The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-04-06
PART THREE

PART THREE
Then for the first time the horror
of my situation came in it's full force.
Hitherto had been acting. and action
had number thought. | had been so
confident of regaining the treaty at
once that had not dared to think
Of what would be the consequence if l
failed to do So But now there was
nothing more to be done, and had
leisure to realize my position. 1t was
horrible. Watson there would tell you
that was nervous, sensitive boy at
school 1t was my nature. I thought
OF my uncle and his colleagues in the
Cabinet, of the shame which l had
brought upon him, upon myself, upon
every one connected with me. What
though I was the victim of an extraor-
binary accident? No allowance is
made for accidents where diplomatic
interests are at stake. I was ruined
shamefully, hopelessly ruined. / don't
now what did. l fancy I must have
made a scene. have a dim recollec-
ton Of group of officials who crowd
ed round me, endeavoring to soothe
NE. One OF them drove down with me
10 Waterloo, and saw ME into the
Working train. believe that he would
have come all the way had it not been
DR.. Ferrier, who lives near me was
going down by that very train. The
doctor most kindly took charge Of me,
and it was well he did so, for l had 4
fit in the station, and before We
reached home l was practically a raw.
ing maniac
You can imagine the state of things
here when they were aroused from.
their beds by the doctors ringing, and
found me in this condition. Poor An
ME here and my mother were broken
hearted. DR.. Terrier had just heard
enough from the detective at the sta
ton to be able to give an idea Of what
had happened, and his story did not
mend matters. 1t was evident to all
that I was in for a long illness, SO
Joseph was bundled out of his CHEEKY
bedroom, and it was turned into a sick
room for me. Here I have lain. Mr..
Holmes, for over nine weeks, uncon-
scious, and raving with brain-fever. II
it had not been for Miss Harrison here
and for the doctors care l should not
be speaking TO you now. She has
nursed me by day and hired nurse
has looked after me by night, for in
my mad fits I was capable of any
but it is only during the last three
days that my memory has quite re
turned. Sometimes I wish that it
never had. The first thing that | did
was to wire to Mr.. Forbes. who had
the case in hand. He came out, and
assures me that. though everything
has been done. TO trace of cue has
been discovered. The commission
nair and his wife have been examined
in every way without any light being
thrown upon the matter. The suS-
picions of the police then rested upon
young Gorot, who, as you may remem-
Der, stayed over time in the Office that
night. His remaining behind and his
French name were really the only two
points which could suggest suspicion
but, as a matter of fact, did not be.
gin work until he had gone, and his
people are of Huguenot extraction, but
as English in sympathy and tradition
as you and I are. Nothing was found
to implicate him in any way, and
there the matter dropped. I turn to
you. Mr.. Holmes, as absolutely my
last hope. If you fail me, then my
honor as well as my position are for
ever forfeited"
The invalid sank back upon his
cushions, tired out by this long reel
tai, while his nurse poured him out
a glass of some stimulating medicine
Holmes sat silently, with his head
/ thrown back and his eyes closed. in
an attitude which might seem listless
to a stranger. but which l knew be
tokened the most intense self-absorp
| ton
Your statment has been so ex
plicit," said he at last, that you have
really left me very few questions tc
ask. There is one of the very ut
most Importance. however. Did you
/ tell any one that you had this special
task to perform"
NO one"
| Not Miss Harrison here. for ex
ample?"
| No. I had not been back to Wok
| ing between getting the order and
executing the commission.
And none of your people had by
chance been to see you?"
/ None"
Did any Of them know their way
| about in the office"
oh. yes. all of them had been shown
, over it,"
! Still, of course, if you said nothing
to any one about the treaty these in
guides are irrelevant"
81 said nothing"