Mansfield mirror. (Mansfield, Wright County, Mo.) 1908-1957, 1920-09-02

ceives an Invitation 10 dinner from his
great-uncle. Rufus CASTOR. On his way
TO the house lie meets. under peculiar cir
eumstances. n young SRI. apparently IN
trouble, TO whom he has an opportunity
to be OF slisht service. She lives in the
same apartment building as Rufus Gas
ton, n he accompanies her TO the house
CASTOR and his wife are going TO Maine
charge OF the apartment. He accepts.
CASTOR and his wife tell their great
nephew OF mysterious noises-"whispers'
which they have heard in the house.
CHAPTER lion his way to the Gas
ton apartment next Sunday Nelson again
meets his accidental acquaintance OF q
few days before. Barhara, Bradford. She
being acquainted TO be known. Al tho
apartment Nelson meets the ~superlntend-
ent, Wick. and instinctively dislikes him:
In q wall safe he finds a necklace OF
Meeting Barbara in the hallway she
passes him without recognition. Dining
In a restaurant he is conscious OF the un-
pleasant scrutiny OF q stranger. but .
man whom he had seen before.
CHAPTER III.-Next day Nelson finds
the pearls have disappeared from the
wall safe. His first idea OF informing the
police is not acted upon because OF Pc
culiar circumstances He has been dis
NAAHte ~ so 80
ouate explanation or reason. and feels
himself involved In something OF a mys-
terry. He decides 10 conduct an investi.
CATION himself. That night Barbara sig
nails from the window OF her apartment
which is opposite his. and they arrange
. meeting for next day. In the morning
he 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 40.
venturer. from whom she was soon parted
and the marriage annulled. Claire Is en-
gagged to be married and someone know
Ing OF her escapade has stolen documents
concerning the AFFAIR from the Bradford
apartment and demands a large sum OF
money for their return. threatening to
forward them TO Claire's fiance II the de.
mande are not met. Neither Barbara nor
her sister have the money to satisfy the
demands. She tells Nelson she has also
heard mysterious sounds in the fiat They
agree TO meet frequently.
CHAPTER Vile CASTOR laundress,
Nelson. tells him she has heard whispers
and footsteps, apparently in the wall. He
begins to suspect his ereat-uncle of some
knowledge of the AFFAIR. Barbara tells
him size 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
someone In the apartment during the
night
CHAPTER vI-Nelson invites Miss
Nellie Kelly. telephone operator in the
building, TO dinner, hoping through her TO
During her temporary absence from the
table Nelson Is Informed by the house
detective that she is a known associate
q criminals, and the wife of Lefty
something of the affair 10 the detective
James G~ornan-and makes an appoint
ment for the next day. Returning home.
he finds Claire Bradford in his apartment.
She tells him she was trying to trace the
source OF the whispers, which had also
disturbed her.
CHAPTER VII-Gorman agrees TO take
the case p a professional capacity. That
sageway in the wall Of his apartment.
While he Is investigating Barbara Joins
him, making her way across a ledge con-
Meeting the W apartments. He SHOVE
her the entrance 10 the passageTay, and
while they are talking they hear a
scream. followed by a shot. from the
apartment beneath them. Barbara has.
tens back and Nelson hurries to the
scene Of the disturbance. He meets Wick
at the door Of the fiat below.
CHAPTER VIII.-Entering, they find
the occupant OF the apartment. Daisy Lu.
10 calling the police arouses Nelson's sus.
picions. and he insists on their being in
formed. Answering the detectives ques-
tioning, Wick apparently tries TO throw
suspicion on Nelson. Re'arning to his
Detectives find a revolver concealed In a
bureau drawer in Nelson's room, the
weapon with which the crime vas COM
nitted. and arrest hin as the murderer.
CHAPTER TX. -circumstartial evidence
apparently is overwhelming against Nell
son. and after a preliminary investigation
he Is remsried without ball. Claire Brad
ford makes him a visit.
CHAPTER X.-Nelson and Claire agree
that Barbara's connection with the case
must be Kept secret. In a consultation
Wick is a "crook." The detective Ia OF
opinion that a band Of criminals is OPP
Grating, and Nelson again becomes sus-
pic!ous Of his great-uncle. German re-
fuses to believe In the existence Of thu
secret passageway.
CHAPTER XL-A visit from Rufus
CASTOR convinces Nelson that his great
uncle II not connected with the plotting.
Nelson tells hin everything, including the
discovery OF the secret passa geway. and
the old gentleman agrees to help him all
he can.
CHAPTER XH-Visiting the apartment
German and Rufus CASTOR find the pearls
in the wall safe, and Gorrnan's faith in
Nelson Is shaken. CASTOR Ia found mur-
dered In his study, and the police are
more than ever convinced than an organ
lied band OF criminals OF which Nelson
10 a member. are operating in the build
Ing.
No sense OF shame nor Of guilt pos
sessed me. l was aware Of having
done wrong to no one. A clear con
science kept assuring me that It was
misfortune and not error on my part
that had brought me here. At every
point In the strange chain Of circum-
stances / felt that ! had acted as a
man Of honor should have acted. My
sense Of innocence upheld me even
though the deliberate malicious plot
ting Of evil me might make II appear
to the Judge, TO the Jurors, to the
whole world that ! a a murderer.
Even though ] should be sentenced TO
death for killing a woman | never had
] had done what ] still believed to
have been right, brought me strong
comfort and filled me with new cOur.
age.
Yet II was with lack Of interest that
I listened TO the monotonous question.
ing that formed q part Of the selection
Of Il jury.
$50 far as ] am concerned" I had
said Ia nv counsel I'm Our last chat
ANY sort Of q jury win do. Unless
we succeed IN upsetting the evidence
against me with a crash that all the |
world can hear It makes no differ.
II guess you are right" he answer
ed, despoDd"ntly. It seemed to me,
II the worst happens, we always