Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1906-01-04
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SL''S
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II fancy not. These agents work in
dependently, and their relations With
the embassies are often strained."
The prime minister nodded his ac-
quieScence.
81 believe you are right. Mr.. Holmes.
he would take so valuable 4 prize to
headquarters with his own hands. l
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
Quiries."
The two statesmen bowed and walk
ed grayelR>Tpom 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-
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 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
ceivahle 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"
l glanced at my morning paper.
els that Eduardo Lucas of Godol-
phin street,"
YES
"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 eXultation that I
realized how completely l 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
hey, almost in the shadow Of the great
W Of the houses of parliament. This
small but select mansion has been inhabit-
ed for some years by Mr.. Eduardo Lucas,
we'll known in society circles both on &C
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 h~ousekeeper, 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
MI. Lucas had the house to himself,
What occurred during that time has not
vet TRANSFERRED. but at a quarter to IL
Police Constable Barrett, passing along
Godolphin street. observed that the door
Of No. 1G was ajar. He knocked. but re-
ceived 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
N the center. Beside this chair and still
grasping one Of its legs lay the unfor-
tunate tenan Of the house. He had been
stabbed to the heart and must nave died
instantly. The knife with which the crime
had been committed was a curved Indian
dagger. plucked down from a 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 vii.
arouse painful interest and intense sym.
pathy in a widespread circle Of friends.
"Well, Watson, what do you make OF
this?' asked Holmes after a long pause
1T is an amazing coincidence"
"A toilS1oSuSC. I1cIe Is one vi Ile
three men whom we had named as
possible actors in this drama, and he
meets a violent death during the very
hours when we know that that dram,
was being enacted. The odds ar
enormous against it's being coincidence
No figures could express them. No
my dear Watson, the two events wer,
connected-must be connected. 1t II
for us to find the connection"
"But now the official police mus
know all"
mot at all. They know all they Sc,
at Godolphin street. They know-ant
shall ~know-nothing Of Whitehall ter
race. Only we know both events an
can trace the relation between them
There Is II obvious point whicl
would In any ease have turned In,
suspicious toward Lucas. Godolphil
street, Westminster. Is only a few min
ptes' walk from Whitehall terrace
THE other secret agents whom ! hav,