The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1907-04-19
CHAPTER XIII.
EN- VOYAGE.

MT. Graham's. congratulations next
morning quite overwhelmed me.
Il never expected such complete and
speedy success, Mr.. Lester" he said
warmly. you've done splendid work"
l pointed out to him that, after all,
my success was purely the result of
accident. Had I really beer clever. I
should have instantly suspected what
That sudden seizure on the station.
platform meant, 1 should have hurried
tigny-,as still called him in my
thoughts-to the hospital, on the chance
OF securing his first address. Instead Of
winch " chance had not befriended me.
1 should have been as far as ever from
a solution Of the mystery. I trembled
10 think upon what a slender thread
my victory had hung.
But my chief would not listen. he
declared that a man must be Judged
by his achievements, and that he
Judged me by mine.
Let us find out how our friend isl
l said at last. so the hospital was called
up. We were informed that the ma
tient was stronger, but would not h.
able to leave his bed for two Or three
days.
THE J%ourdains may tell him of nv
call" I said. They'll suspect some
thing when I don't return today-yet
they may wait for me q day or two
80, nave my InOney-and one
day Is all 1 want. It's just possible
that they may keep silent altogether.
hey nothing to gain by speaking
Its plain h a they're not in the con.
spiracy. Anyway, tomorrow I'll be
out OF reach.'
Mr.. Graham nodded.
"4es-thats plainly the next step.
You must follow them to France0h,1t
where in France will you look for
them? 1 didn't think Of that before
Why. the search is just beginningi T
thought it impossible to accomplish
what you have accomplished but thar
seems easy, now, beside this new prob
lem" lux
Yes" I assented: still, it NAV NOT
be SO hard as it looks. We must trv
to find out where the women have gone
and l believe Rogers can help us. NV
theory is that they're from one of the
towns Which the Holidays visited
when they We're abroad. and Mr.. Holla-
day must have kept in touch with his
office. more or less, during that time
My chief sprang up and seized his
hat. N'
The very thing" he cried. "Tbera.s
no luck about hat bit of reasoning,
Mr.. Lester. Come. I'll go with YOU"
had been carrying on the rou-
tine work of the business since his en-
ployer's death, and was supervising the
settlement OF accounts, and the thou
SAND and II details which must be
attended to before the business could
be closed up. We found him in the
private office. and stated our errand
without delay.
Yes" he said. Mr.. Holiday kept
in touch with the office. of course. Let
me see-what was the date?''
Let us Dol for the first six months
of 1876" 1 suggested.
He got down the file covering that
period, and ran through the letters.
Yes, here they are he said after a
moment. In January, he writes from
Nice. where they seem to have re-
manned during February and March.
About the middle of April, they started
n~orth-here's n letter dated Paris, April
19-and from Paris they went to a place
called Etretat. They remained there
through May, juno and July. This
is all the time covered by this file. Shall
1 get another?"
NO" 1 answered.; but I wish you'd
make an abstract of MIR. Eolladay's
whereabout during the whole time he
was abroad, n send it TO our Office
not later thar this afternoon"
Very we'll, SIR" he said, and we left
the room.
But why didn't you let him go far
ther?" asked MI. Graham, as we went
down in the elevator.
Because I think I've found the place,
sir" 1 answered. Did you notice-the
time they stayed at Etret,lt covers the
period of Miss Holladay's birth. with
which, I'm convinced, these people
were in some way concerned. We must
look IN Ftretat"