The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1905-08-11

- w.
- of those exploits Of my
kSS1~5aAH friend. Mr.. sherlock
K&5H 81 Holmes. which | should
ever communicate TO the
public This resolution of mine was
not due TO any lack Of material, since
l have notes OF many hundreds Of cases
10 which have never alluded. nor was
it caused 10y any waning interest on
the part of my readers in the singular
personality and unique methods of this
remarkable man. The real reason lay
in the reluctance which Mr. Holmes
has shown TO the continued publication
of his experiences. So long as he was
in actual professional practice the rec.
ords of his successes were Of some
practical value to him, but since he has
definitely retired from London and be-
taken himself to study and bee farm
ing ON the Sussex downs notoriety has
become hateful to him. and he has per-
enntoTily requested that his wishes in
this matter should be strictly observed.
1t was only upon my representing TO
him that | had given a promise that
The Adventure Of the Second Stain"
should be published when the times
We're ripe and pointing out to him that
it is only appropriate that this long
series of episodes should eliminate in
the most impc"tant international case
which he has ever been called upon to
handle that at last succeeded in OBJ
tanning his consent that carefully
guarded account of the incident should
at last he laid before the public
1t was. then. in year, even in a dec
AIDE that shall benamelcSS. that upon one
Tuesday morning in autumn we found
two visitors of European fame within
the walls of our humble room in Baker
street. The one, austere. high noSed.
eagle eyed AMI dominant was none 9th
er than the illustriouS Lord Bclliugcr,
twice premier of Britain The other.
dark, clean cut and elegant. hardly yet
of middle age and endowed with ey-
cry beauty Of body and Of mind, was
the Right Hon. Trelawney Hope, sec
rotary for European affairs and the
most rising statesman in the country.
They sat side by side upon our paper
Uttered settee, and il was easy to see
from their worn and anxious faces that
1t was business of the most pressing
Importance which had brought them.
The premerS thin, blue veined hands
We're clasped tightly over the ivory
head of his umbrella. and his gaunt.
ascetic face looked gloomily from
Holmes to me. The European secre-
taly pulled nery0uSly at his muStache
and fidgeted with the seals of his
watch chain
when l discovered my loss. Mr..
Holmes, which was mt s O'Clock This
morning, l at once informed the prime
minister. 1t was at his suggestion that
we have both come to YOU"
Have you informed the policeF"
NO, sir, said the prime minister.
with the quick. decisive manner for
which he was famous I'VE have not
done so. nor is it possible that we
should do so To inform the police
must, in the long run. mean to inform
the public, This is what we particular
~ desire 10 avoid"
And why, sir:"
Because the document in question
is of such immense importance that its
publication might very easily might
almost say probably lead TO European
complications of the utmost moment.
II is not too much to say that peace or
war may hang upon the issue Unless
Its recovery can be attended with the
utmost secrecy then it may as we'll not
be recovered at all. for all that is aim
ed at by those who have taken ii is
that its contents should he generally
known"
II understand Now Mr.. Trelawnev
Hope. | should he much obliged if YOU
wonld tell NE exactly the circum.
stances under which this document
disappeared"
THAT can be done in a very few
words, Mr.. Holmes. The letter-for il
was q letter from foreign potentate-
was received six days AGO. 1t was Of
such Importance that | have never left
it in my safe. but have taken t
across each evening 10 my house in
Whitehall terrace and kept il in nv
bedroom in a locked dispatch box. II
was there last night OF that I am
certain. l actually opened the box
while | was dressing for dinner and
saw the document inside. This morn
ing it was gone. The dispatch box had
stood beside the glass upon my dress
ing table all night | am a light sleep
er. and so is my wife We are both
prepared TO swear that no one could
have entered the room during the
night. and yet repeat that the paper
is gone"
what time did you dineY
Half past 4"
"How long was it before you went
to bed?'
MY wife had gone to the theater.
waited up for her. 1t was half past II
before we went to our ROOM"
"Then for four hours the dispatch
box had lain unguardedT
mo one is ever permitted to enter
that room save the housemad in the
morning and my valet or my wife's
maid during the rest Of the day. They
are both trusty servants and have been
with US for some time. Besides. neither
Of them could possibly have known
that there was anything more valua-
bic than the ordinary departmental
papers in my dispatch box"
"Who did know Of the existence Of
that letterw