Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1907-03-15
CHAPTER VII.
MISS HOLIDAY BECOMES CA
pRJCIOTIS

NM -
MISS HOLLADAY BECOMES CA
PRECIOUS.
The body of Hiram Holiday was
| placed beside thai of his wife in his
granite mausoleum at WoodlaWn ON
the Sunday following his death; Two
| days later, his will, which had been
drawn up by Mr.. Graham and deposited
In the Office safe, was read and duly az
| mitted to probate. AS was expected,
he had left all his property. without
condition or reserve. to his daughter
Frances. -where were a few bequests
to old servants, Rogers receiving a
handsome legacy; about half a million
was given to various charities in which
he had been interested during his life,
n the remainder was placed at the
absolute disposal of his daughter.
We found hat his fortune had been
overestinated. 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 prett .dowry. h
told Us at 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, it was
evident that Miss Holidays kindly
feelings toward him had suffered no
diminuition. 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
utmose endeaVors of newspapers and
police had she'd no new light or the
tragedy, and for the great public 1T
had passed into the background of the
forgotten. But for me, at least. 1t re-
m;-ned Of undiminished interest, and
more than once i. carefully reviewed it's
features to convince myself anew that
our theory was the right one. Only
one point occurred to me which would
tend to prove it untrue. If there was
an illegitimate daughter, the blow she
had dealt her father had also deprived
her Of whatever income he had allowed
her, or Of any hope Of income from him.
So she had acted in her own despite
still, Godfrey's theory Of sudden pas
sion, might explain this away. And
then again, Miss Holiday could prob
ably be counted upon, her first grief
past, to provide suitably for her sister.
Granting this, the theory seemed to me
quite im~pregnable.
One other thing puzzled me. How
had his woman eluded the police? I
knew that the French quarter had been
ransacked for traces Of her, wholly
without success, and yet 1 felt hat the
search must have been misconducted,
else some trace Of her would surely
have been discovered. Miss Holiday,
of course, rigidly refused herself to all
inquirers, n here, again, / found
myself on the horns of a dilemma.
Doubtless, she was very far from
wishing the discovery of the guilty
woman, and yet l felt that she
must be discovered, if only for Miss
Holidays sake, in order to clear away
the last vestige of the cloud that
Swallowed her.
Then anne new developments with
q startling rapidfty. 1t was toward
quitting time II afternoon that a
clerk brought word into the inner office
that there was a woman without who
wanted 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.
l recognized her in an instant, and
SO did he-it was Miss Holladay's maid.
l saw. too, that her eyes were red
with weeping, and as she sat down be-
side u juniors desk, she began to
cry afresh.
Why what's the natter" he de-
manded. Nothing wrong with your
mistress?"
"She amt my mistress any more"
sobbed the girl. "She discharged me
this afternoon"
Discharged you!" echoed our Jun
ior. why, 1 thought she thought so
much Of you"
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;
1 begged n prayed her to tell me,
but she wouldn't ever see me. So I
came down here. / thought maybe you
could help me-"
We'll let me hear about it just as it
happened" said Mr.. Royce sothingly.
Perhaps l can help you"
Continued Next Week.