| Show i I The Adventure of the Second Stain I PART FOUR The story thus far Lord Bellinger the premier and the Right Honorable Trelawney Hope secretary secretary secretary sec sec- for European affairs visit Holmes in great grell distress to tell him that a a. valuable valuable val val- paper disappeared the tho night before from the locked dispatch box in Hopes Hope's bedroom The paper was a a. letter from froma a foreign potentate If It it was found it would doubtless cause war It would be to the interest of the enemies enemies ene ene- uI J rt mies of this I potentate e to obtain this s letof letof let let- of Holmes thinks the thief would take it 1 to one of the most Imp Important international international international spies in London and that it must I Ibe be already on its way to a foreign gov gov- I gov-I The illustrious visitors depart I and Holmes then reads in the morning paper that the night before one of these I found murdered murdered murdered mur mur- agents Eduardo Lucas was dered with a saber from a rack of ot strange weapons in his drawing room Lucas masqueraded as a society man I At this point Lady Hilda Trelawney i Hope oung young and beautiful and amI apparently apparently apparently much distressed appeared to ask Holmes to tell her what her husband had been to see him about She said he never took her into his confidence about poli- poli tics Holmes of course refused but did admit that the matter way wag of great Importance Importance importance im Im- to his political future TODAY'S INSTALMENT So for three mornings the mystery re remained remained remained re- re so far as I could follow it inthe Inthe in inthe the papers If H Holmes Bolmes knew more he kept his own counsel but as he told me that Inspector Lestrade t d had taken k him Into his cox confidence In n the case I knew that he was in close touch with every development Upon the fourth day there appeared a a. long telegram from Paris which seemed to solve the whole ques ques- tion tionA A discovery has Just been made bythe by bythe bythe the Parisian police pollee said the Daily Dally Telegraph Telegraph Tele Tele- graph which raises the a veil which which hung round the tragic fate of Mr Eduardo Lucas who met his id death by violence h n last Monday night at G Godolphin dolp i street Westminster Our readers rE-aders will remember remember remember deceased gentleman was ber that the found stabbed i in his i room and that some suspicion attached to his valet but that the case broke down on an alibi Yesterday Yesterday Yesterday Yester Yester- day lady who has been known as Mme Henri a occupying a ll villa Hia villain i in the Rue was reported to o the authorities by her servants as being had Insane An examination showed be hc he h had d Indeed developed mania of a dangerous and permanent form On inquiry the police have discover discovered that at Mme H Hn Henri rI only returned from a Journey n to London on Tuesday last and dichotic there Is evidence to connect her with the crime at Westminster A comparison of ot f photographs photographs photographs pho pho- has proved co conclusively Y that M. M Henri really e and Eduardo Lucas were really one and ny d the the same u person and Ild that the deceased had for some reason limed lived a double life in London and Paris Mme who is of or Creole Creole- re origin gi Is of an extremely excitable natu nature and has an suffered in the past from attacks s of of or Jealousy jealousy jealousy Jeal jeal- which have amounted to frenzy It Itis ItIs is conjectured that It was in on one of these these that she committed the terrible crime which has caused such a sensation In n London Her movements upon the Monday Monday Mon ron ronday day night have not yet been traced hut but t It IB is undoubted that a a. woman answering it to her description attracted much attention attention attention atten atten- tion at Charing Cross station on Tuesday Tuesday Tuesday Tues Tues- day morning by the wilt Bess of ot her appearance appearance appearance ap ap- and the violence of her tures It is probable therefore that the crime was either committed when insane or 01 that its immediate effect was to drive e ethe the unhappy woman out of her mind At I present she i is unable to give any coherent coherent coher coher- ent ant account o of the past and and the doctors hold out no hopes of the reestablishment of her reason There Is evidence that a woman who might Ight have been Mme e. e was se seen in for some upon hours Monday night watching the house Of Or Godolphin Godolphin Godolphin Go- Go dolphin street What do you think of that Holmes Holmes' I had read the ac account aloud to him while he finished d his breakfast My dear Watson Vatson said he as as' he rose from the table and paced up and down the room you are most maSt long suffering but If 1 have told you noting lg In the last three Ja Jays s 's it is because there is nothing to tell Even now this report from crom Paris does not help us much Surely it is final as regards the mans man's death n The The mans man's death leath Is a mere Incident Incident- a trivial episode episode In In comparison with our real task which is to trac this document document document docu docu- ment and save a European catastrophe Only one Important thing has happened in the last three days and that Is that nothing has happened I get reports al almost almost almost al- al most hourly from the government and It ItIs ItIs itIs Is certain that nowhere in Europe is there any sign of trouble Now if It this letter were loose loose no no It cant can't be loose loose loose- but if it isn't loose where here can It be be Who has It It Why is It held back bacle That That's tho the question tInt teat beats In my brain like a hammer Was Vas It Indeed a coincidence that Lucas should met meet his death on the night when the letter disappeared Did IMd the letter e ever e reach roach him If lC so why Is Isit Isit isit it not among his papers Did this mad wife of his carry It off oft with her If It so is it in her house in Parts Paris How could I 1 search for it without the French police having their suspicions aroused It Is a case my dear deal Watson Vatson wh where re the tho law Isn is isas isas as dangerous n to to us as the criminals n are Every mans man's sand nand n Is against us and d yet the Interests at stake are colossal Should I 1 bring It to a 2 successful conclusion It will certainly represent the tho crowning glory of ot my career Ah here Is my latest lat lat- latest est from the front Ho lIe glanced hurrIedly hurriedly hurriedly hur hur- at the note which had been handed In Lestrade seems to have observed ob oh- served something of interest Put on your our hat Watson Vatson and we wo will stroll down I tOft together It was sous t to my thy Westminster first TI visit f r. r to o the scene of the crime crime crime-a a high dingy narrow house prim formal and solid like the I century which gave It birth bulldog features gazed out at us from the I front window and he greeted us warmly when a big constable had opened the door doo 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 remained sate sa an ugly Irregular stain pon the carpet This carpet was wasa a a. small emall square in the center of the room surrounded by a broad expanse I of ot beautiful old fashioned wood flooring in square bloc blocks s highly polished Over the fireplace was as a magnificent trophy of ot otI I weapons one of which had been used on that tragic night nl In the tho window was s w sumptuous writing desk and every detail I of ot the apartment the pictures the rugs and the hangings all pointed to a a. taste which was luxurious to tho verge of ot ef efI ef- ef Seen the Paris Parts news asked Lestrade I Holmes nodded Our French friends seem to have touched the spot this time No doubt it Its Ita I Just as they say She knocked at the door doo r surprise visit I guess for he kept his hie life lite In water tight compartments he compartments he he let lether lether letI her In couldn't keep her in the street She Sh e told him how she he had traced him re reproached reproached reproached re- re I him one thing led to another r and then with that dagger so 10 o handy th the e end soon noon came It wasn't all done In an Instant though for tor these thee chairs were all I swept swep over von yonder er and he had one In fn hl hi a hand as If It he had tried to hold her oil oft at t with it Weve eve got it all clear as I If w we weI e had seen It Holmes raised his c eyebrows I And yet you ou have sent for me me Ah yes es that's another matter matter matter-a a mere trifle trine but the sort of ot thing you take an anI Interest queer in-queer in queer e you ou know and n what wha t I you might r call eak freakish ak knI It ha han has nothing ohr to do with the main cant can't fact cant can't have on the face of ot It It What at Is it It then 1 Well you know after a a. crime of this sort we are very careful to keep things In their position Nothing has been moved Officer in charge here day and night I This morning as the man was burled buried and andI I th the Investigation over over so so far tar na as this roo room roomi m i Is II concerned concerned we we thought we could coul 1 tidy j i up a tit This Thle carpet You see eel It Is not notI not I fastened down only Just laid there W We WeI I had oC occasion oc-aslon to raise mIlle It We found found- Yes You found found- Holmes' Holmes face tace grew tense with anxiety I Well Vell Im I'm sure ure you would never guess I In a t hundred undred years ears what we did find Ind You j j see that stain on the carpet Well a aI r I great deal must have soaked through must it not Undoubtedly It must s Well you will be surprised to hear that there is is' is no stain on the white woodwork to ond No 0 st stain in But there must must- Yes so you jou ou would say eay But the But th the fact tact remains that there I He lie took tho the corner of ot the carpet In his hand and end turning It over o he showed that it was Indeed as he said But nut the underside is as stained as the upper It must have havo left a a. mark marl i Lestrade chuckled with delight at having hav hay ing puzzled the tho famous expert Now Ill I'll show you the the explanation There is a a. second stain but it does not correspond with the other See for yourself your your- self As he spoke he turned over another another another an an- other portion of or the carpet and there sure enough was a great crimson spill upon the square white facing racing of the old fashioned floor What do you jou ou make malee of ot that Mr Holmes Why it Is simple enough The two stains did correspond but the carpet has been turned round As it was square and unfastened it was easily done The official police pollee dont don't need you Mr Holmes to tell them that the carpet carpet carpet car car- pet must have been turned round That's clear enough for fol the stains lie He above each other other other-if If you lay It over this wa way But what I want to know is who shifted the tho carpet and why I co ild ace Ce from Holmes' Holmes rigid face that he was vibrating with Inward excitement ex ex- Look here Lestrade said he has that constable in the passage been in charge chars of the place all the time Yes he has Ivel wen Well take my advice Examine him carefully Dont Don't do It before us Well We'll wait here You take him Into the tho bac back k room You'll be more likely to get ka a confession out of ot him alone Ask him how he dared to admit people and leave them alone In this room Dont Don't ask hi him m If It he has done It Take It for fol granted Tell him you ou know someone has been bee n here Pr Press ss him Tell him that a full ful l confession Is his only chance chanco of ot forgive forgive- ness Do exactly what I 1 tell you By George If It he knows Ill I'll have havo il It t out of him cried Lestrade Ho darted Into the hall ard a few moments later late laterI his bullying voice sounded from the t room I To 10 be continued |
