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

He hurried QUITO return within q
minute or two with Mr.. ElphinStone.
And for the first time since the be-
ginning of my acquaintanceship with
him, Maythorne showed evidence of
something close akin TO excitement.
Here's a new development !' he ex-
claimed as he came into the room.
mr.. ElphinStone has been to my office
and followed me here to tell me that
Mrs. Elphinstone has disappeared
We all turned on Mr.. Elphinstone.
He was shaken out of his usual dream
mess; he looked perturbed, dismayed,
puzzled, wholly at a loss. Standing
there a little within the doorway,
blinking at us as if unable to make US
out or reckon us up. he nodded auto
matically at Maythorne's announce
ment. But he WIS sufficiently master
of himself to confirm it, in words.
"Since last night - he said. dis
appeared-completely! Most extraor-
dinary-and unpleasant-and embar-
rassing-I really do not know what to
think-or dol"
Crole, who had given the two police
men a sharp glance on hearing the
news, pushed chair toward the new
conner.
"Sit down, Mr.. Elphinstone," he
said. Perhaps we can help you a
bit. When did Mrs. Elphinstone dis
appear?"
Mr.. Elphinstone dropped into the
chair, and looked round us again.
"Just SOL" he said. "The fact Is.
the whole thing is really most confus-
ing. Last night, of course! We left
Miss Apperley's fiat and went to
Shorts hotel. We haG dinner on our
arrival, in our own private sitting
room. 1t was some little time after
that that Sheila came. She"
'Oh Miss Merchison came there,
did she?" interrupted Maythorne.
Miss Observation-Disclosures STEP
daughter-yes. She came. She and
her mother went into the adjoining
bedroom-to talk. | heard them talk
ing. IL went away-dOwnstairs, you
Know thought I'd smoke a cigar in
the smoking room. was down there
perhaps an hour. l foregathered
with a man who turned out to be some
thing of an cheologist-interesting
conversation. Perhaps was a little
longer away. Then | went up 70 our
rooms again. There was nobody there
nobody at all! | thought perhaps
Mrs. Elphinstone and Sheila had gone
into the drawing room, and | went
there, but they were not to be seen.
] waited some time. Then, as they
didn't come, | made some inquiry.
And | found-really most astonish-
ing IL found, from the hall porter,
that Mrs. Elphinstone and Sheila, and
Alison Murdoch had all gone out of
the hotel some time before, evidently
soon after | had gone down to the
smoking room. And"
Pardon me, Mr. Elphinstone," broke
in MaythOrne, "but-who is Alison
Murdoch?"
Mr.. Elphinstone looked at his ques-
toner pretty much as man looks
who wonders that anybody shouldn't
know as much as himself.
ALLISON Murdoch?" he answered.
"Oh. all you're not Marrasdale
man, of course. Alison Murdoch is a
sort of foster-sister of my wife's.
Brought up together, as children, you
know. Then at one time she was for
many years my wife's maid-still acts
in that capacity when we go travelling,
as in this instance. But for some few
years she has lived in little house at
rrasdale-Birnside. really-On her
own means-little competency, you
know. An active woman, thOugh-in
the tourist season, for instance, she
helps them at the Woodcock with their
cooking-clever. busting woman! %
Sand she went out last night with
Mrs. Elphinstone and Miss Merchison p
asked Maythorne.
$50 | learned from the hall por-
ter. He said that Mrs. ElphinstOne
and her maid-they know them both
well enough at Shorts for we are al
ways up, all three of us, two or three
times year, and Miss Merchison,
whom, of course. they also know well,
all went out together about think
he said half past nine"
ibid he call cab for them?" de-
manded Maythorne.
'No-he said they turned TO the left,
down the street-walking," replied Mr..
Elphinstone. "Dear IL really
can't think why they should go walk
ing at that hour of the evening p
"But the point is-did they, or any
one of them, return?" inquired Crole.
"None returned!" said Mr.. Elphin-
stone. II waited up till midnight
eventually | retired-very much puz-
zled And-I was so, fatigued | fell
asleep at once, and slept soundly un-
til morning To my great Amusement,
/ found that neither Mrs. Elphinstone
nor Alison Murdoch had come back
Sheila, OF course, | supposed to be at
Miss Apperley's. So, after getting a
little breakfast, | drove to Miss APP
perley's, and just caught that young
lady as she was leaving for her
classes. To my still greater amaze
ment she knew nothing whatever
about Sheila. Sheila, she said, had
suddenly remarked after sitting in
silence for long time the previous
evening, that she would go TO Shorts
hotel and have things out with her
mother, and had set off there and
then-and had never returnedl SO. .
concluded Mr.. Elphinstone, waving
his silver mounted cane, there il is
All three have vanishedl- lin London
/ thought of Mr. Maythorne and went
to his Olfice-and was brought along
here to him. And | was going to ask