Mansfield mirror. (Mansfield, Wright County, Mo.) 1908-1957, 1920-06-10
SYNOPSIS.

same apartment building as Rufus Gas.
ton, and he accompanies her to the house.
Gastoh and his Wife are going to Maine
ssar 3 'I y t Inc spas,n nc ,s.v H. S. ssSspt aa
CASTOR and his wife taa their great
nephew " mysterious no!ses-"whisPers"
which they have heard In the house.
CHATTER lion his way % the Gas.
ton apartment next Sunday Nelson again
meets his accidental acquaintance Of .
few days before Barbara Bradford, She
Seins a aeGua ali. to Be Known. <, The
apartment Nelson meets the supertntend-
ent. Wick. and tnstinetively dislikes him:
In q wall safe he finds 4 necklace Of
Meeting Barbara m the hallway she
passes him without recognition Dining
In a restaurant he 10 conscious Of the un.
pleasant scrutiny OF . stranger. but .
man whom he had seen before.
CHAPTER NL-Next day. Nelson fnds
h pearls have disappeared from tho
wall safe. His drst idea Of informing the
culiar circumstances He has been dis
charged from his position without d e
quate explanation or reason, and feels
himself involved in somsthins OF N.Y.
cation himself. That night Barbara sig
mails from the window OF her apartment.
which Is opposite his. and they arrange
y meeting ICT uexk Gay. In Gle ul0Iu ILLS
he finds a pote in his room, asking him
why he had not Informed the police Of
the loss OF the Jewels.
CHAPTER fv.-Rarbara tells Nelson
her sister Claire had some years before
made q runaway marriage with an ad-
renturer, from whep che vas coon parted
and the marriage apnulled. Claire'is en-
Ing of her escapade has stolen documents
apartment and demands a lars. sum Of
money for ssr they sn c fssasn' shTsa. !; N. 70
mands are not mex Neither Barbara nor
eemsnds' t.. tell. SsisoSn Shs has also
heard mysterious sounds in the hat They
agree to meet frequently.
CHAPTER v.-The CASTOR iaundress,
the only person In the apartment besides
Nelson. tells him she has heard whispers
begins 20 suspect his great-uncle Of some
knowledge Of the affair. Barbara tells
him she also has heard the footsteps. In
have f Seen Searched e c during the as night IotAi In.
contestable evidence Of the presence OF
someone in the apartment during the
night
From IN unexpected source, though
none The less unwelcome, ! found an
ally. Mr.. Wick himself bobbed up
from somewhere. apparently having
overheard enough Of our conversation
TO know what it was abut.
why, Of course, Mr.. Nelson" he
began in an ingratiating manner that
was most repellent to me. Miss
Kelly1l be glad TO go to dinner with
you. It's part of her business to make
things pleasant for the tenants"
1t seemed 10 me that the girls eyes
flashed defiance at him and that she
was still inclined TO refuse, and l was
about TO explain resentfully that my
invitation was not issued on a bust
ness basis, when into Wick's face
came an ugly look, something almost
threatening.
"Of course Miss Kelly will be glad
to go with you" he repeated sharply.
Certainly" Said the girl quickly.
before / had a chance to speak, III
Mr.. Wick thinks it is all right, / will
be glad to 60"
Her acceptance did not ring true.
] was convinced that II was unwilling
ly given under some sort Of COM
pulsion from the odious Wick.
met her, at her suggestion, in the
parlor Of one Of the less %pretentious
hotels. In the hour that had elapsed
since she left the apartment, she had
exchanged her neat black working
suit for more mOdish clothes. After
one quick glance at her transformed
appearance my mind was quickly
nade up as to what sort Of a restau-
rant to take her. 1t was manifest that
she was Of the type that would enjoy
to the utmost the costly whirl Of the
fashionable cafe of the moment. II
was my purpose to give her such a
delightful evening that she would be
wishing TO spend others in the same
way, for I felt certain that she, per-
hsps better than anyone else, could
supply me the information / wanted
about the tenants In the building. l
was sure II would be well worth my
while to win her good graces. cost
what 1t may. Calling a taxi, ! bade
the chauffeur take US to the White
Room" the very latest fashion ia res
taursnts, where hordes of hectic pur.
suers Of pleasure were wont to Assem-.
BILE to dine and dance. ] observed the
CLEAN OF satisfaction that came into
her eyes as she heard me mention our
destination.
At first we talked, in Broadway
fashion. Of the theaters and restau-
rants, of the place we were in, OF the
people at the tables about US. but
gradually ] led the conversation to
Miss Kelly herself and to her work
In the apartment.
ut was funny. wasn't It," ] said,
"about Mr.. Wick insisting on your
coming with mel ! had a notion he
didn't like me-"
Hitherto my companion had been
most vivacIous, chatting merrily, fash
Ing back at my saIlies with clever bits
Of that slangy repartee of which most
Of the metropolitan business girls are
such clever mistresses. At my last re-
mark a quick change came over her
face. II was as II a mask had been
set up between US behind which she
was hiding from me.
II guess he likes you" she answer
ed g~uardedly. 81 never heard him say
way or the other"
"While we're talking about the
apartment" I went on, did my great
uncle happen to leave q forwarding
address with your There are some
hings want to send him-some
,earls they left behlnd-and he has