The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1906-09-20

IL - est ON the part OF
E.SttfyrI o. my readers IN the
Ls,ts NM singular person
~ az. IN. a.,. aiity and unique
Is IN - methods of this
I.-t'yf NsANNy pI .g'remnrknblc
Ilr,T tts--sAN. The real rcasod
lS.. n M lay In the reluct-
It.fp.f ~ ancc which Mr..
49, IN Holmes has shown
l To the &C. tinund
publication of his experiences. So long
as he was in actual professional prac-
tice the records ~ his successes were
OF some practical vaIue to him. but
since he has definitely retired from
London and bctakcn himself to study
and bee farming ON the Sussex Downs.
notoriety has become hateful To him.
and he has peremptorily requested that
his wishes I'm this matter should be
strictly observed. IL was only upon
my representing 10 him that ! n given
n promise that THE Adventure or the
Second Stain should be published
when the times were ripe. and pointed
out 10 him hat ~ IL only appropriate
that this long series OF episodes hould
eliminate i'm the most Important Inter
national case which he ever hNd
beer called upon TO handle. that
I at last succeeded In obtain
ing his consent that n carefully
guarded account OF the inciGent should
at last be laid before h public. II In
telling the story I seem to be some
what vague I'm certain details. the pub
tic will readily understand that there is
an excellent reason for my rcticence.
II was. then. in n year. and even In n
decade. that shall be nnIneless. that
upon one Tuesday morning In autumn
we found two visitors OF European
fame within the walls OF u humble
room I'm Baker street. The ono. nustcre.
high nosed. eagle eyed. and dominant.
was none other than the iluStrious
Lord RelllnRer. twice premier az Brit
ain. The other. dark. clear cut, n
elegant, hardly yet OF middle rge. aEi
endowed with every beauty OF body and
81 mind. was the Right Honorable
Trelnwney Hope. secretary for Eu-
ropenn affairs. and the most rising
statesman I'm the country. They sat
tide by side upon our paper Uttered
settee. and Il was easy to see from
.heir worn and anxious faces that u
was business OF the most pressing i'm
aortnnce which had brought them.
The premier's thin. blue veined hands
were clasped tightly over the ivory
head OF his umbrella. and his gnunt.
ascetic face looked gloomily from
Holmes To me. The European Secre-
,nry pulled n~ervously nj his moustache
and fdgcted with the seals OF his watch
chain.
when I discovered my loss. Mr..
Holmes. which was NJ 8 o'clock his
morning. I nj n Informed the prime
minister. II VAS NJ hts suggestion that
we have both come 10 you"
Have you Informed the police?"
NO. sir" said the prime minister.
with the quick. decisive ann for
which ne was famous. I'VE have not
lone 80, nor Il IL possible that We should
10 so. To inform the police must. In
The long run. mean To inform the pub
tic. This Is what We particularly de-
sire To- avoid"
"And why. sir?"
Because the document In question
- OF sucn immense Importance that It's
publication might very easily-I might
almost say probahly-lead To European
complications OF the utmost moment.
II is not too much 10 Rny that peace
Dr wal may hang upon the issue. I'm
Tess It's can be attended with
he utmost secrecy. hen II may as well
vot be recovered ut nll. for all that "
nimed at by those who have e. ken II
| y that It's contents should DE generally
known"
II understand. Now. Mr.. Trelawncy
Hope. I should be much Obliged II you
would tell me exactly the circumstances
Under which THIS document disappear
ed"
THAT can be done In q very few
words. Mr.. Holmes. The lcttcr-for u
was a letter from n foreign potcniate-
NaR received six days IL was OF
such Importance that | had never left
az I'm my safe. but hud taken ~ across
zach evening Ia my house In Whitehall
Terrace. md kept IL In my bedroom
N n locked despatch box. II was there
.St night. or That ! am certain. ] nc
tually opened the box while | was
| irssstug for dinner. and saw the docu-
ucnt inside. This morning IL was
gone. The despatch box had stood be-
side the glass upon my dressing table
all night. l am a light sleeper. and so
ls my wife. We are both prepared TO
swear that no one could have entered
that room during the night. And yet !
repeat hat the paper Is gon.."
What time did you dlne7'
"Hnlf-pnst seven"
How long was II before you went To
oed?'
My wife had gone 90 the theate-.
{ waited up for her. II was half-pgs
eleven before we wen TO our ROOM
Then for -four hours the despatch
COX had lain unEunrdcd?"
NO one Is Eve permitted 20 enter
that room ave the houscmaid In the
morning. and my valet. or my wife's
maid. during the rest OF the day. They
are both trusty servants who nave beer
with us for some time. Besides, neither
" them could possibly have known that
Ihcre was anything valuable thar
he ordinary departmental papers In
NY dc~spatch-box."
who did know OF the existence OF
hat letter."
NO one In the house"
surely your wife knew7"
NO. sir. l had said nothing TO my
Rife until l missed the paper this
morning"
The premier nodded approvingly.
ii have long known. sir. how high Is
four sense OF public duty" said he.
am convinced that In the case OF a
secret OF this Importance IL would rise
superior to the most intimate domes-
ic ties"
The European secretary bowed.
you do me no more than justice. sir.
Until this morning ! have eve