The Caldwell watchman. (Columbia, La.) 1885-1946, 1915-09-10


tho seo"ec'ed that she had told me
Ho o name of the original was Elma
s1eath' and that she had been school.
fo o.'oT OF hers at Chichester. There.
,a "e inquired Of the photographer's
NV o' CLERK whether she could supply
r WIN print OF the negative.
:. VI d considerable time she searched
I IL uer BOOKS for the name. and at last
N'oUo'ered it Then she said:
regret, sir, that We can't give YOU
PHIL Tor the customer purchased
VIC negative al the time"
.vr AL m Very sorry for that" | said.
10 What address did you send it,"
Inc customer who ordered it was
apparently foreigner" she said, at
'he same time turning round the ledger
~ mat could read, and | saw that
VAC entIE was: "Heath-Miss Elma-
,nree dozen cabinets and negative.
AuureSs: Baron Xayier Oherg, Vos-
nesenski Prospect is. st Petersburg,
Russia"
VINO was this Baron Oberg? The
iiaine was German undoubtedly, yet he
l''ed in the Russian capital. From
LONDON to ST. Petersburg is a far cry.
YET resolved if it We're necessary
would travel there and investigate.
Al the German embassy. in the Carl.
Ton House Terrace, | found my friend,
Ndptaln Nleberding, the second sec.
ietary, OF whom inquired whether
'he name OF Baron Oberg was known,
out having referred to a number of
German books in his excellency's H.
prary, he returned and told me that
the name did not appear In the lists of
the German nobility.
He may be Russian-Polsh, most
probably" added the captain. His
opinion was that it was not a German
name, for there was a little place
called Oberg, he said. on the railway
between LODI and Lowicz.
Next day | ran down to Chichester,
and after some difficulty found the
Cheverton College for Ladies, a big
old,fashioned house about half mile
out of the town of the Drayton road.
The seminary was evidently a first.
class one. for when | entered | no.
ticed how we'll everything was kept.
To the principal, an elderly lady Of
somewhat severe aspect, said:
Il regret, madam, to trouble you,
but am in search Of information you
can supply. 1t Is with regard to a
certain Elma Heath whom you had as
pupil here, and who left. believe,
about two years ago. Her parents
lived in Durham. There has been some
little friction in the family, and l am
making inquiries on behalf of another
branch of tan aunt who desires to
ascertain the girls whereabouts.
"Ah, regret, sir, that cannot tell
you that. The baron, her uncle. came
here one day and took her away sud
denly-abroad, | think"
Had she no school friends to whom
-.--r> - ---Aoh,-- write9" ,a--as..
r There was a girl named Leithcour
~Muriel Leithcourt-who was hel
friend. but who has also left"
And no one else?' | asked. Girls
often write to each other after leav
ing school, until they get married
and then the correspondence usually
ceases
The principal was silent and refec,
tive.
Well" she said at last, there was
another pupil who was also on friendly
terms with Elma-a girl named Lydia
Moreton. She may have written to
her. If you really desire to know,
SIT, | dare say | could find her ad.
dress. She left us about nine months
after Elma."
1 should esteem it great favor II
you would give me that young lady's
address," | said, whereupon she un.
locked a drawer in her writing-table
and took therefrom a thick, leather.
pound book which she consulted for a
lew minutes, at last exclaiming:
Yes, here it is-'Lydia Moreton,
daughter of Sir Hamilton Moreton,
~ e. NJ. G.. Winston Grange, Doncas.
ter"
And with that | took my leave,
lhanking her, and returned to Lon.
lon.
Could Lydia Moreton furnish any
atormation? If so, might find this
'rl whose photograph had aroused the
rate jealousy of the mysterious un.
nown.
The ten o'clock Edinburgh express
rom Kings Cross next morning took
ie up to Doncaster, and hiring musty
III lily at the station, drove three
nies out of the town on the Rother.
am road, finding Winston Grange to
fine old Elizabethan mansion in |
lie center of great park, with tall
Ia twisted chimneys, and beautifully
Ppt gardens.
"hen descended at the door and
ing, the fOotman was not aware