"That's the problem, friend. The duck had a small card stuck to its left leg. It read, "For Mrs. Henry Baker." ‘H. on Tupiter lining. B. ’writing is also clear. But there are thousands of unemployed people in our city, at least a few hundred of whom are named Henry Baker. It is not a matter of handing over this lost property to its rightful owner! ”
“Oh! So Peterson brought the duck to you? ”
"Peterson knows I'm interested in small things. So he brought me a duck and a hat on Christmas morning. The duck was here with me till today. But I saw that the thing was rotting despite the cold. So without further ado, I gave the person who picked it up the responsibility of using it well. The poor gentleman's Christmas dinner died on the field. I left the hat. Now let's see if it can at least be returned to him. ”
"Didn't the gentleman advertise the loss-gain?"
"No."
"Then what formula did you get?"
"As much as can be guessed by observation."
"Observe this hat?"
"Yes."
“Are you kidding? Listen to what you guessed from looking at this old leaky hat! ”
“You know my method. Take this lens. See what you think about the owner by observing the thing. ”
I took the thing in my hand and looked around. A very round black hat. Strong, but very bad. The color inside is red silk lining. No manufacturer name. However, as Holmes put it, ‘H. B. ’The initials are written in very rough letters in one corner. Caps on both sides. However, the elastic is torn. Torn, dusty hat. Spots in places. Attempts have been made to cover the spots with ink again.
