The San Francisco call., 1905-05-28
A
N

tee.
What you say is perfectly logical, Mr..
Holmes l feel that the matter is indeed
out of orr hands,
Let US presume, for arguments sake,
that the document was taken by the
maid or by the valet
They are both old and tried servants" f"
Il understand you to say that your
room Is on the second floor, that there
Is no entrance from without, and that
from within no one could go up unob-
served. 1t must, then, be somebody in
the house who has taken it. To whom
would the thief take it,? TO one of sew
eral international spies and secret agents,
whose names are tolerably familiar to
me. There are three who may be said
to be the heads of their profession. L
will begin my research by going round
and finding if each of them Is at his post.
If one is missing-especially if he has dis
appeared since last might've will have
some indication as to where the docu-
ment has gone
why should he be missing?" asked the
European Secretary. He would take the
letter TO an embassy in London as likely
as not
81 fancy not These agents work inde-
pendently, and their relations with the
embassies are often strained"
The Prime Minister nodded his ac-
quicscence.
II believe you are right Mr.. Holmes
He would take so valuable a prize to
headquarters with his own hands.
think that your course of action is an
excellent one. Meanwhile, Hope, we can
not neglect all our other duties on ac-
count of this one misfortune. Should
there be any fresh Developments during
the day We shall communicate with you,
and you will no doubt let US know the
results of your own inquiries
The two statesmen bowed and walked
gravely from the ROOM
When our illustrious visitors had de-
parted Holmes lit his pipe In silence ana
sat for some time lost in the deepest
thought. Il had opened the morning
paper and was immersed in a sensational
crime which had occurred in London the
night before. when my friend gave an
exclamation, sprang to his feet and laid
his pipe down upon the mantelpiece.
s Yes said he, "there is no better way
of approaching it. The situation is des-
perate, but not hopeless. Even now, if
/ we could be. sure which of them has
taken it., it is just possible that it has
not yet passed out of his hands. After
all, II is a question of money with these
fellows, and i have the British treasury
behind me. If it's on the market I'll
buy tiff it means another penny on the
income-tax. 1t is conceivable that the
fellow might hold 1t back to see what
bids come from this side before he tries
his luck on the other. There are only
those three capable of playing SO bold
a game-there are Oberstein, La Rothiere
and Eduardo Lucas. 1 will see each of
them
1 glanced at my morning paper.
rs that Eduardo Lucas of Godolphin
street?''
YES"
'.YoU viii not see him.
why not?"
He was murdered in his house last
night"
My friend has so often astonished me
in the course of our adventures that it
was with a sense OF exultation that 7
realized how completely / had astonished
him. He stared in amazement, and then
snatched the paper from my hands. This
was the paragraph which 1 had been en-
gagged in reading when he rose from his
chair.
MURDER IN WESTMINSTER.
crime CT mysterious character was COM
nlitted last night at 16 Godolphin street one
eighteenth century houses which lie between
the river and the Abbey, almost in the shadow
OF the great Tower of the Houses of Paria-
ment. This small but select mansion has been
Inhabited for some years by Mr. Eduardo Ia,-
cas-. well known In society circles both on ac-
count Of his charming personality and because
he has the well deserved reputation of being
one OF the best amateur tenors in the country
Mr. Lucas is unmarried man. thirty-folr
years of age. ard his establishment consists of
Mrs Pringe, elderly housekeeper and of
Milton his valet. The former retires early
and sleeps at the top Of the house. The valet
Mss out for the evening visiting friend at
Lucas had the house to himself What oc-
CURED during that time has not yet transpired.