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The Reigate Puzzle
"Whyonearthshouldtwomenwritealetterinsuchafashion?"
"Obviouslythebusinesswasabadone,andoneofthemenwhodistrustedtheotherwasdeterminedthat,whateverwasdone,eachshouldhaveanequalhandinit.Now,ofthetwomen,itisclearthattheonewhowrotethe‘at"and‘to"wastheringleader."
"Howdoyougetatthat?"
"Wemightdeduceitfromthemerecharacteroftheonehandascomparedwiththeother.Butwehavemoreassuredreasonsthanthatforsupposingit.Ifyouexaminethisscrapwithattentionyouwillcometotheconclusionthatthemanwiththestrongerhandwroteallhiswordsfirst,leavingblanksfortheothertofillup.Theseblankswerenotalwayssufficient,andyoucanseethatthesecondmanhadasqueezetofithis‘quarter"inbetweenthe‘at"andthe‘to,"showingthatthelatterwerealreadywritten.Themanwhowroteallhiswordsfirstisundoubtedlythemanwhoplannedtheaffair."
"Excellent!"criedMr.Acton.
"Butverysuperficial,"saidHolmes."Wecomenow,however,toapointwhichisofimportance.Youmaynotbeawarethatthedeductionofaman’sagefromhiswritingisonewhichhasbeenbroughttoconsiderableaccuracybyexperts.Innormalcasesonecanplaceamaninhistruedecadewithtolerableconfidence.Isaynormalcases,becauseill-healthandphysicalweaknessreproducethesignsofoldage,evenwhentheinvalidisayouth.
