This file includes: The Face and the Mask, From Whose Bourne, The Heralds of Fame, In a Steamer Chair and Other Shipboard Stories, In the Midst of Alarms, Jennie Baxter Journalist, Lord Batranleigh Abroad, One Day's Courtship, The O'Rudy, A Prince of Good Fellows,Revenge! A Rock in the Baltic, The Strong Arm, The Sword Maker, The Triumphs of Eugene Valmont, and A Woman Intervenes. According to Wikipedia: 'Robert Barr (September 16, 1849 - October 21, 1912) was a British-Canadian novelist, born at Glasgow, Scotland. He immigrated to Upper Canada at age four and was educated in Toronto at Toronto Normal School. Barr was headmaster of the Central School, Windsor, Ontario, and in 1876 became a member of the staff of the Detroit Free Press, in which his contributions appeared under the signature 'Luke Sharp.' In 1881 he removed to London, to establish there the weekly English edition of the Free Press, and in 1892 founded The Idler magazine, choosing Jerome K. Jerome as his collaborator (wanting, as Jerome said, 'a popular name').'
(With apologies to Dr. Conan Doyle, and our mutual and lamented friend the late Sherlock Holmes.)
I dropped in on my friend, Sherlaw Kombs, to hear what he had to say about the Pegram mystery, as it had come to be called in the newspapers. I found him playing the violin with a look of sweet peace and serenity on his face, which I never noticed on the countenances of those within hearing distance. I knew this expression of seraphic calm indicated that Kombs had been deeply annoyed about something. Such, indeed, proved to be the case, for one of the morning papers had contained an article, eulogizing the alertness and general competence of Scotland Yard. So great was Sherlaw Kombs's contempt for Scotland Yard that he never would visit Scotland during his vacations, nor would he ever admit that a Scotchman was fit for anything but export.
He generously put away his violin, for he had a sincere liking for me, and greeted me with his usual kindness.
"I have come," I began, plunging at once into the matter on my mind,"to hear what you think of the great Pegram mystery."
"I haven't heard of it," he said quietly, just as if all London were not talking of that very thing. Kombs was curiously ignorant on some subjects, and abnormally learned on others. I found, for instance, that political discussion with him was impossible, because he did not know who Salisbury and Gladstone were. This made his friendship a great boon.
"The Pegram mystery has baffled even Gregory, of Scotland Yard."
"I can well believe it," said my friend, calmly."Perpetual motion, or sq
