The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1906-02-02


covered there and we went away, aft
err 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 coacLnan who had
driven Miss Holiday ana her maid
away from the house, and with this
END in view we visited all the stables
in the neighborhood, but from none Of
them had a carriage been ordered by
her Had she ordered it herself from
stable in some distant portion of the
city for the purpose of concealing her
whereabouts, or had it been ordered
for her by her maid, and was she real
ly the victim of foul play? / put this
question to Mr.. Royce, but he seemed
| quite unable to reach a conclusion. AS
! for myself, 1 was certain that she had
| gone away of her own accord and had
deliberately planned her disappearance.
Why? Well, began to suspect that
we had not yet really touched the bot
tom of the mystery.
! We drove back to the Office and found
| Mr.. Graham there. | related to him
the circumstances of our search and
submitted to him and to our junior one
question for immediate settlement.
''At the best, it's a delicate case" l
pointed out. Miss Holiday has plain
ly laid her plans very carefully to pre-
vent US following her. 1t may be diff
fcult to prove that she has not gone
away entirely of her own accord. She
certainly has a perfect right to go
wherever she wishes without consult
ing US. Have we the right to follow
her against her evident desireY
For a moment Mr. Graham did not
answer, but sat tapping his desk with
that deep line of perplexity between
his eyebrows. Then he nodded en-
phatically.
TITS our duty to follow ner and find
her." he said. ITS perfectly evident
to me that no girl in her right mind
would act as she has done. She had no
reason whatever for deceiving us-for
running away. We wouldn't have in
terfered with her. Jenkinson's right
she's suffering with dementia. We
ical treatment.
1T might not be dementia," / sug- |
gested, 80 much as undue influence
on the part of the new maid, perhaps
"Then it's our duty to rescue her |
from that influence" rejoined Mr.. Ora |
ham, "and restore her to her normal
mentality"
Even If we offend herr"
1--WE can't stop to think of that. Be-
sides. she won't be offended when she |
comes to herself. The question is how
to find her most speedily"
1.-THE police, probably, could do it
most speedily" l said, but since she
can be in no immediate danger of any
kind rather doubt whether it woui
be wise to call in the police. Miss
Holiday would very properly resent
any more publicity
But" objected Mr.. Graham, "if we
don't call in the police, how are we to
find her? | recognize, of course. how
undesirable it is that she should be
subjected to any further notoriety, but
is there any other wayT
l glanced MT Mr.. Royce and saw that
he was seemingly sunk in apathy.
IF | could be texcused from the
office for a few days, sir" l began
hesitatlngly, Il might be able to find
some trace OK her. If I'm unsuccess-
rul, we might then call in the author.
tiles"
Mr.. Royce frightened up for a mo-
ment.
That's it," he said. "Let Lester
look into it."
Very WELL" assented Mr.. Graham.
81 agree to that. OF course any eX-
pense y-ou may incur will be borne by
the Office"
THANK you, SIR" and l rose with
fast beating heart, for the adventure
appealed to me strongly. "I'll begin
at once then. | should like assistance
in one thing. Could you let me have
three or four clerks to visit the va
rious stables of the city? 1t would
be best, think, to use cur own people"
Certainly" assented our senior in
III call them in and we can
So four clerks were summoned, and
each was given a district of the city.
Their instructions were to find from
which stable Miss Holiday had or
dered a carriage on the morning of
April 3. They we're to re-
port at the Office every day, noon and
evening, until the search was finished.
They started away at once, and l
turned to follow them, when my eye
was caught by the expression of our
juniors face.
"AIr Royce is ill, sirr' cried. Look
at himp'
He was leaning forward heavily, his
face drawn and livid, his eyes set, his
hands plucking at the arms of his
chair. We sprang to him and led him
to a couch. l batbed his hands and
face in cold wateR while Mr.. Graham
hurriedly summoned physician. The
Il 10 I,A |