The news & observer., 1905-12-03
Adventures Of Sherlock
Holmes.
('euo esed uoIJ penupuoo)


secrecy for two years, at the end of
he, "by binding you both to adbsolute
that time the matter will be of no
Importance. At present it is not too
much to say that it is of such weight
it may have ben influence upon Euro
pean history"
II PROMISE" said Holmes.
And To-
"You will excuse this mask" con-
tinued our strange visitor. 'The aug
ust person who employs me wishes his
agent to be unknown to yoT and /
may confess that the title by which
have just called myself is not exactly
my own
II was aware of it,. said Holmes
dryly.
THE circumstances are of great
delicacy, and every precaution has TO
be taken to quench what might grow
to be an immense scandal and serious
ly compromise one of the reigning
families of Europe. To speak plain
ly. the matter duplicates the great
House of Ormstein, hereditary kings
of Bohemia"
'I was also aware of that" murmer-
ed Holmes. settling himself down in
his arm chair and closing his eyes
Our visitor glanced with some ap-
parent surprise at the languid, loung-
ing figure of the man who had been
no doubt depicted to him as the most
incisive reasoner and most energetic
agent in Europe. Holmes slowly re-
opened his eyes and looked inpatient
ly at his gigantic client.
IF your Majesty would condescend
to state your case," he remarked, II
should be better able to advise you"
The man sprang from his chair and
paced up and dow nthe room in un-
controllable agitation. Then, with a
gesture of desperation, he tore the
mask from his face and hurled. it upon
the ground. "You are right" he cried;
Il am the King. Why should | at
tempt to conceal it 2"
why. indeed?" murmered Holmes
Your Majesty had not spoken before
! was aware that / was addressing
Wilhelm Gottsreich Sigismond Won
Ormstein. Grand Duke of Cassel-FeI-
stein. and hereditary King of Bohe-
mia"
But you can understand" said our
strange visitor, sitting down once more
and passing his hand over his high,
white forehead, you can understand
that l am not accustomed to doing
such business in my own person. Yet
the matter was so delicate that l could
not confide it to an agent without
putting myself in his power | have
come incognito from Prague for the
purpose of consulting YOU"
"Then, pray consult said Holmes,
shutting his eyes once more.
'The facts are briefly these: Some
five years ago, during d lengthy visit
to Warsaw, 1 made the acquaintance
of the well-known adventures, Irene
Adler. The name is no doubt famil-
lar to YOU
Kindly look her up in my index
DOCTOR" murmered Holmes, without
opening his eyes. For many years he
had adopted a system of docketing
all paragraphs concerning men and
things. so that.it was difficult to name
a subject or a person on which he
could not an once furnish information
In this case l found her biography
sandwiched in between that of a He
brew Rabbi and that of a staff-cOm-
mander who had written a 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 donno Imperial Opera of War
saw-Yes! Retired from operatlc
stage-hai Living in London-quite
soi Your Majesty, as l understand,
became entangled with this young per-
son, wrote her some compromising let