The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1915-07-16

which had seen In Muriel's coy little
room up at Rannoch.
! recollected that she had told me
the name of the original was Elma
Heath, and that she had been school.
fellow OF hers at Chichester. There
fore l inquired OF the photographers
lady clerk whether she could supply
me with print of the negative.
Fer considerable time she searched
in her books for the name. and at last
discovered 1t. Then she said:
II regret. sir. that We can't give you
print, for the customer purchased
the negative at the time"
"Ah. I'm very sorry for that" said.
ITO what address did you send it?"
The customer who ordered 1t was
apparently a foreigner" she said, at
the same time turning round the ledger
so that l could read, and l saw that
the entry was: "Heath-Miss Elma-
three dozen cabinets and negative.
Address: Baron Xavier Oberg. Vos-
nesenski Prospect As. St Petersburg,
Russia"
Who was this Baron Oberg? The
name was German undoubtedly, yet he
lived in the Russian capital. From
London to ST. Petersburg is far cry,
yet | resolved IL 1t were necessary I
would travel there and investigate.
At the German embassy in the Carl
ton House Terrace, found my friend,
Captain Nieberding, the second Sec
rotary, of whom | inquired whether
the name of Baron Oberg was known,
but having referred to number Of
German books in his excellency's IL
brary, he returned and told me that
the name did not appear in the lists Of
the German nobility.
"He may be Russian-Polish. most
probably" added the captain. His
opinion was that it was not German
name, for there was a little place
called Oberg, he said, on the railway
between Lodz 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 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 am
making inquiries on behalf of another
| branch of it-an aunt who desires to
ascertain the girls whereabouts.
"Ah, I regret, sir, that l 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
she would probabl.' write?"
There was a girl named Leithcourt
-Muriel Leithcourt-who was hel
| friend, but who has also left"
And no one else?" l 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 reflec
tive.
well" she said at last, there wa!
another pupil who was also on friendl!
terms with Elma-a girl named Lydi;
Moreton. She may have written t.
her. If you really desire to know
sir, dare say could find her ad
dress She left us about nine months
after Elma."
81 should esteem 1t great favor !
you would give me that young lady
address," l said, whereupon she IN
locked drawer in her writing-tabl'
and took therefrom a thick, leather
bound book which she consulted for ;
few minutes. at last exclaiming:
Yves, here it is-Lydia Moreton
daughter of Sir Hamilton Moreton
X. C. NJ G.. Winston Grange. Doncas
ter"
And with that I took my leave
thanking her, and returned to Lon
don.
Could Lydia Moreton furnish an.
information? If so, | might find Thu
girl whose photograph had aroused tn,
irate jealousy Of the mysterious un
! known.
The ten o'clock Edinburgh express
from Kings Cross next morning tool
me up to Doncaster, and hiring must!
| old fly at the station, / drove three
miles out of the town on the Rother
ham road, finding Winston Grange II
be fine old Elizabethan mansion II
the center of great park, with tai
old twisted chimneys, and beautifully
kept gardens.
When I descended at the door ant
rang, the footman was not awar'
whether Miss Lydia was in. He looked
at me somewhat suspiciously,
thought. until gave him my card an