In the equation HERE = COMES – SHE, assume S = 8. Find the value of R + H + O.

Concept: This is a cryptarithmetic (alphametic) puzzle. Each letter stands for a unique digit (0–9), the same letter always means the same digit, and the puzzle is solved by working through the addition column by column from right to left, carrying forward whatever each column produces into the next.

Application: Set up the addition HERE + SHE = COMES and work column by column.

1. Since a 4-digit number (HERE) plus a 3-digit number (SHE) only reaches five digits when the total crosses 10000, the leading digit C of COMES must be 1.

2. Units column: E + E = S, and S = 8, so 2E must end in 8. E = 4 satisfies this with no carry; E = 9 also ends in 8 but, carried through the remaining columns, forces two different letters onto the same digit, which the puzzle's one-letter-one-digit rule forbids — so E = 4.

3. Tens column: R + H (no carry in) must produce E = 4 in the units place of this column, with a carry into the next column. Reaching E = 4 directly (R + H = 4) leaves no valid distinct digits for the columns that follow, so the working case is R + H = 14, carrying 1 forward.

4. Hundreds column: E + S + the carry of 1 = 4 + 8 + 1 = 13, so this column's digit (M) is 3, carrying 1 forward.

5. Thousands column: H + the carry of 1 must produce this column's digit (O) while also carrying 1 further left — the only way that happens with C = 1 is H = 9 and O = 0.

6. Substituting H = 9 back into R + H = 14 gives R = 5.

Cross-check: With H = 9, E = 4, R = 5, S = 8, C = 1, O = 0, M = 3: HERE = 9454 and SHE = 894, and 9454 + 894 = 10348, which reads exactly as C O M E S = 1 0 3 4 8. The equation holds digit for digit.

Result: R + H + O = 5 + 9 + 0 = 14.