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


sir" and the trite old saying gathered
a new dignity as he uttered it.
! paused a moment to consider. This
certainly, seemed to discredit the thee
/ ~ that Holiday had ever had a liaisoT
Win any other woman and yet what
other theory was tenable?
There was nothing TO mar their hap
! piness that you know of? OF course,
l added, you understand, Thompson
that I'm not asking these questions
from idle curiosity, but to get to the
bottom of this mystery if possible"
Il understand, sir" he nodded. mo
there was nothing to mar their happi-
ness-except one thing"
"And what was that?"
'Why, they had no children, sir, for
fifteen years and more After Miss
Frances came, of course that was all
changed"
"She was born abroadY
Yes, sir; in France. 1 don't just
know the town."
But you know the date of her
birth?'
ooh, yes, sir-the 10th of June, 1876
We always celebrated it."
"Mr. Holiday was with his wife at
the timer"
Yes, sir. He and his wife had been
abroad nearly year. His health had
take long vacation. He came home
a 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 week with her,
and at last she came home to die,
bringing her child with her. That was
the first time any of us ever saw Miss
Frances"
''Alr. Holiday thought a great deal
of herr"
you may well say so, sir. She took
his wife's place." said the old man
simply.
"And she thought a great deal OF
himY
'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
at home with him. 1t was he who
rather insisted on her going out, FOR
he was proud of her, as he'd right
to be-"
"Yes," l said, for all this fitted in
exactly with what l had always heard
about the family There were no
other relatives, were thereT
None at all, sir Both Mr.. Holla-
day and his wife were only children.
Their parents, of course, have been
dead for years"
"Nor any intimate friends?"
"None I'd call intimate, sir. Miss
Frances had some school friends, but
she was always -well-reserved, sir"
YES" l nodded again. And now"
l added, tell me, as fully as you can,
what has happened within the last
three weeks"
"Well, SIR" he began slowly, after
her fathers death she seemed quite
distracted for awhile--wandered about
the house, sat in the library of even
mgs, ate scarcely anything. Then Mr..
;.oyce got to coming to the house, and
she frightened up, and we all hoped
she'd soon be all right again. Then she
seemed to get worse of sudden and
sent us all away to get Belair ready.
got the place in order. sir, and tele
graphed her that we were ready. She
answered that she'd come in a few
days. Ten days ago the rest of the
servants came, and | looked for her
every day, but she didn't come. tele-
graphed her again, but she didn't an
swer, and finally 1 got 80 uneasy, sir,
l couldn't rest, and came back to the
city to see what was the matter.
got here early this morning and went |
right to the house. Thomas, the sec
ond butler, had been left in charge, |
and he told me that Miss Frances and |
her maid her started for Belair the |
same day the servants did. That's all
l know"
Then she's been gone ten days?" l |
questioned.
'Ten days; yes, sir"
Ten days! What might not have hap
pened in that time! DIR. Jenkinson's |
theory of dementia required to me, and
| was more than ever inclined to credit |
it. How else explain this flight? l
could see from Mr.. Royce's face how
absolutely nonplused he was.
"Well," said at last, for want of
better, well go with you to
the house and see the man in charge
there. Perhaps he can tell us some
thing more"
But he could tell us very little. Ten
days before a carriage had driven up
to the door. Miss Holiday and her
maidshad entered it and been driven
away. The carriage had been called,
be thought, from some neighboring
stable, as the family coachman had
been sent away with the other serv-
ants. They had driven down the ave-
mo fnword Thirty fourth ctroof |