The Adventure of the Three Garridebs
The third Garrideb
Explain what gives the advertisement away and why Nathan is sent away.
John bursts in, waving a newspaper advertisement for a Howard Garrideb, a maker of farm machines near Birmingham. Here, it seems, is the third Garrideb.
John wants Nathan to travel to Birmingham the next day to meet the man. He himself, he says, is too busy to go.
Holmes agrees that Nathan should go. He asks whether he may look at the collection while Nathan is away. The caretaker, Mrs Saunders, can let him in.
He also asks the name of Nathan's house-agent, the firm that rents out the room.
Afterwards, Holmes points out the clue: the advertisement uses American words and spellings, such as 'plow' (the English spelling is 'plough'), 'buckboards' and 'artesian wells'. It was written by an American, John himself, to get Nathan out of the room.
The 'third Garrideb' is bait to empty the room.
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