The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1930-09-19

MS ingenious question:.
mo, Mr.. Elphnstone. no. dom,
think il possible for three women e
be kidnapped, even in London" he an
swered. 81 think you'll find that they
went out on some business of their
own, and that they had good reasons
again of their own for not return
ing. But let me ask you for little
more informatiOn-when your wife anG
her daughter went into the bedroom to
talk in private, where was Alison Muir
doch?'
Mr.. Elphinstone considered this fol
moment.
Probably" he replied at last, prob
ably in the next room TO that-a
dressing room. which she used as bed
room. We always have the same
rooms when we stay at Shorts
There's sitting room, bedroom, anG
dressing room: Alison Murdoch al
ways has the dressing room. should
say she'd be in there when my wife
and Sheila went into the bedroom"
Ibid you lind out from the hall
porter If they took anything away
with them?" inquired Crole. ANY
light baggage-anythirg of that sort
AS if they, or one or other of them
meant to stay away for the night?"
81 didn't inquire" replied Mr.. Elphin.
stone. But I'm sure they didn't. The
hall porter-an intelligent man whom
I've known for many years-told me
this morning that his own opinion
when they went our was-well, in
short, one that would never have oc-
Cured to me-"
"And that was-what?" asked Crole
"He said he thought the ladies were
going to have what he called an hour
at the pictures" answered Mr. Elphin.
stone. "Of course, didn't under.
stand him. He explained that just
round the corner from Shorts, in the
direction they took, is one of these
new-fangled cinema theaters, where,
am told. moving pictures are shown.
But l can't think"
II think we may take 1t that they
didn't go there" remarked Maythorne.
He glanced significantly at the two
policemen. "This'll have to be gone
into carefully" he murmured "Your
line"
1--WE don't know that Mrs. Elphin-
stone mayn't be found at Shorts
when Mr.. Elphinstone goes back there, "
said Crole, glancing at his watch. ''It's
now noon, and"
"We DON'T" interrupted Maythorne.
Then, in an undertone, he muttered
But l guess he won't! Mr.. Elphin-
stone!" he continued, raising his voice,
81 want to show you something
something that | have in my pocket
Here it is" he went on, producing the
cairngorm brooch, and laying it on the
table. "Tell me !-have you ever seen
that article beforeW
Mr.. Elphinstone peered carefully at
the brooch and then looked up, quickly.
"Where did you get this?" he asked.
as if in surprise. $40 be sure-it be-
longs to my wife!"
Maythorne bent over the table
toward Manners and Corkerdale and
for moment or two spoke to them in
a whisper: l gathered that he was
telling them how and when he found
the brooch which he had just ex-
hibited Again he turned to Mr.. FL
phinstone.
you've no doubt that this is your
wife's brooch?" he asked. after all,
| suppose that one of these things is
very like another"
"That's is my wife's property af-
firmed Mr.. Elphinstone with more de-
cision of will and manner than he
usually showed. 81 bought it for her
one of two-they are precisely alike.
The stones are of a rather uncommon
sort of cairngorm; the silver mount
ings are old. | bought the pair in a
sort of odds-and-ends shop in Inver-
ness-I remember the circumstances
very well. But to be sure II haven't
seen either brooch for years."
Mrs. Elphinstone didn't wear them,
then?" suggested Maythorne.
''She thought them old-fashioned
and rather too heavy" replied Mr..
Elphinstone. "She looked on them,
think, as curiosities-she said they'd
been used, originally, for fastening
plaids-men's plaids, you know, at the
shoulders-and she put them away.
don't remember that she ever did
wear them-but have no doubt what:
ever that what you show me is one
of the pair. Now, where did you
get it?"
"Let it suffice for the moment, Mr..
Elphinstone, to say that | found it,
accidentally" answered Maythorne.
picked it up, you know-when was
at Marrasdale. Never mind more,
just now"
He replaced the brooch in his pocket
and rose, looking round at the rest
of us. "Well?" ne said. what
next?"
Nobody made any suggestion. The
next words came from Mr.. ElphinStOne
81 wish | knew what has become
of my wife ~ he said, plaintively.
"Can no one think of anything
to dO?'
"She'lI have to be sought for. sir, y
said Corkerdale. He nudeed Man.
ners. "We'd better be doing some,
thing, think" he murmured "The
hotel first, eh?"
Maythorne turned to Eccleshare.
81 suppose you're on the teiephoneT'
he said. Just solicit us ring up
Shorts and find out If Mrs. Elphin.
stone has returned there"
He went out into the hall with Ec-
cleshare; the rest of us waited until
their return few minutes later. May
thorne shook his head
mo news!" he answered. "They
haven't been back there-up to now.
But-as they set out from there
suppose that's the best base from
ich 70 SO