The Holladay Case

sterio

!" ejaculated Mr. Royce, an

mp, but she can afford it. Of course, we've nothing to do but carry out her ins

ntended for the other woman-she was not to suffer for her crime, after all. Miss

ooks thinner and quite careworn. I commended her res

ir?" asked Mr. Royce

ould talk very little. She's managed to catch cold-the grip, I suppose-and wa

his desk, and then

aw the new maid. I can't sa

inute, weighi

g me strangely. I can't imagine where Miss Holladay picked her up, or why she should have picked her up at all. She's French, of course-she sp

and gave the necessary orders. Then he turned to other work, and the d

fternoon, a small packet neatly sealed and docketed-one hundred thou

ourse, John," he said to his partn

ed, and we were off. The trip was made without incident, and at

e beginning to encroach upon the neighborhood; but it had been Hiram Holladay'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 deserted look.

ohn Royce, his partner," and without answering the woman motioned us in. "Of course we must ha

the maid, with careful enunciation. "I will mys

re, I was certain-a voice low, vibrant, repressed, full of color. Then, with a start, I remembered! It was Miss Holladay's voi

m is a considerable one, and must be given to Miss Holl

to hesitate; I saw her

warn you, she is most nervous and

yce curtly; and without answering, the woman turned an

nner and older, and coughed occasionally in a way that frightened me. Not grief alone, I told myself, could have caused this breakdown; it was the secret we

ut she stopped him abruptly with a l

e whispered hoars

ogether. When he spoke again, i

y you asked for," and he

ou," she

verify t

hat is not

d he produced it and his fo

Then she leaned back with a sigh of relief, and buried her face in her hands. Mr. Royce placed the receipt in his pocket book, and stopped, hesitati

Royce, in a voice somewhat tremulous, a

ir; ver

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 Holladay's dau

ian, of course?"

yes,

vised rest

s,

leave for t

next day after t

ps to say something more-his anxiety was clamoring for utterance-th

stern repression. "I wis

fter us, and we w

drive around there, and find out how really ill

e the driver the address. Jenkinson was

I am John Royce, of Graham & Royce. You know, I suppose,

kinson. "Glad to me

welfare and all that concerns her, and I called to

? I don't quit

know, doctor, jus

nson, in evident surp

n't she? I thought you

weeks. At that time, she seemed quite well-a little nervous, perhaps, and worried,

lexed; as for me, my he

s Holladay's illness, in so far as he knew them, ending with an account of our recent visit, and the statement of the maid that h

he looked very

iced eyes. She seemed thin and worn-she could sca

r, with many very famous patients, and I could see that this ca

"Miss Holladay was perfectly free to choo

thought it probable?

obable," answered the doctor emphatically. "Still, women

, and then took the

er trusted you, and relied on you-and assure yourself that she's in good hands? I confess, I don't know what to thin

nson

sane enough," he said, "and utterly unl

uld see for yourself,

umming with his fingers

id at last. "Still, I might call in a merely social way

ghtened, and he caug

will lift a great anxiety from the fir

laughed goo

the gossip going. I might add that I was glad to hear

e behind one corner of the curtain-perhaps one glimpse would be enough to penetrate the mystery. But, in ha

efly, "and Miss Holladay sent down w

ce's fa

was all?

nothing for me to do but come away

ther. "No. How do yo

for a moment studied t

on is that Miss Holladay is suffering from some form of dementia-perhaps only acute primary dementi

aw from the expression of Mr. Royce's

ake sure?" he asked. "She may

stress of her actions. There are no relatives to interfere-no intimate friends, even, that I know of

e an instant gest

ave no possible reason to take such

esent nothing can be done-things will just have to ta

disease in the family?" inqui

en just working to the top in Wall Street, drove himself too hard-it was when the market went all to pieces over that Central Pacific deal-and had a touch of apoplexia. It was just a touch, but I made him take a long vacation, which he spent abr

more to be said, a

ctor, as he opened the door, "will you let me know? Y

ior. "You're very kind, sir,"

delivery of the money, I had glanced, as usual, through the financial column of the Sun as I rode home on the car, and one item had attracted my attention. The brokerage firm of Swift & Currer had that day presented at the sub-treasury the sum of one hundred thousand doll