Miss
Stoner
Begins Her
Story
THE SPECKLED BAND
An
Early Morning Visitor for Holmes
F
or many
years,
I was a good friend of Sherlock Holmes, the
famous private
detective
1
.
During this time, Holmes solved many unusual mysteries.
But perhaps one of the most unusual was the mystery of the
Speckled Band.
The story began in April, 1883. At that time, Holmes and I
were sharing an apartment in Baker Street, in London.
One
morning,
I woke up very early. To my surprise, Holmes
was standing beside my bed. He was already dressed.
'What's
happened,
Holmes?'
I asked.
'Is
there a
fire?'
'No,
Watson,'
replied Holmes.
'A
client
2
has just arrived. A
young lady is waiting downstairs. She seems very worried and
upset. I think she has something important to tell me. This could
be an interesting
case
3
,
Watson. That's why I woke you
up.'
'I'll
come at
once,'
I said.
I was very interested in Holmes' cases. My friend was a very
clever detective. I very much admired his work.
So I dressed quickly and went downstairs with Holmes. The
lady was waiting in our sitting-room. She was dressed all in black.
Over her face she wore a
veil
4
.
'Good
morning,
madam,'
said Holmes.
'I'm
Sherlock Holmes
and this is Dr Watson, my friend and
helper.'
Holmes shut the
door and turned to the lady.
'You're
shivering,
madam,'
he said.
'You
must be cold. Sit near the fire and I'll get you some hot
coffee.' Miss
Stoner
Begins Her
Story