Mansfield mirror. (Mansfield, Wright County, Mo.) 1908-1957, 1920-08-26
SYNOPSIS.

AASNA ~ASh Az AZ
ceives an invitation TO dinner from his
great-uncle, Rufus Castor. On his way
TO the house he meets. under peculiar cir
SumsisnSes q yoIns si.i apparently 10
to be OF Sigh; service. She lives IN the
sams apartment building as Rufus Gas
ton, and he accompanies her 10 the house.
Castor and his wife are go!nS to Maine
for a trip and wan, 10 leave Nelson in
charge OF the apartment. He accepts.
CASTOR and his wife tell their great
nephew OF my ~sterious no!ses-"whispers"
which they have heard In the house.
CHAPTER lion his way to the Gas
ton apartment next Sunday Nelson again
meets bis accidental acquaintance OF .
few days before. Barbara Bradford. She
ursss him not TO allow the fact Of the!r
being acquainted to be known. AT the
apartment Nelson meets the superintend-
emit, Wick. and instinctively dislikes him:
In q wall safe he fnds a necklace OF
magnificent pearls. worth . small fortune,
Meeting Barbara in the hallway she
passes him without recognition. Dintns
pleasant scrutiny Of q stranger. but .
MAI whom he had seen before.
CHAPTER III-Next day Nelson finds
the pearis have disappeared from nc
wall safe. His nrst idea Of informing the
police Is not acted upon because Of Pc
culiar circumstances. He has been dis
charged from HIS position without ade-
QUhle eNH!dfhl!pD or reason, anu IccIs
himself involved in something OF a mys-
terry. He decides to conduct an investi-
0ation himself. That night Barbara Sig
mails from the window OF her apartment
= meeting for next day. In the morning
hs finds a note in his room, asking him
why he had not informed the police OF
the loss Of the Jewels.
CHAPTER fv.-Barbara tells Nelson
her sister Claire had some years before
made a runaway marriage with an ad-
venturer. from whom she was soon parted
and the marriage annulled. Claire is en-
gAged 70 be married and someone know
Ing Of her eseapade has stolen snts
concerning the AFFAIR from the Bradford
apartment and demands a large sum OF
money for their return. threatening &c
forward them TO Cla!re's fance II the de-
mands are not met. Neither Barbara nor
demands She tells Nelson she has also
heard mysterious sounds in the nat They
agree TO meet frequently.
CHAPTER v.-The CASTOR laundres.,
the. only person IN the apartment besides
Nelson. tells him she has heard whispers
and footsteps, apparently In the wall. He
begins TO suspect his great-uncle OF some
him she also has heard the footsteps. In
the morning he discovers his pockets
have been searched during the night, In
contestable evidence OF the presence OF
night
CHAPTER V.-Nelson invites Miss
building, 10 dinner. hoping through her to
md out something that will help him.
During her temporary absence from the
table Nelson Is informed by the house
detective that she is a known associate
OF criminals, and the wife Of Lefty
Moore" q convict IN Sins Sing He tells
something of the affair 70 the detective
ment for the next day. Returning home,
he fnde Claire Bradford In his apartment.
She tells him she was trying to trace the
source Of the whispers. which had also
disturbed her.
CHAPTER VI-Gornan agrees to take
the case in a professional capacity. That
evening Nelson discovers a concealed pas
sagewsy in the wall OF his apartment.
While he 10 investigating Barbara joins
him, making her way across a ledge con-
meeting the two apartments He Shove
her the entrance 10 the p~assagewsy, and
scream. followed by a shot. from the
apartment beneath them. Barbara has
tens back and Nelson hurrles to the
scene Of the disturbance. He meets Wick
at the door 0! the fat below.
CHAPTER VIII-Enter!ng, they md
the occupant Of the apartment, Daisy Lu.
tan. an actress, dead. WIck's opposition
to calling the police arouses Nelson's sus-
p%ic.ons, and he insists on their being in
formed. Answering the detectives ques-
suspicion on Nelson. Returning to his
apartment. he sees Claire just leaving.
Detectives find a revolver concealed in a
bureau drawer in Nelson's room. the
mitted. and arrest him as the murderer.
CHAPTER IX.-Circumstanial evidence
apparently IL overwhelming against Nell
n ~ sR q N y ~ pFZ ttnN
he 10 remanded without ball. Claire Brad
ford maker him a visit.
CHAPTER x.-Nel.on and Claire agree
that Barbara's connection with the case
must be kept secret: In a consultation
German expresses his conviction that
Wick 10 a crook" The detective is Of
eTssioa. , and s ( isna s ~ Gl'S s.esse. u . HD.
picious Of his great-uncle. German re-
fuses to believe In the existence of the
secret passageway.
CHAPTER XI.-A visit from Rufus
Gaston convinces Nelson that his great
uncle 10 not connected with the plotting.
discovery of the secret passageway. and
the old gentleman agrees to help him all
he can.
German and Rufus Castor md the pearls
in the wall safe, and GorrNan's faith in
Nelson Is shaken CASTOR IL found muir
dered In his study. and the police are
more than ever convinced than an organ
ICED band Of criminals. Of which Nelson
IL q member. are operating in the build
Ing.
"Still dreaming about that, are
your" scoffed German. mo, We didn't.
On the way up to the Grsnddeck the
old man spoke about 1t and / told
him that in my opinion there was
nothing to It. After he recovered the
pearls he was too excited to think
break him all up, and l took him back
to his hotel and left him there. He
said he had some writing to do, and
that he would meet me at my office
at noon today"
How do you account for the re-
turn Of the pesrls?" ] cried desperate
ly. whats your theory about themT'
II haven't any," he replied. "It's
up to you to explain 1t. Maybe by
the time I come to see you tomorrow
you'll have thought up a new yarn
TO spin"
"Please, please" I called after him
90 he turned away. do look tomor-
row and see II that secret passage is
not where ] said II was"
He walked away without answering.
Back once more in my cell. ] stretched
myself ~despondentIy on my little iron
cot, and closing my eyes, tried to
my thoughts on an at
tempt TO solve this new mystery,
which ] could plainly see had all but
destroyed Gorman's faith in my hon.