The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1920-07-02

what relief Ii IVES to taILt fraoI,,
WIN my mind once and for all cIeor'
co OF all suspicion toward INV ia
great-ln"le. I began my story Sam
now the tie Of blood Is strong in tIrns
OF trouble. | found 1t vastly easier
10 tnlk with my aged relative thar :,
mao been with either German or INV
lawyer. ny
began with my chance meet,no
with Barbara Bradford In the nart
as the biackmailers awaited her there
told everything that had followed
with the utmost detail, even to sncb
small matters as my first meeting
with Wick and the undue curiosity
ne had exhibited as to my acouaInt.
ance with the Bradfords. I recIted
the story of my unaccoutabIe dis
charge In disgrace from my position
and told Of Germans unavailing eft.
forts to learn the reason.
1.-THE day was discharged" I went
on, u had drawn out from the savings
oank all my money with the purpose
of sending 1t to m: mother to whom 1
was In debt / still had 1t with me
when arrived home at the apartment
and l decided to put 1t in the wall
safe, to which, you recall, you had
given me the combination. Out of
mere curiosity"-I made this confess
sion with blush Of shame-"T had In
spected the contents of the safe the
day Of my arrival and had examined
the two caskets. The minute opened
the safe this second time saw that 1t
had been looted"
What" exclaimed my great-uncle,
starting from his seat, mot the
pearls r.
nodded.
Everything. The casket with the
pearls was gone. The other with the
trinkets was undisturbed."
Good heavens |" he exclaimed. my
wife's pearls stolen! Why, boy, paid
hundred and fifty thousand dollars
for that string. Tell me everything
about it-everything, at once"
could only repeat what I had told
him already. When l had opened the
safe on Sunday the pearls were there.
When had opened 1t again on the fol-
lowing Saturday the pearls were gone.
"Of course you told the police at
once"
explained to him why 1 had not
done so, and my reason seemed to
satisfy him.
Go on with your story" he calmly
directed. He seemed to have himself
well In hand again. After the first
shock at hearing of the loss of the
pearls he showed no sign of emotion
or displeasure.
He listened intently as I told him of
my second meeting with Barbara
Bradford when had learned that the
Bradford wall safe had been looted,
too, and the papers distracted con-
corning the aEnullment of Claire's
first marriage. He nodded his head
slightly when 1 told him of the anony-
nous notes found on the floor in
both apartments.
did you hear the whispers, too?"
he questioned.
Eyes" l answered, II heard them
several times. Barbara has heard
them, and the laundress, too"
A look of unspeakabIe relief came
over his face.
'Tm glad to know that others have
heard them besides myself. When a
man gets old his nerves sometimes
play him strange pranks. The whis-
pers seemed so unreal and incredible
that l feared that was suffering from
the hallucinations of old age. Now
that know that the whispers are real,
there is nothing to fear"
"And," 1 observed, Il believe, am
almost positive, l can explain the
origin of the whispers"
Tell me-" he cried, his manner now
entirely changed. He seemed elated
at discovering that his brain was still
dependable. 1t was as if a burden had
suddenly been lifted from him.
Here was my opportunity. German
had utterly refused to credit my story
of secret passage and mad rldlculeu
it. There had been no way that
could prove it, nor was it possible for
German to have investigated the walls
of the Granddeck, even If he had
placed any credence in my story. With
my great-uncle it was different. AS
the occupant of the apartment he
would have every right and oppor-
tunity to explore and verify my state
ments. l told him how, while specu-
Iatlng as to the origin Of the whispers,
had observed the discrepancy in the
measurements of the apartment and
had verified my deduction that there
was space enough for a passageway
big enough for man to traverse in
the wall between the room l had oc-
cupied and the long hall. He listened
intently as I described the plan of the
rooms in detail and nodded his APP
proyal.
"And what is MORE" / added tri-
Barbara Bradford and