The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1920-09-24
&M1liatn
= Johnston
mus4ratiosAs
BY
lrwinMyess


The old woman nodded her head
sagely.
TT 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 know"
Didn't l hear him asking meself
about it7 He heard them. many
times"
"How about the others-the serv-
ants-did they hear them, toor
"They may have that. Niggers is
always hearing things anyhow. It's
what the white folk hear that counts"
How about the other apartments In
the house? Do the people in them
near whispers?"
"Never that I've heard tell Of, but
how should l know? This Is the only
place In the house that l work"
ibid Mrs. CASTOR ever speak to you
about it?"
"She did and she did not. She new
err in SO many words asked me II l
heard them. All she says to me was.
Nora, If ever you see or hear anything
strange or unusual here, you're to let
me know at once And I says, 'Yis,
Mrs. CASTOR, l WILL"
"And have you ever seer or heard
anything?"
The old woman busted herself with
making up the bed for a moment be-
fore she answered me.
I'm not saying I've seen anything"
she began, but there's thugs l could
be telling II l was minded to open my
lips"
IF you know anything" I said. you
must tell me. Mr.. CASTOR put me here
to find out what vas wrong"
There's no doubt there's wrong
here"
what makes you say that3 What
have you seenl What do you known
Its neither what I've seen nor
what l know" She nodded mysteri-
ously. tits what I've been hearing
myself"
For heavens sake, woman" l cried,
losing patience, what is it you've
heard?"
i've heard them walking" she an
nounced with an air Of triumph.
you've heard who walking?"
1.-The little people. of course. Who
else would 1t be doing it,"
"Oh, bosh !" l exclaimed. l was well
enough acquainted with the supersti-
tons of the Irish to understand who
she meant by 1.-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, l tell ye."
"Where did you hear them, these
footsteps?"
Coming right out Of the wall, here
in this room, and In the kitchen, be-
yond."
ut was probably somebody In an
other apartment you heard"
ut was not. The floors do be dead
ened like, and it's nothing at all you
can hear. 1t was somebody walking
soft-like right there In the wall at ME
back"
"Well," I announced, "if there is
anything like that going on, l am 60
ing to stay here until I hear 1t.
want to make sure no one can come
into the apartment but myself, SO I
am going to ask you to give me your
key. I'll be home here all the morn
ing, SO | can let you In when you ring"
ITS me key you're wanting, is it?"
She produced 1t from a pocket of
her gown and handed 1t over. first
unknotting 1t from a corner OF her
kerchief where she had tied it for safe
keeping.
And indeed IL it's meself you're not
trusting with a key after Mrs. CASTOR
letting me have 1t for these ten years
back, It's your W bed you q be
making. I'll not be coming neal the
place again."
In fine indignation she fiounced out
Of the place. TO tell the truth l was
not sorry that she had announced her
decision not to return. While my Inn
preston Of her was that she was a
supplemented old woman OF utterinost
honesty, l was just as well satisfied
that no n but myself should have
entry to the apartment until I had
finished my Investigations and had
made further progress In solving the
mysteries that were 30 rapidly devel-
oping.
Left once 0 to myself. I sat down
at my g~reat,uncle's desk and made
out q list Of questions that must be
answered:
/. Where was Rufus Gastonf Had
the old gentleman really gone away
or was he In hiding In the buildingf
?. Who had removed the CASTOR
pearls from the wall safe1 It must
be someone who knew the combina-
ton.
.. Who had written the note I found
o. the door Of my bedroomI How