Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-07-15


| should any one desire to steal it or 10
| publish it,"
There, Mr.. Holmes. you take NE
into regions of high international pol
itics. But if you consider the Euro
pean situation you will have no diff
Guilty in perceiving the motive. The
whole of Europe is an armed camp.
There is a double league which makes
fair balance of military power.
Great Britain holds the scales. If
Britain were driven into war with one
confederacy it would assure the SUI
premacy of the other confederacy,
whether they Joined in the war or not.
Do you follow"
Very clearly. 1t is then the interest
Of the enemies of this potentate to Sc
cure and publish this letter. so as 10
make a breach between his country
and ours?"
Yes. SIR
"And to whom would this document
be sent if it fell into the hands of an
enemy?'
ITO any of the great chancelleries of
Europe. 1t is probably speeding on its
way thither at the present instant as
fast as steam can take it. Now, Mr.
the facts. What course do you recon-
mend!'
Holmes shook his head mOurnfully.
"You think, sir. that unless this doc
ument is recovered there Will be war;
Il think ii is very probable"
Then. sir, prepare for war"
THAT is hard saying. Mr.. Holiness
Consider the facts. sir. 1t is incOn-
ceiyable that it was taken after IL 80
at night, since 1 understand that Mr..
Hope and his wife were both in the
room from that hour until the loss was
found out. 1t was taken, then, yester-
day evening between 100 and IL 80,
probably near the earlier hour. since
whoever took it evidently knew that it
was there, and would naturally secure
il as early as possible. Now, sir. if
document of this Importance were tax
en- at that hour. where can it be now?
No one has any reason to retain il. 1t
has been passed rapidly on to those
who need it. What chance have we
now to Overtake or even to trace it?
1t 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 serv-
ants"
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
eraI international spies and secret
agents whose names are tolerably ia
miliar TO roe. There are three who may
be said to be the heads of their profess
sion. / 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 10 an embassy in Lon
don, as likely as not"
II fancy not These agents work in
and their relations with
the embassies are often strained"
The prime minister nodded his ac
quiescence.
Il believe you are right. Mr.. Holmes.
He would take so valuable a prize to
with his own hands
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
and sat for some time lost in the deep
est thought. 1 was reading the morn
ing paper when my friend gave an ex-
sprang to his feet and laid
his pipe down upon the mantelpiece.
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, il 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 l have the
British treasury behind me. 1t is con
that the fellow might bold
IL 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 Obcrstein, La Rothiere and
Eduardo Lucas. 1 will see each OF
them"
glanced at my morning paper.
lis that Eduardo Lucas of Godol-
phin street,
Yes"
You will not see him."
why notT'
He was murdered in his house last