy it soon The entry starting with B. I spent a lot of money on large-page writing paper, and the copied things piled up very high. It is really surprising that this matter has disappeared.”

"Stopped?"

"Yes, sir. I went to work at ten o'clock this morning as usual, but found the office door locked, with a small card tacked on the door. I have brought this card with you. Please have a look." "

He was holding a card the size of a post-it note that read:

The Redhead Society has been disbanded, here we go.

Nov. 1890, 10

The two of us looked at the card and at the sad-looking Wilson, and the more we thought about it, the more ridiculous it became, and we couldn't help laughing together.

Seeing us blushing from our laughter, the old man shouted angrily: "Is it so funny? If you laugh at me like this again, I'll go find someone else immediately."

"No, no," said Holmes hastily, and pushing Wilson back into his chair, who was about to get up, "I will take up your particular case, and I do not mean to underestimate it. Don't take it too seriously. Kind of funny indeed. Yes, did you take any action when you saw the card on the door?"

"I was surprised and didn't know what to do. Then I asked the people next door, but they didn't know anything. So I went to the landlord, who lived downstairs and was an accountant. I asked him about the Redheads, He told me he had never heard of such an organization. I asked him what Duncan Ross did. He said he didn't know the guy.

"'That's the man who lives in No. 7,' I said.

"'You mean the gentleman with the red hair?'

"'Yes.'

"He said: 'His name is William Morris. He's a lawyer, but he's staying here temporarily. His new house is ready, so he moved out yesterday.'

"I want to know where to find him."

"'Oh, in his new office, I know the address. Not far from St. Paul's Church, 17 Edward Street.'

"Hearing this, I hastened to his new residence, but there was only one knee pad manufacturer there, and no one in the factory knew William Morris or Duncan Ross."

Holmes asked again: "What next?"

"I had to go home. The clerk tried to persuade me, but he would not listen to me. He told me to wait patiently for a few days, and I might hear something. But, Mr. Holmes, I am really anxious, because I don't want to Lose this good job. I was told that you were always doing something for poor people who had nowhere to go, and that's why I came to you."

"You have done a very good job, and I would like to take up this unusual case, which, from what you have said, appears to be a very simple matter," said Holmes.

"Of course I'm losing four pounds a week, very badly," said Jaberts Wilson.

Holmes said: "No, sir, not only did you not suffer, but you also got more than 30 pounds for nothing, and obtained a lot of knowledge by copying dictionaries."

"It's true that I have not suffered. However, Mr. Holmes, I want to find out about this matter. I want to know who they are? Why are they making fun of me? Even if it is a joke, they don't need to waste 32 pounds."

"We'll look into these matters. But Mr. Wilson, you have to answer me a few questions first. How long has the guy who showed you the ad first been with you?"

"It's only been a month."

"how did it get here?"

"I applied when I saw the ad."

"Was he the only one who applied for the job at that time?"

"No, more than ten."

"Then why did you only choose him?"

"That's because he's smart and doesn't ask for much money."

"Actually he only wants half the salary."

"Correct."

"What did the boy Vincent Spaulding look like?"

"Short, but healthy, quick-witted, about 30 years old, smooth skin, with a scar burned by sulfuric acid on his forehead."

Holmes sat up straight and seemed agitated.He said, "That's what I guessed. Did you realize he's got his eyes and ears pierced?"

"Yes, he told me, it was pierced by a gypsy when he was young."

"Well," said Holmes, after a moment's thought, "is he still living with you?"

"Yes, I just came from him just now."

"He was the one who looked after the shop for you when you left?"

"Yes, sir, I am very satisfied with his work, besides, there is no business in the morning."

"Well, Mr. Wilson, I'll give you the results of the investigation in two days. It's Saturday, I suppose, and we'll have the results by Monday."

After Wilson left, he asked me, "Watson, tell me what's going on here?"

"I can't tell, it's so strange," I said truthfully.

Holmes said: "Usually, after the truth is revealed, the more bizarre cases appear to be more ordinary. You must know that it is those cases with no distinctive features that are really difficult to solve. For example, an ordinary-looking person, on the contrary, makes people It's hard to recognize. We need to act now."

I asked him, "Where are you going to start?"

He said: "Let's smoke first, as long as you smoke enough three pipes, you will have the answer. Besides, please don't talk to me within 15 minutes." After he finished speaking, he curled up in the chair, bent his legs, and his knees were almost It hit the tip of the nose.He was smoking a black pipe, closed his eyes, and lay like that.I figured he must be asleep, so I dozed off too.Suddenly he sprang up from his chair, as if he had made up his mind, and laid his pipe on the mantelpiece.

He said to me: "Sarasat is playing at St. James's this afternoon. Are you free, Watson?"

"I just happened to be fine today, and my work is not that busy."

(End of this chapter)