ct any business."

"Nothing serious, I hope?" asked the other quickly.

"No, sir; I think not. Just a trace of nervousness probably."

But when he called again at the house that evening, he received a
similar message, supplemented with the news imparted by the butler, a
servant of many years' standing in the family, that Miss Holladay had
suddenly decided 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 season; but she was feeling very ill, was not able
to leave her room, indeed, and believed the fresh air and quiet of the
country would do more than anything else to restore her shattered
nerves. So the whole household, with the exception of her maid, a
cook, house-girl, and under-butler, were to leave the city next day in
order to get the country house ready at once.

"I don't wonder she needs a little toning up," remarked our chief
sympathetically. "She has gone through a nerve-trying ordeal,
especially for a girl reared as she has been. Two or three months of
quiet will do her good. When does she expect to leave?"

"In about a week, I think. The time hasn't been definitely set. It
will depend upon how the arrangements go forward. It won't be
necessary, will it, to bother her with any details of business? That
conveyance, for instance----"

"Can wait till she gets back. No, we won't bother her at all."

But it seemed that she had either improved or changed her mind, for
two days later a note, which her maid had written for her, came to Mr.
Graham, asking him to call upon her in the course of the next
twenty-four hours, as she wished to talk over some matters of business
with him. It struck me as singular that she should ask for Mr. Graham,
but our senior called a 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 countenance.

"Well, that beats me!" he exclaimed, as he 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 Holladay has always
been, should suddenly develop such whimsicalities. Yet, I couldn't but
admire her grasp of things. Here have I been thinking she didn't know
anything about her business and didn't care, but she seems to have
kept her eyes open."

"Well?" asked Mr. Royce, as the other paused.

"Well, sh