Morris tribune., 1905-10-21

oO LOU
probably near the earlier hour, since
whoever took it evidently knew that it
| was there, and would naturally secure
1t as early as possible. Now, sir, if a
document Of this Importance were tax
en- at that hour, where can it be now? /?
No one has any reason to retain it. It
has been passed rapidly on to those
who need it. What chance have we
now to Overtake or even to trace it?
It is beyond our reach
"What you say is perfectly logical,
Mr.. Holmes. ! feel that the matter is
indeed out of our 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 sery-
! ants"
81 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 ia
miliar to me. There are three who may
be said to be the heads Of their profes-
sion. 1 will begin my research by go
ing round and finding if each Of them
| Is at his post. IF one is missing-espe-
| cially if he has disappeared since last
might've will have some indication as
to where the document has gone"
| "Why should he be missing?' asked
the European secretary. ''He would
take the letter to an embassy in Lon
don, as likely as not
II fancy not. These agents work in
| dependently, and their relations with
| the embassies are often strained
The prime minister nodded his ac-
| quiescence.
"I-believe you are right, Mr.. Holmes.
He would take so valuable a prize to
headquarters with his own hands. 1
think that your course of action is an
excellent one. Meanwhile, Hope, we
cannot neglect all our other duties on
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
ed gravely from the room.
When our illustrious visitors had de-
parted Holmes lit his pipe in silence
c,otf faY 10, j,, 4Io
est thought. 1 was reading the morn
ing paper when my friend gave an ex-
clamation sprang to his feet and laid
his pipe down upon the manteIpiece.
''Yes," 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 yet passed out of his hands
After all, it is a question of money
with these fellows, and I 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 "a game
there are Oberstein, La Rothiere and
Eduardo Lucas. I will see each Of
them"
glanced at my morning paper.
'Is that Eduardo Lucas Of Godol- |
phin street?''
eyes"
"You will 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 eyultation that
realized how completely I had aston
ished him. He stared in amaZement
and then snatched the 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 |
c1uded rows Of eighteenth century houses
which lie between the river and the alb
bey, almost in the shadow Of the great
|
small but select mansion has been 1nhab1t-
ed for some years by Mr.. Eduardo Lucas,
we'll 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, thirty-four years of age, and i
his establishment consists of Mrs. Prln-
yle 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
1T Hammersmith From 10 o'clock onward
Mr.. Lucas had the house to himself,
What occurred during that time has not
yet transpired, but at a quarter to IL
Police Constable Barrett passing along
9odoiphn street, observed that the door
IF No 16 was ajar. He knocked, but re-
,eived no answer. ,Perceiving a light in
he 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
,ne side and one chair lying on its back
n the center Beside this chair and still
one of its legs lay the unfor-
Of tLn NJ !