nd ourselves in the
office."

"Your experience has been a most entertaining one," remarked Holmes,
as his client paused and refreshed his memory with a huge pinch of
snuff. "Pray continue your very interesting statement."

"There was nothing in the office but a couple of wooden chairs and a
deal table, behind which sat a small man, with a head that was even
redder than mine. He said a few words to each candidate as he came up,
and then he always managed to find some fault in them which would
disqualify them. Getting a vacancy did not seem to be such a very easy
matter, after all. However, when our turn came, the little man was
much more favorable to me than to any of the others, and he closed the
door as we entered, so that he might have a private word with us.

"'This is Mr. Jabez Wilson,' said my assistant, 'and he is willing to
fill a vacancy in the League.'

"'And he is admirably suited for it,' the other answered. 'He has
every requirement. I cannot recall when I have seen anything so fine.'
He took a step backward, cocked his head on one side, and gazed at my
hair until I felt quite bashful. Then suddenly he plunged forward,
wrung my hand, and congratulated me warmly on my success.

"'It would be injustice to hesitate,' said he. 'You will, however, I
am sure, excuse me for taking an obvious precaution.' With that he
seized my hair in both his hands, and tugged until I yelled with the
pain. 'There is water in your eyes,' said he, as he released me. 'I
perceive that all is as it should be. But we have to be careful, for
we have twice been deceived by wigs and once by paint. I could tell
you tales of cobbler's wax which would disgust you with human nature.'
He stepped over to the window, and shouted through it at the top of
his voice that the vacancy was filled. A groan of disappointment came
up from below, and the folk all trooped away in different directions,
until there was not a red head to be seen except my own and that of
the manager.

"'My name,' said he, 'is Mr. Duncan Ross, and I am myself one of the
pensioners upon the fund left by our noble benefactor. Are you a
married man, Mr. Wilson? Have you a family?'

"I answered that I had not.

"His face fell immediately.

"'Dear me,' he said, gravely, 'that is very serious indeed! I am sorry
to hear you say that. The fund was of course for the propagation and
spread of the red-heads, as well as for their maintenance. It is
exceedingly unfortunate that