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ing —for [ took a couple ot pairs ol gloves with me, and used to box with the sreward in the stokchole at night-—-we had o good time. On my return, Lhwent back to med cine in Edinburgh again. There T ol the man who suguested Sherlock Holmes to me—here 15 a portrait Hf hom as he was in those days, and he 1s strong and hearty an:d still in Idinburgh now

[ looked at the portrait. Tt represente the features of Mr. Joseph Bell, MDD whosce name I had heardmentioned whilst with Pro- fessor Blackie a few months ago in the Scotch capital.

“Lowas in AMroo Bell's ward,” con- tinucd Dr. Doyle. “ A clerk's duties arc tonote down all the patients to be seen, and muster them to- gcther. Often 1 would Thave seventy or cightyv,

“What with whaling, shooting, and box

clerls

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, \When cveryvthing was ready, I would shiow them n to Mr. Bell, who would have the students gatherad round him. 1This intui- tive powers were simply marvel- lous. Case No. would step up.

ol see, sand Mr. Bell, fyvou're sutferine from drink., You cven carry a fask in the mside breast pocket of your coat.

“ Another case would come forward.

o Cobbler, T see.” Then he would turn to the stwdents, and point out to them that (he instde of the knee of the man's trousers was worn. That was where the man had rested the lapstone—a peculiarity only found in cobblers.

“ All this impressed me very much, e was continually before me—his sharp,

aicrcing erey eyes, cagle nose, and striking

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rcatures. There he would sit in his chair with fingers together—he was very dex terous with his hands—and just look at the man or woman before him. He was most kind and painstaking with the students -a rcal good friend—-and when | took my degree and went to Africa the cernarkabie indwiduality and discriminating rac. of my old master made a deep and lasting impression on me, though I had not the faintest idea that it would one day lead me to forsake medicine for story writing.”

[t was 1 18382 that Dr. Doyle started practis- ing i Southsea, where he con- tinued for cight years. By de- grees literature took his atten- tion from the preparation of preseriptions. In his spare time he wrote some hity or sixty storics for many of the best magazines, during thesec eight years be- fore his name became really known. A small sclection of these tales has been published simce, under the title of “The Captain of the Polestar,” and has passced through somec four editions. He was by no means forgetting the opportuni- ties offered to such a truly inventive mind as his in novel writing. Once again the memory of his old master came back to him. Ie wrote “ A Study in Scarlet,” which was refused by many, but even- tually sold outright by its author for £ 23, Then came “ Micah Clarke "—a story dealing with the Monmouth Rebellion. This was remarkably successful. @ The Sign of FFour” came next, and the pub- lication of this enhanced the reputation of its author very considerably. Sherlock Holmes was making his problems distinctly

DOVLE, TR ot o £ry