The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, May 28, 1905, Page 3

Lucas lies the solution of our problem, ugh I must admit that I have not an ng as to what form it may take. It capital mistzke to ‘theorize in ad- the fact Do you stay on It a vance of that day and the next and the mext Holmes was in & mood which his friends =moked ineces- his wviolin, d sandwiches answered r I put to him. me that things were him or his quest. ¢ the case, and learned quest, and the the subsequent reiease of the valet of the deceased. jury brought in the ob- murder,” but the parties e d as unknown as ever. No motive was suggested. The room was full of of value, but none had been The dead man’s papers had not tampered with. They were care- y examined, and showed that he was keen student of international politics, efatigable gossip, a remarkable lin- and an untiring letter writer. He been on Intimate terms with the 2d ding politiclans of several countries. ng sensational was discovered he documents which filled his As to his relations with women, i to have been promiscuous al. He had many acquaint- nong them, but few friends, and m he loved. His habits were inoffensive. His mystery, and rest of John Mitton, the t was a council of despalr as an ve to absolute inaction. But no d be sustained against him. He ends in Hammersmith that arted home at ch should have brought him to West- er before the time when the crime covered, but his own explanation had walked part of the way probable enough in view of the ss of the night. He had actually 12 o'clock and appeared to ed by the unexpected ad always been on good but he explained presents from the usekeeper was tton on the con he visited three m hs on end. but as left in charge of the Go- As to the house- heard nothing on- the If her master had d himsel? admitted him. \ornings the myste d follow it he was in close touch with elopment. Upon the fourth ppeared a long telegram ris which seemed to solv: the A discovery had just been made by e Parisian police,” said the Daily Tel- 'which raises the veil h nd the tra fate of Mr. E s death Oy vie- at Godolph-n 2 who has as M Henri Fournay=, a small villa in the Rue Aus- s reported to the authorities ts as being insanc. An showed indeced nia of a dangerous and On inquiry. the London on Tt last, a s evidence at Wi to connect her with minster. A compar- otographs proved conclu- y that M. Henri Fourdaye and Ed- rdo Lucas were really one and the person, and that the deceased for some reason lived a doubls life London and Paris. Mme. Fournaye, who is of Creole origin, is of an ex- tremely excitable nature and has suf- the past from attacks of jeal have amounted to freduy. sy wh It Is conjectured that it was in one of these that she committed the tqrrible ecrime which has caused such & sensa- tion in London. Her movements upon e Monday night have not yet been aced, but it is undoubted that a wo- an answering to her description wt- tracted much attention at Charing sz Station on Tuesday morn'ng hy wildness of her appearance and the It 1s proba- therefore, that the crime was either 2itted when insane or that im- e effect was to drive the u out of her mind. At present is unable to give any colberent ac- t of thc past, and the doctors hold no hopes of the re-establishment 1eason There is evidence that n, who might have was seen for som3 nigh atching the house the viclence of her gestures. ble n street. What do you think of that, Hcimes?” I had read the accourt aloud to him, while he finished his breakfast > dear Watson,” said he, as he r and pared up and down the ou are most long ring, but if T have toid you noth- r the last three days, it Is because nothing to tell. Even uow report from Parls does not help ach.” urely it is final as s death.” he man’s death is a mere incident —a trivial episode—In comparison with our real task, w trace this document snd save a European catas- trophe. Only one important thing has happened in the last three days, and that is that nothing has happened. 1 get reports almost hourly from the Government, and it is certain that no- where ia Europe is there any sign’ of trouble. Now if this letter were loose —ne, it can’t be loose—but if it isn’t loose, where can it be? Who has it? Why is it held back? That's the ques- tion that beats in my brain like a hammer. Was it, indeed, a coinci- dence that Lucas should meet his death on tbe night when the letter disap- peared? Did the letter ever reach him? It so, why is it not among his papers? Did this mad wife of his carry it oft with her? If so, is it in her house in Paris? How could I search for it with- regards the B T B A NS R b Pl o LA I A G S g . N =t Cras) \/ N\ out the French police having thelr sus- picions aroused? It is a case, my. dear Watson, where the law is as daagerous to us as the criminals are. Eve man's hand is against us, and yet the inter- ests at stake are colossal. Should I bring it to a successful cpnelusion, it will certainly represent thé erowning glory of my career. Ah, hére is my latest from the front!” He glanced hurriedly at the note which had been handed in. *“Halloa! Lestrade seems to have observed something of interest. Put on your hat, Watson, and we will stroll down together to Westminster.” It was my first visit to the scene of the crime—a high, dingy, narrow- chested house, prim. formal and solid, like the century which gave it birth. Lestrade’s bull-dog features gazed out at us from the front window and he greeted us warmly when a big consta- ble had opened the door and let us in. The room into which we were shown was that in which the crime had been committed, but no trace of it now re- mained, save an ugly, irregular stain upon the carpet. This carpet was a small square drugget in the center of the room, surrounded by a broad ex- panse of beautiful, old-fashioned wood flooring in square blocks highly polished. Over the fireplace was & magnificent trophy of weapons, one of which had been used on that tragic night. In the window was a sumptu- bus writing-desk, and every detail of the apartment, the pictures, the rugs and the hangings all poimted to a taste which was luxurious to the verge of effeminacy. e “Seen the Paris news?” strade. Holmes nodded. “Our French friends seem to touched the spot this time. No doubt it's just as they say. BShe knocked 'at the door—surprise visit, I guess, for he kept his life in water-tight compart- ments—he let her in, couldn’t keep her in the street. She told him how she had traced him, reproached him, ome thing led to another, and ' then with that dagger handy the end soon cume. It wasn't all done in an instant, though, for these chairs were all swept over yonder, and he had one in his hand as if he had tried to hold her off with it. We've got it all clear as if we had seen {t.” Holmes raised his eyebrows. “And yet you sent for me?” “Ah, yes, that's another matter—a mere trifle, but the sort of thing you take an Interest In—queer, you know, and what you might call freakish. It has nothing to do with the main fact— can’'t have, on the face of it.” What is it, then?” asked Le- have “Well, you know, after a crime of this sort we are very careful to keep. things In their position. Nothing has been moved. Of- ficer in charge here day and night. This morning, as the man was buried and the investigation over—so far as this room is concerned—we thought we could tidy up a bit. This carpet. You see, it is not fastened down, only just laid there. We had occasion to raise it. We found- 34 “Yes? You found Holmes’ face grew tense with anx- fety. “Well, I'm sure you would never guess in a hundred years what we did find. You see that stain on the carpet? Well, a great deal must have soaked through, must it not?” “Undoubtedly it must.? “Well, you will be surprised to hear that there is no stain on the whit: woodwork to correspond.” “No stain! But there must fes, so you would say. fact remains that there isn’t.” He took the corner of the carpet In his hand and, turning it ever, he show- ed that it was jndeed as he sald. “But the underside is as stained as the upper. It must have left a mark.” Lestrade chuckled with delight st having puzzled the famous expert. “Now, I'll show you the explanatior. There is a second stain, but it does nct correspond with the other. See fcr yourself.” . As he spoke he turned over another portion of the carpet and thers, sure enough, was a great crimson spill upon the square white facing of the old-fashioned floor. “What do you make of that, Mr. Holmes?"” “Why, it is simple enough. The two But the _THE SAN FRANCISCO SUNDAY CALL. Ty TR e TS5 stains did . correspond, but the carpet has been turned round. As it was square and unfastened It was easily done.” “The official police don’t need you. Mr. Holmes, to tell them that the car- pet must have been turned round. That's clear enough, for the stains lie above each other—if you lay it over this way. But what I want to know s, who shifted '.*‘c:m(. and why?”’ I could see m Holmes' rigid face that he was vibrating with inward ex- citement. “Look here, Lestrade,” said he, “has that constable in the passage been in charge of the place all the time?” “Yes, he has” “Well, take my advice. Examine him carefully. Don’t do it before us. We'll wait here. You take him into the back room. You'll be more likely to get a confession out of him alone. Ask him how he dared to admit people and leave them alone in this room. Den't ask him if he has done f{t. Take it for granted. Teil him you know some one has been here. Press him. Tell him that a full confession is his only chance of forgiveness. Do exactly what I tell you! “By George, 1f he knows I'll have it out of him!” cried Lestrade. He darted into the hall and e few moments later his bullying voice sounded from the back room. “Now, Watson, now!” cried Holmes, with frenzled eagerness. All the de- montacal force of the man masked be- hind-thaf listless manner burst out in a paroxysm of emergy. He tore tho drugget from the floor and in an in- stant was down on his hands and knees clawing at each of the squares of wood beneath it. One turned sideways as he dug his nails into the edge of it. It hinged back like the 1id of a box. A small black cavity opened beneath It. Holmes plunged his eager hand into it. and dfew it out with a bitter snarl of anger and disappointment. It was empty. “Quick, Watson, quick! Get it back again!” The wooden lid was replaced, and the drugget had only just been drawn straight when Lestrade’s voice was heard in the passage. He found Holmes lean- ing languidly against the mantelpiece, re- signed and patient, endeavoring to con- ceal his irrepressible yawns. “Sorry to keep you walting, Mr. Holmes. I can see that you are bored to death with the whole affair. Well, he has confessed, all right. Come in here, MacPherson. Let these gentlemen hear of your most inexcusable conduct.” The big constable very hot and peni- tent, sidled into the room. “I meant no harm, sir, I'm sure. The young woman came to.the door last even- ing—mistook the house, she did. And then we got talking. It's lonesome, when you're on duty here all day.” “Well, what happened then?" “She wanted to see where the crime was done—had read about it in the papers, she sald. She was a very re- spectable, well-spoken - young woman, sir, and I saw no harm in letting her have a peep. When she saw that mark on the carpet, down she dropped on the fioor, and lay as if she were dead. I ran to the back and got some water, but I could not bring her to. Then I went round the cormer to the Ivy Plant for Yome brandy, and by the time I had trought it back the young woman had 1ecovered and was off—ashamed of her- delf, I daresay, and dared not face me.” “How about moving. that drugget?” ““Well, sir, it was a bit rumpled, cer- tainly, when I came back. You see, she fell on it and it lles on a polisfed floor with nothing to -keep ft in place. I straigntened it out afterward.” “It's a lesson to you that you can't de- ceive me, Constable MacPherson,” said Lestrade with dignity. “No doubt you thought that your breach of duty could never be discovered,- and yet a mere glance at that drugget was enough to convince me that some one had been ad- mitted to the room. It's lucky for you, my man, that nothing is missing, or you would find yourself in Queer street. I'm sorry to have called you down over such a petty business, Mr. Holmes, but I thought the point of the second stain not corresponding with the first would interest you.” , “Certainly, it was most interesting. Has this ‘woman only been here once, con- stable?” Fables for——— RS. W. H. PARVENU wanted to get into soclety and wanted it bad. We don’t mean that the soeiety was bad, although we should be forced to think so if we believed all that we read in the reports of the divorce courts or the accounts of the performances in the Newport menagerie. Nothing is ever s0 bad as it is painted, and any reason- able man will admit at once that so- clety would not be half so bad as it is i? some of the people In it were not painted so much. As it is it is neces-~ sary to do a good deal of varnishing to cover the paint. i But to return to Mrs. Parvenu. She began life as plain Mary Jane Brown of Scadds Corners. Her father spent most of his time raising corn and chil- dren, and Mary Jane was the fifth in order from either end—of children not of corn. Her education was derived by a slow and painful process at the little red schoolhouse on the hill where all of our great men began. Her staple literary pabulum was the pross poems of the Duchess and the stirring dramas thrown together by Bertha M. Clay, and her chief diversion was being taken to the annual school exhibition or the Sunday school feast by a young farmer who owned his own horse and buggy. When she had to ride in the family lumber wagon she regarded herself for the time being as a social pariah. The atmosphere in which Mary Jane spent her early youth was not cal- culated to develop those - graces of body and mind which are regarded as most conducive to the illumination’ of high society, but she had a'hunch that she was to be called upon a litve illuminating later on in game. When she had attained ture age of twenty she all € to be enticed into matrimony by a young man who was possessed of a fell determination to go West and grow up with the country. Her par- 2 £ “Who was she? o “Dén’t know the name, sir. Was an- swering an advertisement about type- Writing and came to- the wrong number —inry-nlunnt, .genteel young woman, sir.” 3 all? e “‘Yes, sir, she was an well-grown young ‘woman. - T"suppose vou might say she was handsome. - Perhaps some one would say she was very handsome. ‘Oh, officer, do let me have a peep! says she. She had pretty, coaxing ways, as you might say, and I thought there was no harm in :;ttins her just put her head through the loor.” :How was she dressed?” ‘Quiet, sir—a long mantle down to her feet.” “What time was 1t?" - “It was just growing dusk at the time. They were lighting the lamps as I came’ back with the brandy.” “‘Very good,” said Holmes. *“Come, ‘Watson, I think that we have more im- portant work elsewhere.” As we left'the house Lestrade remained iu the front room, while the repentant constable opened the door to let us-out. Holmes turned on the step and help up something in his hand. The constable stared {fitently” “Good Lord, sir!” he cried, with amaze- ment on his face. Holmes put his finger on his lips, replaced his hand in- his breast pocket, and burst out laughing as We turned down tae street. “Excellent!” sald he. “Come, friend Watson, the cur- tain rings up for the last act. You 'will be relieved to hear that there will be no war, and the Right Honorable Tre- lawney Hope will suffer no setback in his t career, that the indiscreet sovereign will receive no punishment for his indiscretion, that the Prime Minister will have no European complication to Geal with, and that with a little tact and management upon our part nobody will be a penny the worse for what might have been a very ugly incident.” My mind filled with admiration for this extraordinary man. “You have solved, it T eried. “Hardly that, Watson. There are some points which are as dark as ever. But we have so much that it will be our own fault if we cannot get the rest. We will go stralght to Whitehall Terrace and bring the matter to a head.” ‘When we arrived at the residence of the European secretary it was for Lady Hilda Trelawney Hope that Sherlock Holmes inquired. We were shown into the morning-room. *‘Mr. Holmes!” said the lady, and her face was pink with her indignation, “this is surely most unfair ana ungenerous upon vour part. I desired, as I have ex- piained, to keep my visit to you a secret, lest my husband should thinx that I was intruding into his affairs. And yet you compromise me by coming- here and so showing that there are business rela- tions between us.” “Unfortunately, madam, I had no pos- sible alternative. I have peen commis- sioned to recover this immensely import- ant paper. I must therefore ask you, madam, to be kind enough to place it in my hands.” . The lady sprang to her feet, with the color all dashed in an instant from her bLeautiful face. Her eyes glazed—she tot- tered—I thought that she would faint. Then with a grand effort she rallled from the shock, and a supreme astonishment and Indignaton chased every other ex- pression from her features. “You—you insult me, Mr. Holmes.” “Come, come, madam, it is uselss. Give- up .the letter. She darted to the bell. . “The butler shall show you out."” “Do mot ring, Lady Hilda. If you de, them all my earnest efforts to avoid a scapdal will be frustrated. Give up the lettérand all will be set right. If you will work with me I can arrange everything. It you work against me I must expose your She stood grandly defiant, a queenly figure, her eyes fixed upon his as if she would read his very soul. Her hand was on the bell, but she had forborne to ring it. “You are trying to frighten me. It is not a very manly thing, Mr. Holmes, to come here and browbeat a woman. You say that you know something. What is 1t that you know?". “Pray sit down, madam. You will hurt yourself there if you fall. I will not BacKing Vs. & — Butting In the F oolish BY NICHOLAS NEMO ents and many admiring friends kindly informed her that she was ruining her life, but Mary Jane had a long head and was of the opinion that she knew what she was about. i Events proved the wisdom of her choice. She and her husband had not been pervading the free air of the ‘West many years before he picked up a silver mine lying around loose with- out visible means' of support. and be- gan to turn out precious metal faster than the stamp mills could *ake care of it. At the end of five years he sold out his property to an English syndi- cate at only two hundred per cent more than it was worth and went East to live on the interest of his hard- earned capital. Mrs. Parvenu had bright dreams all to herself of the way she would be re~ celved when she began to light up the dark corners of Fifth avenue with her hand painted brougham. She scarcely expected that any of the Astors would be at the station to meet her, but she thought that she ' ought to hurry around to her newly erected mansion on the corner so that she could have a fire bullt and theyfurniture dusted before the members of the smart 'set began to arrive. So she directed the cabman to drive fast so that she could be ready. There were no carriages walting at the curb when she drove up, and they didn’t arrive In any such numbers the next day or any of the following days as to obstruct the ordinary traffic or to necessitate the calling out of the police reserves. Even when she sent cards the response was not so warm . as to arouse any marked enthusiasm in her breast, and when she tried to- call on the leaders of New York so- ciety they always happened to be out. - _of the most serious of the evils which male persuasion spend away from home—especially when some one is try- ing to make them a visit. At first Mrs. Parvenu thought that it was because they didn’t know how much money she had. This notion last- ed until she discovered that Miss Blue- blood, who lived on ome of the side streets, and was.the most popular girl in the set that Mrs. Parveau was try- ing to percolate into, didn’t have a large enough income to dven take a cab, and supported hersel' by giving lessons in painting on china. Then Mrs. Parvenu came to the con- clusion that it was rank sectional prejudice that t her out of the so- ‘elety columns. she or her husband had had the good sense to have been east of the Alleghanies all would have been well. . People who live along the storied Hudson or on the banks of the blundering Bronx belleve firmly that the country west of the Mississippi is still inhabited principally by Indians and prairie dogs, ‘and that the white settlers subsist principally on corn bread and bacon. That, said Mrs. Par- venu was the reason why she had not received the glad hand from the elite ‘was that it didn’t seem fo apply to her ‘husband, at least so far as the men 0. N , J speak until you sit down. Thank you."” “T give you five minutes, ‘Mr. Holmes.” “One is enough, Lady Hilda. I Know of your visit to Eduardo Luecas, of your giving him this document, of your in- genious return to the room last night, and of the manner in which you ‘took she letter from the hiding place under the carpet.” She stared at him with an ashen face and gulped twice before she could speak. “Yoy are mad, Mr Holmes—you are mad!” she cried, at last. He drew a small piece 6f cardboard from his pocket. It was the face of a it might be useful,” said he. “The police- man has recognized it.” She gave a gasp and her head dropped back fn the chair. “Come, Lady HIlda. You have the detter. The matter may still be adjusted. I have no desire to bring trouble to you. My duty ends when I have returned the lost letter to your husband. Take my advice and be frank with me. It is your only chance.” ~ Her “I tall you again, Mr. Holmes, that are under some absurd {llusion.” olmes rose from his chair. “I am sorry for you, Lady Hilda. I have done my best for you. I can ses that it is all in vain.” He rang the bgll. The butler entered. “Is Mr. Trelawnsy Hope at home?” “He will be home, sir, at a quarter to one.” - Holmes glanced at his watch. “Still a quarter of an hour,” sald he. “Very good, I shall wait.” ‘The butler had hardly closed the door behind him when Lady Hilda was down on her knees at Holmes’ feet, her hands outétretched, her beautiful face upturned and wet with tears. ““Oh, spare me, Mr. Holmes! Spare me!” she pleaded, in a frenzy of supplication. “For heaven's sake, don’t tell him! I love him so! I would not bring one shadow on his life, and this I know would break his noble heart.” Holmes raised the lady. *T am thank- ful, madam, that you have some senses even at this last moment. There is not an instant to lose. Where is the letter?” She darted across to a writing desk, un- locked it, and drew out a long blue. envelope. “Here it is, Mr. Holmes. Would to heaven I had never seen it!" “How can we return {t?" Holmes mut- tered. “Quick, quick, we must think of some way! Where is the dispatch-box?” “Still in his bedroom.” . “What a stroke of luck! Quick, bring it here!” A moment later she had appeared with a red flat bow In her hand. “How did you open it before? You have a duplicate key? Yes, of course you have. Open it!" From ouf of her bosom Lady Hilda had drawn a small key. The box flew open. It. was stuffed with. papers. Holmes thrust the blue envelope deep into the heart of them, between the leaves of some other document. The box was shut, locked, and returned to the bedroom. “Now We are ready for him,” sald Holmes. *“We have still ten minutes. I am golng far to screen you, Lady Hilda. In return you will spend the time in tell- ing me frankly the real meaning of this extraordinary affafr.” “Mr. Holmes, I will tell you every- thing,” cried the lady. “Oh, Mr. Holmes, I would cut off my right hand before I gave him a moment of sorrow! Jhere- is no woman in all London who loves her husband as I do, and-yet if he knew how I have acted —how I have been compelled to act— he” would never forgive me. For his own honor stands so high that he could not forgive or pardon a lapse in an- other. Help me, Mr. Holmes! My hap- piness, his happiness, our very lives are at stake!” % ck, madam, the time grows short!” N “It was 'a letter of mine, Mr. Holmes, an indiscreet letter written before my marriage—a foolish letter, a letter of an impulsive, loving girl. I meant no harm, and yet he would have thought it erimimal. Had he read that letter his confidence would have been forever de- stroyed. It is years since I wrote it. I had thought that the whols matter was forgotten. Then at last I heard from her out, where ‘was she? And if so, why? These were the questions which vexed her agonized soul. She thought long and anxlously, and finally gave it up in despalir. It was too much for her and In her dire extremity she confided to her husband that she didn’t think those people were so much, anyway. They thought that they were the whole show, but she could show them that there were one or two exhibits outside the big canvas that were worth seeing. Then she settled down to a life of good works. She.attended all the char- ity euchres-and contributed largely to the Soclety for the Prevention of Indus- was that they paid the highest prices in the market . for ,physicians and, nurses and never condescended to make :ny_ reports of receipts or expendi- ures. It wasn’t long before Mrs. Parvenu S A S o) SAZINELNZL DY BN | % R8I 2 R/ this man, Lucas, that it had passed into his hands and that he would lay it be- fore my husband. 1 implored his mercy. He said that he would return my letter it I would bring him a cer- tain document which he described In my husband’s dispatch box. He had some spy in the office who had told him of its existence. He assured me that no harm could come to my husband. Put yourself in my position, Mr. Holmes! What was I to do?” “Take your husband into your con- fidence.” N\ “I could not, Mr. Holmes, I could not! On the one side scemed certain ruin, on the other, terrible as it seemed to take my husband’s paper, still in a matter of pelitics I could not understand the consequences, while in a matter of love and trust t.ey were only too clear to me. I aid it, Mr. Holmes! I took an im- pression of the key. This man, Lucas, furnished a duplicate. I opened his dispatch box, took the paper, and con- veyed It to Godolphin street.” “What happened there, "I tapped at the door as agreed. Lucas opened it. I followed him into his room, leaving the hall door ajar behind me, for I feared to be alone with the man. I remember that there Wwas a woman outside as I entered. OQur business was soon done. He bhad my letter on his desk, I handed him the document. He gave me the letter. At this instant there was a sound at the door. There were steps in the pagsage. Lucas quickly turned back the drugget. thrust the document into some hiding place there and covered it over. What happened after that is Ilke Some fearful dream. I have a vision of a dark, frantic face, of a woman's voice, which screamed in French, ‘My ‘walting is not in vain. At last, at last I have found you with her!" There was a savage struggle I saw him with a chair {n his hand, a knife gleamed In hers. I rushed from the horrible scene, ran from the house, and emly next morning in the paper di learn the dreadful result. That 1 was happy, for I had my letter, and I had not seen yet what the future would Sring. “It was the next morning that I real- 1zed that I had only exchanged one trouble for another. My husband's anguish at the loss of his paper went to my heart. I could hardly prevent myself from then and there kneeling down at his feet and telling him what I had done. But that again would mean a confession of the past. I came to you that morning in order to understand the full enormity of my of- fense. From the instant that I grasped it my whole mind was turned to the one thought of getting back my hus- band's paper. It must still be whers Lucas had placed it, for it was con- cealed before this dreadful woman en- tered the room. If it had not been for her coming I should not have known ‘where his hiding place was. How was I to get into the room? For two days I watched the place, but the door was never left open. Last night I made a last attempt. What I did and how I \ succeeded, you have already learned. I brought the paper back with me and thought of destroying it, since I could Bee no way of returning i\without con- fessing my gufit to my busband. Heav- ens, I hear his step upon the stair!™ The European secretary burst excitedly into the room. “Any news, Mr. Holmes, L i any news “I have some h “‘Ah, thank heaven!" His face became radiant, “The Prime MInister is lunching with me. May he share your hopes? He has nerves of steel, and yet I know that he has hardly slept since this terrible event. Jacobs, will you ask the Prime Minister to come up? As to you, dear, I fear that this Is a matter of politics. We will join you in & few minutes in the dining-room."” The Prime "Minister’s manner was sub- dued, but I could see by the gleam of his eyes and the twicchings of his bony hands that he shared the excitement oy his young colleague. “I understand that you have something to report, Mr. Holmes.” “Purely negative as yet,” my friend answered. “I have inquired at every point where it might de, and I am sure that there is no danger to be appre- hended.”” “But that is not enough, Mr. Holmes. 'We cannot live forever on such a vol- 0. We must have something definits.” “I am In hopes of getting it. That Is 'why I am here. The more I think of the matter the more convinced I am that the letter has never left this house.” “Mr. Holmes!" “If it had it would certainly have beea ublic by now.” “But why should any one house " I take It In or- . “Then how could it leave the dispatch box?" . “I Am not convinced that It ever did leave the dispatch box.” “It was on the top.” “Some one may bave shaken the box and displaced 1t.” “No, no, I had out. “Surely it is easily decided, Hope,™ said the Premier. “Let us have the dispatch box brought in.”