The Washington times., 1922-07-23

Three or four pairs of false
whiskers hung on a whisker stand
beside him. He could completely
disguise himself at a seconds no.
tice. Half bucket Of cocaine and
a dipper stood on a chair at his
elbow. His face was absolutely
impenetrable. ....
A pile Of cryptograms lay on the
desk. The great detective hastily
tore them open one after another,
solved them, and threw them down
the cryptogram chute, at his side.
There was q knock at the door.
The great detective hastily wrap
ped himself In a pink domino. ad-
justed a pair of false black whisk-
ers. and cried:
''Come in"
His secretary entered.
'Har said the detective. eft II
your
He laid aside his disguise.
A sUPER-BAFFLER.
Sir" said the young man. in
intense excitement. ca mystery has
been committedw
"Har' said the great detective,
his eye kindling. "Is It such as to
battle completely the police Of the
entire continent7"
''They are 30 completely baffled
with IT," said the secretary. that
they are lying collapsed In heaps;
many Of them have committed sui
eide"
Good" said the great detective.
"Now wrap yourself in this dis
guise. put on those brown whisk-
ers, and tell me what II is"
The secretary wrapped himself in
a blue domino with lace insertion.
then. bending over. he whispered In
the ear Of the great detective.
"The Prince Of Wurttemberg has
been kidnapped"
The great detective bounded from
his chair as II he had been kicked
from below.
A prince stolenl Evidently q
Bourbon! A descendant Of one Of
the oldest families in Europe kid.
naped. Here was q mystery in
deed worthy Of his best efforts.
His mind began to move like
lightning.
"stop! he said. How do you
know this2"
B The secretary handed him a tele-
gram. 1t was from the prefect of
police Of Paris. 1t read:
The Prince OF wurttemberg
stolen. Probably forwarded to Lon
don. Must have him here for the
opening day of exhibition 5000
reward"
So! The prince had been kid
naped out of Paris at the very time
when his appearance at the inter
national exhibition would have
been a political event of the first
magnitude.
With the great detective to think
was to act. and to act was to think.
Frequently he could do both to-
gether.
Wire to Paris for I description
Of the Prince"
The secretary bowed and left.
WHOLE WORKS STIRRED.
At the same moment there was
slight scratching at the door. A
visitor entered. He crawled steal
thily on his hands and knees. A
hearthrug. thrown over his head
and shoulders, disguised his iden-
tity.
He crawled to the middle Of the
room. Then he rose.
Great heavens! 1t was the Prime
Minister Of England.
Your said the great detective.
Me-" said the Prime Minister.
You have come in regard to the
kidnapping Of the Prince Of Wurt-'
temburg7"
Yes" said the Prime Minister"
IT will use no concealment. am
interested. deeply interested. Find
the Prince Of wurttemberg. get
him safely back to Paris. and viii
add $2,50o to the reward already
offered. But listen." he added, i'm
pressively. as he left the room.
"see to 1t that no attempt IL made
to alter the marking Of the prince,
or to clip his tall"
So! To clip the princes tall
The brain of the great detective
reeled. Sol A gang of miscreants
had conspired to-but. no; the thing
was not possible.
There was another rap At the
door.
Then entered the Countess or
Dashleigh. She was all in furs.
She was the most beautiful wom-
an in England. She strode impe-
riousIy into the room. She seized
a chair imperiously and seated her
self upon It. imperial side upward.
She took off her tiara Of dia-
monds and put Il on the tiara