Ambientada en 1888, la historia gira en torno al caso de la senora Mary Sutherland, una mujer con grandes ingresos gracias a los intereses de un fondo creado para ella. Ella esta prometida con un silencioso londinense que ha desaparecido recientemente. Las dotes detectivescas de Holmes apenas son puestas a prueba ya que este caso se convierte en algo muy elemental para El prometido, Hosmer Angel, es un personaje peculiar, bastante callado, y bastante reservado respecto a su vida. La senora Sutherland solo sabe que el trabaja en una oficina en Leadenhall Street, pero nada mas especifico que eso. Todas las cartas a ella estan escritas a maquina, incluso la firma, y el insiste que le responda a traves de la oficina de Correos local. El climax de esta triste relacion llega cuando el senor Angel abandona a la senora Sutherland en el altar el dia de su boda. The story revolves around the case of Miss Mary Sutherland, a woman with a substantial income from the interest on a fund set up for her. She is engaged to a quiet Londoner who has recently disappeared. Sherlock Holmes's detective powers are barely challenged as this turns out to be quite an elementary case for him, much as it puzzles Watson. The fiance, Mr. Hosmer Angel, is a peculiar character, rather quiet, and rather secretive about his life. Miss Sutherland only knows that he works in an office in Leadenhall Street, but nothing more specific than that. All his letters to her are typewritten, even the signature, and he insists that she write back to him through the local Post Office. The climax of the sad liaison comes when Mr. Angel abandons Miss Sutherland at the altar on their wedding day."