Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1906-04-06
a Mystery
OF I w O
Continents
BY
BURTON E.
STEVENSON
Copyright. 1908, by
Henry Holt and
Company

disposal of his daughter
We found that his fortune had been
overeStimated, as is usually the case
with men whose wealth depends upon
the fluctuations Of the Street. but there
still remained something over four mil
lions for the girl-a pretty dOwry. She
told us ut once that she wished to leave
her affairs In our hands and in finan-
cial matters would be guided entirely
by our advice Most Of this business
was conducted by our junior. and.
while, Of course, he told me nothing, 1t
was evident that Miss Holidays kind
ly feelings toward him had suffered no
diminution. The whole office was more
or less conversant with the affair and
wished him success and happiness.
So a week or ten days passed. The
utmost endeavor Of newspapers and
police had shed no new light on the
tragedy. and for the great public 1t
had passed into tho background Of
the forgotten, but for me, at least,
It remained of .unliminished interest,
and more than once I carefully re-
viewed its features to convince my
self anew that our theory was the
right one. Only one point occurred to
me which would tend to prove 1t un-
true If there was an illegitimate
daughter, the blow she had dealt her
father had also deprived her Of what.
ever income he had allowed her or of
Of y,nn oh
had acted in her own despite Still.
Godfrey's theory Of sudden passion
might explain this away. And then
again Miss Holiday could probably
be counted upon, her first grief past,
to provide suitably for her sister.
Granting this, the theory seemed to me
quite 1mpregnable.
One other thing puzzled mellow
had this woman eluded the police?
knew that the French quarter had been
ransacked for traces Of her, wholly
without success. and yet I felt that
the search mrst have been miscon-
Quoted, else some trace Of her would
surely have been discovered. Miss Hol-
laday, Of course, rigidly refused her
self to all inquirers, and here again
found myself on the horns Of a diem
ma. Doubtless she was very far from
wishing the discovery Of the guilty
woman, and yet felt that she must
be discovered, If only for Miss Holla-
days sake, in order to clear away the
last vestige Of the cloud that shad.
owed her
Then came new developments with a
startling rapidity. 1t was toward quit.
ting time one afternoon that q clerk
brought word into the inner Office that
there was woman without who
wished to see MIR. Royce at once. She
had given no name, but our Junior,
who happened to be at leisure for the
moment, directed that she be shown In.
! recognized her in an instant, and 90
did he-it was Miss Holidays maid.
saw. too, that her eyes were red
with weeping, and as she sat down
beside our juniors desk she began to
cry afresh.
"Why, what's the matterY he de-
manded. Nothing wrong with your
mistress"
"She amt my mistress any more"
sobbed the girl. "She discharged me
this afternoon"
discharged your echoed our Junior.
"Why. I thought she thought so much
Of your
"And so did I. sir. but she discharged
me just the same"
"But what forT persisted the other.
THAT'S just what don't know, sir.
I begged and prayed her to tell me. but
she wouldn't even see me. So came
down here. thought maybe you could
help me-"
"Well, let me hear about 1t Just as It
happened" said Mr.. Royce soothingly.
Perhaps I can help you"
"Oh, II you could, sirr' she cried.
you know, I thought the world and
all Of Miss Frances. I've been with
her nearly eight years. and for her to
60 and treat me like this-why, it Just
breaks my heart, sir! dressed her
this afternoon about 2 o'clock, and
she was a. nice to me as ever-gave
me a little brooch, sir, that she was
tired Of. Then she went out for a
drive, and about an hour ago came
back. I went right up to her room to
undress her, and when knocked, sir,
q strange woman came to the door and
said that Miss Frances had engaged
her for her maid and wouldn't need me
any more, and here was a months
wages. And while I stood there, sir,
too daxed to move, she shut the door
in my face. After I'd got over 1t q
bit, begged that I might see Miss
Frances, IL only to say goodby, but
she wouldn't see me. She sent word
that she wasn't feeling we'll and
wouldn't be disturbed"
Her sobs mastered her again and
she stopped. I could see the look Of
amazement on our juniors face, and
did not wonder at 1t. What sudden
dislike could her mistress have con-
ceived against this inoffensive and de-
voted creature3
you say this other maid was q
strangerr' he asked.
Eyes. sir: she'd never been in the
house before, 80 far as ! know. Miss
Frances brought her back with her In
the carriage"
"And what sort Of looking woman Is
sher
The girl hesitated.
''Ehe looked like q foreigner, oil"
she said at last. "A Frenchwoman.
maybe, by the way she rolls her r."
pricked up my ears. The same
thought occurred at that instant to
both Mr.. Royce and myself.
docs she resemble Miss Holiday r
he asked quickly.
Miss Holladay2 Oh. no. sir. She's
much older-her hairs quite gray"
Well, certainly. Miss Holiday had
the right to choose any maid she
pleased and to discharge any or all 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 ill7" said Mr.. Royce at last.
WAS she Ill when you dressed her"
"Why, sir" she answered slowly, II
wouldn't exactly say she was Ill, but
she seemed troubled about something.
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