The Ely miner., 1930-10-10

| ly! Twenty minutes to ten. Fifteen
| minutes to ten. Ten minutes to ten.
| Five-four-three
''HoltI whispered Maythorne.
"Sharp, now! Is this she?"
A woman was just coming through
the barrier-a tall, slim woman, Of
erect, easy carriage. By her side was
another woman, slighter in height, of
fuller figure, and heavily yelled. l
| could not see her face, but the face
| of the taller woman was that which
had seer two or three times in the
| big kitchen at the WOodcock. A sec
| ond later she and her companion, each
| carrying substantiai-siZed valise, had
passed the ticket puncher and come
| full into the light. | had no doubt
then, and my hand went Hp to the
| moved it.
"Come on!" said BIaythorne. Nov
! for it! But-who's the Other"
The two women were being hurried
/ into third-class compartment by an
| already impatient guard as the two
| Cottingley, and MaythOrne and l closed
round them. One of the detectives
laid a hand on the taller woman's
arm
1t was the first time in my life that
| | had ever seen an arrest, and | was
amazed at the quickness, the deyterity,
| the absence of fun, in it. We had the
two women into the little Office close
| by, and the door locked, and the
| blinds drawn, before | had realized
what was happening-as the key
turned in the door | heard the whistle
of the guard and the Shrek of the
engine as the ten O'Clock sped out to
time. And then / turned to
answer question.
"That's Alison MurdOch-yes
said. Yes-withoutl doubt"
"Take off that veil!' snapped the
detective. "Come on. now"
We stood staring intently as the
woman lifted hand and diverted
herself of the thick yelling that had
completely Obscured her features. 1t
fell aside-and it was from Maythorne,
usually so cool and collected, that the
first excited exclamation broke:
"Good Cd Mrs. Musgrave!"
"You said it would be all right"
she walled reproachfully. You swore
to me that we were safe, this way!
You said and said again that there
wasn't the least chance of 'em catch
ing US"
Hold your tongue, you fool"
snapped Alison Murdoch.
l stood by, sick, wondering, while
Cottingley, under the detectives super
vision, unlocked the womens valises
and turned out their contents. There
was money there in surprising guam
tity-bank notes that had been Maza-
rOff's, of course-and there were da-
monds, and Mazaroff's personal prop
critics. And in Alison Murdock's valise
there was a gold hunter watch, within
which was an inscription to the effect
that it was present to James BOwnas
from his colleagues
There's always something that
these people forget" remarked May
thOrne, when, a quarter of an hour
later, he and l were driving back to
Shorts hotel "Or, rather, always
some absolutely idiotic mistake they
make. If Alison Murdoch hadn't
thrown that will into the Elphin-
stones library, it would have been
hard to get at the real truth about
MaZaroff, and if she hadn't been so
cOvetOus and grasping that she couldn't
rafrain from carrying off that poor
chap Bownas' presentation watch, we
should probably never have convicted
her of numbering him. However,
there they both are! But Mrs.
Musgrave!"
(Which of them shot Mazaroff?' l
asked.
"Ah!" he replied, knowingly. THAT'S
a stiff 'un, Holt But-Mrs. Musgrave
knows, and Mrs. Musgrave will tell
She'll not face it out like the other"
We hurried upstairs as soon as we
reached Shorts hOtel-tO find COrker-
dale and Manners talking to the doc
tor and Sheila in an alcOve that
was evidently still indiscreet; the doc
tor looked somewhat annoyed and
Sheila was obviously angry.
you must see, doctor, that it's a
question of Duty" Corkerdale was say
ing as we came upon them. Il want
some explanation from Mrs. Elphin-
stone"
There's no need now, Corkerdale,"
interrupted MaythOrne. laying his hand
on the detectives shoulder. Its all
over! We've got 'em m!-they're safe
under lock and key"
Sheila uttered sharp cry of sur
prise, and Corkerdale turned quickly
on Maythorne.
"Got emp he exclaimed. "Who's
got em?"
"WelI, if you want to know. my
clerk, Cottingley-smartest man in
Europe at your game!-he got em.
With the help of your own people, to
be sure. But the kudos is Cotting-
ley's," replied Maythorne. "Top-hole
capture.'
"And who'd he capture?" demanded
Corkerdale, almost incredulously.
"WhO?"
Maythorne glanced at Sheila.
"Well," he replied, there's no secret
about it now. Two women Alison
Murdoch and Mrs. Musgrave. And
there's no doubt about it, either-they
had property belonging to Mazaroff
and property belonging to Bownas on
them-actually on them!"
Corkerdale turned to Manners, who,
at the mention of Mrs. Musgrave's
name, had opened his mouth and his
eyes to their widest extent.
"Oh, WE'LL" said COrkerdale. I'm
that case, of course, | think we needn't
Nlx,h