The letter was sent on by special messenger and
came at six."
"Then it arrived in the evening and not in the afternoon?"
"How particular you are!" said Miss Kendal, with a shrug. "Well,
then, Sidney said that he could not bring the mummy to this place
last night as it was so late. He intended--so he told my father
in the letter--to remove the case containing the mummy ashore to
an inn near the wharf at Pierside, and there would remain the
night so as to take care of it."
"That's all right," said Hope, puzzled. "Where's your
difficulty?"
"A note came from the landlord of the inn this morning, saying
that by direction of Mr. Bolton--that is Sidney, you know--he
was sending the mummy in its case to Gartley on a lorry, and that
it would arrive at three o'clock this afternoon."
"Well?" asked Hope, still puzzled.
"Well?" she rejoined impatiently. "Can't you see show strange it
is that Sidney should let the mummy out of his sight, after
guarding it so carefully not only from Malta to England, but all
the night in Pierside at that hotel? Why doesn't he bring the
mummy here himself, and come on with the lorry?"
"There is no explanation--no letter from Sidney Bolton?"
"None. He wrote yesterday, as I stated, saying that he would
keep the case in the hotel, and send it on this morning.
Pages:
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73