Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1907-04-11
CIlApl.h.ls Y.
AN hSTONISiIlNG DISAPPEARS
ANEE

nv ~ i.rs sI''iiii 80 IN.
Come here. Lester" IL" said ioarseiy.
Il needed You once before. AMI need!
you row. This touches me SO closely !
can't think cnnsccutivcly. You Will
help. won't YOU"
There was an appeal in his face which
showed his sudden welin"st-an appeal
there WAS no resisting. even had | Not.
myself. been deeply interested in the
case.
"Gladly." / answered from the depths
OF my heart. seeing how "vcrwrought
he was. I'm help To the very limit os
my power. Mr.. Royce
He sank back into his chair again.
and breathcd a long sigh.
II knew you would" lie said. Get
the story from Thompson. VIII youH'
l brought a chair ana sat down by
the old hutlcr.
You have been i'll Mr.. Holidays
family II great many years. haven't
You, Mir. T~hoinpson2 asked. To give
him opportunity to cosupos himself.
Yes. n great many years. sir-heArly
forty. ! should say
Before Miss i~loliaday's birth. them
oh. yes. SIR. long before. Just be
fore his marriage. Mr.. Holiday bought
the Fifth avenue house he lived i'm eyer
since. mud | was employed. then. sir. as
an underscrNant.'
Mr.. Holiday and his wife were very
nappy together. Weren't they" l ques-
toned.
y-s,--4-- fhry- were
Gust like lovers. sir. until her death.
They sceaned just made for Zach other.
sir" and the tritc Old saying gathered
n new dignity as he uttered ii.
l paused Il moment to consider. his,
certainly seemed to discrcdit the theory
tina Holiday had ever had al Jason
with any other woman. and yet what
other theory was tcnable?
There was nothing to mar their
happiness that you know of? OF
course" l added. you understand.
Thompson, that l am not asking these
Questions from idle curiosity. but to get
to the bottom of this mystery. il pos
sible."
Il understand. sir" he nodded. NO,
there was nothing to mar their happi-
ness-exccpt n thing"
And what was that"
why they had no children. sir. for
fifteen years or more. After Miss
Frances came. of course that was all
changed"
"She was born abroad?'
"fcs. sir. in Frar-.c. l don't just
know the town"
But o know the date OF her
BIRTH"
ooh. yes. sir-the tenth Of June,
eighteen seventy-siX-we always cele-
brated it."
~ Is ~ AS MIlC al
the time
Yes. sir. he ana his wife had been
abroad nearly Il year. His health had
broken down and the doctor had made
him take a long vacation. He came
nome II few months later, but Mrs.
Holiday stayed on. Ssh didn't get
strong again some way. ST. stayed
nearly four years and he went over
every few months to spend n week with
her. n at last she came home to
die. bringing her child with her. That
was the first time any OF US ever saw
Miss Frances"
Mr.. Holiday thought a great deal
OF her."
You may well say so, sir: she took
his wifc's place." said the old mar
simply.
And she though a great deal OF
him.
More than that. sir; she fairl,
the door to meet him; always dinec
with him: they always spent thei,
evenings together. She didn't care
much for society-I've often heard hc1
tell him that she would much rathel
Just stay at nome with him. 1t VIA.
he who rather insisted on her goinl
out: for he was proud OF her, as he'e
q right to be"
Yes" l said: for all this fitted IL
exactly with what 1 had always hear,
about the family. There were n,
other relatives. were there?"
"Nonc at all. sir: both Mr.. Hollada,
and his wife were only children; thei
parents, OF course, have been dead To-
years.
Nor any intimate friends?"
None I'd call. Intimate. sir; Mis-
Frances had some school friends, blu
she was always-wcll-reserved sir"
Yes" nodded again. And nov
nddnd stn11 Crn ou f,,11y nc
what has happened within the las
three weeks"
We'll. SIR" he began slowly, "afte
her fathers death. she seemed quit
distracted for n while-wandered abou
tho house. sat in the library of even
ings. ate scarcely anything. Then MI
Royce got to coming to the house
and h frightened up. and we a
hoped she'd soOn be alright again. The
she seemed to get worse of a sudden
She seemed to get worse OF a sudden an
sent us all away to get Belair read,
i got h place in order. sir. and tel
cgraphed her that we were read,
She answered that she would come /
a few days. Ten days ago the rest q
h servants came. and I looked for he
every day. but she didn't come. 1 tele
graphed her again. but she didn't an
, ewer. and. finally. I got SO uneasy. 81
I couldn't rest. and came back to III
city to see what was the matter.
got here carly this morning. and we,
right to tho house Thomas, the SEE
ond butler. had been left in charg
and he told me that Miss Frances an
Yer maid had started for Belair tt
same day the servants did. That's q
know"
Then she's been rome ten days."
questioned.
.Tcn days: yes. sir"
Ten daysi What might have hal
pened in that time! DR.. Jenkinson
theory Of dementia required to me, ar
I wos moro than ever inclined to cred
Il. How else explain this a!ght:
could eco from Mr.. Royce's face no
absolutely nonplussed he was.