The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1920-05-07
mussrations
lrrisSznyszs


| merriment into my tones.
Il don't believe in things like that"
The old woman nodded her head
sngely.
III amt believing in them things
that makes you hear them. Either
you hear them or you don't. The old
man heard them"
"How do you known
'Didn't hear him asking meself
about III lie heard them, many
| times"
"How about the others-the serv-
ants did they hear them, too?"
'sThey may have that. Nlggers is
always hearing things anyhow, It's
what the white folk hear that counts"
How about the other apartments In
the honse7 DO the people In them
hear whispers?"
! Never that I've heard tell of, but
how should / known This is the only
! place In the house that work"
"Dld Mrs. Castor ever speak to you
about it,"
"She did and she did not. She new
CIR In so many words asked me if
heard them. All she says to me was,
Nora, IL ever you see or hear anything
strange or unusual here, you're to let
me know at once And says, 'Yis,
Mrs. CASTOR, | WILL"
tAnd have you ever seen or heard
anything?"
The old woman busted herself with
making up the bed for moment be-
fore she answered me.
"rm not saying I've seen anything"
she began, but there's thugs / could
be telling If was minded to open my
| lips"
IF you know anything" said, "you
must tell me. Mr. CASTOR put me here
to find out what was wrong"
There's no doubt there's wrong
here"
what makes you say that2 What
have you seen? What do you known
TITS neither what I've seen nor
what know She nodded mysteri-
ously. Its what I've been hearing
myself"
"For heavens sake, woman" / cried,
losing patience, "what Is 1t you've
heardw
"rye heard them walking" she an
nounced with an air OF triumph
you've heard who walking?"
THE little people, of course. Who
else would 1t be doing it,"
"oh, boshr l exclaimed. was well
enough acquainted with the supersti-
tions of the Irish to understand who
she meant by "the little people" It's
the habit of the old crones from the
Emerald isle to attribute anything
they cannot understand to fairies.
"You may laugh" she retorted indig-
nantly, "but heard them, tell ye."
"Where did you hear them. these
footstepsT
Coming right out of the wall, here
In this room, and In the kitchen, be-
y0nd,"
"It was probably somebody in an.
= other apartment you heard"
at was not. The floors do be dead,
} ened like, and It's nothing at all you
can hear. 1t was somebody walking
, soft,llke right there in the wall at me
| back"
We'll" | announced, IF there is
J anything like that going on, 1 am 60
ing to stay here until l hear 1t.
J want to make sure no one can come
, into the apartment but myself, so
am going to ask you to give me YOU
a | lsn hs
Q ing, so can let you In when you ring. ;
' 'It's me key you're wanting, is it?'
Q She produced 1t from a pocket o.
her gown and handed 1t over, frs
unknotting il from corner of hel
: kerchief where she had tied II for SAT-
= keeping.
"Aud indeed II It's meself you're no
trusting with n key after Mrs. Castor
letting me have II for these ten year,
back, it's your own bed you can b,
making. I'll not be coming near tn,
place again"
In fine indignation she flounced on
Of the place. To tell the truth / wa
not sorry that she had announced he
decision not to return. While my i'm
preston Of her was that she was
supplemented old woman of utterinos
honesty, was just as well satisfie,
} that no one but myself should hav
entry to the apartment until ha
finished my investigations and ha
made further progress In solving tn
mysteries that were so rapidly deye
Oping.
Left once more 10 myself. sat dow
at my great-uncle's desk and mad
out a list of questions that must b
answered:
i. Where was Rufus Gaston7 Ha
the old gentleman really gone ava
10 or was be in hiding In the bulIding3
2. Who had removed the Caste
pearls from the wall safer II mui
- be someone who knew the combini
~ ! ton