The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1916-01-14
which 1 had seen In Murisrs cosy little

which had seen In Nurisl's cosy little
room up at Rannoch
recollected that she had told ne
the name Of the original was Elma
Heath. and that she had been . school
fellow Of hers 1t Chichester. There
fore inquired of the photographer
lady clerk whether she could supply
me with . print OF the negative.
For q considerable time she searched
In her books for the name. and at last
discovered It. Then she said:
Il regret. sir. that We can't give you
q print. for the customer purchased
the negative at the time"
"Ah. I'm very sorry for that" l said
ITO what address did you send it,"
The customer who ordered It was
apparently q foreigner" she said. At
the same time turning round the ledger
so that could read. and saw that
the entry was: "Heath-Miss Elma-
three dozen cabinets and negative
Address: Baron Xavier Oberg. vos-
nesenski Prospect 4s. 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 a far cry.
yet resolved II 1t were necessary
would travel there and investigate.
At tie German embassy. in the Carl
ton House Terrace. l found my friend.
Captain Nieberding. the second Sec
rotary, Of whom l inquired whether
the name OF Baron Oberg was known.
but having referred to a number OF
German books in his excellency's H.
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 1t was not a German
name. for there was q little place
called Oberg, he said. on the railway
between LODI and Lowicz.
Next day l ran down to Chichester.
and after some difficulty found the
Cheverton College for Ladies, big
old fashioned house about half a mile
out of the town Of the Drayton road.
The seminary was evidently a first
class one. for when I entered l no
ticed how well everything was kept.
To the principal. an elderly lady Of
somewhat severe aspect. I said:
Il regret, madam. to trouble you.
but am in search of Information you
can supply. It is with regard to a
certain Elma Heath whom you had as
pupil here. and who left. l 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 tan aunt who desires to
ascertain the girls whereabouts
"Ah, l regret, sir. that l cannot tell
YOU that The baron. her uncle, came
here one day and took her away sud
denly-abroad. l think"
Had she no school friends to whom
she would probabl.- writer"
There was girl named Leithcourt
-Muriel Leithcourt-who was her
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 refiec-
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. II you really desire to know.
sir. dare say l could find her ad.
dress She left us about nine months
after Elma."
Il should esteem II a great favor II
you would give me that young lady's
address," I said. whereupon she I'm.
locked a drawer In her writing-table
and took therefrom . thick. leather.
bound book which she consulted for =
few minutes. at last exclaiming:
Yes, here 1t is-Lydia Moreton.
daughter OF Sir Hamilton Moreton.
X. c. n. G.. Winston Grange. Doncas
ter"
And with that took my leave.
thanking her. and returned to Lon.
don
Could Lydia Moreton furnish any
information? II SO. might find this
girl whose photograph had aroused the
irate jealousy OF the mysterious un-
known
The ten O'Clock Edinburgh express
from Kings Cross next morning took
me up to Doncaster. and hiring musty
old fly at the station, drove three
miles out of the town on the Rother'
ham road. finding Winston Grange to
be a fine old Elizabethan mansion IN
the center of a great park. with tall
old twisted chimneys. and beautifully
kept gardens
When descended at the door and