The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-02-11
CHAPTER Y.
I Dine with a Fascinating Strange

I'm going to reward you for your
clever work, Mr.. Royce he said.
r Ho M,li yop take the good news to Miss
. NY chief could not repress the swift
Cheeks but he managed a to speaH uncon
, "Why, yes; certainly. III be glad
~ do wish it" Goldberg assured
him, with a tact and penetration I
thought admirable. 'sYou may dismiss
the policeman who is with herr
;. Our junior looked inquiringly at the
district attorney;
what mBe asg btsse ed d be said Hay ask
intend finding the writer Of that
sBut, about Miss Holladayq'' u.
Singleton tapped his lips thought
fully with his pencil.
az 8 !! answer he said at last,
) J. should like to, go with you and ask
her one question. =" =
stantly, and led the way to the room
where Miss Holiday awaited u.s..
She rose with flushing face as we en-
tered. and stood looking at us without
speaking; but, despite her admirable
composure, could guess how she was
racked with anxiety. r.
Miss Holladay,o began my chief,
"this is Mr.. Singleton, the district
a al, who wishes to ask you few
Zone question only" corrected
Singleton bowling. >"Were you at your
Holladay9"
t'No, sir,'' she answered, Instantly
and emphatically. ct have not been
near my, fathers office for more than
I saw him studying her for moment,
"That is ali,S he said. 1T don't
think the evidence iustifes me in hold
ing her, Mr.. Royce and he left the
room: t followed him, for I knew that
l had no further part in our Junior
errand. I went back to our table and
busted myself gathering together orr
belongings. The room had gradually
| cleared, and at the end Of ten minutes
only the coroner and his clerk remained
They had another case, it seemed, to
which, perhaps, involved just as great
heartache and anguish as ours had. Five
minutes later my chief came hurrying
back to me, and glance at his beam
ing eyes told me how he had been
welcomed.
~. MMiss Holiday has started home
with her maid,'' he said. "She asked
me to thank you for her for the great
work you did this afternoon, Lester.
done everything. Yes, it was!'' he
added, answering my gesture of de-
NAL. "While I was cropping helplessly
around in the dark, you found the way
to the light. But come; we must get
back to the office"
We found cab at the curb, and in
a moment were rolling back over the
route we had traversed that morning
ages ago, as it seemed to me! It was
only a lew minutes after O'Clock, and
[ reflected that I should yet have time
to complete the papers in the Hurd case
before leaving for the night.
Mr.. Graham was still at his desk, and
he at once demanded an account Of the
hearing. I went back to my work and
SO caught only a word here and there
Enough, however,. to show me that
extraordinary affair. AS for me, I put
all thought of it resolutely from me,
and devoted myself to the work in
hand. It was done at last, and I locked
my desk with a sigh of relief. Mr.
Graham nodded to me kindly as /
passed out, and I left the office with
a comfortable feeling that I had done
a good days work for myself, as well
as for my employers.
A man who had. apparently been
lettering in the hall followed me into
the elevator.
s'This is Mr.. Lester, ism It it?' he
asked, as the car started to descend.
eyes, I said, looking at him in
surprise. He was well dressed, with
alert eyes and strong, pleasing face. ]
had never seen him before.
"And you re going to dinner, aren U
you, Mr.. Lester9' he continued.
Yes-to dinner [ assented, more
and more surprised.
he said, smiling at my look of amaze
ment, Hbut / want you to dine with
me this evening. | can promise YOU
most places in New York;
'But I am not dressed" I pro
! "That doesn u matter in the least
n soi TN y0S5 e sse We will dine
"Whereq' I questioned. ~.
"Well, how would the Studio suits'i
The car had reached the ground foo1
and we left it together. I was com
pletely in the dark as to my com
panion g purpose, and yet it could have
but one explanation must be con
: nected in some way with the Holiday
case. Unless and I glanced at hin
again. No, certainly. he was not con
hdence man-even If he was I woult
rather. welcome the adventure. MY
} curiosity won the battle.
every well,'' I said. "Ill be plai
to accept your invitation, Mr. =,
He nodded approvingly.
"There spoke the man of sense. Well
you shall not go unrewarded. Godfrey
is my name-no, you don t know me
but I'll soon explain myself. Here's
my cab. -
I mounted into it, he after me. II
} seemed to me that there was an un
} usual number Of loiterers about the door
Of the building, but we were of in {
moment, and I did not give them 8
second thought. We ratified out into
. Broadway, and turned northward fol-
;. the three-mile straightaway run to the
Union Square. I noticed in. moment
that we were going at rate Of speed
rather exceptional for cab, and il
steadily increased, as the driver found
a clear road before him. MY companion
threw up the trap in the roof Of the
cab as we swung around into Thirteenth
street.
/ "All right, Sams' he called.
| The driver grinned down at us thru
the hole.
nAn right, SIR he answered "They
couldn't stand the pace q little bit
They re distance!, -
The trap snapped down again, we
turned into Sixth avenue, and stopped
in moment before the Studio-gray
land forbidding without, but a dream
within. Ny companion led the way