Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1920-04-30

what my own fingerprints looked like |
on a sheet of paper prepared with
some homemade lampblack. After an |
hour or two of experimentation | gave
it up as a, bad job, and turned to the
study of methods by which the notes
might have been delivered.
The Castor apartment was on the
sixth floor of the building, which was
surrounded by ordinary three and
four-story dwelling houses. 1t must
have been someone in the building,
If not in the apartment itself. 1t would
be quite possible for someone on the
floor above to have projected the notes
through my window and that of Miss
Bradford by attaching them to the
end of a long stick. 1 made I'D my
mind to ascertain who occupied the
apartments above.
The mystery of the whispers did not
seem to be of such easy solution.
While I had been inclined at first to
regard my own experience as a dream,
the coincidence of Miss Bradford and
my great-uncle having had the same
Illusion convinced me that it was some
claptrap devised by the plotters for
preying on the fears of their intended
victims.
Eagerly I waited for the coming of
evening and from half-past seven on
1 sat by my window waiting for Bar
bara's signal. 1t was nearly nine
o'clock before I heard the three taps
that had so startled me the evening
before. Quickly thrust my head out
of the window and was rewarded by
seeing hers appear at the same mo-
ment.
1--WE must not talk long," she warned
me. Someone might see US. Have
you learned anything new?"
'Yes," I whispered. "In my uncle's
diary I found several entries about the
whispers"
'How strange!" she exclaimed
''Where is Mr.. Gaston?"
81 don't know"
"That's funny"
'It's more than that. 1t is decided
1y odd that he left no word where he
could be reached"
81 don't blame him." she almost
sobbed ST wish we could all get away
off somewhere, away from it ALL"
"Don't worry. Everything we find
out will help discover the plotters.
Tell me from what part of your room
did the sounds come"
always from the same place, up
in the corner, near the ceiling"
81 thought so," answered. "That's
where they came from in my room.
That shows it is Just some mechanical
trick they are using in the hope Of ter
rifying us. Do you know who lives
on the floor above?"
81 haven't. the slightest idea. Do
you suspect themW
ST suspect everybody until this mys.
terry is solved" 1 replied almost say.
agely.
mot so loud, they may hear you
Have you learned anything else?"
''No, nothing. questioned old Mrs
Burke, Mrs. Gaston's laundress. She
knew nothing, although she insisted
that she had often heard footsteps
when there was no one in the apart
ment. Of course it is only her imag
; nation"
'rm not so sure" Miss Bradford
whispered. "Fve heard them, too
They seemed to come right out of tn,
wall"
"Why," 1 exclaimed in amazement
''that's just how she described them.
"Often, too, when I get up in tn
morning I have a strange feeling tha
there must have been someone in m
room while was asleep"
'How strange!" muttered, more t
Z myself than to her. ST wonder if !
could be anyone walking in thei
) Sleep"
"You mean"-she hesitated-''m
y sister?"
81 don't mean anyone" 1 hastene
to say. 81 was only thinking alout
wondering if it could be possible e,
planation. I have heard of innocer
persons doing all sorts Of things III
der hypnotic influence"
I've read of that, too," she said s.
berly, 81 wonder"
She left the sentence unfinished, bl
felt that the same thought had flasl
ed into her mind as into mine. Was
possible that the INSCRIPTIONS Frenc
man who had wronged her sister yea
ago had in some way recently game
an interview with her and had gottt
her once more into his power? Cou
it be that under the spell of another
mind Claire Bradford herself had ia
en- away the papers concerning the a
nulment of her marriage and was pla
ing the notes in the blackmail plot?
'Look here" 1 said determined
"we've got to see each other som
where tomorrow and talk this ovt
Where can we meet?"
"I'm afraid / can't manage it
ne morrow. I'm busy with my moth
and sister all day long. Tuesday, pc
haps. But we mustn't talk here Ion
As er. Good night"
Is "Good night" called softly but h
IL head had been already withdrawn,
u quickly that I hardly knew wheth
~ she heard me. AS I was about rea
le for bed 1 recalled that I had spe
DIX most of the money 1 had in my poo
as cts, so I visited the bookcase where
Ut had secreted my hoard and taking G
III a twenty-dollar bill, wrapped it abe
the three one-dollar bills 1 had Il
X and put the roll in my trousers pock
at The next morning, as I was DIRE
We ing, I happened to draw forth 1
ny money. I gazed at it horror-strick'
ad dis+inctIv racalled having wrann
1t the twenty-dollar bill about the thr
no n l., =, =,