The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-03-18


hemia.' ->-..-
~ was also aware of that" muir
INJURED Holmes, settling himself down in
his armchair and closing his eyes.
Our visitor glanced with some appar-
ent surprise at the languid, lounging
figure Of the man who had been no
doubt depicted to. him as the most in
cisive reasoner and most energetic agent
in Europe. Holmes slowly reopened
his eyes and looked impatlently at his
gigantic client. 49,
elf your Majesty would condescend
should be better able to advise you
The man sprang from his chair and
paced up and down the room in uncon-
trollable agitation. Then, with a
gesture of edesperadti9n he tore the mask ask
ground. ,s'You are right he cried;
II am the king: why should I at
tempt to conceal it4''
"Why, indeede" remarked Holmes.
"Your majesty had not spoken before
I was aware that I was addressing Will
helm Gottsreich Sigismond Won Orm-
stein, grand duke of Cassel Felstein, and
ssBut You can understand" said our
strange visitor, sitting down once more
and passing his hand over his high,
white forehead, you can understand
that I am not accustomed to doing such
business in my own person. Yet the
matter was so delicate that I could not
confde it to an agent without putting
myself in his power. l have come In,
consulting you.'
"Then, pray, consult said Holmes,
shutting his eyes once more.
"The facts are briefly these: Some
five years ago, during a lengthy visit to
Warsaw, I made the acquaintance Of the
well-known adventures, Irene Adler.
The name is no doubt familiar to you. -
doc hp9g l9oh her H Hp IN my w iRSasn
opening his eyes. For many years he
had adopted a system Of docketing all
paragraphs concerning men and things,
50 that it was difficult to name a sub
ject or a person on which he could not
at once furnish Information. In this
in between that of Hebrew rabbi and
| that of q staff-commander who had
written monograph upon the deep
sea fishes.
"Let me see!' said Holmes, "Hum!
Born in New Jersey in the year 1858.
Contralto-hum! La Scala, hum! Prima
a9a?" Ra aRsra FROM SPe opers 1T MsFsag
Living in London-quite SO! Your ma
jesty, as I understand, became en-
( tangled with this young person, wrote
her some compromising letters, and Is
now DESTROYS Of getting those letters
"Precisely so. But how"
uWas there secret marriage?''
| "None. -
"No legal papers or certifcates2" ..
| "None.N
"Then I fail to follow your majesty.
| If this young person should produce
her letters for 'blackmailing or other
purposes, how is she to prove their au-
thenticity?''
| "There is the writing''
! "Pooh, pooh! Forgery
! .'My, private note paper
"Stolen."
My. own SEAL
! Imitated.'
NY ,dRh Photograph
owe were both in the photograph. -
"Oh, dear! That is very bad! Your
majesty has indeed committed: an in.
discretion. - 49, +.
~ was mad-insane.'
riously."
~ was only crown prince then. I. was
young. [ am but 80 now.'
cot must be recovered.'
"We have tried and failed.' ,
"Your majesty must pay. 1t must be
bought"
|she will not sell.''
HStolen, then.''
"Five attempts have been made
Twice burglars in my pay ransacket
her house. Once we diverted her lug
| been waylaid. There has been no re
suit, y, go, -~ * 80.
, Absolutely none.'
"Holmes laughed. cit is quite {
pretty little problem,'' said he. =,
tnrn Bgt the vsg gg seF FsS4os S5S tt me
livery, indeed. And what does sh,
propose to do with the Photographic
"To ruin me-. -
: "But how?'
~ am about to be married.'
$50 have heard.'
: "To Clotilde Lothman Won SAKE
. king Of Scandinavia: YOU may know tn
! strict principles of her family. She i
t herself the very soul of delicacy. /
: shadow of a doubt as to my conduc
, would bring the matter to an end"
= "And Irene Adler?"
"Threatens to send them the photo
. graph. And she will do it. I know tina
She will do it. You do not know he1
, but she has soul Of steel. She has tn
= face of the most beautiful Of womer
- and the mind of the most resolute o
men. Rather than I should wed anothe
. woman, there are no lengths to whie
y she would not go-none.
! "You are sure that she has not sen
+ it <yet9'' ;,
; "And why9''
h "Because she has said that she woul
y send it on the day when the betrotha
was publicly proclaimed. That Wi
n be next Monday
n "Oh, then, we have three days yet.
said Holmes, with a yawn. H,That
J. very fortunate, as T have one or tw
:. matters of Importance to look into Jus
h at present. Your Majesty will, q
I course, stay in London for the pres
ent.' :. /. p
It Certainly. You will find me at til
! Langham, under the name Of the Cour
+ Won Kramm.'
D ''Then + shall drop you line to Il
t. you know how we progress
t "Pray do so. shall be all anxiety
l. "Then, as to money!
"You have carte blanche
le "Ahsolutely?'
g 1T tell you that I would give one
q the provinces Of my kingdom to hay
e. that photograph >.
% "And for present expenses?o
The king took heavy chamoi
/ leather bag from under his cloak an
=, laid it on the table.
.ee 'sThere are three hundred pounds
= gold and seven hundred in notes.
- said.
- Holmes scrubbed a receipt upon
= sheet of his notebook and handed