The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1906-01-19

&c counted upon, E1- 1-S1 gI.cI p..st
to provide suitably for her sister
Granting this, the theory seemed to me
quite impregnable.
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 l felt that
| the search must 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 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 clerk
brought word into the inner Office that
there was a woman without who
wished to see Mr.. 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 SO
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 matter?'' 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, l thought she thought SO much
of your?
"And so did l, sir. but she discharged
me just the same"
But what for?' persisted the other.
THAT'S just what l don't know, sir
l 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 it just as it
happened" said Mr.. Royce soothingly
perhaps l can help you"
''Oh, if you could, STRIP she cried.
You know, thought the world and
all of Miss Frances. I've been with
her nearly eight years, and for her to
go and treat me like this-why, it just
breaks my heart, sir! l dressed her
this afternoon about o'clock, and
she was as nice to me as ever--gave
me a little brooch, sir, that she was
tired of. Then she went out for q
drive, and about an hour ago came
back. l went right up to hr room to
undrcss her, and when knocked, sir,
a 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 months
wages. And while | stood there, sir,
too dazed to move, she shut the door
in my face. After I'd got over 1t
bit, / begged that I might see Miss
Frances, if only to say goodby, but
she wouldn't see me- She sent word
that she wasn't feeling well and
wouldn't be disturbed"
Her sobs mastered her again and
she stopped. could see the look OF
amazement on our juniors face, and
did not wonder at it. What sudden
dislike could her mistress have con-
cefved against this inoffensive and de
voted creature?
"You say this other maid was a
stranger he asked.
"Yes, sir; she'd never been in the |
house before, SO far as know. Miss
Frances brought her back with her In |
the carriage"
"And what sort Of looking woman is |
shey'
The girl hesitated.
"SLe looked like foreigner, sir"
she said at last. "a Frencliwoman, |
maybe, by the way she rolls her RS"
pricked up my ears. The same |
thought occurred at that instant to |
both Mr. Royce and myself.
Does she resemble Miss Holladayr
he asked quickly.
miss Holladay7 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 oil 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 iilr said Mr.. Royce at last.
WAS she III when you dressed herT
why, sir" she answered slowly, Il
wouldn't exactly say she was Ill but
she seemed troubled about soInethin9. I
l think she'd been crying. She's been
crying q good deal. or and on, since
her father died, poor thing she added.
That would explain II, certainly, and
yet grief for her father might not be
the only cause Of Frances Holidays
tears.
'But she didn't seem vexed with
your"
"oh, mo- sir she gave me a brooch.
- Y kolSN~~..