The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1930-07-11
CHAPTER III-Continued

Ing you that" retorted Crole, with
the least touch of asperity. "Holt,"
turning TO me, you will just tell US
precisely what Mazaroff confided TO
you, the second night of your stay at
the WOodcock. Tell the whole story
/ told the whole story, as we all
stood there in that little room. But,
though l watched Mrs. Elphinstone
closely during my narrative, / saw no
sign of any wavering on her part.
1.-The things absurd - she declared
in the end. utterly absurd! The
man was probably some adventurer
who had got hold of certain facts
about Merchison's past history, and
wanted TO make money out of his
E knowledge :"
'Umw Crole said quietly. snow
that. ma'am, il you will pardon me for
using plain speech TO a lady, is in
deed an utterly absurd suggestion
Mr.. Mazaroff, or, as we should call
him, Mr.. Merchison, so far from being
a needy adventurer, was a wealthy
man, a very wealthy man! And if
you will pardon me still further,
will just put something before you.
If this man was, as he asserted him.
self 10 be, and as we shall probably
prove, Andrew Merchison, who mar
ried you twenty-five or three years
ago, your second marriage with Mr.
ElphinstOne is no marriage at all !!
You are still, in law, Mrs. Merchison,
and
what is all this leading up toy"
demanded Mrs. Elphinstone. 4"
ITO this, ma'am," continued Crole,
lifting an admonitory finger, land a
very important point, too, as you will
quickly see. Although | have had
very little dealing with this unfor-
tunate man, | have had some dealing,
while he was in London, and it is my
distinct impression that he has died
intestate''
'Well-and what has that to do
with me?" questioned Mrs. Elphin-
stone.
Merely this, ma'am. If he was
MerchisOn, and you his wife, and this
young lady your child. you and she
come in, between you, for every penny
he's left! And there will be a great
My advice to you, ma'am, is this-be-
fore settling on an attitude of in
creduIity and denial, just step across
TO the WoodcOck, and see if you can
not satisfy yourself that the man lying
there, sadly disfgured, but identif-
to be-"
With this Crole made one of his
old-fashioned bows and walked out,
and | followed him, leaving mother
and daughter standing looking at each
other AS we passed the gates, Crole
pulled out a snuffbox and took a
hearty pinch. 5R
That's a id flint-like woman,
Holt" he said, cynically. "Hard-
hard-and obstinater' -
My own impressions of Mrs. Elphin-
stone were precisely those which Mr..
Crole expressed so emphatically. But
/ was just then thinking of other
matters.
IF the real Andrew Merchison was
drowned in MOmbasa bay" said,
show could"
Crole interrupted me with a sharp,
sceptical laugh.
AYE, but was he so drowned
there, or elsewhere, or anywhere?"
he exclaimed "My own belief is that
he was never drowned at aili For
all that Sinclair, the writer of that
letter, knew, MerchiSon had arranged
for boat TO come off for him at a
certain hour at night-it comes, and
he slips off into it and is clean gone
Easyl He could have sent money
and things-especially money-ahead
of him TO wherever he was bound.
Didn't you tell me he spoke of Dur
baD?"
"Of Durham, yes" i answered. at
was there he took the name of Maza-
roff."
AYE, WE'LL" continued Crole, mo
doubt he'd some reason-Other than
the one he told you of-for leaving
his old name behind him. He may
have wished folk in both England and
India TO believe that Andrew Merchi-
son was dead. But letter or no letter,
cabin trunk or no cabin trunk, monu-
ment or no monument, ! believe that
Salim Mazaroff was Andrew Merchi-
son, and that he was murdered as
Merchison and not as MaZaroff"
"As-Merchison?" exclaimed, paus-
ing In sheer surprise. "But-who
knew him. here, as Merchisong'