Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1906-01-19
It is beyond our reach"

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 sery-
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 50 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 sev.
eral international spies and secret
agents whose names are tolerably IA
mlliar to me. There are three who may
be said to be the heads of their profess
sion. / will begin my research by 60
ing round and finding il each of them
IS at his post. If one is missing
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 &C.
quiescence.
II believe you are right, Mr. Holmes.
He would take so valuable a prize to
headquarters with his own hands.
think that your course of action is an
excellent one. Meanwhile, Hope, we
cannot neglect all uur 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
cd gravely from the room.
When our llustrious visitors had de-
parted Holmes lit his pipe in silence
and sat for some time lost In the deep
est thought. was reading the morn
ing paper when my friend gave an ex-
clamation, sprang to his feet and laid
bis pipe down upon the mantelpiece.
eyes," said he, there is no better
way Of approaching 1t. The situation
Is desperate, but not hopeless. Even
now, If we could be sure which of them
has taken 1t, 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 1 have the
British treasury behind me- 1t Is con-
osivable that the tow 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. will see each of
them"
I 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 1t
was with sense of exultation that
realized how completely had aston
| ished him. He stared in amazement
and then snatched the paper from my
hands. This was the paragraph which
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
hey. almost in the shadow of the great
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 ao-
count Of his charming personality and be-
| cause he has the we'll 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
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 a friend
at Hammersmith From 10 o'clock onward
Mr.. Lucas had the house to himself,
What occurred during that time has not
vet transpired. but at a quarter to Ia
Police Constable Barrett, passing along
Godolphin street, observed that the door
Of No. 16 was ajar. He knocked, but re-
| ceiYed 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 it's 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 ana mysterious fate will
arouse painful interest and intense SYM
pathy in a widespread circle Of friends
ITO be continued.
Il ~ - n n