The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1930-06-27
CHAPTER II-Continued

He pushed me before him into
room where Mrs. Elphinstone was evil
IDENTIFY waiting breakfast for her hus-
band and daughter. She did not see
me at first, being concerned with tea
making, but she evidently recognized
Mr.. Elphinstone's step.
Are you and Sheila never coming
10 breakfast, Malcolm?" she demanded.
1.-The tea" Then she turned and
nized me as the young man whom she
had passed two days before. Mr..
ElphinstOne pushed me forward.
''Marion!" he exclaimed. "a truly
most wonderful and fortunate thing
This young gentleman is the son of
my old friend Tom Holt! Isn't it
extraordinary that he should drop on
me from the clouds like this? He
came-let's see, how did he come?
oh, l remember now, Sheila brought
him, to be sure"
YES" said Sheila, "and you've al
ready forgotten why | brought him
Mother" she went on rapidly, "Mr.
Holt is staying at the Woodcock with
that old gentleman we saw him with
the other day--they're motoring. And
the old gentleman is lost, and Mr.
Holt has been out all night searching
for him."
Mrs. ElphinstOne gave me polite
welcoming, if somewhat frigid hand
shake.
"Then I'm quite sure Mr.. holt will
do with some breakfast" she said, in
practical fashion. ATTEND to him,
Sheila."
This is very kind of you," l said.
"but l really ought to be looking for
my missing friend"
Mr.. Elphinstone sat down, helped
himself to some fish, and after a few
reflective sips at cup of tea, leaned
across the table toward his STEP
daughter.
How would it be to inquire at High
Cap lodgeT" he suggested. "Verner's
people might have heard something,
or know something"
"Goodl" said Sheila. "I'll take Mr..
Holt across there presently. That"
she continued, turning to me, lis my
cousin, Werner Courthope's place
High Cap lodge. Well go see him."
We each made hurried breakfast
and set out. Our way lead toward the
bills and became rugged and onely.
MY cousin has small shooting
party at his lodge" announced Sheila,
as we came in sight of our destination.
"There's himself, and his manager
(Courthopes are bankers, you know.
in the city,, man named Armintrade,
whom | loathe, and another man,
London doctor, Eccleshare, whom | de-
test! l suppose we shall find them at
breakfast"
She was evidently well acquainted
with High Cap lodge and it's arrange
ments, for without any ceremony or
delay she led me in by the front hall,
down a pas age, and thrust open the
door of room that looked out on a
fine stretch of moor. Three men,
lOunging around Widespread break
fast table, turned in establishment at
our entrance, examining me closely.
i, in my turn, took good, close
look at them, individually and collec-
lively. For / remembered that when
Nfazaroff had intimated to me that he
wanted to spend that first day at the
Woodcock alone, he had also said
that there was a man in the neigh
borhOOd whom he wanted to see on
business. And for the moment IT
flashed upon me that as all these
three men were from London, the man
to whom he referred might be one of
them: two, at any rate, were con-
nected with banking and financial mat
tiers; so, also, as l knew well enough
by that time, was MaZaroff.
But got no help from my inevitably
superficial examination of the three.
One, obviously the host, was a young.
fish man of somewhat heavy and
sulen cast of cOuntenance. The Sec
Ond was q sleek and 3ly-looking mid.
de-aged man, with carefully
trimmed beard and a somewhat super
ciliouA Nir-this presently discov-
cred to re Armintrade, the bank man.
ager. And the third was great,
f1eshy man, a sort of man-mountain,
clean-shaven, heavy of feature.
Sheila paid no more attention to
the two guests than was represented
by a curt nod: she went straight up
to Courthope.
Werner" she said, "this gentleman
is Mr.. Holt, whose father is an old
friend Of Mr.. ElphinstOne. Mr.. Holt
is staying for q day OF two at the
WoOdcock, where he came with
friend, Mr.. MazarOff, in Mr.. Maza-
roff's car. Last night Mr.. Mazaroff,
who is an elderly man, went out on
the moor, and he's never returned.
Have you or your people heard or seen
anything of him?"
I'll 10 Werner Courthope the justice
to say that he showed some polite
concern In the matter. Neither he nor
his two guests could tell me anything,
but CourthOpe went out with Sheila