Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-06-23

ever communicate to the public. This resolution of mine was not due to any lack of material, since have notes of many hundreds of cases to which have never alluded, nor was 1t caused by any waning interest on , the part of my readers in the singular personality and unique methods of this remarkable man. The real reason lay in the reluctance which MT. Holmes has shown to the continued publication of his experiences. So long as he was in actual professional practice the rec ords of his successes were of some practical value to him. but since he has definitely retired from London and be- taken himself to study and bee farm ing on the Sussex downs notoriety has become hateful to him, and he has per emptorily requested that his wishes in this matter should be strictly observed. It was only upon my representing to him that 1 had given promise that The Adventure of the Second Stain" should be published when the times were ripe and pointing out to him that 1t is only appropriate that this long series of episodes should culminate in the most important International case which he has ever been called upon to handle that I at last succeeded in ob- taining his consent that carefully guarded account of the incident should at last he laid before the public.
 It was, then, in year, even in dec ade that shall benameless, that upon one Tuesday morning in autumn we found two visitors of European fame within the walls of our humble room in Baker street. The one, austere. high nosed, eagle eyed and dominant, was none oth- CT than the illustrious Lord Bellinger, twice premier of Britain. The other, dark, clean cut and elegant, hardly yet of middle age and endowed with ev- cry beauty of body and of mind. was the Right Hon. Trelawney Hope, sec retary for European affairs and the most rising statesman in the country. They sat side by side upon our paper filtered settee, and it was easy to see from their worn and anxious faces that 1t was business of the most pressing importance which had brought them The premier thin, blue veined hands were clasped tightly over the ivory head of his umbrella. and his gaunt. ascetic face looked gloomily from Holmes to me. The European secre- tary pulled nervously at his mustache and fidgeted with the seals of his watch chain
 When I discovered my loss, Mir. Holmes, which was at s o'clock this morning, I at once informed the prime minister. It was at his suggestion that we have both come to you"
 Have you informed the police?"
 No, sir," said the prime minister. with the quick, decisive manner for which he was famous We have not done so, nor is it possible that we should do so. To inform the police must, in the long run, mean to inform the public. This is what We particular ly desire to avoid"
 And why, sirT'
 Because the document in question is of such immense importance that its publication might very easily-I might almost say probably-lead to European complications of the utmost moment. It is not too much to say that peace or war may hang upon the issue. Unless Its recovery can be attended with the utmost secrecy then it may as well not be recovered at all, for all that is aim ed at by those who have taken 1t is that its contents should he generally known"
 q understand. Now. NIT. TrpIawney Hope. I should be much obliged if vou would tell me exactly the circum- stances under which this document disappeared"
 That can he done in a very few words. Mir. Holmes The letter-for if was letter from foreign potentate- was received six days ago. Ii was of such importance that I have never left 1t in my safe. but I have taken it across each evening to my house in Whitehall terrace and kept it in my bedroom in locked dispatch box. It 1as there last night. of that I am certain. actually opened the box while I was dressing for dinner and saw the document inside. This morn ing it was gone. The dispatch box had stood beside the glass upon my dress . ing table all night. am a light sleep . CT. and so is my wife We are both . prepared to swear that no one could . have entered the room during the . night and yet I repeat that the paper is gone What time did you dineT"
 Half past T-~
 How long wss it before you went to bedT-
 "Ny wife had gone to the theater. I waited up for her. It was half past n before we went to our room ''Tben for four hours the dispatch box had lain ungusrdeti:-
 '-No one is ever permitted to enter that room save the housemaid fin the and my valet or my wife's maid during the rest of the day. They Ire both tr11sty servants and have been rith us for some time. Besides. neither of them could possibly have known hat there wss anything more vslus-l De than the ordinary departmental DnDe-s i1 ny dispatch box