The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1907-04-04

a. LbJ4 I
ANCE.
Mr.. Royce grasped the arms Of his
chair convulsively, M remained for a
moment speechlesz under the shock.
Then he swung arolad toward me.
Come here, Lester" he said hoarsely.
II needed you once before, n l need
you now. This touches me SO closely l
rant think c~onsecutively. You will
help, won't your"
There was'an appeal in his face which
Ihowed his sudden weakness-an appeal
there was no resisting, even had l not,
myself. been deeply interested in the
case.
Gladly" 1 answered from the depths
Of my heart. seeing how overweight
he was. TN help to the very limit of
my power. Mr.. Royce"
He sank backstnto his chair again,
and breathed a long sigh.
II Knew you would" he said. Get
the story from Thompson, will you?"
I brought a chair and sat down by
the old butler.
You have been in Mr.. Holidays
family a great many years, haven't
you, Mr.. Thompson?" 1 asked, to give
him opportunity to compose himself.
Yes. a great many years, sir-nearly
forty, I should say"
Before Miss Holidays birth. them"
ol, yes, Sill lOllS DelolS. just De-
fore his marriage. Mr.. Holiday bought
the Fifth avenue house he lived in ever
since, and 1 was employed, then, sir, as
an underservant."
MIR Holiday and his wife were very
happy together, weren't they?" I ques-
toned.
Very happy; yes, sir. They We're
They seemed just made for each other,
sir" and the trite old saying gathered
d new dignity as he uttered it.
l paused a moment to consider. This,
certainly seemed to discredit the theory
that Holiday had ever had al Jason
with any other woman, and yet what
other theory was tenable?
There was nothing to mar their
happiness that o know of? OF
course" l added, you understand,
Thompson, that 1 am not asking these
questions from idle curiosity, but to get
20 the bottom Of this mystery, if pos
sible."
Il understand, sir" he nodded. NO,
there was nothing to MAJ 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?"
ISS, oll, III IdllCG. 1 uOlll JuSl
know the town."
But you know the late of her
birth2"
ooh, yes, sir-the tenth Of June,
eighteen seventy-siN-we always cele-
brated it"
Mr. Holiday vas with his wife at
the ttrse?"
Yes, sir; he and his wife had been
abroad nearly a year. His health had
broken down and the doctor had made
him take a long vacation. He came
home a few months later, but Mrs
Holiday stayed on She didn't get
strong again some way. She stayed
nearly four years and he went over
every few months to spend a week with
her; and 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 wife's place" said the Die mar
simply.
And she though a great deal OF
him ?"
More than that, sir: she fairly
worshiped him. She was always al
the door to meet him; always dined
with him: they always spent their
evenings together. She didn't care
hiASA LII ooS1Cly-1 We 0llGil llGdTQ mel
tell him that she would much rathe,
just stay at home with him. 1t was
he who rather insisted on her going
out; for he was proud of her. as he'G
a right to be-"
Yes" l said; for all this fitted III
exactly with what l had always heart
about the family. There were NJ
other relatives, were there?"
None at all, sir; both MI. 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. bu
she was ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS sir"
Yes" I nodded again. And nov
I added, tell me as fully as you cal
what a happened within the las
three weeks"
Well, sir" he began slowly, safte
her fathers death, she seemed quit
distracted for a 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 she frightened up, and we al
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 the place in order, sir, and tel
egraphed her that we were read,
She answered that she would come i
a few days. Ten days ago the rest {
the servants came, and I looked for he
every day, but she didn't come. / tele
graphed her again, but she didn't an
swer, and, finally, I got 50 uneasy, ST
! couldn't rest, and came back to til
city to see what was the matter.
got here early this morning, and wcr
right to the house. Thomas, the sec
ond butler had been left In charg
and he told ME that Miss Frances an
her maid had started for Belair tt
same day the servants did. That's q
I know"
questioned.
Ten days yes. SIR
Ten days! What might have ha,
pened in that time! DIR. Jenkinson
theory of dementia REQUIRED to me, an
was more than ever inclined to cred
1t. How else explain his flight?
could see from Mr.. Royce,s face no
absolutely nonpiussed he was.
We'll" / said al last, for want
something better, "we'll go with YOU
the house, and see the man in char,
there. Perhaps he q tell us som
thing more"
But he could tell us very little. It,
days before, a carriage had driven ,
to the door, Miss Holiday and h
maid had entered it and been driv,
away. The carriage had been calle
he Thought from some ~peirpho,f,