
Part 1
Robert Johnson leads a quiet, predictable life as a gentleman’s outfitter on New North Road. His days are filled with arranging shirts, ties, and hats, while his steady marriage to a gentle, brown‑haired wife provides the only colour in his routine. Yet beneath the orderly surface, the inevitable stir of family life begins to ripple when his wife’s health suddenly declines.
Called to the doctor's house, Robert finds himself thrust into a frantic search for help, racing through the bustling streets, cabs whizzing past, and a growing sense of helplessness. The cramped, dimly lit consulting room, heavy with the scent of ether, becomes the backdrop for his first true confrontation with uncertainty. As he waits, the ordinary world he knows starts to feel fragile, hinting at deeper forces that may soon upend his carefully managed existence.
Language
en
Duration
~24 minutes (23K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Original publisher
United States: Ainslee's Magazine Co., 1926.
Credits
Roger Frank and Sue Clark
Release date
2022-01-01
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1859–1930
Best known as the creator of Sherlock Holmes, he brought razor-sharp deduction and unforgettable atmosphere to detective fiction. But his career stretched far beyond Baker Street, from historical adventures to science fiction and nonfiction shaped by his medical training and wide-ranging interests.
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