The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1905-12-21

account OF this one misfortune. Should
there be any fresh developments dur
ing the day we shall communicate with
you, and You will no doubt let us
know the results of your own in
quiries.''
The two statesmen bowed and walk
cd gravely from the room.
Wien our illustrous visitors had de-
parted Holmes lit his pipe in silence.
and sat To-. some time lost in the deep |
est thought. l was reading the morn
ing paper when my friend gave an eX-
clamation, sprang to his feet and laid |
his pipe down upon the mantelpiece.
EYES, said he, ''there is no better
way Of approaching it, The situation
is desperate, but not hopeless. Even
now. if we could be sure which of them
has taken it. it is just possible that it
has not vet passed out of his hands.
After all. it is a question of money
with these fellows. and l have the
British treasury behind me. 1t is con-
ceivable that the fellow might hold
it 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 game
there are Oberstein, La Rothiere and
Eduardo Lucas. l will see each Of
them
I glanced at my morning paper.
us that Eduardo Lucas of Godol
phtn street:"
eyes"
"You will not see him."
'eWby not?"
Gle was murdered in his house last
night
MY friend has so often astonished me
in the course of our adventures that 1t
was with sense of exultation that I
realized how completely had aston
ished him. Ee stared in amazement
and then snatched tie paper from my
hands. This was the paragraph which
I had been engaged in reading when he
rose from his chair:
MURDER IN WESTMINSTER.
A crime of mysterious character was
committed last night at 16 Godolphin
street, one Of the, old fashioned and Sc
cluded rows OF eighteenth century houses
which lie between the river and the alb
y,
tower of the houses Of parliament. This
small but select mansion has been inhabit-
ed for some years by Mr. Eduardo Lucas
well known in society circles both on ac-
count of his charming personality and be-
cause he has the well deserved reputation
OF being one of the best amateur tenors
In the country. Mr.. Lucas is an unmar-
ried man. th!rty-four years of age, and
his establishment consists of Mrs. Prin-
gle. an elderly housekeeper. and Of Milton.
his valet The former retires early and
sleeps at the top of the house. The valet
was out for the evening, visiting friend
at Hammersmith. From 10 o'clock onward
Mr.. Lucas had the house to himself.
What occurred during that time has not
yet transpired. but at quarter to IL
Police Constable Barrett. passing along
Godolphin street. observed that the door
Of No. 16 was ajar. He knocked, but re-
csfved no answer. Perceiving a light in
the front room. he advanced into the pas
sage and again knocked, but without re-
ply. He then pushed open the door and
entered. The room was in a state of wild
disorder. the furniture being all swept to
one side and one chair lying on its back
in the center. Beside this chair and still
grasping one of its legs lay the unfor-
tunate tenant Of the house He had been
stabbed to the heart and must have died
instantly. The knife with which the crime
had been committed was curved Indian
dagger. plucked down from trophy Of
oriental arms which adorned one of the
walls. Robbery does not appear to have
been the motive of the crime. for there
had been no attempt to remove the valu-
able contents of the room. Mr.. Eduardo
Lucas was so well known and popular
that his violent and mysterious fate will
arouse painful interest and intense SYM
nathy in a widespread circle of friends.
We'll, Watson, what do you make of
this 2" asked Holmes after long pause.
sit is an amazing coincidence"
A coincidence! Here is one Of the
three men whom we had named as
possible actors in this drama, and he
meets q violent death during the very
hours when we know that that drama
was being enacted. The odds are
enormous against it's being coincidence.
II No figures could express them. No,
my dear Watson, the two events were
connected-must be connected. 1t is
for us to find the connection"
"But now the official police must
know ALL"
"Not at all. They know all they see
at Godolphin street They know-and
shall know-nothing of Whitehall ter
race. Only we know both events and
can trace the relation between them.
There is one obvious point which
would in any case have turned my
suspicious toward Lucas. Godolphin
street, Westminster, is only few min
utes' walk from Whitehall terrace.
The other secret agents whom I have
named live in the extreme west end.
1t was easier, therefore, for Lucas than
for the others to establish connection
or receive message from the Euro
pean secretary's household "a small
thing, and yet 1t may prove essential
Hello! What have we here?"
Mrs. Hudson had appeared with a
lady's card upon her salver. Holmes
glanced at it, raised his eyebrows and
handed 1t over to me.
ASK Lady Hilda Trelawney Hope II
she will be kind enough to step up,'
said he.
A moment later our modest apart
ment, already so distinguished that
morning was further honored nv the