The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1930-07-04

| to ask me some quesfions-pertinent
questions? | really can't conceive
what they can be! | know nothing
whatever about this poor man."
81 think you saw my late client the
other day?" suggested Crole. whom
had fully posted in every particular
| of our stay at the Woodcock. "I1e
and Mr.. Holt were standing at the
garden gate of the inn when you and
your daughter passed by"
"Oh, that" exclaimed Mrs. Elphin-
stone. "Yes, | suppose did see him
tall, bearded man,. wasn't he?"
"You didn't recognize him, ma'am?'
asked Crole, with keen look.
Mrs. Elphinstone gave her ques-
toner a particularly freezing stare.
Recognize him?" she demanded
haughtily. "Really-what do you
mean?"
"What | mean, am, is this, "
Crole answered, buntly. 1.-THE man
whom you saw, though he has of late
years called himself Salim MaZaroff,
was the man whom you married some
years ago-Andrew Merchison."
expected something-say, dra-
matic-to follow ON this. But moth
ing happened-that is, nothing par
ticular. Sheila's lips opened a little
in establishment, and her eyes turned
from Crole to her mother. Mrs.
Elphinstone was sitting bolt upright,
ctn Mt 6nSly
Suddenly, and swiftly, a satirical. con-
temptuous smile showed itself round
the corners of her finely cut thin lips.
and she rose quietly from her chair.
"FOllOw me, if you please" she said.
She marched us through two or
house, across the grounds, looking
neither to right nor left, and so
through the porch of the church, and
under its fine old Norman doorway
into the shadOwy nave. Marching up
that to the chancel, she suddenly
paused, pointed upward, and, giving
Crole frowning look, spoke two
words:
Look there Z"
We looked. There, on the north
wall of the chancel, was plain,
square tablet of Aberdeen granite,
whereupon were deeply incased and
gilded a few words:
"In Memory Of
ANDREW aMerchiSon
Sometime Resident in this Parish
Drowned in Mombasa Bay, October
18th, 1929"
| glanced at Crole. His face was
inscrutable He merely looked at the
tablet, read the inscription, and turned,
with 4 nod, to Mrs. Elphinstone.
"NOw come back to the house." she
commanded.
Mrs. Elphinstone marched US back
to the house, and up the old oak stair
case that led from the big hall. She
went along one corridor after another
until she came to decor. Selecting a
key from bunch that hung by sill
yer chain from her waist, she unlocked
the door, and ushered us into a small
room, wherein there was nothing but
an oldfashioned bureau, chair set
before il, a bookcase filled with old
volumes, and side-table, wherein
lay a much-worn cabin trunk. She
went straight to this and laid hand
on it.
Now" she said, looking at CrOle.
Il am doing more than anyone has
the right to ask me 10 do! | am only.
doing it to set at rest, once and for
all, the utterly ridiculous idea that
you metioned when you came mere
unlimited. You will please listen to
lit is quite true that | married
Andrew Merchison, when he and l
were very young and foolish and
headstrong We did not get on. He
made full provision for me: shared
equally all he had with me, in fact,
and left me. Eight months later, this
girl was born. and my friends did
our best TO find him. and make him
acquainted with that fact: we failed.
| never heard anything of him until
the early part of the year 1900, when
| got letter from the captain of a
steamer which traded between Bonn
bay and Durham. You shall read it,"
She produced another key, unlocked
the cabin trunk, and from pocket
inside it, took out an envelope, from
which she withdrew a letter. She
handed it to Crole.
"You and Mr.. Holt can read that
together" she said. "Read it care
fully"
| read the letter over CrOle's Shout
der. 1t was from one James Sinclair,
who introduced himself as captain of
the S. S. General Give. He said that
on his last voyage from Bombay he
had taken on board al that port pas
senger named Andrew MerchisOn,
whom he described: Mr.. Merchison
was bound for Durham. In the course
of the voyage, stay was made off
Mombasa. On the 18th of October, the
steamer being at anchor in Mombasa
bay, Mr. MerchisOn disappeared. The
writer's belief was that Mr.. Merchi-
son had had sudden attack of faint
ness or giddiness, lost his balance,
and fallen overheard, probably strik-
ing his head against the side OF the
ship as he fell. Nothing being discOv-
cred about his passenger, he had ex-
amined his effects, found Mrs. Merchi-
sons address in memorandum book,
and therefore now wrote to her and at
the same time forwarded Mr.. Merchi-
sons cabin trunk, and all that it con-
tanned, with other small matters lying
about his cabin.
The solicitor read this letter
through in silence, and silently handed
il back to Mrs. Elphinstone. She re-
placed it in the trunk.
"This trunk and lis contents have
remained intact ever since / received