Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1907-03-22

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back. l went right up to her room
to undress her. and when | knocked,
sir, a strange woman came to the door
and said that Miss Frances had en-
gagged her for her maid and wouldn't
need me any more, and here was a
there, sir, too dazed to move, she
shut the door in my face. After
had got over ii a bit. l begged that
l might see Miss Frances, If only TO
say good-by; but she wouldn't see
me. She sent word that she wasn't
feeling well and wouldn't be dis
turbed."
Her sobs mastered her again and
she stopped. l could see the loo of
amazement on our juniors face, and
did not wonder at it. What sudden dis
like could her mistress have conceived
against this inoffensive and devoted
creature?
You say this other maid was a
stranger" he asked.
Yes sir, she had never been in the
house before, so far as | 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 pricked up my ears. The same
thought occurred at that instant to both
Mr.. Royce and myself.
Does h resemble Miss Holladay?"
he asked quickly.
Miss Holiday? Oh, no, sir. She's
much older-her hair is quite gray"
Well, certainly Miss Holiday had
the right to choose n maid she
pleased, and to discharge any or all
Of her servants; yet it seemed strange
ly unlike her to show such seeming
injustice TO anyone.
You say that she sent down word
that she was ill?" said Mr.. Royce at
last. Was she i'll when you dressed
herr"
Why, sir" she answered slowly, Il
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, poo thing" she added.
That YOU explain 1t certainly; and
yet. grief for her father might not
be the only u of Frances Holidays
tears.
but she didn't seem vexed with
your"
"oh, no, sir; she gave me a brooch,
a. | told you"
Il fear that / can't promise 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 to suit
herself; yet, If you don't get back with
your old mistress, / may, perhaps, be
able to find you a position somewhere
else. Suppose you come back in three
Of four days and I'll see what / can
do
"All right. sir; and thank you," she
said, and left the office.
l had some work of my own to
keep me busy that night, so devoted no
thought to Frances Holiday n her
affairs. but they were recalled to me
with renewed force the next morning.
did you get Miss Holiaday's sigma
tlure to that conveyance" Mr.. Graham,
CHANGED to ask his partner In the
course OF the morning.
No, sir" answered Mr.. Royce, with
Just q trace of embarrassment. Il
called at the house last night, but she
sent down word that she was too i'll
TO see me or to transact n BUSH
ness"
Nothing serious. 1 hope?" asked the
other quickly.
mo, sir; / think not. Just a trace
OF probably"
But 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
or many years standing in the family,
that Miss Holiday had suddenly de-
cided TO leave the city and open her
only the end of March, and
so a full two months and more
ahead OF the season, but she was
feeling very Ill, was not able to leave
her room, indeed, and believed the fresh
air n quiet of the country would do
more than anything else to restore her
shattered nerves. SO the whole house.
hold. with the exception of her maid, a
cook, house-girl, and under-butler, were
10 leave the city the next day in or
der to get the country house ready at
once.
Il don't wonder she needs a little
toning up" remarked our chief sympa
thetically. 'She has gone through a
nerve-trying ordeal, especially for q
girl reared as h has been. Two or
three months OF quiet will do her good.
When does she expect to leave?"
In about a week. / think. The time
hasn't been definitely set. 1t will de-
pend upon how the arrangements go
forward. 1t won't be necessary, will it.
TO bother her with any details of bust
ness. That conveyance. for instance
Can wait until she gets back? No,
we won't bother her at ALL"
But 1t seemed hat she had either
improved or changed her mind, for two
days later a note came for Mr.. Graham,
which her maid a written for her,
asking him to call upon her I'm the
course OF the next tw~enty-four hours,
as h wished to talk over some mat
ters OF business with him. 1t struck
me as singular that she should ask for
Mr.. Graham, but our senior called q
cab, and started off at once without
comment. An hour later, the door
opened. and he entered the office with
a most peculiar expression Of counte-
nance.
well. that beats met he exclaimed.
as he dropped into his chair.
Dur junior wheeled around toward
him without speaking. but his anxiety
was plain enough.
ITO think that a girl as level headed
as Frances Holiday has always been.
should suddenly develop such whim-
sicalities. Yet. l couldn't but admire
her grasp OF things. Here have / been
thinking she didn't know anything
about her business and didn't care, but
she seems to nave her eyes open.''
"Wellg" asked Mr.. Royce. as the 9TH
err paused.
We'll, she started out by reminding
me that her property had beer left to
her absolutely, TO do as she pleased
with; a point which I. of course, con-
ceded. She then went on to say thai
she knew OF a numbcr OF requests her
father had Intended to make before his
death and xhinh Nc v,o.,l1 hoxx. ~~~ao