The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1905-12-22
6be
|H0HadaY
Case


UoheH uVWn, ANA tue QOct0r made him
take long vacation. He came home
few months later, but Mrs. Holla-
day stayed on. She didn't get strong
again, some way. She stayed nearly
four years, and he went over every
few months to spend II week with her.
and at last she came home to die,
'bNnging her child with her. That was
the first time any Of us ever saw Miss
Frances"
''Mr. Holladay thought a great deal
of hery
You may well say SO. sir. She took
his wifes place." said the old man
simply.
"And she thought n great deal of
himT'
More than that, sir She fairly wor-
SHIPPED him. She was always at the
door to meet him; always dined with
him; they almost always spent their
evenings together. She didn't care much
for society. I've often heard her tell
him that she'd much rather just stay
1t home with him. 1t was he who
rather insisted on her going out, for
he was proud Of her, as he'd q right
to be-"
"Yes," N,id, for oil this fitted in
exactly with what had always heard
about the family. There We're no
other relatives, were there?"
"Nonc ut all, sir. Both Mr. Holla-
day and his wife were only children.
Their parents, of course, have been
lead for years."
Nor any intimate frfends?"
A,,n
Frances had some school friends, but
slie was always s-well-reserved, SIR
Yes" I nodded again. "And now,"
/ added, tell ne, as fully as YOU can,
what has happened within the last
three weeks"
We'll, sir" he began slowly, after
her fathers death she seemed quite
distracted for awhile-wanderel about
tie house. sat in the library of even.
Mgs. ate scarcely any hing Then Mr..
iio! &C SsDt - co.--iug o the ho..se, al
Sic brightc4ed up, ana We al hoped
she'd soon lie all right again. Then she
seemed to- get worsc of q sudden and
cent to 81 away to get Belaii ready.
/ 80; TIC pia In ore, sir, ana tcle-
SrarEcd hci ;hat we were ready. She
Gnc3'ere tia sha'G come in few
days. Ten ;,iys Gs:o tho rest OF the
servants came, AMI / !o,ked for her
every Gay, hut size di,:n't come tele-
g:aphed her again, bat she didn't an
sWer, ana fiaa,ly l Sot 50 uneasy. sir,
/ Couldn't rest, and came hack to the
city TO see what was the matter. 1
got here cary this morning and went
light to The hou e. Thomas, the sec
>onl butler, had been left in charge.
and he tod me that Miss Frances and
her maid her started for Beiair the
same day the servants did. That's all
/ know"
Then she's been gone ten days?" I
questioned.
Ten days; yes, SIR
Ten Gays! What might rot have hap
pencu in that time! Or. Jenki:lson's
theory O: de;Ientia recu;rci to me, AMI
i was more than c.el inclined to cre.ti,
it. How Gle eXi,lall t':ls fight?
could zee fr3r Mr.. Royce's face how
absolutely nonp.u-ed he was.
"We.l." aid a. iA;t. for want of
some:E Ling better, well go with you
the Eo;iso and gee the man in charge
there Perhaps he can tell us some
thing i.Ore.'
But he could tel us very little. Ten
days before n carriage had driven up
to tie door. Mss Holladay and her
mail had eutered 1t and been driven
away. The carriage had been called
he thought from some neighbOring
stable, as the family coacliman had
been sent away with the other sefv-
ants. They had driven down the ave-
nue. toward Thirty-fourth street,
where he supposed they were going to
the Long Island station. We looked
through the house; 1t was In perfect
order. Miss Holidays rooms were
just as she would naturally have left
them. Her fathers rooms, too, were
evitAntly undsturbed.
Here's one thing" said, ''that
might help" and / picked up photo
graph from the mantel. You won't
mind my using itT'
Mr. Royce took 1t with trembling
band and gazed at 1t for moment
Mt the dark eyes, the earnest mouth.
Then he handed it back to me.
mo" he answered, mot II 1t will
really help. We must use every means
we can. Only
II won't use II unless absolutely
have to-" assured him. "And when
I'm done with 1t I'll destroy it,
Very WELL" he assented, and I put
It In my pocket.
There was nothing more to be dis
covered there, and we went away, aft
er warning the two men to say not a
word to any one concerning their mis-
tress' disappearance.
Plainly the first thing to be done
was to find the coachman who had
driven Miss Holiday and her maid
away from the house. and with this