The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1905-08-11


ness was soon done. He had my let
ter on his desk. | handed him the doe
ument He gave me the letter At this
instant there was sound at the door.
There We're steps in the passage Lu
cas- quickly turned back the drugget.
thrust the document into some hiding
place there and covered it over
What happened after that is like
some fearful dream. | have a vision of
dark. frantic face, of woman's
voice. which screamed in French: MY
waiting is not in vain. At last, at last.
l have found you with herr There was
savage struggle. | saw him with a
chair in his hand; a knife cleaned in
hers. l rushed from the horrible scene.
ran from the house. and only next
morning i'll the paper did | learn the
dreadful result. That night | was
happy. for had my letter, and l had
not seen yet what the future would
bring.
1T was the next morning that real.
lied that l had only exchanged one
trouble for another. My husbands an
guish at the loss of his paper went to
my heart. l could hardly prevent my
self from there and then kneeling down
at his feet and telling him what l had
done. But that again would mean "a
confession of the past. | came to you
that morning in order to understand
the full enormity of my offense. From
the instant that | grasped it my whole
mind was turned to the one thought Of
getting back my husbands paper. 1t
must still be where Lucas had placed
it, for it was conceS,l before this
dreadful woman entered the room. If
| 1t had not been for her coming, l
should not have known where his hid
ing place was. How was l to get into
the room? For two days l watched the
| place, but tie door was never left
open. Last night made last attempt.
What l did and how l succeeded you
have already learned. | brought the
! paper back with me and thought of de-
stroying it, since l could see no way of
returning it without confessing my
guilt to my husband. Heavens hear
his step upon the STARR
The European secretary burst excit-
eddy into the ROOM
ANY news, Mr. Holmes, any news?"
he cried.
81 have some hopes"
"Ah, thank heavenw His face be.
came radiant. "The prime minister is
! lunching with me- May he share your
hopes? He has nerves of steel, and yet
/ know that he has hardly slept since
this terrible event. Jacobs will you
ask the prime minister to come up? AS
to you, dear, fear that this is a matter
of politics. We will join you in a few
minutes in the dining room
The prime minister's manner was
subdued, but could see by the CLEAN
of his eyes and the twitchings of his
bony hands that he shared the excite
ment of his young colleague.
81 understand that you have some
thing to report, Mr.. Holmes?"
purely negative as yet my friend
answered. Il have inquired at every
point where it might be, and am sure
that there is no danger to be appre-
/ hended"
"But that is not enough, Mr. Holmes.
| We cannot live forever on such a vol
cano. We must have something def
nite''
81 am in hopes of getting it, That is
why l am hc"e. The more 1 think of
the matter the more convinced l am
that the letter has never left this
! house."
Mr. Holmesw
IF it had it would certainly have
been public by now"
But why should any one take it in
order to keep it in this house?"
81 am not convinced that any one
did take it."
"Then how could it leave the dis
patch box%
81 am not convinced that it ever did
leave the dispatch box"
Mr. Holmes, this joking is very i'll
timed. You have my assurance that it
left the box
p"Have you examined the box since
Tuesday morning"
mo. 1t was not necessary"
you may conceivably have overlook
ed it."
Impossible, say"
"But l am not convinced of It, l
have known such things to happen. I
presume there are other papers there.
Well, it may have got mixed with
them"
ut was on the top"
"Some one may have shaken the box
and displaced II"
mo. no; had everything out"
surely it is easily decided, Hope"
said the premier Let us have the
dispatch box brought in"
The secretary rang the bell.
Jacobs, bring down my dispatch
box. This is a farcical waste of time,
but still, if nothing else will satisfy
you, it shall be done. Thank you, ia
cobs; put it here. | have always had
the key on my watch chain. Here are
the papers, you see-letter from Lord
Morrow, report from Sir Charles Har-
dy, memorandum from Belgrade, note
on the Russo-German grain taxes, let
ter from Madrid, note from Lord Flow
ers- Good heavens! What is this7
Lord Belinger! Lord Bellinger!'
The premier snatched the blue en-
velope from his hand.
yes, it is it-and the letter is in
tact. Hope, | congratulate you"
| fSThaOlr vouf Thanh vouf What n