The Washington times., 1905-05-28
And speaking low

And speaking low.
MY uncIe's voice is always remark
ably low I hardly spoke at ALL"
/. ..Thank you," said Holmes, shutting
his eyes: .tpray go on"
eI did exactly what he indicated. and
waited until the other clerks had de-
parted. One of them in my room,
Charles Gorot, had some arrears Of work
TO make up. SO I left him there and
went out to dine. When I returend hs
was gone. I was anxious to hurry my
work, for I knew that JoseDa-the Elr.
Harrison whom you saw just new-was
in town. and that he would travel down
70 WoIsing by the IL o'clock train. and
I wanted il possible to catch it.
When I came to examine the treaty
I saw at once that it was Of such inl-
portance that my uncle had been guilty
OF no exaggeration in what he had said.
Without going into details, 7 may say
that 1t defined the position Of Great Bril-
tain toward the Triple Alliance, and
foresl1adowed the policy which this
country would pursue in the event Of
the French feet gaining complete as
tendency over that OF Italy in the Med
iterranean. The questions treated IN 1t
were purely naval At the end were the
signatures of the high dignitaries who
had signed it. I glanced my eyes over
| it, and then settled down TO my task Of
copying.
| 1T was a long document, -xritten IN
| the French language, aE.tl containing
! twenty-six separate aricIes I copied
as quickly as I could, but at o'cloes
I had only done nine articles, and i
seemed hopeless for me to attempt 10
catch my train I was Ietting drowsy
rSJ--
also frcn the effects Of long days
work. A cup of coffee would clear my
brain. a couamissiounaire remains all
| night in little lodge at the foot Of tiss
stairs. and is in the habit of making cof-
fee at his spirit-1anp for any OF the Of
fieiais who may be working over TINS
I rang the bell, therefore, to summon
him.
ITO my surprise. 1t was woman who
answered the summons. a large. coarse
| faced. elderly woman, in an apron Sha
| explained that she was the commissions
naire's wife. who did the charing, and
I gave her the order for the coffee
'I wrote two more articles, and then.
| feeling more drowsy than ever, I rose
! and walked up and down the room to
stretch my legs. My coffee had not yee
! come. and I wondered what the cause
| of the delay could be- Opening the door.
| I started down the corridor to find cut,
There was straight passage, dirlly
| lighted, which led from the room In
which had been working. and was the
| only exit from il. It ended in q curvinx
| staircase, with the commissionnaire,
lodge in the passage at the bottom
Half way down this staircase is a small
landing. with another passage running
| into it at right angles. This second ous
Il
to a side door. used by servants. ana
| also as a short cut by clerks when COM
ing from Charles street Here is rouga
| chart of the place.
| Thank you. I think that I quite fos-
low you.' said Sherlock Holmes.
1T is Of the utmost Importance thaz
you should notice this point. I went
down the stairs and into the hall. where
| I found the coumissionnaIre fast asleep
in his bcX, with the kettle boiling furi-
ously upon the spirit-lamp. | took OF
the kettle and blew out the lamp, sog
the water was squirting over the fooy.
Then 1 put out my hand and vas about
TO shake the man, who was still sleep
ing soundly, when a bell over his head
rang loudly. and he woke with a start
Mr. Phelps. sir!' said he, looking as
me in bewilderment-
. L came down to see if my coffee was
ready
- was boiling the kettle when ] fell
asleep, sir He looked at me and then
up at the still quivering bell with an
eyer-growins astonishment upon his
face.
IF you was here, sir, then who rang
, the beil? he asked.
:. The bell!' I cried. What bell is IS
.1t's the bell OF the room you weEa
: working in
"A cold hand seemed to close reuaa
my heart. Some one. then, was in thas
room where my precious treaty lay upon
the table. I ran frantieaIiy up tlas
stairs and along the passage. There waz
no one in the corridors. Mr.. Holmes.
There was no one in the room. All was
exactly as l left 1t, save only that 1ha
papers which had been committed 10
my care had been taken from the desk
on which they lay. The copy was there.
and the original was gone
Holmes sat up III his chair and rubrsd
his hands. l could see that the prQn-
, lem was entirely to his heart 'Prass
; what did you do then2' lie muFmurssss
Il recognized in an instant that Ins
| Ihief must have come UP the stairs
from the side door. OF course / must
have met him if he had come the othox
way"
You were satisfied that he could ncs
have been concealed in the room als
the time, or in the corridor which yolz
have just described as dimly lighted p.
= seaasinasa oa esss Two. this ssetiez-s