The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-07-12

strange visitor, sitting down once more
and passing his hand over his high, white
forehead, "you can understand that I am
not accustomed to doing such business in
my own person. Yet the matter was so
delicate that could not confide 1t to an
agent without putting myself in his power.
l have come incognito from Prague for the
purpose of consulting YOU"
Then, pray consult" said Holmes,
shutting his eyes once more.
1.-The facts are briefly these: Some five
years ago, during lengthy visit to War
saw, l made the acquaintance of the WELL
known adventures, Irene Adler. The
name is no doubt familiar to you"
Kindly look her up in my index, doc
tor, murmured Holmes, without opening
his eyes. For many years he had adopted
system of docketing all paragraphs con-
difficult to name a subject or a person on
which he could not at once furnish infor-
nation. In this case | found her biogra-
ply sandwiched in between that of a He
brew rabbi and that of staff commander
who had written monograph upon the
deep sea fishes.
''Let me see?' said Holmes. Hum!
Born in New Jersey in the year 1853 Con-
trolto-hum! La Scala, hum! Prima
donna Imperial Opera of Warsaw-yes!
Retired from operate stage-ha! Living
in London-quite so! Your majesty, as I
understand, became entangled with this
young person, wrote her some compro-
missing letters. and is now DESTROYS of get
ting those letters back"
Precisely So But how
''Was there a secret marriage?"
"None"
NO legal papers or certificates?"
None"
Then l fail to follow your majesty. If
this young, person should produce her
letters for Matchmaking or other purposes,
how is she to prove their authen ticity 2"
There is the writing
'Pooh, pooh! Forgery"
"My private notepaper."
stolen"
my own seal"
Initiated"
"My photograph"
bought"
1--WE were both in the oh otograph."
'Oh, dear! That is very bad Your
majesty has indeed committed an indiscre-
ton"
81 was mad-insane"
You have compromised yourself seri-
ously"
Il was only crown prince then. Twas
young. | am but 30 now"
cit must be recovered"
s'We have tried and failed"
Your majesty must pay. 1t must be
bought"
''She will not SELL"
''Stolen, then"
Five attempts have been made. Twice
burglars in my pay have ransacked her
house once We diverted her luggage
when she travelled. Twice she has been
waylaid: There has been no result"
NO sign of il ?"
Absolutely none"
Holmes laughed. at is quite a prettv
little problem. said he.
But very serious one to me, returned
the king, responsibility.
Very, indeed. And what does she pro-
pose To do with the photograph ?"
ITO ruin me. F"
But how"
Il am about to be married"
80 | have heard
ITO Clotilde Lothman Won Saxe-Meinin-
gen, second daughter of the king OF Sean
dlnavla. You may know the strict prin-
clnles OF her family. She is herself the
very soul of dehcacy A shadow of a
doubt as to my conduct would bring the
matter 10 an end. "
And Irene Adler ,"
Threatens 10 send them the photo
graph. And she will do it. know that
she will do it. You do not know her. but
she has soul of steel. She has the face
of the most beautiful of women and the
mind OF the most resolute of men. Rather
than should marry another woman there
are no lengths to which she would not go
-noneh
1ou are sure that she has not sent il
yet?'
Il am sure"
And why7"
Because she has said that she yould
send II on the day when the hetrothaI was
publicly proclaimed. That will be next
Monday"
"oh, then, We have three days yet" said