The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1913-07-04


was her mortal weakness.
Agatha paused, struck with tia
form of the maids question; but
knowing her liking for items Of news.
she answered cautiously:
mot relatives exactly. The Thay.
ers were old friends of my mother"
Lizzie shook out a skirt and hung 1t
in the wardrobe in the far corner of
the room. She was bursting to know
everything about Miss Redmond's sud-
den journey, but knew better than to
appear anxious.
1.-THE message at the hotel was SO
indefinite that I didn't know at all
what | should do. After the excite
ment quieted down a little, went out
to visit my cousin Hattie, in the
Bronx"
What sort Of excitement
"Oh, newspaper men, and the man.
ager, and Herr Weimar, Of the orches-
ira, and lot OF other people who
came, wanting to see you immediate
ly. They seemed to think was hid
ing you somewhere"
Agatha smiled. She could imagine
Lizzie in her new-fledged importance,
talking to all those people.
You spoke Of a message" VEN
tured Agatha.
Eyes; the one you sent the day you
left, Miss Redmond The hotel clerk
said you had suddenly left town on q
visit to a sick relative"
"Oh, yes"
Lizzies quick scent was already on
the trail OF mystery, but Agatha was
| in no mood just then to give her any
| version OF the events of that Monday
! afternoon.
WAS there any other message. Miss
Redmond? Some word for me, which
the clerk forgot to defiver?"
"No, nothing else"
"Mr. Straker came Tuesday morn
Ing with some contracts for you to
sign. He said that you had an ap'
pointment with him. and he was near
ly crazy when he found you had gone
away without leaving your address"
Agatha smiled more and more broad
ly, to Lizzie's disgust, but she could
not help it. 81 don't doubt he was dis
turbed. Did he come again."
Come again, Miss Redmond" Liz
zie hung blue silk coat over Its
hanger, held it carefully up to the
light. and turned toward her mistress
with the mien of a person who isn't to
be bamboozled. "He came twice every
day to see il had any word from
YOU. and when | went to Cousin Hat
ties he called me up on the phone
every morning and evening. Most un'
reasonable, Mr.. Straker was. He SAID
there wasn't a singer in town he could
get to I'LL your engagements, and he
was losing a hundred dollars a day
He's very much put out, Miss Red
mond."
well. l was, too" said Agatha. but
somehow her tone failed to satisfy the
maid To Agatha the thought OF the
dictatorial manager futtering about
New York in quest OF vanished
singer-well, the picture had its hui
n,orous side. 1t had Its serious side,
too, for Agatha, Of course, but for the
moment she put off thinking about
that. Lizzie, however, had borne the
brunt of Mr.. Straker's vexation, and
In that lumber.box she called her
mind. she regarded the matter solely
as her personal cue to come more
prominently upon the stage.
Then your accompanist came every
morning, as you had directed, Miss
Redmond; and Madame Florio sent
word a dozen times about those new
gowns" Lizzie. with the memory OF
her sudden importance. almost took
up the role Of baff1ed innocence. u
declare, Miss Redmond. | didn't know
what to do or say to those people
The whole thing seemed so irregular
with you not leaving any word OF ex'
PLANTATION with me.
rTO BE CONTINUED.)