The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1907-03-21

S'S vas 10 IICG ~ ne as eVGT--SaFt
me a little brooch, sir, that she wa!
tired of. Then she went out for
drive, and about an hour ago cam
back. | went right up to her roon
TO undress her, and when 1 knocked
sir. a strange woman came to the doc
n said that Miss Frances had en-.
gagged her for her maid and wouldn'
need me any more, and here was {
months wages. And while / stood
there, sir, too dazed to move, she
shut the door in my face. After
mad got over it a bit, 1 begged tina,
l might see Miss Frances. if only tc
say good-by; but she wouldn't see
me: She sent word that She WASH,
feeling well and wouldn't be dis
turbed."
Her sobs mastered her again an6
n stopped. l could see the look OF
amazement on our juniors face, and
did not wonder at It. What sudden dis
k could her mistress have conceived
against this inoffensive and devoted
creature?
You say this other maid was @
stranger" he asked.
Yes sir, she had never been In the
u before, so far as l know. Miss
frances brought her back with her in
the carriage"
And what sort of a looking woman
Is she?"
The girl hesitated.
She looked like a foreigner, SIR
she said at last. "a French woman,
maybe. by the way she rolls her rs.''
l prlcked up my ears. The same
Mr.. Royce and myself.
Does she resemble Miss Holladay?"
he asked quickly.
Miss Holiday? Oh. no. sir. She's
much Dlder-her hair Is quite gray"
Well. certainly Miss Holiday had
IN fohf - "a. -
pleased, n to discharge any or all
OF her servants; yet 1T seemed strange
ly unlike her to show such seeming
injustice to anyone.
You say that she sent down word
that h was ill?" a Mr.. Royce at
!ast. was she Ill when you dressed
herr"
why. sir" she answered slowly, IT
wouldn't exactly say she was Ill, but
she seemed troubled about something.
! think she'd been crying. She's been
CRYING a good deal, off and on, since her
father died. poor thing" she added.
would explain it certainly; and
YET grief for her father might not
be the only cause of Frances Holladay's
tears.
but she didn't seem vexed with
you?"
oh, no, sir; she gave me a brooch,
as I told you"
= ASaA SiAiI 1 CdIl / upIOIllS6 you any
thing" said Mr. Royce, slowly, after a
moments thought. "Of course, it's
none of my business for Miss Holiday
must arrange her household 10 suit
herself; yet. IL you don't get pack with
YOU old mistress, I may, perhaps, be
able to find o a position somewhere
else. Suppose you come back in three
OF four days and I'll see what I can
do" ai
IAN right, sir; and thank you" she
said. and left the office.
l had some york 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 the next morning.
Die you get Miss Holidays sigma
uure to that conveyance?" Mr.. Graham,
CHANGED to $ his partner In the
course of the morning.
NO. sir" answered Mr.. Royce, with
Just a. trace Of embarrassment. IT
called at the house last night, but she
sent down word that she was too i'll
to see me or to transact any busi-
ness"
Nothing serious, 1 hope?" asked the
other quickly.
No, sir; l think not. Just a trace
OF probably
BIT 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-
cided to leave the city and open her
only the n Of March. and
30 a full two months and more
ahead of the season, but h was
feeling very Ill, was not able to leave
her room, indeed, and believed the fresh
ar n quiet Of the country would do
more than anything else to restore her
nerves. So the whole house,
hold, with the exception OF her maid. a
house-girl, and under-butler, were
to leave the city the rext day in or
der to get the country house ready at
i don't wonder she needs a little
toning up" remarked our chief sympa-
thetically. She has gone through a
nerve-trytng 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 ieayeo1
In about a week. I think. The time
hasn't been definitely set. It viii de-
pend upon how the arrangements 90
forward. It won't be necessary, VIII It.
70 bother her with any details Of busi-
ness. That conveyance, for instance.
Can wait until she gets back? No,
we won't bother her at ALL"
But 1t seemed that she had either
improved or changed her mind. for two
" later a note came for Mr.. Graham,
which her maid had written for her
asking him to call upon her ia the
course of the next twenty-four hours.
as b wished to talk over some mat
ters OF business with him. 1t struck
me as singular h a she should ask for
Mr.. Graham, but senior called a
cab. n started OF at once. without
comment. An hour later, the door
opened. n he entered the Office with
4 most peculiar expression of courte-
nance
Well. that beats mel. he exclaimed.
an he dropped into his chair.
Our Junior wheeled around toward
him without speaking. but his anxiety
was plain enough.
TO think that a girl8a as l~evel-headed
~ Frances H0lladay has always been.
Snh9ukd suddenly develop such whim-
sttalitiss. Yet. | couldn't but admire
her grasp OF things. Here faveI been
thinking she didn't know anything
about her business and didn't care, but
Hhe seems to have her eyes open"
Well" asked Mr.. Royce, as the 9TH
err paused. @
Well. she started out BY reminding
InAsthat her property had been left to
her absolutely. 70 do as she pleased
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