Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-01-04
E1..-~qn...-~
-------------------
A Mystery
o f I w O
Continents
BY
BURTON E.
STEVEN SCN
Copyright. 1905, by
Henry Holt and
Company
Gbe
HolladG
Case


sss>sssEesS ee~cesSFss asssee~SSss.
Eyes, 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
she?"
The girl hesitated.
"She looked like foreigner, sir"
she said at last "a FrenchwOman,
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 HolladayW
he asked quickly.
Miss Holiday? 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 1t seemed
strangely unlike her to show such
seeming injustice to any one.
You say she sent down word that
she was ill., said Mr.. Royce at last.
| w uS SIZE III WIEN YOU 'lltSsti IiCl
why. sir" she answered slowly, Il
wouldn't exactly say she was ill, but
she seemed troubled about something.
| think she'd been crying. She's been
crying good deal, off and on since
her father died, poor thing" she added.
That would explain it, certainly, and
| get grief for her father might not be
i - Io1 %
| ears
'But she didn't seem vexed with
vou?"
ooh, no. sir; she gave me brooch,
as l told you"
II fear l can't promise you any
/ hing" said Mr.. Royce slowly. after
aoment's thought "Of course It's
zone of my business, for Miss Holiday
must arrange her household to suit
,erself; yet, ii you don't get back with
your old mistress. | may perhaps be
able to find you a position somewhere
else. Suppose you come back in three
or four days. and I'll see what can
do"
"All right, sir, and thank you," she
| said, and left the office.
had some work Of my own to keep
me busy that night, so devoted no
thought to Frances Holiday and her
affairs, but they were recalled to me
with renewed force next morning.
Ibid you get Miss Holidays sig
nature to that conveyance" Mr.. Ora
BAN CHANGED to ask his partner in the
course of the morning
40, sir" answered Mr.. Royce, with
| lust trace of embarrassment. II
| called at the house last night, but she
| sent down word that she was too i'll
to see me or to transact any business. =
Nothing serious, hope?" 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 q sim
liar message, supplemented with the
news impaired by the butler, servant
Of many years standing in the family.
that Miss Holiday had suddenly de-
cided to leave the city and open her
country place on Long Island. 1t was
only the end of March, and so full
two months and more ahead OF the
season. But she was feeling very Ill.,
was not able to leave her room, indeed,
of the country would do more than
ANYTHING else to restore her shattered
nerves. So the whole household, with
the exception Of her maid, cook,
house girl and underbutler, were to
leave the city next day in order to get
the country house ready at once.
~ don't wonder she needs a little
toning up," remarked our chief sym
pathetically. "She has gone through
nerve trying ordeal, especially for
a 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, will
| it. to bother her with any details Of
business! That conveyance, for In
stance
"Can wait 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
! tiers of business with him. 1t struck
me as singular that she should ask for
MIR. Graham, but our senior called
cab and started Off at once without
comment. An hour later the door open
ed and he entered the office with O
most peculiar expression of counte-
nance.
"Well, that beats me- he exclaimed
as he dropped into his chair
Our junior wheeled around toward
him without speaking, but his anxiety
was plain enough.
ITO think that Il girl as level headed
as Frances Holiday has always been
should suddenly develop such whlmsl-
calities. Yet couldn't but admire her
grasp Of things. Here have l been
thinking she didn't know anything
about her business and didn't care, but
.h.. coor,o +s bo 70 kent her ewes open"