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When it recently became known that the bewildering mystery of the Prince
and the Lost Balloon was really solved by the members of the Puzzle Club,
the general public was quite unaware that any such club existed. The fact
is that the members always deprecated publicity; but since they have been
dragged into the light in connection with this celebrated case, so many
absurd and untrue stories have become current respecting their doings
that I have been permitted to publish a correct account of some of their
more interesting achievements. It was, however, decided that the real
names of the members should not be given.
The club was started a few years ago to bring together those interested
in the solution of puzzles of all kinds, and it contains some of the
profoundest mathematicians and some of the most subtle thinkers resident
in London. These have done some excellent work of a high and dry kind.
But the main body soon took to investigating the problems of real life
that are perpetually cropping up.
It is only right to say that they take no interest in crimes as such, but
only investigate a case when it possesses features of a distinctly
puzzling character. They seek perplexity for its own sake--something to
unravel. As often as not the circumstances are of no importance to
anybody, but they just form a little puzzle in real life, and that is
sufficient.