Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1907-03-21
CHAPTER VII.
MISS HOLLADAY BECOMES CA
DpJCJOJ-C

PRECIOUS.
The nody of Hiram Holiday was
placed beside that 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
i'm the Office safe. was read and duly ad-
mitted to probate. AS was expected,
he had left all his property. without
condition or reserve, to his daughter
Frances. There We're Il few requests
to old servants, Rogers receiving a
handsome legacy; about half a million
w.ts-Sfvt.ft to various charities in-which
he had Deen Interested during his life.
and the remainder was place at the
absolute. disposal of his daughter.
We found that his fortune had been
oNerestlmated. as is usually the case
with men whose wealth depends upon
the fluctuations of the street, but there
still remained something over four mill
lions for the girl-a prett .dowry. She
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, n while.
of course. he told me nothing. 1T was
evident that Miss Holidays kindly
feelings toward him had suffered no
dirifnuftion. 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 endeayOrs of ewspapers and
police had she'd nc new light on the
tragedy. and for the great public it
had passed into the background of the
forgotten. But for me, at least, it re-
manned Of undiminished interest, and
more than once /. carefully reviewed it's
features to convince myself anew that
our theory was the right one. Only
one point occurred t. me which would
e N to prove 1t 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
arly be counted upon, her first grief
past. to provide suitably for her sister.
Granting this. the theory seemed TO me
quite impregnable.
One other thing puzzled me. How
mad this woman eluded the police? I
knew that the Frenc quarter had been
r~ansacked fc- traces of her. wholly
without success, and yet I felt that the
search must have been mis%conducted,
else some trace of her would surely
have been discovered. Miss Holiday,
OF course, rigidly refused herself to ali
"AAt IN q L lOuIIu
myself on the horns Of a dilemma.
Doubtless. she was very far from
wishing the discovery of the guilty
woman. and yet felt that she
must be discovered. If only for Miss
Holladay's sake, in order to clear away
Swallowed her.
Then came new developments with
a startling rapidity. 1t was toward
quitting time one afternoon that a
clerk brought word into the inner office
that tfere was a woman without who
wanted to see Mr.. Royce at once. She
- given &c name. but our junior. who
happei,ed to be at leisure for the
moment directed that she be shown in.
1 her in an instant. and
so did he-it was Miss Holidays maid.
1 saw, too. that her eyes were red
with weeping. n as she sat down be-
side our 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"
Tor. Why. ! thought she thought so
much Of you"
And SO did 1. sir, but she discharged
me just The same"
But what for?" persisted the
other.
That's just what I don't know, sir:
l begged and prayed her to tell me.
but she wouldn't even see me. So I
came down here. I thought maybe you
could help me-"
We'll. let me hear about 1t Just as IT
happened" said Mr.. Royce sothinely.
Perhaps l ran help you"
Continued Next Week.
Evolution of n Natioa