The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1928-06-22
CHAPTER iX-Continued
Is

ID
II cabIed to England for some In
formation; in fact, | did so on Tues.
day, the Gay after you first showed
me the bookplate." He drew from his
pocket blue half-sheet of paper, and
handed il to me. "Just to make a
beginning" he went on, 81 assumed,
from the medical boOkplate. and from
the frigate, that Calfax might have
had some customer who had dealings
with ships or doctors. So | cabled
my secretary to find out what he
could for me; that's his answer"
| read the cablegram:
MADE thorough Colfax investiga-
ton stop family died out eighteen
sixty-nine step last member Richard
Colfax son of Hugh eighteen hundred
eighteen sixty-nine stop served Chile
Dardaneles Crimea stop no medical
connection among family or clientele"
"History's always to be taken into
account In studying bookplates, of
course" | agreed. 81 am aware there
was Crimean war; | have even
heard of the British feet passing the
Dardanelles In 1S4S But | must be-
tray my ignorance as to when Great
Britain was at war with Chile"
The captain most politely refused
the opportunity presented to him to
smile.
"She never was" he rejoined. 81
believe, though, that British fleet
went to the aid of Chile when that
Then" said |, little surer of my
ground, but not quite ready to quote
exact dates, ''since those South
American countries revolted In the
early part o. the Nineteenth century,
that was .st about the time too,
when Richard Colfax was beginning
his naval career, If he entered the
service in 1918. Suppose he served
In that feet you mention, suppose he
made some sort of connection in this
hemisphere: what about some ground.
in that event, for there being an orig.
inal American Colfax bookplate"
That's just what | surmisedl /
wanted to see If you'd confirm It,"
cried the captain, delighted. Even
if it's South American and not North,
the points worth looking into. and I'll
do that at once"
rapid search through reference
catalogues revealed that Clarihew's
Notes" had been issued In an edi-
tion of three hundred numbered
copies. The number of our copy. which
appeared on the title page. was 239.
But so far as ! could go back in sales
reports. thorough search brought no
trace whatever of Number 239.
However. this fact proved one
thing at least: Number 239 had very
seldom changed hands. 1t had be-
longed to Judge Leavitt. Then why
were the Grosvenor family so re-
solved TO get possession of it? For
the key? Was that connected with
Charles MacIvor's offer of a liberal
settlement" the night before? Did he
know of some treasure hidden under
lock and key, to which he alludedi
But why should a key belonging to
the GrOsvenor connection be con.
cealed in law book? There were no
lawyers in that family.
No, there were not. And then, as
j reread its title for perhaps the FIVE
hundredth time In the last six days.
suddenly got an idea. This title
was: Notes on Medical Statutes In
the Virginia Code" And Mr.. eros
venor's father had been a doctor;
Virginian he had practiced at q time
when be would need just such a pro.
fessiOnal reference book; and the
bOokplate, real or counterfeit. was q
physicians bOOkplatei
nearly shot out of my chair and
addressed the neutrality-suspicious.
browsers, clerks, collectors, all (: "There
you are, folksl just give me time:
don't need eternity, after ALL" when
suddenly my joyful emotions were
one and all stricken with paralysis.
For Mr.. Case, who had hardly ap-
peared in the shop all morning,
though usually on Saturdays he was
nowhere else, was just going past me
out of the front door.
His pace was so quiet that II
seemed almost stealthy. He passed
within a yard of me, and did not no
tice me; never had seen any face
so terribly distraught as his What
in the world had happened to him
now? Or what had he done now?
felt more upset, actually, than when
] had seen him at my desk Thurs
day night; for now II would have
been impossible not to pity him, what
ever ones suspicious.