The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1920-05-19
Continued from Last Wcck.)
CHAPTER vi.

Left alone for moment by my COM
panion | sat there at the table in
the crowded restaurant, idly watching
the beautifully costumcd women all
about me, listening dreamily to the
music of the orchestra, observing with
interest the graceful gyrations Of the
occasional couple who sought the
dancing floor in the center, when sud
denly was brought to myself by
hearing q gruff voice saying:
"Whatd You bring that crook in
here for2"
"Whf do YOU mcan?" gasped In
aston:shmrAt, ior!;i',e :ip ut a Square
shou'deted mao With n neatly trimmer
black mustache who was standing be-
eide my table.
ITS you 1 mcan." he announced.
Don't you know you can't bring that
kind Of people in herc2"
AS explanation for my presence
there in the White room OF the 70.
nous Hundredth hotel, let me say
that my Investigations Into tho per-
picking chain OF mysterious ciTo,iIli-
stances In which Barbara Bradford
and seemed to be each day becom-
Ing more firmly involved, had finally
led me to deduce three different the.
ories, each more or less plausible,
and each involving an entirely differ
ent set Of persons.
There were certain happenings and
circumstances that made mo some-
times wonder If the whole thing wero
not base plot on the part OF my
grent-uncle Rufus. perhaps Influenced
by desire for revenge or perhaps
led on by an insane greed for still
greater wealth.
Yet, on the other hand, there were
those entries in his diary about the
mysterious voices. Apparently, too,
them.
Did 1t not seem more likely that the
arch plottcr was Claire Brndford's ex-
husband?
This theory seemed far more ten
able. While the Bradfords had heard
(. nothing from him for several years,
the publication Of Claire Bradford's
engagement might have attracted his
notice and inspired him to an attempt
ut blackmail. Yet how could he gain
access to the wall safe where the d.
vorcc papers were kept, or how could
he be dropping notes on the floor Of
Barbara Bradfords bedroom? How
could he have stolen tho Castor
pearls? 1t seemed incredible but still
my thoughts kept returning to the
possibility of his directing Claire
Bradford's actions through hypnotic
control. Once he had had influence
over her sufficient to make her give
up family, friends, home, everything,
to marry him. Had he, In some way
unknown to Barbara Bradford re-
gained his control over her sister and
was he using her as the unconscious
tool for his villainies2 She could
have gained access to my room by
walking along the ledge when all the
house was still. Yet this theory ex
planned neither the theft Of the pearls
my great-uncle's peculiar actions, my
own discharge, nor the mysterious
noises In the apartment. had still
third theory.
Suppose band Of criminals waf
located in the apartment house on the
floor above the Bradfords and me?
Access to either apartment would
not be difficult. BY short rope lad
ders they could easily reach either Sc
Of rooms. They would be so located
that there would be little difficulty fol
them to devise mysterious sounds fOl
terrifying the people In the apart
ments below. recalled that in ev
cry case the voices and tho footstep.
seemed to come from somewhere III
near the ceiling OF course 1t seemed
prepqsterous that q criminal ban,
would find lodging in Luxurious
apartment house like this, yet, VIII,
not? Tenants in these buildings knew
little about each other and cared less
There was no exchange of neighborl
visits. Once having gained access t
such building by forged references
SO long as they paid their rent prompt
ly, no one In the building would both
er his head about the character Of an
Of the other tenants.
This last theory seemed tho mos
plausible. Besldes 1t was the easies
60 work on. 1t ought not to he diff
cult to ascertain who lived In the tw
apartments above. Undoubtedly m
best source OF information would b
Nsliie Kelly tha talephona 10,