Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1913-06-20

Lizzie, eaten up with OGF1OEtN, Wh3A
was her mortal weaknO8a
Agatha naUsed. struck with thl
form OF the maids question; but
knowing her liking for items OF neNA
she answered cautiously:
Not relatives exactly. The Thay-
ers were old friends OF my mother"
Lizzie shook out a skirt and hung Il
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.
The message at the hotel was 20
indefinite that I didn't know AZ all
what l should do. After the excite
ment Quieted down a little. l 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 a lot Of other people who
came. wanting to see you immediate
ly, They seemed to think l was hid
ing you somewhere"
Agatha smiled. She could imagine
Lizzie In her n~ew-iedged Importance
talking to all those people.
"You spoke OF a message On
tured Agatha
YES; the one you sent the day yoa
left, Miss Redmond. The hotel clsrh
said you had suddenly left town on .
visit to a sick relative"
"Oh. yes"
Lizzie's quick scent was already on
the trail Of q mystery. but Agatha was
In no mood Just then to gtve her any
version Of the events of that Monday
afternoon.
was there any other message. Misc
Redmond! Some word for me. which
the clerk forgot to d~eliver!"
mo. nothing else"
"Mr. Straker came Tuesday morn.
ing with some contracts for you 10
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
", to Lizzie's disgust, but she could
not help It Il don't doubt he was dis
turbed. Did he come again."
Come again, Miss Redmond" LIE
zie hung q blue silk coat over iti
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 II l had any word from
you: and when | went to Cousin Hat
ties he called me up on the phone
every morning and evening. Most I'm
reasonable, Mr. Straker was. He SAID
there wasn't a singer in town he coult
get to fill your engagements, and b
was losing a hundred dollars a day
He's very much put out. Miss Rcd
mond."
We'll. I was, too" said Agatha, bn
somehow her tone failed to satisfy tn
maid. To Agatha the thought OF tn
dictatorial manager fluttering abou
New York in quest Of a vanished
singer-well, the picture had Its hu
norous side. 1t had Its serious SLOT
too, for Agatha, of course, but for tn
moment she put off thinking abou
that. Lizzie, however, had borne tn
brunt OF Mr.. Straker's vexation, an
In that lumber. box she called he
hind. she regarded the matter solely
as her personal u to come NOR
prominently upon the stage.
"Then your accompanied came ever
morning, as you had directed. Mis'
Redmond; and Madame F1orio sen
word a dozen times about those new
gowns" Lizzie, with the memory d
her sudden importance. almost tool
I'D the role Of bafled innocence. !"
declare. Miss Redmond. I didn't know
what to do or say to those people
The whole thing seemed 30 Irregular
with you not leaving any word OF "a
PLANTATION with me-"
n~ -- A>NyUyTNyVYysTN