TITR OMAITA' ILLUSTRATED BEE.
My 7. is.
ROOT
1 ROOT.
mb3SISQ35sb
V' ,-i-mr-li-n,nMriir--Ti iiM-iwmii mgwiu.iiLi ii i
ESSENR
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wL ROOT j
if rfCHERRY
. W BARK.
observed, Watson, how she maneuvered to Parisian police," said the Dally Telegraph, constable had opened the door and lot us In.
have the light at her back. She did not "which raises the veil which hung round The room Into which we were shown was
wish us to read her expression." the traglo fate of Mr. Eduardo Lucas, who that In which the crime had been com-
"Yes, she chose the one chair In the met his death by violence last Monday mltted, but no trace of it now remained,
room." night at Qodolphln street, Westminster, save an ugly. Irregular . stain upon the
."And yet the motives of women are so Our readers will remember that the de- carpet. This carpet was a small square
Inscrutable. You remember the woman at ceased gentleman was found stabbed In drugget In the center of the room, ur
Margate whom I auspectqd for the same his room, and that some suspicion attaohed rounded by a broad expanse of beautiful,
reason. No powder on her nose that to his valet, but that the case broke down old-fashioned wood-flooring In square
proved to be the correct solution. How on an alibi. Yesterday a woman, who has blocks highly polished. Over the fireplace
can you build on such a quicksand? Their been known as Mme. Henry Fournaye, oc- was a magnificent trophy of weapons, one
most trivial action may mean volumes, or cupying a small villa In the Rue Austerllti, of which had been used on that traglo
their most extraordinary conduct may de- was reported to the authorities by her night. In the window was a sumptuous
pend upon a hairpin or a curling tongs, servants as being Insane. An examination writing-desk, and every detail of the apart
Good morning, Watson." showed she had Indeed developed mania ment, the picture, the rugs, and the hang
"You are or?" of dangerous and permanent form. On tngs, all pointed to a taste which was
"Yes, I will while away the morning at inquiry, the police have discovered that luxurious to the verge of effeminacy.
Qodolphln street with our friends of the Mme. Henry Fournaye only returned from "Seen the Paris news?" asked Lestrade.
regular establishment. With Eduardo a Journey to London on Tuesday last, and Holmes nodded.
Luces Ilea the solution of our problem, there is evidence to connect her with the "Out French friends seem to have
though I must admit that I have not aa crime at Westminster. A comparison of touched the spot this time. No doubt It's
Inkling as to what form It may take. It Is photographs has proved conclusively that jugt as they say. She knooked at the door
a capital mistake to theorize in advance Of M. Henry Fournaye and Eduardo Lucas aUrpiise visit, I guess, for he kept his life
the facts. Do you stay on guard, my good were really one and the same person, and n water-tight compartments he let her In,
Watson, and receive any fresh visitors, that the deceased had for some reason lfred couldn't keep her In the street. She told
I'll Join you at lunch if I am able." double life In London and Paris. Mme. j,lm how she had traced him, reproaohed
-All that day and the next and the next Fournaye, who is of Creole origin, Is of an nmi one thing lod to another, and then
Holmes was In a mood which his friends extremely excitable nature,, and has sut- Wuh that dagger so handy the. end soon
would call taciturn, and others morose, fered in the past from attacks of jealous came. It wasn't all done In an Instant,
He ran out and ran In, smoked incessantly, which have amounted to frensy. It Is con- though, for these chairs were all swept
played snatches on his violin, sank Into lectured that it was In one of these that over yonder, and he had one In his hand
reveries, devoured sandwiches at Irregular she committed the terrible crime which has as j( he hnd tried to hold her off with it.
hours, and hardly answered the casual caused such a sensation In London. Her we've got It all clear as If we had seen it."
question which I put to him. It was movements upon the Monday night have Holmes raised his-eyebrows,
evident to me that things were not going not yet been iraoed, but It Is undoubted xnd yet you have sent for me?"
well with him or his queBt. He would say that a woman answering to her description ,Ah yeB that's another matter a mere
nothing of the case, and It was from the attracted much attention at Charing Cross trine, but the sort of thing you take an
papers that I learned the particulars of Btatlon on Tuesday morning by the wild- interest In queer, you know and what you
tha Inquest, and the arrest with the sub- ness of her appearance and the violence miBht call freakish. It has nothing to do
sequent release of John Mltton, the valet of her gesture. It Is probable, therefore, wlth tha main fact-Uaa't have, on the face
Of the deceased. The coroner's Jury that the crime was either committed when ot lt '
brought In the obvious "Wilful Murder," Insane, or that Its lmrredlato effect was 'what la lt then?"
' but the parties remained as unknown a to drive the unhappy woman out of her "Well, you 'know, after a crime of this
ever. No motive was suggested. The room mind. At present she is unable to give Bort W4' are very oafjfuj to keep things In
was full of articles of value.' but none had any coherent account of the past, and the thelr po,ltlon. Nothing has been moved. Of-
been taken. The dead man's papers had doctors hold out no hopes of tho re-estat- ner ,n ohargs her day and nlyht Thl
not been tampered with. They were care- lishment of her reason. There Is evidence m0rnlng. as the man was burled and the
fully examined, and showed that he was that a woman, who might have been Mme. ,nveBtigation OVer-so far as this room Is
keen atudent of International polltlca. and Fournaye, was seen for some hours upon thought we could tidy up a
MIU...UHBU.. guuip, m ramaraaoie unguisi, monuajr nigm wbivuui iuf nvumo m uuu- bu jjj,, crpet-you see it Is not fastened
and an untiring letter writer. He had been olphln street." . do lu8t lald ther. Wa had ooc
"What do you think Of that. Holmes?" tQ ralge ,c We found..
qn Intimate terms with the leading politi
cians of several countries. But nothing
X had read the account aloud to him.
sensational was discovered among the while be finished his breakfast.
documents which filled his drawers. As
"Yea? You found"
Holmes' face grew tense With anxiety.
"Well, I'm sure you would never guess
"My dear Watson," said he, aa he rose
to his relations with women, they appeared from the table and paced up and down . , ...,'.. ... . ..
to have been promiscuous but superficial, the room, "you are most long suffering, oart)etT w. . ',,
Ho Kid many acquaintance, among them, but If I have told you nothing in the last " on 2?" '
but few friends, and no one whom he loved, three days, lt Is because there Is nothing
Mis habits were regular, bis conduct in- to tell. Even now this report from Paris
offensive. His death was an -absolute dos not help us much."
"Surely It Is final aa regards tho man's
mystery, and likely to remain so.
' At to tha arrest of John Mltton. the death,"
valet. It was a council of despair as an
alternative to absolute Inaction. But no trlval episode in comparison with our real
case could be sustained against him. He which Is to trace this document and
had visited friends In Hammersmith that ttV European catastrophe. Only one lra-
ftlght The alibi was complete. It Is true portant thing has happened In the hut
deal must have soaked through, must lt
not?" 1
"Undoubtedly lt must."
"Well, you will be surprised to hear
that there Is no stain on tho white wood-
The man's death la a mere Incident- k t0 correspond." "
eto lain i jaui men mum
"Yes. so you would say. But the fact re-,
mains that there Isn't."
He took the corner of the carpet In his
that he started home at an hour whlcb three days, and that la that nothing has n nf turning It over, he showed that
should have brought him to Westmlnstar happened. I get reports almost hourly
before the time when the crime was fron the government, and It Is certain that
discovered.
that be had
it was, Indeed, aa he said
"But the underside Is aa stained as the
but his own explanation nowhere in Europe Is there any sign of PVer. It must have left a mark."
walked tun af th. trouble. Now. if this letter were loose- Lestrade chuckled with delight at having
seems probable enough in view of the tine- no. " can t be loose-but If it Isn't loose, P"led the famous expert,
ness of the night. He had actually arrived where can lt be? Who has It? Why la lt "Now, 111 show you the explanaUon.
at lt o'clock, and appeared to be over- beld back? That's the question that Thero Is a second stain, but It doee not
whelmed by the unexpected tragedy. He beats In my brain like a hammer. Was correspond with the other. Bee for your-
had alwaya been on good terms with his It. indeed, a coincidence that Luca should A" ha Doke h over another
master. Several of the dead man's pos- meet his death on the night when the letter portion of the carpot, and there, sure
sessions notably a small case of rasors disappeared? Did the letter ever reach enough, was a great crimson spill upon the
had been found In the valet's boxes, but Mm If so, why Is it not among hla aquaro white facing of the old-fashioned
he explained that they had been presents papers? Did this mad wife ot his carry it fioor- "What do you make of that. Mr.
from the deceased, and the housekeeper tT with ber? If so. Is it In her house In Holmes?"
Was able to corroborate the story. Mltton Purls? How could I search for It without "Why, It is simple enough. The two
had been In Lucas' employment for three the French police having their suspicions alns did correspond, but the carpet has
years. It was : noticeable that Lucas did aroused? It Is a case, my dear Watson, been turned round. Aa lt was square and
- not take Mltton on the continent with him. where the law Is a dangerous to us as the unfastened it was easily done."
dometlnoes he visited Paris for three criminals are. Every man's hand Is against "The official police don't need you, Mr.
months on end, but Mltton was left In us n(1 yet the interests at stake at Holmes, to tell them that the carpet must
charge of the Oodolphln street house. As colossal. Should I bring it to a successful have been turned round. That's ole&r
c the housekeeper, she had heard nothing conclusion, lt will certainly represent the enough, for the stains He above each other
m the night of the crime. If her master crowning glory of my career. Ah, here Is If you lay It over this way. But what
had a visitor he had himself admitted him. "? latest from the front!" He glanced I want to know la, who shifted the carpet,
' Ho for three mornings the myetsry re hurriedly at the note which had been and why?"
malned, so far as I could follow it in the handed In. Halloa! Leatrade seems to I could see from Holmes' rigid face that
papers. If Holmes knew more, he kept "BV observed something of Interest. Put ha was vibrating with Inward excitement
his own counsel, but, as he told me that on Vur bat- Watson, and we will stroll "Look here, Lestrade," aaid be, "has that
Inspector Lestrade had taken hlrn Into his dow together to Westminister." constable la the passage been In charge
donfldence in the case, I knew that he was It was my first visit to the scene of the of the place all the timer
In close touch with every development, crime a high, dingy, narrow-chested house, "Yes, be has."
. upon the fourth day there appeared a long prim, formal and solid, like the century 'Well, take my advioa. Examine him
telegram from Parts which seemed to solve which gave it birth. Lestrade's bulldog fia- carefully. Don't do It before us. We'll
the whole question. . turea gased out at us from the front wlrv wait here. You take him Into the back
"A discovery has just been made by the dow, and he greeted us warmly when a big room. You'll be more likely to get a con
fession out of him alone. Ask him how he
dared to admit people and leave them
alone in this room. Don't ask him If he
has done lt. Take lt for granted. Tell
him you 'know' someone haa been here.
Press him. Tell him that a full confession
Is his only chance of forgiveness. Do ex
actly what I tell you!"
"By George, If he knows I'll have It out
Of him!" cried .Lestrade. He darted Into
the hall, and a few moments later his
bullying voice sounded from the back room.
"Now, Watson, n,ow!" cried Holmes with
frenxied eagerness. All the demoniacal
force of the man masked behind that list
less manner burst ' out In a paroxysm of
energy. He tore the drugget from tha
floor, and in an Instant 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 lid ot
a box. A small black cavity opened be
neath It. Holmes plunged his eager hand
into lt, and drew it out with a bitter snarl
ot anger and disappointment. It was
empty.
"Quick, Watson, quick! Get it back
again!" The wooden lid waa replaced and
the drugget had only just been drawn
straight when Lestrade's voice was heard
In the passage. He found Holmes leaning
languidly against the mantelpiece, resigned
and patient, endeavoring to conceal his Ir
repressible yawns.
' "Sorry r keep you waiting, 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 Inex
cusable conduct."
The big constable, very hot and penitent,
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, ehe 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 lt in the papers, she
said. She was a very respectable, 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 floor, and lay aa 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 comer to the Ivy plant
for some brandy, and by the time I had
brought lt back the young woman had re
covered and was off ashamed of herself, 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. Ynu see. ehe fell
on It and lt lies on a polished floor with
nothing to keep It in place. I straightened
it out afterward."
"It'a a lesson to you that you can't de
ceive me, Constable MacPhenion," sold
Lestrade, with dignity. "No doubt you
thought that your breach of duty could
never he discovered, and yet a mere glance
at that drugget was enough to convince me
that some tone had been admitted to the
room. It's lucky for you, my man, that
nothing la missing, or you would find your
self In Queer street. I'm sorry to have
called you down over such a petty business,
Mr. Holmes, tut 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
stabler' "Yes, sir, only once."
"Who was she?"
"Don't know the name, sir. Was answer
ing sn advertisement about typewriting,
and came to the wrong number very pleas
ant, genteel young woman, sir."
"Tall? Handsome?"
"Yes,' sir, she was a well grown young
woman. I suppose you might say she was
handsome. Perhaps some would say ehe
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 letting her
just put her head through the door."
"How was ehe dressed r
"Quiet, sir a long mantle down to her
feet." '
"What time was It?"
"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, Wat
son, I think that we have more Important
work elsewhere."
As we left the house Lestrade remained
In the front room, while the repentant con
stable opened the door to let us out. Holmes
turned on the step and held up something
in his hand. The constable stared Intently.
"Good Lord, sir!" he cried, with amaze
ment on his face. Holmes put his finger on
his Hps, replaced his hand In his breast
pocket, ahd burst out laughing as we turned
down the street. "Excellent!" Mid he.
"Come, friend Watson, the curtain lings up
for the last act You will be relieved to
hear that there will be no war, that the
Right Honourable Trelawney Hope will suf
fer no setback In his brilliant career, that
the lndlaoreet sovereign will receive no pun
ishment for his Indiscretion, that the prime
mlniBtor will have no European complica
tion to deal with, and that with a little tact
and management upon our part nobody
will be1 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!" I cried.
"Hardly that Watson. There are lome
points which are aa dark as ever. But we
have so much that it will be our own fault
If we oannot get the rest. Wei will go
straight to Whitehall Terrace and bring the
matter to a head."
When we arrive at the residnce of the
European secretary lt was for Lady Hilda
Trelawney Hope that Sherlock Holmes In
quired. We were shown Into the morning
room.
"Mr. Holmes!" eald the lady, and her face
was pink with her indignation, "this Is
surely most unfair and ungenerous upon
your part I desired, as I have explained,
to keep my visit to you a secret, lest my
husband should think that I was Intruding
Into his affairs. And yet you compromise
me by coming her and so showing that
there are business relatione between us."
"Unfortunately, madams, I had no pos
sible alternative. I have been commissioned
to recover this Immensely Important 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
beautiful face. Her eyes glased ehe tot
teredI thought that she would faint. Then
with a grand effort she rallied from tbe
shock, and a supremo astonishment and In
dignation Phased every other expression
from her features.
"You you Insult me, Mr. Holmes."
"Come, come, madam, It Is useless. Give
up the letter."
She darted to the bell.
"The butler shall show you out."
"Do not ring. Lady Hilda. If you do, then
all my earnest efforts to avoid a scandal
will be frustrated. Give up the tetter and
all will be set right. If you will work with
me I can arrange everything. If you work
against me I must expose you."
She stood grandly defiant, a queenly fig
ure, her eyes fixed upon his aa 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 lt that you
know?"
"Pray sit down, madam. You will hurt
yourself there if you fall. I will not speak
until you sit down. Thank you."
"I give you five minutes, Mr. Holmes.".
"One Is enough, I.ady Hilda. I know of
your visit to Eduardo Lucss, of your giv
ing him this document of your Ingenious
return to the room last night and of tbe
manner In which you took the letter from
the hiding place under the carpet."
Bhe ared at him with an ashen face and
gulped twice before she could speak.
"You are mad, Mr. Holmes you are
mad!" shs cried, at last
lie drew a small piece of cardboard from
his pocket It was the face of it woman cut
out of a portrait
"I kave carried this because I thought it
might be useful," said he. "The policeman
haa recognised lt"
She gave a gasp and her head dropped
back In the chair.
"Come, Lady Hilda. You have the letter.
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 courage was admirable. Even now
she would not own defeat
"I tell you again, Mr. Holmes, that you
are under some absurd Illusion."
Holmes rose from his chair.
"I am sorry for you, Lady Hilda. I have
done my beet for you. I can see that lt Is
all In vain."
He rang the bell. The butler entered.
"Is Mr. Trelawney Hope at home?"
"He will be home, sir, at a quarter te
one."
Holmes glanced at his watch.
"Still a quarter of an hour," said he.
"Very good, I shall wait."
The butler had hardly Closed the door be
hind him when Lady Hilda was down on
her knees at Holmes' feet, her hands out
stretched, her beautiful face upturned and
wet with her tears.
"Oh, spare me, Mr. Holmes! Spare me!"
ehe pleaded. In a frensy of supplication.
"For heaven's sake, don't tell hlml 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. "I am thankful,
madam, that you have come to your 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 lt and drew out a long blue en
velope. "Here it Is, Mr. Holmes. Would to heaven
I had never seen It!"
"How can we return lt?" Holmes mut
tered. "Quick, quick, we must think of
some wsy! Where is the dispatch box?"
"Still In his bedroom."
"What a stroke of luck! Quick, madam,
bring it here!"
A moment later she had appeared with a
red flat box In her hand.
"How did you open It before? You have a
duplicate key? Yes, of course you have.
Open It!"
From out 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 down 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," said
Holmes. "We have still ten minutes. I am
going far to screen you, Lady Hilda. In re
turn you will upend the time in telling me
frankly the real m..fcnlnj? of this extraordi
nary affair."
"Mr. Holmes. I will tell you everything,"
cried the lady. "Oh, Mr. Holmes, I would
cut off my right hand before I gave him a
moment of sorrow! There 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
honour standH so high that he could not
forget or pardon a lapso In anothor. Help
me, Mr. Holmes! My happiness, his happi
ness, our very lives ore at stake!"
"Quick, madam, the time grows short!"
"It was a letter of mine, Mr. Holmes, an
Indiscreet letter written before my mar
riage a foolish letter, a letter of an im
pulsive, loving girl. I meant no harm, and
yet he would have thought It criminal. Had
he read that letter his confidence would
have been forever deetroyed. It is years
since I wrote lt. I had thought that the
whole matter was forgotten. Then at last
I heard from this man, Lucas, that lt hnd
passed Into hla hands, and that he would
lay lt before my husband. I Implored his
meroy. He said that he would return my
letter If I would bring him a certain docu
ment 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 posi
tion, Mr. Holmes! What wa I to do?"
"Take your husband Into your confidence."
"I could not, Mr. Holmes, I could notl
On the one side seemed certain ruin, on
the other, terrible as lt seemed to take my
husband's paper, still In a matter of poll
tics I could not understand the conse
quences, while In a matter of love and trust
they were only too clear to me. I did It
Mr. Holmes. I took an Impression ot hit
key. This man, Lucas, furnished a du
plicate. I opened his dispatch box, took
the paper, and conveyed lt to Godolphla
street"
"What happened there, madam?"
"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
remembered that there was a woman out
side as I entered. Our business was soon
done. He had 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
passage. Lucas quickly turned back the
drugget, thrust the document Into some
hiding place there, and covered lt over.
"What happened after that Is like some
fearful dream. I have a vision ot a dark,
frantld face, ofa woman's voice, which
screamed In French, 'My waiting Is not in
vain. At lost at last I have found you
with her!' There was a savage struggle.
I saw him with a chair in his hand, a knife
gleamed In hers. I rushed from- the horri
ble scene, ran from the house, and only
next morning in the paper did I learn the
dreadful result. That night I was happy,
for I had my letter, and I had not seen yet
what the future would bring.
"It was the next morning that I realized
that I had only exchanged one trouble fur
another. My husband's anguish, at ths loss
of his paper Went to my heart. I could
hardly prevent myself from there end then
kneeling down at his feet and telling him
what 1 had done. But that again would
mean a confession of tha past. I came to
you that morning in order to understand
the full enormity of my offence. From the
Instant thut I grasped It my whole mind
woa turned to the one thought of getting
back my husband's paper. It must still
be where Lucas had placed It, for lt was
concealed 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. Lust night I made a- last
attempt. What I did and how I suc
ceeded, you have already learnud. I
brought the paper back with rno, and
thought of destroying It, since I could sue
no way of returning lt without confenBlng
my guilt to my husband. Heavens, I liiar
1)1 s step upon the stair!"
The European secretary burst excitedly
Into the room.
"Any news, Mr. Holmes, any news?" he
cried.
"I have some hopes."
"Ah, thunk 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 elui'e this terrible event.
Jacobs, will you auk the prime minister to
come up? As to you, dear, I fear that this
in a matter of politics. We will join yuu
in a few minutes lu the dining room."
The prime minister's manner was sub
dued, but I could see by the gleam of his
eyes and the twltchlngs of his bony hands
that he shared the excitement of his young
colleague.
"I understand that you have something
to report, Mr. Holmes?'
( "Purely negative as yet," my friend an
swered. "I have inquired at every point
where it might be, and I am sure that
there is no danger to be apprehended."
"Hut that Is not enough, Mr. Holme.
We cannot live forever on such a volcano.
We uiuhI have something definite."
"I am in hopes of getting It. That is
why I am here. The more I think ot the
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