The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1934-01-05
CHAPTER XII
The Trail of an Alibi

The Trail of an Abb
The purser aboard the steamship
Florida ran his finger along the pas
senger list he had placed on his deck
before Rankin.
There, you see, Mr.. Rankin" he
said as his hand paused under a par
ticular entry, sis the name you are
looking for-Miss Laura Du Monte
She occupied Cabin % on @ deck.
don't recall her. but that seems to
settle that she made the voyage, as
she claims"
The detective verified his reading
"Not necessarily, Mr.. Hammond" he
returned. at is possible, you know.
for someone else to register as her, in
her place. l think ought to question
your ships doctor, the nurse, Miss
Sumner. and Mrs. Winters. just to
check up on it."
The detective first interviewed the
nurse. At his explanation of his mis-
sion and full description of Mrs. Jor-
dams blond golden hair. bow lips and
statuesque beauty, she promptly iden-
titled her patient of the last voyage In
Room g. She supported the actress
story that she was confined to her
cabin throughout the voyage. Even
when she felt better, she failed to go
on deck. In fact, on embarking. she
did not reserve either a deck chair or
table In the dining room.
"And that struck me as peculiar"
Miss Sumner asserted, because it's
practically the first thing every pas,
senger does. You would almost sup
pose she had decided to stick to her
stateroom and see no one"
"How do you happen to know she
didn't arrange for chair or table
space"
ST advised her several times to sit
on deck, when the cabin became
stuffy," the nurse replied 1.-THE air
would have helped her. But she re-
fused because she had no reserva
tons and declined to let me procure
them"
do you mean to suggest she re-
manned in her cabin to escape observa-
tion?' Rankin probed shrewdly. THAT
her illness was pretense to avoid en-
counters with passengers and crew
Is it possible that she feigned much of
her distress to have reasonable pre-
text for keeping to herself?"
well, yes; don't know why she
should have, but don't suppose it Is
out of the question"
AS Rankin dismissed the nurse, he
could not help being somewhat elated
at this information, trifling though II
was. For it raised some doubt
whether the woman who occupied
Cabin % was Laura Dumont And
when he summoned the stewardess.
this mere speculation unexpectedly
was fully and undeniably confirmed
There, 1 was right!" she announced
proudly. I'm not surprised at your
wanting to learn about her. was
suspicious of her because her hair
wasn't golden blond at all She really
had dark brown hair, straight and not
curly: the light hair on top was just
a wig over itr'
allow can you be certain of that
that she wore a disguise?" Rankin
demanded.
Mrs. Winters answered volubly
swell, | have eyes. Twice. when
this woman lay in bed particularly
bad, she was careless and let the wig
slip over to one side little. | dis
tinctly saw her real, darker hair IN
derneath." She paused, hesitantly
"And her name wasn't Laura Du
Monte either" she added
"You discovered that, too?" Ran
kin's appreciation increased with his
enthusiasm. That's wonderful Mrs
Winters! How did you learn that?"
But suddenly the stewardess ceased
to be loquacious; as though regret
ting her frankness. she glanced appre
hensiveiy at the purser.
you understand, didn't mean t.
be so newsy." the stewardess spoke
apologetically. "But after what ha(
| noticed I couldn't help wondering who
she was. And finally my curiosity GO
the best of me. Toward the end OF
| the voyage, while she was in her bath
| opened her largest suitcase and ex
| amined her clothes carefully. Som,
| of II was marked with name-tape."
"And who was ,sheT' Rankin put tn,
query with barely suppressed inten
| sity.
| Her name was Myra Prentiss; sh,
| had ii only on few articles-an oil,
| kimono. brassiere and two pairs O
hose. The rest was new and un
| marked"
The detective soon established tn,
| stewardess' inability to add furthe
TO his information concerning the pas
senger.- However. he was not disap
pointed; already. he felt. his speed
uncovering of the fraud and identify
ing his quarry was more luck than b
deserved. But for the woman's singl
| blunder while she was sick. he Nigh
j have drawn blank.
/ It was indisputable that Laura Jor
dan had deliberately engineered a
abb for herself. to mask her move