The Adventure of the Missing Three-Quarter

           WewerefairlyaccustomedtoreceiveweirdtelegramsatBakerStreet,butIhaveaparticularrecollectionofonewhichreachedusonagloomyFebruarymorning,somesevenoreightyearsago,andgaveMr.SherlockHolmesapuzzledquarterofanhour.Itwasaddressedtohim,andranthus:

           Pleaseawaitme.Terriblemisfortune.Rightwingthree-quartermissing,indispensableto-morrow.OVERTON.

           “Strandpostmark,anddispatchedtenthirty-six,”saidHolmes,readingitoverandover.“Mr.Overtonwasevidentlyconsiderablyexcitedwhenhesentit,andsomewhatincoherentinconsequence.Well,well,hewillbehere,Idaresay,bythetimeIhavelookedthroughTheTimes,andthenweshallknowallaboutit.Eventhemostinsignificantproblemwouldbewelcomeinthesestagnantdays.”

           Thingshadindeedbeenveryslowwithus,andIhadlearnedtodreadsuchperiodsofinaction,forIknewbyexperiencethatmycompanion’sbrainwassoabnormallyactivethatitwasdangeroustoleaveitwithoutmaterialuponwhichtowork.ForyearsIhadgraduallyweanedhimfromthatdrugmaniawhichhadthreatenedoncetocheckhisremarkablecareer.NowIknewthatunderordinaryconditionshenolongercravedforthisartificialstimulus,butIwaswellawarethatthefiendwasnotdeadbutsleeping,andIhaveknownthatthesleepwasalightoneandthewakingnearwheninperiodsofidlenessIhaveseenthedrawnlookuponHolmes’sasceticface,andthebroodingofhisdeep-setandinscrutableeyes.ThereforeIblessedthisMr.