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

able to find you position Somewhere
else Suppose you come back in thret
or four days. and I'll see what car
do"
"Au right, sir. and thank you" sh,
said. and left the office.
] had some work Of my own to keeT
me busy that night, so devoted nc
thought to Frances Holiday and hel
affairs, but they were recalled to me
with renewed force next morning
"Dld you get Miss Holidays sig
nature to that conveyance% Mr.. era
ham CHANGED to ask his partner in the
course of the morning
"No, sir" answered Mr.. Royce, with
just trace of embarrassment. II
called at the house last night, but she
sent down word that she was too Ill
to see me or to transact any business. T"
Nothing serious, HOPPER asked the
other quickly.
mo. sir. l think not. Just trace
of nervousness, probably"
But when he called again at the
house that evening he received a sim
liar message, supplemented with the
news impaired by the butler, a servant
of many years standing in the family,
that Miss Holiday had suddenly de-
country place on Long Island. 1t was
only the end OF March, and so a full
two months and more ahead of the
season. But she was feeling very i'll,
was not able to leave her room, indeed,
and believed the fresh air and quiet
Of the country would do more than
anything else to restore her shattered
Aerves. So the whole household, with
the exception of her maid, q cook,
house girl and underbutler, were to
leave the city next day ia order to get
the country house ready at once.
Il don't wonder she needs little
toning up," remarked our chief sym
Dathetically. "She has gone through
nerve trying ordeal, especially for
girl reared as she has been. Two
or three months Of quiet will do her
good. When does she expect to leave|
''In about week, think. The time
hasn't been definitely set 1t will de-
pend upon how the arrangements go
forward. 1t. won't be necessary, viii
it, to bother her with any details of
business? That conveyance. for in
stance
''Can walt till she gets back. No, we
won't bother her at ALL"
But it seemed that she had either i'm |
proved or changed her mind, for two
days later note, which her maid had |
written for her, came to Mr.. Graham !
asking. him to call upon her in the |
course of the next twenty-four hours, |
as she wished to talk over some mat |
ters of business with him. 1t struck |
me as singular that she should ask for |
Mr.. Graham, but our senior called a |
An hour later the door open
ed and he entered the Office with a |
most peculiar expression of counte
nance
'Well, that beats mew he exclaimed
Is he dropped into his chair.
Our junior wheeled around toward
linn without speaking, but his anxiety
was plain enough.
ITO think that a girl as level headed
Is Frances Holiday has always been
should suddenly develop such whimsi-
.alities. Yet / couldn't but admire her
grasp Of things. Here have | been
she didn't know anything
bout her business and didn't care, but
he seems to have kept her eyes Open"
"Well?" asked Mr.. Royce as the 9TH
r paused.
''Well, she started out by reminding
ne that her property had been left to
Ter absolutely, to do as she pleased
With, point which |, Of course, con-
eded. She then went on to say that
he knew of number of requests her
ather had intended to make before his
cath, and which he would have made
{ he had not been cut off so suddenly;
hat the requests were OF such a ma
ure that he did not wish his name to
ppear in them, and that she was going
0 undertake to carry them out anony-
nously."
"Well?' asked our junior again.
"Well," said Mr.. Graham slowly, ''she
sked me to dispose at once of such Of
er securities as / thought best in or
er that l might place In her hands by
night 100000 in cash-a
DOL hundred thousand!''