The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1920-07-14

ming, he gained in this way much in
formation that he was able to utilize
to his financial profit without arous-
ing suspicion. He had discovered,
Mrs. Moore said, secret stock market
movements one of his tenants was
planning and had made Il small for
tune out of the advance information.
Several injudiciOus women he had
successfully blackmailed, turning over
to agents who never came near the
Granddcci the secrets he learned from
letters he opened and telephone con-
versations he had listened to.
In the case of Rufus Castor, he had
plotted to steal the Castor pearls,
Mrs. Moore explained, first terrifying
the old couple into leaving the apart
mcnt, the whispers that had been
heard coming of course from the Sc
crct passagcway.
"But | can't understand" 1 said
'why, after he had once got hold of
the pearls in Mr.. Gaston's absence, he
should have restored them to their
hiding place"
"lle had duplicate made OF rhony
pearls" explained Mrs. Moore. "It
was part of his plan not to have any
of the tenants discover the thcfts for
long time after they occurred"
"lf he was so cautious" said the
district attorney, 81 am puzzled as to
why he killed Miss Lutan and Mr.
CASTOR. lie must have realized that
both murders would be thoroughly in.
veStigatcd."
Both were accidents, so to speak"
the girl explained. "IIach Of them
surprised him in their apartment, and
he had to kill them to make his get
away. ISnpposc he had been roaming
around so much lie had got careless"
''llow about the rcvolver?' asked
German. "llow did he come to plant
it in Nelson's room?''
"lIc was puzzled by Mr.. Nelson but
ting in on the Bradford case, and It
made him sore. heard him and Wick
talking about it one day, and he said
that he'd teach Mr.. Nelson not to in.
tertcIe 'IIowT asked Wick. I'll
frame him fer the goat If anything
happens.
charged from my efIicc?" asked, eag-
erly.
Sure 1t was. lie wrote a note on
Mr.. Gaston's stationery saying that
YOU had forged n check after he hud
betriended you. He wrote In the let
ter that he was not going to prosecute
you because Of your mother, but that
he Cclt that YOU were unworthy Of en-.
noymcnt anywhere"
II believe" said the district attor-
ncy, that that clears everything up,
except for ono thing-why, Mrs.
Moore, did YOU aid him and Wick in
ali these crimcS?'
"lic promised that If would help
him he would get Eddie out" she
cried. 81 WAS desperate 1d do any
thing TO get my husband back"
Gorman and the district attorney
exchanged meaning glanccs. While
nothing moro was said, l felt sure as
they departed that both were thinking
that this brave young woman who had
solved the mystery for them certainly
deserved some reward, and think we
all realized that the only reward life
ever could hold for her was the free
dom OF her husband.
Presently they went and left us
alone, Gorman, my mother, Barbara
and |.
There are still two things I cannot
understand" l said, as we sat talking
II ovcr. "I'hc first iS"--and turned
to Bnrbara-"what wa; YOUR sister do
ing in this apartment on the night OF
the first murder: When | came up
from the Lutan apartment / caught
her Just coming out of my door. l
could not help wondering if they had
made her plant the revolver"
Barbara started up, blushng.
"Oh, no. she cried, ''it was nothing
like that You remember few mo.
m2ntS before You and had been in
your room looking ut The secret pas
sagcway. Claire Just then had come
into my room looking for me. She
was puzzled b. my absence, and the
only solution that came to her was
that l must be in your rooms. Alarmed
ut what she considered my impru-
dcncc she had slipped out into the
hall, and seeing your door open, had
investigated or course she did not
find me, for / had returned by way of
the window ledge. She told me about
1t the night before she was married.
/ don't wonder, though, that you sus.
pccted her."
III didn't suspect her" / cried. "I
just wondered what she had been do
ing there"
"Thats right" said German. "IIe
wouldn't believe for minute that she