Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1920-04-23

that there should be no secrets be-
tween US. l began at the beginning.
told her of my coming to New York
and how 1 had seen my great-uncle
Rufus only once or twice. l related
the war front and told her how eager
1 had been to go with them. I even
went into detail as to the reason had
not gone with them, my debt to the
mother.
She did not seem greatly interested
in the first part of my narrative but
when 1 began telling of the PROPOSE
tion the Gastons had made to me and
of the mysterious warnings each of
them had separately given me, could
see her interest kindling.
'There is something wrong in that
apartment house." she explained. "We
have had nothing but trouble ever
since we lived there. I wonder If
there is anything in the theory that
evil deeds make bad karma, which
spreads its effects all about I know
1 feel there is. a sinister atmosphere
about the whole place.
"Pm beginning to feel it, too," said
bitterly.
told her then of my unexpected
and unwarranted discharge without
explanation the day before.
"How do you account for it?'' she
asked perplexedly.
"You must have some enemy, some
malicious person, who has spread
some terrible tale about you"
II haven't any enemy in the world"
I replied, yet even as 1 spoke there
flashed across my mind the malevolent
glance the scar-faced man had given
me in the restaurant a few evenings
before.
81 wonder" said Miss Bradford
thoughtfully, 'if the same people who
are trying to blackmail us are not try
ing to involve you with US in some
way?"
"Why should they?'
"They may have been watching and
have seen you enter the house with
me twice. They may think that you
and 1 are friends and that you were
there in the park purposely that first
time"
even So" 1 replied, "that doesn't
explain this"
1 pulled from my pocket the note
1 had found on the floor of my bed
room and showed it to her.
"Where did you get thatY she
Casped in astonishment.
"Last night 1 heard footsteps and
whispers. l thought at the time /
was dreaming. This morning l found
this note on the floor"
"You heard Whispers" she cried ex-
citedly, whispers that seemed to
come from up near the ceiling?"
'I thought / heard them. I wasn't
sure"
81 know, she said, shuddering.
'Tve heard them-twice."
We looked at each other despairing-
ly. We both of US realized that we
must be surrounded with some potent
evil forces working to accomplish our
ruin. The motive in the anonymous
letters that Miss Bradford had been
receiving had plainly been blackmail
But what was the motive in my own
case? Why had someone stolen the
CASTOR pearls and then in an anony.
nous letter to me spoken of the theft
I wondered, too, if the successful at
tempt to discredit me at my place OF
business had not originated from the
same mysterious source.
Was my great-uncle Rufus to blame
The suspicion of him rose in my
mind and would not be downed. I re
called the unusual pretext on which
he had sent for me after having paiC
no attention to my existence for near
ly a year. recalled his curious warn
ing and that of his aged wife. I re
membered that they had insisted OF
leaving the jewels behind against m!
urgings, and that they had been in
. sistent on my having the combination
of the safe. Could it be possible tha
they also had some grudge against tn,
Bradfords, their neighbors, and il
some way had got hold Of Claire Brad
, ford's secret?
. Il think you said," I asked Mis-
, Bradford, 'that your family and tn
q Gastons were not, acquainted in an,
way"
NO" she replied, 1--WE don't know
, them at all. Why do you ask that?
II was wondering if it could be pos
y sible that my great-uncle Rufus coul'
have had any hand in all this. He
| q o1d nh
"It's probable that he and my fathe
+ might have known each other. Bot
were in business here in the city fo
many years. 1 never remember
r though, of hearing Dad speak of him
g wait, yes, did once"
@ when was. that?"
: '1t must hhve been six or eigh
years ago. There was something i
# the papers about Mr.. CASTOR retirin
q from business"
what was it he said?" I aske
e eagerly, wondering if some old feu
I between the two men might not Civ
n us clue to unravel the web of my!
# terry.
"As nearly as I can recall his word
were, L see that old pirate CASTOR ha
retired with his ll-gotten gains.'"
e ITO whom was he talking"
y 81 don't remember that, probabl
some man who was visiting at tn
3 house. Dad always used to have
Y. lot Of men about"
10 did he say anything else?"
''That's all I remember, but 1 don
think the Gastons could have anythin
d. to do with it. This threatening m
sister is more the sort of thing a di
Y. charged servant would do"
u EYES," admitted, "but find the di
u charged servant. Yours have bee
N with you for years."
''Oh, what are we going to do?" 81
s. cried in desperation. 'If I don't q
those papers back, we'll all be RUNE
They'll give them to my sisters fianc
ID Her engagement will be broken. N
ve mother will die of disgrace ar
I'd shame"
UDop,t ha d;CoOrro rod o,;al 1.