Washington telegraph., 1920-06-18

loIls 10 learn the reason.
The day was discharged" I went
on, Il had drawn out from the savings
DaiK all my money with the purpose
OF sending It 70 my mother to whom
was in debt / still had it with me
Wlen l arrived home at the apartment
ana l decided to put it in the wall
SaIe' TO which, you recall, you had
given me the combination. out Of
mere curiOsiy'-I made this confess
sion with blush Of shame-'I had in
spected the contents Of the safe the
day Of my arrival and had examined
the two caskcts The minute opened
the safe this second time l saw that it
had been looted"
WHAT exclaimed my great-uncle,
starting from his seat, mot the
pearls" :"
nodded.
Everything. The casket with the
pearls was gone. The other with the
tripkets was undisturbed."
Good heavens :" he exclaimed. "AIy
wlfes pearls stolen! Why, boy, paid
hundred and fifty thousand dollars
for that string Tell me everything
about it-eyerythlng, at once"
l could only repeat what had told
him already. When l had opened the
safe on Sunday the pearls were there.
When had opened it again on the fol-
lowing Saturday the pearls were gone.
"Of course you told the police at
once"
! explained to him why l 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 disploaSure.
lie listened intently rs l told him of
my second meeting with Barbara
Bradford when l had learned that the
Bradford wall safe had been looted,
too, and the papers distracted con
cernlng the annullment of Claire's
first marriage. He nodded his head
slightly when | told him of the anony-
nous notes found on the floor in
both apartments.
"Did you hear the whispers, tool"
he questioned.
--Hfes -TruS'vrTrst.--.f-'tne1 -tt,frfy-frS
several times. Barbara has heard
them, and the laundress, too"
A l{'G of unspeakable relief came
over lis face
"I'm 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 | feared that was suffering from
the hallucinations of old age. Now
that know that the whispers are real,
there is nothing to fear
"And," | observed, 81 believe I am
almost positive, I can explain the
origin Of the whispers"
Tell me-" he cried, his manner now
entirely changed. lie seemed elated
at discovering that his brain was stlll
dependable. 1t was as If n burden had
suddenly beea lifted from him
Here was my opportunity. German
had utterly refused to credit my story
Of a secret passage and had ridiculed
1t. There had been no way that |
could prove it, nor was it possible for
German to have investigated the walls
of the Granddecl, 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. | told him how, while specu-
lating 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 passa.eway
big enough for a man to traverse in
the wall between the room | had oc-
cupled nnd the long hall. He listened
lntently as described the plan of the
rooms in detail and nodded his ap-
prOval.
"And what is more" | added tri-
umphantIy, Barbara Bradford and
had Just discovered an opening into 1t
by pushing the wall panel in my room
back and then sliding 1t along. We
were inspecting It when We heard the
shot in the apartment below. | closed
the panel and ran downstairs and have
had no opportunity since to inveSti-
gate. but | am sure the passage is
there. am convinced that it was the
sound Of voices there that made the
whispers. suspect 1t was used by
whoever left the anonymous notes in
the room. aud that the person or per-
sons who looted the safes entered and
escaped by that means. | world not
be surprised If it was not by II cans of
this passageway that the muraerer Of
Hiss Lutan escaped. after he al left
his revolver in the drawer Of my
dresser"
Ny great-uncle shock his head per
pleXedly.
at soands improbable-too much
like romance. They do not build