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I ru.il i-.onie work of my own to koop
me
busy tint night, ho devoted no
thought to France, llolladay an 1 her
affairs, but they were recalled to mo
with renewed force next morning. I
"Did you (jet Miss Hollnday'a slg-j
nature to that conveyance?" Mr. Grn-'
ltn..t .lllfl IWtl in I. ill. I.I.. at,, m...... la. !.. '
iu.ii iuiiivv.il ii unit, inn mi iuv:l ill liiu
courso of the morning.
"No, sir," answered Mr. Itojrce, with
just a trace of embarrassment. "I
called at the house last night, but sho '
eut down word that she was too 111
to see me or to transact any business."
"Nothing serious, 1 hope7" asked tho
other quickly.
"No, sir. I think not. Just u trnco
of nervousness, probably."
Hut when he called again at tho
Iiouho that evening he received a sim
ilar message, supplemented with the
news Imparted by the butler, n servant
of many years' standing In the family,
that Miss llolladuy had suddenly de
cided to leave the city and open her
country place on Long Island. It was
only the end of March, and so a full
two months and more ahead of the
ueasou. But she was feeling very HI,
was not able to leave her room, Indeed,
and believed the fresh air and quiet
of the country would do more than
luivthlnir else to restore her shattered
nerves. So tho whole household, with
tho exception of her maid, a cook,
house girl and undcrbutler, were to
leave the city next day In order to get
the couutry house ready at once.
"I don't wonder she needs a little
toning up," remarked our chief sym
pathetically. "She has gone through
u nerve trying ordeal, especially for
n girl reared as she has been. Two
or three months of quiet will do her
good. When does sho expect to leave?"
"In about a week, I think. The tlmo
hasn't been definitely set. It will de
pend upon how the arrangements go
forward. It won't be necessary, will
It, to bollier her with any details of
business? That conveyance, for In
istauce" "Can wnlt till she gets back. No, we
won't bother her at all."
Hut it seemed that she had cither Im
proved or changed her mind, for two
days later a note, which her maid had
-written tor her, came to Mr. Graham
asking him to call upon her In tho
course of the next twenty-four hours,
as she wished to talk over some mat
ters of business with him. It struck
me as singular that she should ask for
Mr. Graham, but our senior called a
oub and started off at once without
comment. An hour later the door open
ed anil he entered the olllco with a
most peculiar expression of counte
nance. "Well, that beats me!" he exclaimed
m ho dropped Into his chair.
Our junior wheeled around toward
him without speaking, but his anxiety
was plain enough.
"To think that a girl as level headed
as Frances llolladay has always been
tJiould suddenly develop such whhnsl
iilltles. Yet I couldn't but admire her
grasp of things. Here have 1 been
thinking she didn't know nuythlng
about her business and didn't care, but
rfiv seems to have kept her eyes open."
"Well?" asked Mr. Itoyce as tho oth
. paused.
"Well, she started out by reminding
me that her property had been left to
her absolutely, to do as sho pleased
with, a point which I, of course, con
ceded. She then went on to say that
.she know of a number of bequests her
father had intended to mllko before his
death, and which he would have made-
If he had not been cut oil' so suuueuiy;
that the bequests were of such a na
ture that he did not wish his name to
appear In them, nnd that she was going
to undertake to carry them out anony
mously." "Well?" asked our Junior again.
"Well," said Mr. Graham slowly, "she
asked me to dispose at once of such of
lior securities as I thought best In or
der that 1 might place In her hands by
tomorrow night $100,000 In cash-a
cool hundred thousand!"
CIIArTEIt VIII.
A I
IIUNDltED thousand dollars!"
ejaculated Mr. Itoyce, nnd sat
staring nt his chief.
"A hundred thousand dollars 5
That's a good deal for a girl to give
away In a-himp, but sho can afford It.
Of courso we've nothing to do but car
ry out her Instructions. I think both of
ub enn guess what she Intends doing
with the mouey."
Tho other nodded. I believed that I
could guess too. Tho money, ot: course,
was intended for tho othor woman.
Sho was not to suffer for her crime aft-
A Mystery
Of Two
Continents
BURTON E.
STEVENSON
Copyriiht, 1903, by
Hary Hall nJ
Comp&ny
or all. Miss Holfaday HootniHl to mo In
",lI' dnngvr of becoming un ncces-
sory niter uie inc..
"She seems really 111," continued our
Hcnlor. "She looks thinner anil quite
careworn. I commended her resolution
to sock rest and (iiilut and change ot
Hcene."
"When does sho go, sir?" asked Mr.
Itoyco In n subdued voice.
"The dny after tomorrow, I think.
She did not Hay definitely. In fnct, she
oould talk very little. She's managed
to catch com tuo grip, l Hupposo mm
was very hoarse. It would have been
cruelty to inako her talk, and I didn't
try."
He wheeled around to his desk and
then suddenly back again.
"By tho way," he said, "I nnw the
new maid. I can't say I wholly ap
prove of her."
lie paused a minute, weighing his
words.
"She seoms careful and devoted," he
went on at last, "but I don't like her
eyes. They're too Intense. I caught
her two or three times watching me
strangely. I can't Imagine where MIkh
llolladay picked her up, or why she
should have picked her up at all. She's
French, of course. She speaks with ft
decided accent. About the money, I
Hiipposo we'd better sell a block of
U. P. bonds. They're the least produc-
tlve of her securities."
"Yes, I suppose so," agreed Mr.
Itoyco, nnd tho chief called up n broker
and gave the necessary orders. Then
he turned to other work, and the dny
passed without any further referenco
to Miss llolladay or her affairs.
The proceeds of tho sale were
brought to the olllce early the next
afternoon, a small packet neatly sealed
nnd docketed 100 thousand dollar
bills. Mr. Graham turned It over In
his hand thoughtfully.
"You'll take it to the house, of courso,
John," he said to his partner. "Les
ter 'd better go with you."
So Mr. Itoyce placed the package In
his pocket, n cab was summoned, and
we were off. The trip was made with
out Incident, and nt the end of half
an hour we drew up before the llolla
day mansion.
It was one of the old style brown
stone fronts which lined both Hides
of the avenue twenty years ago. It
was no longer In the ultra fashionable
quarter, which had moved up toward
Central nark, and shops of various
kinds were beginning to encroach upon
the neighborhood, but it had been Ill
ram llolladay's home for forty years,
and he had never been willing to part
with it. At this moment all the blinds
were down and the house had a de
serted look. We mounted the steps to
the door, which was opened at once to
our ring by a woman whom I know
instinctively to be the new maid,
though she looked much less like a j
maid than like mi elderly working wo
man of the middle class.
"We've brought tho money Miss Hoi- '
ladny asked Mr. Graham for yester
day," said Mr. Itoyce. "I'm John
Itoyce, his partner." And without an- .
favoring the woman motioned us In.
"Of courso we must hnve a receipt for
It," he added. "I have It ready here, ,
and she need only attach her signa
ture." "Miss llolladay Is too 111 to see you,
ulr," said the maid, with careful enun
ciation. "I will myself the paper take
to her and get her signature." I
Mr. Itoyce hesitated a moment In
perplexity. As for me, I was ransack
ing my memory. Where had I heard
Unit voice before? Somewhere, I was
certain a voice low, vibrant, re
pressed, full of color. Then, with a
start, I remembered. It was Miss llol
laday's voice as she had risen to wel
come our Junior that morning at tho
coroner's court. 1 shook myself to
gether, for that was nonsense.
"I fear that won't do," said Mr.
Itoyco at last. "Tho sum Is a consid
erable one and must bo given to Miss
llolladay by me personally In the pres
ence of this witness."
It was Uio maid's turn to hesitate. I
Raw her lips tighten ominously.
"Very well, sir," sho snld. "But I
warn you she Is most nervous, und It
has been forbidden her to talk."
"She will not be called upon to talk,"
retorted Mr. Itoyco curtly, nnd with
out answering the woman turned nnd
led tho way up Uio stair and to her
mistress' room.
Miss nollnday was lying back In a
great chair with a bandngo about her
hood, and even In the half light I could
see how chnnged she was. She Beemed
much thinner and older and coughed
occasionally In a way Uint frightened
me. Not grief alone, I told myself,
could have caused this breakdown; It
was tho secret weighing upon her. My
k
compnnlon noted tho change, too, of
con rev a greater change perhaps than
my eyes could perceive and 1 haw
how moved and nhockvil he was.
"My dear MIbs llolladay," he began,
but nhe stopped htm abruptly with n
Utile Imperative motion of the hand.
"Pray do not," she whispered hoarse
ly. "Pray do not."
He stopped nnd pulled himself to.
got her. When he sp )ke again It was In
quite a different tone.
"I have brought tho money you asked
for," and ho handed her the package.
"Thnnk you," Hhe murmured.
"Will you verify the amount?"
"Oh, no; that Is not necessary."
"1 have n receipt here," and he pro
tluved It and his fountain pen. "Please
sign It."
Sho took the pen with trembling lin
gers, laid the receipt upon her chair
arm without reading and signed her
name with a somewhat painful slow
ness. Then she leaned back with a
sigh of relief and burled her face In
her hands. Mr. Itoyce placed the re
ceipt In his pocketbook nnd stopped,
hesitating, lint the maid had opened
the door nnd was awaiting us. Her
mistress made no sign; there was no
excuse to linger. We turned and fol
lowed the maid.
"Miss llolladay seems very 111," snld
Mr. Itoyco In n voice Bomewhat tremu-
.'' 4F
"J have brought the money lV'u mk Jar."
lous as she paused before us In tho
lower hall.
"Yes, sir; ret" HI."
Again tho voice! I took advantage
.of the chance to look nt her Intently.
Her hnlr was turning grny, certainly;
her face was seamed with lines which
only care and poverty could have
graven there, and yet, beneath It all,
I fancied I could detect a faded but
living likeness to Hiram llolladay's
dnughter. I looked ngaln-lt was faint,
uncertnln-norhnns my nerves were
overwrought nnd were deceiving me.
For how could such a likeness possibly
exist?
"She haB n physician, of course?"
nskisl my compaulon.
"Oh, yes, sir."
"He has advised rest and quiet?"
"Yes, sir."
"When do you leave for the coun
try?" I
"Tomorrow or the next dny after
Unit. I think, sir."
He turned to the door nnd Uien pans-
ed, hesitating. He opened his lips to
say something more his nnxlety was
clamoring for utterance then ho
changed his mind and stepped outsldo
as she held the door open.
"Good day," he snld, with stem re-'
presslon. "I wish her n pleasant Jour
ney." I
The door closed after us, and wo
went down the steps.
"Jenklnson's tho family doctor," he
said. "Let's drive around there and
find out bow ill Miss llolladay really
is. I'm worried about her, Lester." I
"That's n good Idea," I agreed and
gave the driver tho nddress. Jenkln
son was In his olllco und received us
nt once.
"Dr. Jenklnson," began our Junior
without preamble, "I am John Itoyce,
of Graham & Itoyce. You know, I sup
pose, Unit wo are the legal advisers of ,
Miss Frances llolladay." j
"Yes," answered Jenklnson. "Glad to
meet you, Mr. Itoyce."
"In consequenco we'ro naturally lu-. j
forested In her welfare and nil that ,
concerns her, nnd I culled to ask you '
for Borne definite details of her condl-,
tlou." I
"Her condition? I don't quite under
fitnnd "
M0RHART
BROS.
Hardware Co.
advice." And he recounted rnpuily the
facts of Miss llolladay's Illness, In so
far an he knew them, ending with an
account of our recent visit and the
statement of the nialil that her mis
tress was under a doctor's care. Jen
klusou heard him to the end without
Interrupting, but he was plainly pus
zleil and annoyed.
"And you say she looked very III?"
he asked.
"Oh, very 111, sir; nlarmlngly 111, to
my uuprncliccd vycM. She seemed Uiln
and worn. She could scarcely talk,
she had such a cough. I hardly know
her."
Again the doctor paused to consider.
He was a very famous doctor, with
many very famous patients, and 1
could sec that this case piqued him
that another physician should have
been preferred I
"Of course, Mr. Hoycc," ho said final
ly, "Miss I 'adny was perfectly free
to choose another physician If sho
thought best."
"Hut would you have thought It prob
able?" queried our Junior.
"Ten minutes ago I should have
thought It extremely Improbable," an
swered the doctor emphatically. "Still,
women are sometimes erratic, as wo
doctors know to our sorrow."
Mr. Itoyco hesitated nnd then took
the bull by the horns.
"Dr. Jenklnson," he begun earnest
ly, "don't you think It would be wlso
to see Miss llolladay yon know how
her father trusted you and relied on
you mid assure yourself that she's In
good hands? I confess I don't know
what to think, but I fear some danger
Is hanging over her. Perhaps she may
even have fallen Into the hands of tho
faith curlsts."
Jenklnson smiled.
"The advice to seek rest nnd quiet
seems sane enough," he said, "and ut
terly unlike any that a faith curlst
would give."
"Hut still, If you could see for your
self," persisted Mr. Itoyce.
The doctor hesitated, drumming with
his lingers upon the arm of his chair.
"Such a course would be somewhat
unprofessional," he said at last. "Still
I might call In a merely social way.
My Interest In tho fnmlly would, I
think, excuse me."
Mr. Noyce's face brightened, nnd he
caught the doctor's hand.
"Thank you, sir," he said warmly.
"It will lift a great anxiety from tho
llrm, nnd, I may add, from me person
ally." Tho doctor laughed good naturedly.
"I knew that, of course," ho snld.
"We doctors hear all the gossip go'.ng.
I might add that I was glad to hear
this bit. If you'll wait for me here, I'll
go at once.
We Instantly assented, and ho called
his carriage and was driven away. I
felt that at last wo were to see behind
ot-' corner or the curtain- perhaps one
glimpse would be enough to penetrate
the mystery. Hut In half an hour ho
was back again, and n glance at his
face told me that wo were again ties-
fined to disappointed,
"I Hont up my card," he reported
' briefly, "and Miss llolladay sent down
word that she must beg to Im excused."
"And that was all?" he asked.
"That was all. Of course thero was
nothing for mo to do but come away.
I couldn't Insist on seeing her."
"No," assented Uio other; "no. How
do you explain It, doctor?"
Jenklnson sat down and for n mo
ment studied the pattern of tho cur
poL "Frankly, Mr. Itoyce," he said ntlast,
"1 don't know how to explain it. Tho
most probable explanation Is that Miss
llolladay Is suffering from some form
of dementia, perhaps only acute pri
mary dementln, which Is usunlly mere
ly temporary, but which may easily
grow serious mid oven become perma
nent." The theory had occurred to me, nnd
I saw from tho expression of Mr.
Itoyce's face that he also had thought
of It.
"Is thero no way that wc can mako
sure?" he askW. "She may need to bo
saved from herself."
"Sho may need it very badly," agreed
Uie doctor, nodding. "Yet she Is of
legal age and absolute mistress of her
actions. Thero are no relatives to In
terfere, no Intimate friends even that
I know of. 1 see no way unless you,
ns her legal adviser, apply to the au
thorities for an Inquest of lunacy."
Hut Mr. Itoyce mado an Instant ges
ture of repugnance.
"Oh, that's absurd!" ho cried. "We
hrve no possible reason to take such
action. It would offend her mortally."
"No doubt." assented the other. "So
I fear that ut present nothing can be
done. Things will Just have to take
their course till Bomethlng more de
cided happens."
"There's no tendency to mental dls-
I eoso In the family?" inquired Mr.
Itoyce after a moment.
"Not tho slightest," snld the doctor
emphatically. "Her father and mother
were both Bound and well balanced. I
know the history of the family through
Uiree generations, and there's no hint
of any taint. Twenty-five yeara ago
llolladay, who was then Just working
to Uie top in Wall street, drove himself
too hard it was when Uie market went
all to pieces over that Central Pacific
deal and had a touch of apoplexy. It
wan Just a touch, but I mado him tnko
a long vacation, which ho spent abroad
with his wife. It. waa then, by the
way, that his daughter was born. Since
then he has been careful, and linn never
been bothered with a recurrence of the
trouble- -In fact, that's the only Illness
in the least serious 1 ever knew htm
to have."
There was nothing more to be snld,
and we turned to go.
"If there are any further develop
ments," added the doctor as hu opened
the door, "will you let me know? You
may count upon me If I can be of any
assistance."
"Certainly," answered our Junior.
"You're very kind, sir," and wo wont
back to our cab,
The week that followed was n per
plexing one for me and a miserable
one for Koyce. As I know now, he had
written her half a dozen times and had
received not u single word of answer.
For myself, I had discovered ono more
development of the mystery. On tho
day following the delivery of the mon
ey I had glanced, as usual, through Uio
financial column of my paper as I rodu
home on the car, and one Item had at
traded my attention. The brokerage
llrm of Swift .fc Currer had that day
presented at the subtreasury the sum
of $100,000 In currency for conversion
Into gold. An Inquiry at their olllco
next morning elicited the fnct that tho
exchange had been effected for tho ac
count of Miss Francos llolladay. It
was done, of course, that the recipient
of the money might remain beyond
trace of the police.
OHAPTl'.It IX.
O
Ult regular work ot tho oftlco
Just at that time happened to
be unusually heavy and try
ing. Tho Brown Injunction
suit, while not greatly attracting pub
lic attention, Involved points of such
nicety nnd affected Interests so wide
spread that the whole bar of New
York was watching It. Tho Hurd sub
stitution case was more spectaculnr
and appealed to tho press with peculiar
force, since one of the principal vic
tims 1 Mil been tho eldest son of Pres
ton McLandberg, the veteran manag
ing editor of the Record, and tho bring
ing of the suit Impugned the honor of
his family. Hut It Is still too fresh In
the public mind to need recapitulation
here, oven were It connected with this
story. The incessant strain told upon
both our partners und even upon me,
so that I returned to my rooms after
dinner one evening determined to go
early to bed. Hut I had scarcely
donned my house coat, settled In my
chair and got my pipe to going when
there camo u tap at the door.
"Come In," I called, thinking It wuh
Mrs. Fitch, my landlady, and loo weary
to get up.
Hut It was not Mrs. Fltch'B pale
countenance, with lis crown of gray
hnlr, ich appeared In the doorway;
it wits n rotund und exceedingly florid
visage. '
"You will pardon me, sir," began a
resonant voice, which I Instantly re
membered, oven before the short,
square figure stepped over the thresh
old Into the full light, "but I have
Just discovered that I have no match
with which to Ignite my gas. If I
might from you borrow one"
"Help yourself," I said, and held out
to him my case, which was lying on
tho table at my elbow.
"You are very good," he said, and
then, as he stepped forward and saw
me more distinctly, he uttered n llttlo
exclamation of surprise. "Ah, It 1
Mistnlr"
"Lester," I added, seeing that he hesi
tated. "It Is n great pleasure," ho was say
ing us he took the matches; n "gteat
good fortune which brought mo lo thto
i
L. ...v. So lonely one grown nt times
mid then, I greatly desire some ad
vice. If you would have the leisure-"
'Certainly," nnd I waved toward a
chair. "Sit down."
I "In one moment," he snld. "You
' will pardon me," and he disappeared
I through the doorway.
I Ho wiib back almost at once with n
onndful of cigarettes, which he placed
. on the table. Then he drew up n chair.
1 With a llttlo deprecatory gesture hu
used ono of my matches to light a
cigarette.
"It was truly for the gas," he said,
catching my smile, "and tho gaB for
the cigarette!"
Thero was something fasclnntlng
about the man nn air of good humor,
of comradeship, of strength of pur
pose. My eyes were caught by hla
stodgy, nervous hnnilB ns he held tho
match to his cigarette. Then they
wandered to his face, to the blnck
hair flecked hero and thero wlUi gray,
to the bright, deep set eyes, ambushed
under heavy brows; to tho full lips,
which the carefully arranged mustncho
did not at nil concenl; to the projecting
chin, with Us little plume of nn Im
porlal a strong faco and a not un
handsome one, with n certain look of
mastery about It.
"It is true that I need advice," he
wuh saying us he slowly exhnled a
great puff of Binoko which he had
drawn deep Into his lungs. "My nnmo
Is Martlgny Jasper Mnrtlgny" I nod
ded by way of salutation "nnd I am
from Frnnce, na you havo doubUcss
long since suspected. It 1b my deslro
to become n citizen of Arfier-rlc'."
"How loug have you been living la
America 7" I asked.
(To be Continued )
'
V
.
