The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1930-07-25
CHAPTER IV-Continued

You and the d gentle
were very close friends. think?" he
said quietly. such close friends that
he leaves you all his money-a vast
fortune land apptin u sole eX-
ecutOr of his last will a testament
and yet never even mentions the mat
ter of his 20, 'ntions ~
extraordinary luz TO you ?" he said.
with what was almost Sneer. You're
sure about your memOry?"
Pm sure of something else than
my memory, | ret0rted hotly. Il
know nothing whatever about Maza
rOff'S will, | never knew he'd made
one. And I'm very sure that if his
will is found, and | have to handle his
money. | shall just tra~~f it to who
it belongs-to his widow and daugh-
Ter"
But CroIe had got a hand on my
arm by that time, and was dragging
at me.
'Sit down, Holt, you id young
ASST he muttered strenuuusly. "Sit
down leave this to me-" lie, too
got on his legs his voice sounded
suave and pIacatory as he turned to
the coroner.
Il think, sir, that this has scarcely
anything to do with the object of this
inquiry. | suggest that the inquest
be adjourned until"
Pm about TO do that" broke in the
mir TOW 81
more light will doubtless be thrown on
all these matters" lie turned TO the
open-mouthed jurymen. "This day
fortnight, gentlemen, and in the mean
time
paid no heed To the coroner's
platitudes about keeping open minds
my own mind was in wlrl of in
dignatioD against Mrs. ElphinstOne's
solicitor. But when / turned in her
direction. | saw that Mrs Elphin
stone herself had crossed over from
her seat anu was talking earnestly TO
him. Presently he came up to me,
with halfamused. half-ingratiating
smile.
You're bit hOt-tempered, Mr.
Holt" he said. Come, come IL was
only speaking professionally, you
know-professional manners, after all
are"
"COnfoundedly offensive. sir, if THAT'S
q specimen of themw | retorted
you were inferring rhat-"
Now, now, | WASH nferring any
thing ]" he interrupted Soothingly i've
the interest of my client to consider
! say again. it's an odd thing that
MaZarOff OF MerchisOn Giunt uention
his will TO you. But the whole things
odd" he went on. looking round land
what | suggest is that we legal gentle
men and The parties concerned just
have a talk, if we can find place
to talk in"
! took them into the private sitting
room which Mazaroff and mad char
tered and still retained-ihe three
solicitors, Mr. and Airs. Elphinstone,
and Sheila. The solicitors did most of
the talking that followed: il was all
about the chances of recovering the
missing will and the possibilities OF
settling up the original dra which
was wholly in MaZarOif's handwriting
and also bore his signature-if no re-
covery was made. The discussion
didn't interest me: resolved after
what | had heard, that should never
touch one penny of the dead mans
money.
Suddenly CrOle smOte the table al
which he was sitting. who MUIR.
dered this man?" he exclaimed. with
emphasis. That's the question: Who
murdered him. and whyi He was
man of mystery. evidently. And as
I've asked before-was he murdered
as MazarOff. or as Merchisoni think
we may have TO 60 back-perhaps
long way. But il seems to me that the
murder must be cleared up as start"
just then Maythorne came in, clos
ing the door behind him.
Gathered anything?" asked Crole
"WelI-something," answered May
thorne "NO secret about it, either.
Manners tells me that a certain man
named Parsiave, Ralph Parslave, bet.
ter known as Ratty, who lives In a
cottage on the outskirts OF Birnside,
has never been home since fhe day of
that fair. He's man who lives by
himself and seems TO be sort of odd.
job man; occasional drOver, game
watcher, rat-cafcher-"
Everybody knows latty Parslaveg