The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1912-04-14

one has any reason to retain it. Il has
been passed rapidly on to those who
need II What chance have we now to
oveltake OF even to trace III Il IS be-.
The prime minister rose from the
eeltcc
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
ulaid or BY the vaiet-y
They are both old and tried sery-
II understand you 10 say that your
room is on the second floor, that there
j. no entrance from without, and that
from within no one could 60 up TN
observed II must, then, be somebody
in the house who has taken H. To
whom would the thief take i'll To one
Of several international spies and secret
agents, whose names are tolerably IA
miliar 70 me. There are three who may
be said 70 be the heads Of their pro-
fcssion. ] will begin my research by
going around and finding II each is at
his post If(one is missing especially
II he has disappeared since last night
we will have some indication as TO
where the document has gone"
Why should he be missing?v asked
the European secretary. He would take.
lhe letter to an embassy in London, as
likely as not
Il fancy not" These agents work IN
depcndently, and their relations with the
embassies are often strained"
The prime minister nodded his ac-
urieScenee
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 = an
excellent one. Meanwhile, Hope, We
cannot neglect all our other duties on
accoelt Of this one misfortune Should
there be any fresh developments during
the day we shall communicate with you,
and Iyou will no doubt let US know The
results Of your own inquiries
The two statesmen bowed and walked
gfnsely from the room
When our illustrious visitors had de-
parted Holmes liz his pipe in silence, and
sat for some time lost in the deepest
thought j had opened the morning
paper and was immersed in ~sensa.
tional crime which had occurred in Lon
don the night before, when my friend
gave an exclamation, sprang to his feet,
and laid his pipe down upon the mantel-
piece
rYes. said he, 'there is no better
way Of approaching il The situation
Is desperate, hut not hopeless. Even
now. i we could be sure which of them
has taken il, Il Is just possible that II
has not yet passed out of his hands.
After all. i IS a question OF money with
these fellows, and have the British
treasury behind me II MS on the mar
ket III buy it--if Il means another
penny on the income tax Il IS con-
ceiyable thai the fellow might hold it
back % see what bids come from this
side before he tries his luck on the
other. There are only those threeN cap
able Of playing so bold a game-they
are Oberlein, la Roihiere, and Eduardo
Lucas. 1 viii see each OF them
glanced at my merning paper.
Is that Eduardo Lucas Of Godolph:n
street,
YES
"You win not see him
why not 4"
He was murdered in his house lsst
night
My friend has so often astonished me
in the course OF our adventures that il
was with sense of exultation that j
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 be
rose from his chair.
MURDER IN WESTMINSTER.
A crime OF mysterious character was
committed inet night at 1e Godolphin
street. one OF the sld-fashioned and Sc
cluded rows OF eighteenth century
houses which lie between the river and
the Abbey, almost In the shadow Of the
great tower OF the Houses Of Parlia-
ment This small but select mansion has
been inhabited for some years by Mr.
Eduardo Lueae. wei known In society
circlen both on account OF his charming
personality and becauee he has the wen.
deserved reputation Of being one OF the
best amateur tenorB In the country. Mr.
Lucas was an unmarried man. thirty.
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