Percie W. Hart
Here we have another story, from the Feb. 19 issue of Puck, that focuses on the deductive method rather than its practitioner. In his published collection, Charles Press called it “the ultimate Sherlockian parody.” Hart was a magazine writer from Halifax, Nova Scotia, who wrote stories and poems for Life, Puck, Collier’s Weekly, and other magazines and newspapers.
Two-thirds of a cigarette lay on the station platform, unheeded by the passing throng.
They still had two minutes to wait before the 5:10 train for Mudhunk would be ready.
“See!” said Charlie Breakhearts; “the lady came sooner than he expected. He wouldn’t have bothered lighting it for such a short smoke.”
“You’re way off!” cried John Butterfingers; “he dropped it and was ashamed to be seen picking it up.”
“Both wrong!” laughed Willy Knowitall; “he was a beginner and he felt himself sick, and so he stopped.”
Then began a friendly argument that developed into a heated debate, as each one put in new reasons for the support of his theory.
“What’s de matter wid dem gents?” queried the gatesman of the newsboy.
“Aw! der fightin’ over a cigarette stump,” he replied; “the dude saw it foist, but de udders was on him before he could swipe it.”