, 1897-04-13
A DETECTIVES RUSE.

Cholmondely is n very old friend OF
mine. To the world he poses successful.
ly as a social star. He runs a fat in
Mayfair which would knock the stuf1inp
out Of an earl. His country house is sit.
uated in one of the best parts of Hert.
fordshire. Any day you would pick his
yacht out of the swaggerest batch al
Cowes. and his horses and wine are be
yond all reproach.
But he hasn't a friend saving myself
who knows where his money comes
from.
As n matter Of fact, Cholmondely is
q sort of society Sherlock Holmes.
There are a good many affairs of in
ternational Importance which require
the most subtle investigation and di'
plomacy of a high order.
And then there are many society cases
affecting people of high standing which
require the most delicate handling.
Such matters are placed entirely in the
hands of men of Cholmondcly's stamp.
He makes quite $50, 600 veal.
l was more agrecably surprised thar
otherwise when one day last week thu
following wire arrived from him:
"Can yousee me before ~? Important
matter. Urgent"
There was nothing of the blase maj
Of the world air which Cholmondely
affects in society as he greeted me this
morning. Instead he got to business at
once.
His Grct op%iNn xr-np In prpco I'll, rDpr,
to a little box which was fitted against
the wall. l had seen it scores of times
before. 1t was what he called his peep.
ing mnchine-an arrangement of pipes
and mirrors-by means of which he is
able to See from the study what is going
on in his drawing room and dining
room.
"See anything"
Eyes. There's Il man there"
"Rccognizo him?"
I started back in surprise. The visitor
was o other than Il prominent mem
Der of the government.
Cholmondely said nothing, but sim
ply turned II small lever and told mo to
look again. This time l saw into the
dining room.
Seated at the table was n gentlemanly
man Of about 40. He was studying IA
notebook.
''Think he looks the desperate Grim
inal of fiction:"
Couldn't say boo to u goose" l re-
piled.
"Well anyway, he's u man, and
we've got to catch him
"But, my dear chap, he's here. You
could sprinkle salt Oh his tail"
"Steady, my friend, steady. This is
not a common or garden case. It's a
matter involving the theft of u govern
ment secret.
"Our client is Lord -, whom you
saw in the drawing room just now.
About 9 o'clock last night he left the
foreign Office with dispatches of the
most important description. We're they
in the hands of the government to whom
they are addressed nothing could avert
o great European war. He had orders
to cross to the continent with them the
first thing in the morning.
ITO cut q long story short, they were
stolen Oh his why home, and half an
hour later he received urgent instruc-
lions to return them at once, rs in view
of fresh complications they must not be
delivered at any cost.
"Now, the case hadn't beer in my
hands for more than an hour before /
discovered who were the guilty gentle
men in the affair. / had been there be-
fore, SO to speak. AS "a matter Of fact, l
know within III ace where those dis
patches are now, but there are III or
two difficulties in the path. In the first
place, it il impossible by the nature of
the case to arrest the men.
"Now these gentlemen offer the usual
alternatives. Either we must pay them
huge ransom for the papers -you see
now why they stole them-or they will
skip across the channel and deliver
them, in which case there will be the
dickens to pay.
1.-THE man you saw in the dining
room ia one of the two gentlemen son.
cerned in the theft. Knowing he is safe
from arrest, he has called to negotiate
with me on the question Of compensa-
ton. It's blackmail in plain English.
"Of course my clients are willing to
nay anything to get the papers back,
but that isn't ChoImondely's way Of
working. We've got to get those papers
without paying for them, and if you're
the man I take you for we can manage
it.
1.-THE other mans at q we'll known
south coast port waiting to skip across
the channel if negotiations fail. l think
IL IL more than likely he has got the
pspera. Now, you have got to go down
there and keep him in view while !
dilly daily with the business manage
Of the show and keep him waiting here
for . day or two till I hit On . good
scheme.
.sIf he has got the papers and there''
. chance, get EN- at any cost, old man
Il won't cost you more than e1o u
Knock him down If necessary. But 10
heaysu's ake don't mako = scene. Wiz.
ne every hour, but don't take any risi
q making . mess Of It"
I tcurd him in the billiard room
From ny friends descrirtion I feooe
nfnd him at oDco. A tall, a~rtstocrati
1eljow. WHO gave me tho idea Of . cleve
re,sr % we'll Nov. know ec5uethinl