A Master of Magic
A Master of Magic is an American Sherlock Holmes pastiche written by Sadie Shaw published in The Junior Journal supplement of The Minneapolis Journal on 26 december 1903.
This short pastiche was written by a young student (7th grade) who obtained an "honorable mention" for it.
A Master of Magic
(The Minneapolis Journal, The Junior Journal, 26 december 1903, p. 6)
"Mr. Holmes will see you," the servant said pleasantly. "But he does not know who I am, and besides how can he tell that I came to see him without even seeing me?" I persisted. "Oh, you know he is the Mr. Sherlock Holmes, and all he said was, 'An American, so show her up.' " "How can he know I am American?" I thought as I walked up the long flight of stairs. I was shown into a small but cosy room where I saw a man sitting in a large armchair and smoking.
He looked at me a moment and then said unexpectedly, "Why, hello! How did you enjoy your trip, Sadie?" I thought I should choke, I was so astonished. "How in the world do you know I have just taken a trip, and that my name is Sadie," I asked, breathlessly. "Simple, simple," he said. "You must remember that you are wearing a brooch with your name on it and that you have a very marked American accent which you would lose if you stayed here three weeks. I suppose you wonder how I knew that you were American before I saw you. We Englishmen have a certain way of knocking which Americans never can imitate. I knew you were American by your knock." He went on to tell me many startling facts which surprised me so much that at last I became very nervous. I departed still more impressed by Mr. Holmes' wonderful deductions.
— Sadie Shaw,
2833 Harriet Avenue.
A Seventh Grade,
Whittier School.
