' It's more usual."
"'Missing,' then. 'On the night of May 2nd--'"
"From your house."
"Must that go in?" Mr. Basket pleaded.
"If you want to put yourself right with the public."
"Yes, yes--'from The Retreat, East Hoe, the residence of E. Basket,
Esq., on the night of May 2nd, between the hours of 7 and 11 p.m., a
Gentleman--'"
Mr. Basket paused.
"We must describe him," said the Doctor.
"I am coming to that. 'A Gentleman, answering to the name of
Hymen--'"
"Why 'answering'?"
Mr. Basket ran his pen through the word. "The fact is," he
explained, "I've only written out a thing of this sort once before in
my life; and that was when Mrs. Basket missed a black-and-tan
terrier. H'm, let me see. . . . Between the hours of 7 and 11 p.m.,
Solomon Hymen, Esquire, and Justice of the Peace, Major of the Troy
Volunteer Artillery. The missing gentleman was of imposing
exterior--"
"Height five feet, three inches," said the Doctor.
"Eh? Are you sure?"
"As medical officer of the Troy Artillery, I keep account of every
man in the corps; height, chest measurement, waist measurement, any
peculiarity of structure, any mole, cicatrix, birth-mark and so on.
I began to take these notes at the Major's own instance, for purposes
of identification on the field of battle. Little did I dream, as I
passed the tape around my admired friend, that _his_ proportions
would ever be the subject of this melancholy curiosity!"
"It reminds me," said Mr.
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