The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, December 15, 1905, Image 3
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CHAPTER YI.
I WAS quite dnred for the moment.
"A crowd of them In my room!"
I repeated. "A crowd of whom.
Mn. Fitch T'
"A crowd of reporter*I They've been
.worrying my life out. They seemed to
tfclfek I had you hid somewhere. I I
ha^e you're not In trouble. Mr. Lester?"
| "Met the least In the world, my dear
madam," X laughed. And I breathed a I
long blah of relief, for I had feared I |
know not what disaster. "I'll soon flnl,K
.!,>. ?- - ' " ~
.mmm mui iut r?i>uners." All(l I went
ofl'Op the stair.
LaOf before I reached my rooms I
heard the clatter of Tolces and caught
tho odor of rirlona qualities of tobacco.
They were lolling about over the
furniture, telling stories, I suppose, and
they greeted me with a cheer when I
entered. They were such Jovial felleUrs
that ft was quite impossible to
feel -atogry with them. And, besides, I
knew that they were gentlemen; that
they labored early and late at meager
sals rise for the pure love of the work;
that they were quick to scent fraud or
trlekery or unworthlness and inexora*
ble In exposing It; that ther loved
to do good anonymously, remaining 'it*
forty unknown save to the appreciative
% few behind the scenes, 80 1 returned ,
?,/ their greeting smilingly and sat me
down In a chair which one of them
obligingly vacated for me.
"Well?" I began, looking about at
them. 1
"My dear Mr. Lester." said the one '
who had given me the clinir, "permit
me to Introduce myself as Itnnkin of ]
the Planet. These gentlemen"-and he
(nnliulnil *
imciu in ii wiuf pp.sturc-Maro 1
my colleagues of the press. We've been '
anxiously nwaiting you l'.ore In order 1
that we may propound to you certain
questions." i
"AH right; Are away," I said. I
"First, we'd like to have your theory
of the ertme. Your work this afternoon
convinced us that you know how
to put twj and two together, which la
more than can be said for the ordinary
mortal. The public will want to *
know your theory?the great public."
"Oh, but I haven't any theory," 1 ?
n?e. You see. gentleinc*, I'tp quite out ?
Of the case. Wlicn we cleared Mis? ^
Holladay cur ojine tl mi with It endo.l."
"But la Miss llolladay cleared?" ho .
persisted. "Ia it not qulto conceivable
that In those two hours she wag absent
They greeted me with, a chctr when I en
tercd.
from ber carriage she may have
changed her gown, gone to ber father's
office, ami then changed back again?
, In that eaae, would she not naturally
hare chosen a green gown, since she
never wore green?"
"Oh, nonsense!" I cried. "That's
puerile. Either she would disgulee herself
effectually or not at all. 1 suppose
If you were going to commit a capital
crime you would merely put on a high
hat because you never wear one! I'll
tell you this much: I'm morally certain
that Miss Holladay Is quite innocent;
so, 1 believe, is the district attorney."
"But how about the note, Mr. Lester?
What did It contain?"
"Oh, 1 can't tell you that, you know.
It's none of my business."
"But you ought to treat us all alike,"
be protested.
"I do treat you all alike."
"But didn't Godfrey get it out of
-e yeu?"
"Oodfrey!" 1 repeated. ''Get it out of
me?"
" He scared at mp In astonishment
HPo you meto to ten me, Mr. Looter."
he questioned, "that you haven't
been spending the evening with Jim
Ohdfrey of the Record?"
Then, in a flasn, I understood, and aa
I looked at tt? rueful fucea of -the men
fathered about me I laughed until the
tears came.
It was you." X gasped, "who
(bind tta up Broadway?"
He nodded.
*14 hat oar horaee vfofon't food
. . .
mm <^1 ?
A Mystery j ;
Of Two f
r Continents ^ '
XXV ** l
BURTJN E. A
STEVENSCN J
Copyright. 1903, by I
| Henry Holt end K
Company *
enough. Where did he take you'r"
"To the Studio?Sixth avenue."
"Of course!" he cried, slapping his
leg. "We might have^kuowu. Boys,
we'd better go back to I*odunk."
"Well, at least, Mr. Lester," spoke up
another, "you oughtn't to give Godfrey
a scoop."
"But I didn't give him n scoop. 1
didn't even know who ho was."
"Didn't you tell him what was In the
note?"
"Not a word of It. I told him ouly
one tiling."
"And what was that?"
"That the person who wrote the note
didn't know that Rogers was color
blind. Yon ure welcome to that statement
too. You see, I'm treating you all i
alike."
They stood about me staring down at
ine, silent with astonishment.
"But," I added, "I think Godfrey suspects
what wns in the note." j
"Why?" |
"Well, his theory fits It pretty elose1/."
,
"His theory! What Is his theory, Mr.
lister?"
"Oh, come," I laughed. "That'll telling.
It's a good theory too."
They looked at each other, and, I
fancied, gneraed their teeth.
"He seems a pretty clever fellow," I
added, Juat to pile up the agony. "I
fancy you'll say so. too, when you see
his theory In tomorrow's paper."
"Clever!" cried Rankin. "Why. he's
a rery flend of cleverness when It
comes to a case of this kind. We're not
In the same class with him. He's a
fancy fellow?Just the Record kind. 1
You're sure you didn't tell him anything
else, Mr. I.ester?" he added anxiously.
"Godfrey's capable of getting a
itory oat of a fence post." j
"No. I'm quite sure I didn't tell him '
mythlng else. I only listened to his
theory with great Interest." I
"And assented to It?"
"I said t thought It plausible."
An electric shock seemed to run f
i round the room. : 1
"That's It!" cried Rankin. "That's i *
vhat he wanted. Now, It Isn't bis 1
heory any more. It's yours. Oh, I r
an see his headlines! Won't you tell *
\? what It was?" f
"Now. frankly. Mr. Rankin." I askeit. *
'If you were In my place would you f
ell?" 1
lie hesitated for a moment and then <
leld out his hand, >
"No," he said as I took It. "I *
ihouldn't. Shake hands, sir; you're all
right. Come on, boys; we might as 1
well be going." <
They filed out after him, and I heard <
hem go singing up the street. Then
[ sank back Into my chair and thought 1
igaln of Godfrey's theory. It se me I I
to fit tho case precisely, point by point '
-even?and I started at the thought? 1
to Miss IIollnday'H reticence an to her 1
Whereabouts the afternoon before. The <
whole mystery lay plain before me. In i
tome way sho had discovered the ox- I
Istence of her half sister, had secured i
tier address; she had gone to visit her i
and had found her away from home? i
It was probable, even, that the half
lister bad written her, asking her to
come?though, In that case, why had
she not remained at home to receive ,
her? At any rate. Miss Holladay had
awaited her return, bad noticed her
agitation; had, perhaps, even seen cer- |
tain marks of blood unou her. The
news of her father's death had pointed
all too clearly to what that agitation
and those blood spots meant. 6he had
remained silent that she might not be- (
smirch her father's name, and also,'
perhaps, that she might protect tlio .
other woman. I felt that I held In my j
hand the key to the whole problem.
Point by point?but what a snarl It
was I That there would be a vigorous
search for the other woman I could i
not doubt, but she had a long start and 1
should easily escape. Yet perhaps she
bad not started. She must have remained
lu town, else how could that
.note have been sent to us? She had remained,
then?but why? That she
should feel any affection for Frances
Holladay seemed absurd, and yet how ,
else explain the note? I
I felt that I was getting tangled up
In the snarl again. There seemed no
limit to its Intricacies; so, In very de- ,
spalr, I put the matter from me as
completely as I could and went to
bed. I
The morning's Record attested the
truth of Rankin's prophecy. I had
grown famous In a night, for Godfrey
had in a measure made me responsible
for bis theory, describing me with a
health of adjectives which I blush to
remember and which I have even yet
not quite forgiven him. I smiled us I
read the first lines:
A Record representative had the pleasure
yesterday evening of dining with Mr.
Warwick Lester,' the brilliant young attorney
Who achieved such a remarkable
victory before Coroner Goldberg yesterday
afternoon In the hearing of the Holladey
case, and, of course, took occasion
to discuss with him the latest developments
of thts extraordinary crime. Mr.
Lester agreed with the Record In a theory
which is the only one that fits the
facts of tbe case and completely and satlotooterlly
explains all its ramifications.
Tba theory was then developed At
great length, and the article concluded
with tbe statement that the Record
was assisting the police in a strenuous
1 _
endeavor to llnd tne guilty woman.
Now that the police knew iu wblcl
quarter to spread their net, I had llttl<
doubt that she would soon be found
since she had tempted Providence bj
remaining In town.
Mr. Graham and Mr. Rojce wer<
looking through the Record artlcl*
when I reached the office, and 1 ex
plained to them bow tbe alleged Inter
view had been secured. They laughet
together In appreciation of Godfrey*!
audacious enterprise.
"It seems a pretty strong theory/
said our senior. "I'm Inclined to be
lleve It myself."
I pointed out bow It explained Mis:
Holladay's reticence?her refusal to aa
slst us lu proving an alibi. Mr. Royc<
nodded.
"Precisely. Ab Godfrey said, the the
ory touches every point of the case
According to the old police axiom, tha1
proves It's the right one."
CHAPTER VII.
THE body of Hiram Holhiday was
placed beside that of his wlf<
lU his mnltn mniwAU.m,
^ Wood law n on 111? Sunday fol
lowing his death. Two days later hh
will, which W?d been drawn up by Mr
Graham audi deposited In the office
safe, was read nnd duly admitted tc
probate. As was expected, he had lefl
all his property, without condition 01
reserve, to his daughter Frances.
There were a few bequests to old servants,
Itogers receiving n handsome legacy;
about half a million was given tc
various charities In which he had been
Interested during his life, and the remainder
was placed at the absolute
disposal of his daughter.
We" found that his fortune had beeu
overestimated, as Is usually the case
with men whose wealth depends upon
the fluctuations of the Street but there
Btlll remained something over four millions
for the gtrl?a pretty dowry. She
told us at once that she wished to leave
her affairs In our hands and In financial
matters would l>e guided entirely
by our advice. Most of tills business
was conducted by our Junior, and.
while, of course, he told me nothing. It
was evident that Miss Hoiladny's kindly
feelings toward him had suffered no
ilimiuutlon. The whole office was mo'c
or less conversant with the affair and
wished lilm success and happiness.
So u week or ten days passed. The
utmost endeavor of newspapers and
police had shed no new light on the
tragedy, and for the great pnbllc It
had passed Into the background of
the forgotten, but for me, at least.
II rrmmnea or undiminished Interest
md more than once I carefully reviewed
Its features to convince myielf
anew that our theory was the
Ight one. Only one point occurred to
ue which would tend to prove it unrue
? if there was an illegitimate
laughter, the blow she had dealt her
IVt#T"IubOill*r.he ilaa Iiii/.Vv>M -<:-t
iny hope of income from him; so she
iad acted in her own despite? Still,
3odfrey's theory of sudden passion
night explain this away. And then
ignin Miss Holladay could probably
>e counted upon, her first grief past
:o provide suitably fo^ her sister.
3rauting this, the theory seemed to me
julte Impregnable.
One other thing puzzled me?how
;ind this woman eluded the police? I
<new that the French quarter had been
ransacked for traces of her, wholly
without success, and yet I felt that
the search must have been mlscouiucted,
else some trace of her would
lurely have been discovered. Miss Holladay,
of course, rigidly refused herself
to all inquirers, and here again 1
found myself on the horns of a dilemma.
Doubtless she was very far from
wishing the discovery of the guilty
woman, ana yet I felt tU?t hIic must
be discovered, if only for Miss Holla(lay's
Bake, In order to clear away the
last vestige of the cloud that shadowed
her.
Then eaine new developments with a
startling rapidity. It was toward quitting
time one afternoon that a clerk
brought word into the inuer office that
there was a woman without who
wished to see Mr. Royee at once. She
bad given no name, but our junior,
who hnppened to be at leisure for the
moment, directed that she be shown In.
I recognized her In an Instant, and so
did he?It was Miss Ilolladay's maid.
I saw, too, that her eyes were red
with weeping, and as she sat down
beside our junior's desk she began to
cry afresh.
"Why, what's the matter?" he demanded.
"Nothing wrong with your
mistress?"
"She ain't my mistress any more,"
sobbed the girl, "She discharged me
this afternoon."
"Discharged you!" echoed our junior.
"Why, I thought she thought so much
of you?"
"And so did I, sir, but she discharged
mo just the same."
"But what for?" persisted the other.
"That's just what I don't know, sir.
I begged and prayed her to tell me, but
she wouldn't even see me. Ho I CAm<
down here. 1 thought maybe you could
help me."
"Well, let me hear about It Juat as II
happened," said Mr. Koyce soothingly
"Perhaps I can help you."
"Oh, If you could, sir!" she cried
"You know, I thought the world and
11 of Miss Frances. I've been wltl
her nearly eight years, and for her t<
gp and treat roe }lke tble?why. If Juir
breaks my heart, slr{ | dressed hei
this afternoon about 9 o'clock, am
he was as nice to me as ever?gnvi
we a -little brooch.- shy- that she- wai
tired of. Then she went out for i
drive, and about an hour ago cairn
back. I went right up to her rootn t<
undress her. and when I knocked, sir
a Strange woman came to the door an<
said that Ml" Frances bad engage
her for her maid and wouldn't need m
any more, and here was a roonth'i
wage*. pd.yrhUe ( gtood there. a)i
t
? ; / / *
. _ ?wv? AUf MT
too dazed to more, she shut the dooi
1 In my face. After I'd got over It i
P bit, I begged that I might sec Mis:
? Frances, If only to Ray goodby, bu
f she wouldn't see me. She sent wort
that she wasn't feeling well and
? wouldn't be disturbed."
? Her sobs mastered her again unt:
she stopped. I could see the look ol
amazement on our junior's face, and
1 did 'nnt Tvnn.iA? -? " """ *
in it. w oat suddec
? dislike could her mistress hare con
celred against this inoffensive and de
' voted creature?
"Ton say this other maid wns
' stranger?" be asked,
i "Yes, sir; she'd never been in the
bouse before, so far as I know. Miss
i Frances brought her back with her In
the carriage."
"And what sort of looking woman Is
Bher
I The girl hesitated.
"She looked like a foreigner, sir,"
she said at last. "A Frenchwoman,
maybe, by the way she roils her r's."
I pricked up my ears. The same
1 thought occurred at that instant to
' both Mr. Royce and myself.
"Does she resemble Miss ilolladny?"
lie asked quickly.
1 "Miss Holladay? Oh, no, sir. Bhe's
much older?her hair's quite gray."
f Well, certainly. Miss Holladay had
* the right to choose any maid she
pleased and to discharge any or nil of
' her servants; and yet it seemed
strangely unlike her to show such
seeming injustice to any one.
"You say she sent down word that
? she was 111?" said Mr. Royce at last,
i "Was she 111 when you dressed her?"
"Why, sir," she answered slowly, "I
> grouldn't exactly say she was 111, but
she seemed troubled about something.
I I think she'd been crying. She's been
> crying n good deal, off and on, since
her father died, poor thing.'" she added.
i That would explain It, certainly, and
yet grief for her father might not be
i the only cause of Frances Holladny's
tears.
"But she didn't seem vex??d with
you?"
"Oh, no, sir; she gave me a brooch,
as I told you."
"I fear I can't promise you anything,"
said Mr. Royce slowly, after a
moment's thought. "Of course It's
none Of Crti x*1"
? - - - W ?va iTAioo UUilHUHy
mutt arrange her household to suit
herself; yet. If you don't get hark with
your old mistress, I may perhaps be
able to find you a position somewhere
else. Suppose you come back In three
or fow days, and I'll see what I can
do."
"All right, sir, and thank you," she
Mid, and left the office.
I bad some work of my own to keep
me busy that night, so devoted no
thought to Frances Holladay s?ud her
affulrs, but they were recalled to me
with renewed force uext morning.
"HVl you get Miss liolladny's aig
oatifre to that conveyance?" Mr. Ura1
* ">>?*?? ? ??. --J- hi. I,, ?V,~
"No, sir." answered Mr. Royce, wltu
just . a trace of embarrassment. "I
culled at the house last night, but sbe
fent down word that she was too 111
to see me 01 to transact any business."
"Nothing serious, 1 hope?" asked the
ther qulcaly.
"No, sir. I think not. Just a trace
of uervousness, probably."
Rut when he called again at the
house that evening he received a similar
message, supplemented with the
news Imparted by the butler, a servant
Of many years' standing In the family,
that Miss Holladay had suddenly decided
to leave the city and opoa her
-> country place on Long Island. It was
only the end of March, and so a full
two months and more uhead of the
season. But Bhe was feeling very ill,
was not able to leave her room. Indeed,
and believed the fresh ulr nnd quiet
of the cousitry would do more than
nuytumg else to restore ner shattered
nerves. So the whole household, with
the exception of her mniU, a cook,
house girl and uuderbutler, were to
leave the city next day in order to get
the country house ready at ouce.
"1 don't wonder she needs a little
toning up," remarked our chief sympathetically.
"She has gone through
a nerve trying ordeal, especially for
a girl reared as she has been. Two
or three months of quiet will do her
good. When does she expect to leave?"
"In about a week, I think. The time
hasn't been definitely set. It will depeud
upon how the arrangements go
forward. It won't be necessary, will
1 It, to bother her with any details of
business? That conveyance, for Instance"?
"('an waif til} sh# gets back- No, we
flrofl't'botlw lier ftt nil,"
Hut it seemed that she had either Unproved
or changed her tnlnd, for two
days later a note, which her maid hud
written for her, came to Mr. (irnhain
asking him to call upon her lu the
course of the next twenty-four hours,
as she wished to talk over some mat
' ters of business with him. It struck
me as singular that she should ask foi
Mr. Graham, but our senior called a
cab and started off at ouce without
' comment. An hour later the door opeq
ed and be entered the office with a
most peculiar express 1cm of counte
"Well, that beats me!" he exclaimed
fcs he dropped Into bis chair,
j Our junior wheeled around toward
him without speaking, but his i\nxletj
, ' was plain enough*
'To think that a girl as level handed
i aa Prauces Holladay baa always beet
I should suddenly develop such wblmsl
9 colltlea. Yet.I.couldn't but admire hei
i ? grasp of things. Here have 1 beet
x thinking she didn't know anythlni
e about her business and didu't care, bn
j she seems to have kept ber eyes open.'
"Well?" asked Mr. ltoyce as the otb
1 er paused.
1 . "Well, she started out by romindlni
a me that ber property bad been left t<
a ber absolutely, to do as she pleasei
\ wjth, a point which 1, of courae. con
k/U<
r ceded. sue then went ?n to uj tn
x she knew of * number of bequests h
3 father hail Intended to make before h
t death, nnd which bo would bare mac
t If be bad not be?n cut off oo mddenl
1 that the bequests were of auch a n
ture that he did not wish h'.s name
I appear in them, and that ebe was golr
f to undertake to c? tj them out anon,
I mously."
i "Well?" aaked our junior again.
"Well," said Mr. lir.-tham elowly, "el
aaked me to dispose at once of such <
her securities as I thought beet lu o
i (ler tbut I might place In her hand* I
tomorrow night $100,000 In cash?
cool hundred thousand!"
1 I CHATTER VIII.
A HUNDRED thousand dollars!
ejaculated Mr. Royce, and sh
staring at bis cblef.
"A hundred thousand dollart
That's n good deal for a girl to glv
away In a lump, but she can afford I
Of course we've nothing to do but cai
ry out her Instructions. I think both o
us cnu guess what she intends doln
with the money."
The other nodded. I believed that
could guess too. The money, of cours*
was Intended for the other wonias
She was not to suffer for her crime af<
er all. Miss Holladay seemed to mo 1;
no little danger of becoming an nece5
sory after the fact.
"She seems really ill," continued ou
senior. "She looks thinner and quit
careworn. I commended her resolutio:
to seek rest nud quiet and change o
sceue."
"When does she go, sir?" asked Mr
f.oyce In a subdued voice.
"The day after tomorrow, I think
She did uot say definitely. In fact, shi
could talk very little. She's manage*
to catch cold-the grip, I 'suppose?an*
was very hoarse. It would have beei
cruelty to make her talk, and I dldn'
try."
He wheeled around to bin desk am
then suddenly back aguln.
"By the way," he said. "I saw th?
new maid. I can't say I wholly ap
prove of her."
He paused a minute, weighing hh
words.
"She seems careful und devoted," h<
went on at last, "but I don't Ilka hei
eyes. They're too Intense. I caught
her two or three times watching mt
strungely. I can't Imagine where Mist
Holladay picked her up. or why she
should have picked her up at all. She'i
French, of course. She speaks with
decided accent. About the money, 1
suppose we'd better sell a block ol
V. P. bonds. They're the least produc
five of her securities."
"Yes. I suppose bo." ngreed Mr.
Royce, and the chief called up n broker
and gave the necessary orders. Then
he turned to other work, and the day
passed without any further reference
to Mlss_ Holladay or her affairs,
afternoon, a small packet neatly sealed
and docketed ?100 thousand dollar
bllh- Mr. Uraham turned It over In
tils band thoughtfully.
"You'll take It to the bouse, of course,
John," he said to bis partner. "Lester
*d better go with yoife"
So Mr. Itoyce placed the package In
bis pocket, n cab was summoned, ami
we were off. The trip was mnde with
out Incident, and at the eud of hall
an hour we drew up before the Ilolla
day manslou.
It was one of the old style browi
stone frouts which lined both side;
of tho avenue twenty years ago. I
was no longer In the ultra fashlouabli
quarter, which had moved up towan
Central park, and aliops of various
kinds were beginning to eucroach upoi
the neighborhood, but it had been HI
rain Ilolladay's home for forty years
and he had never beeu willing to par
with It. At this moment all the blindi
were down and the house had n de
serted look. We mounted the steps t<
the door, which was opened at once ti
our ring by a woman whom I knev
Instinctively to be the new maid
though she looked much less like i
maid than like an elderly working \vc
man of the middle class.
"We've brought the money Miss Hoi
ladny asked Mr. Graham for jester
day," said Mr. Itoyce. "I'm Johi
Koyee, his partner." And without n?
swering the woman motioned us ir
"Of course we must have a receipt fu
It," he added. "I have It rp.a?iy her?
and she need only mihyh ber
ture."
"Miss Hollnday Is too 111 to see yoi
flr,'< said the maid, with careful euui
1 elation. "I will myself the paper tnk
lo her and get her signature."
Mr. Itoyce hesitated a moment 1
> l>crplexlty. As for me, I was raneacl
lng my memory. Where bad I hear
i that voice before? Somewhere, I wo
i certain?a voice low, vibrant. r<
, pressed, full of color. Then, with
start, I remembered. It was Miss Ho
laday's voice as she had risen to we
come onr junior that morning at tfc
i coroner'e court. I shook myself t<
: gether, for that was nonsense.
'.'4 tbnt won't do," said M
> Noyce at last. "The sum Is a consh
erable one aud must be given to Mb
Holladay by me personally In the pre
I ence of this witness."
It was the maid's turn to hesitate.
L saw her lips tighten ominously.
r "Very well, sir," she said. "But
waru you ahe Is most nervous, and
j . has been forbidden ber to talk."
. "She will uot be called upon to talk
retorted Mr. Itoyce curtly, and wit
' out unsweftng the woman turned at
t led the way up the stair and to hi
mistress' room.
| Miss Ilolladay was lying back lu
, front chair with n bandage about b
head, and oven In the half light 1 con
see how changed she was. She seenx
much thinner and older and cough<
* occasionally In a way that frlghtem
0 me. Not grief alone, I told myse
* could have caused thla breakdown;
i* was the secret weighing upon bet. &
\
It 1^
' "1 have brought the money you ask for."
companion noted tho change, too. of
course?a greater change perhaps than
my eyes could perceive?and I saw
how moved and shocked he was.
r "My dear Miss Holladay," ho began,
? but she stopped him abruptly with a
11 little Imperative motion of the haud.
' "Pray do not," she whispered hoarsely.
"Pray do not."
He stopped and pulled himself together.
When he spoke again It was In
quite a different tone.
" "1 have brought the mouey you usked
* for," and he huuded her the package.
1 "Thank you," she murmured.
? "Will you verify the nmouut?"
t "Oh, no; that is not uecessary."
"1 huve a receipt here," nud ho pro1
duced It and his fountain pen. "Please
sign It."
? She took the peu with trembling fln
gem, laid the receipt upon her chair
arm without reading and signed her
name with n somewhat painful slow
ness. Thou she leaned hack with a
^ sigh of relief and burled her face In
r her hands. Mr. Royee placed the rct
celpt lu his pocketbook nnd stopped,
s hesitating. Itut the maid had opened
i the door and was awaiting us. Her
? mistress made no sign; there was no
i excuse to linger. We turned and foll
lowed the maid.
[ "Miss Holladny seems very 111," said
f Mr. Iloyce In a voice somewhat tremulous
as she paused before us iu the
lower hall.
"Yes, sir; ver' 111."
Again the voice! I took advantage
of tho chance to look at her Intently.
Her lialr was turning gray, certainly;
i her face was seamed with lines which
ouly care and poverty could have
I living likeness to litrnm runuunjr ?
daughter. I looked again?It was faint,
i uncertain?perhaps my nerves were
overwrought ami were deceiving me.
, For how could such a likeness possibly
exist?
"She has a physician, of course?'*
i asked my compaulou.
I "Oh, yea, sir."
"lie has advised rest and ijulct?"
! "Yes, sir."
"When do you leave for the country?"
i "Tomorrow or the next day after
4 that. I think, sir."
t He turned to the door and then panse
ed, hesitating. He opened his lips to
1 say something more?his anxiety was
s clamoring for utterauce ? then he
i changed his mind nud stepped ontsido
as she held the door open.
"Good day," he said, with stern re
t press Ion. "I wish her a Dleaannt lour
? uey."
The door closed after us, uud we
a went down the stops.
0 "Jenklnson's the family doctor," he
v said. "Let's drive around there and
find out how ill Miss Ilollndny really
a is. I'm worried about her, Lester."
h "That's a good idea," 1 agreed and
gave the driver the address. Jenklm
on was In his office and received us.
at once.
a "Dr. Jenkinson/' began our Junior
_ without preamble, "I am John Royce,
L of Graham & ltoyce. You know, I supy
pose, that we are the legal advisers of
Miss Frances Holladay."
"Yea," answered Jenkinson. "Ulad to
meet you, Mr. ltoyce."
,t "In consequence we're naturally intevested
In her welfare and all tlnti
e concerna her, and I called to ask you
for some definite details of her condt,
xi tion."
t. "ITer condition? I don't quite-under,
j stand."
l8 "Wo should like to. know, doctor, just
?. how 111 she is."
a "111!" repeated Jenkinson, in evident
1- surprise. "But la she ill?"
1- "fche's your patient. Isn't she? I
io thought you were the family doctor "
>. "So I am," assented the other, "Ru?
I oxw>.? M lun
. u.iivii \ ncvu .11 tan I1UI1IIUUJ lUI' Kill
r. days or two weeks. At that time she
1- seemed quite well?a little nervous,
is pcrlinps, and worried, but certainly
s- not requiring medical attention. She
has always been unusually robust."
I Mr. Royce stopped, perplexed. As for
ine, my head was in a whirl again.
1 "I'll tell you the story," he said at
It last. "I should like the henetit of your
advice." Ami he recounted rapidly the
facts of Miss Holladay's illness, in so
h- far as he knew them, ending with an
id account of our recent visit and the
er statement of the maid that her mistress
was under u doctor's cure. Joua
kinson heard him to the end -without
er interrupting, hut he was plainly pu7.)d
zled and annoyed.
fd "And yo;i say she looked very 111?"
ed lie asked.
ed "Oh, vorv 111, sir;, alarmingly 111, to
If, :
jy Continued on page 6.
''v p