Mansfield mirror. (Mansfield, Wright County, Mo.) 1908-1957, 1920-08-12
SYNOPSIS.

prevented Spaldins Nelson. clerk, Joining
the American forces going TO France no
is In Il ~dosponotnt mood when no re-
ceiNes an invitation to dinner from ms
great-unCle. kufus Castor. On his way
to the house lie meets, under peculiar CIR
cunstanCes. a young slr!. apparently ~
trouble, 10 whom he has an opportunity
10 be o; slight service, She nNes IN the
same apartment building as Rufus Gas
ton. ana he uccomI0 uies her 10 the house.
CASTOR aHd his vile are golns 70 Mains
for u trp aud want TO leave Nelson ~
CHARGE II III. apartment. He accepts.
Castor and his wife tell their great.
nephew OF mysterious noises-'whisper
which they have heard In the house.
CHAPTER lion his way to the Gas.
ton apartment next Sunday Nelson again
meets his occidental Acquaintance or
few days before, Barbara Bradford. she
urges him mt to allow the fact OF their
being acquainted TO be Known. Al the
apartment Nelson meets the superlhtenu-
ent. Wick. and Instinctirely dislnes MN.
In a wall safe he finds II necklace OF
magnihcent pearls. worth a small fortune.
Meeting BarbAga in the halfway sue
passes him without recognition. pinlhs
In a restaurant he is conscious OF the I'M
pleasant s~cr.tluy OF "A stranger. but q
man whom he had seen before.
CHAPTER lII.-Next day Nelson finds
the pearls have disappeared from the
VIII sAAe4 IFS AAHA s'aNs ~ '
police is not acted upon because or Pc
cullar circumstances. lie has been dis
charged from his position WITHOUT ade-
quata EXPLANATION or reason. and feels
himself involved in something or a mys-
terry. He decides to conduct an inVesu-
CATION himself. That niEht Barbara sig
mails from tie window of her apartment.
which is opposite his. and they arrange
a meeting for nrNt day. In the morning
he finds a note in his room. asking nm
Why he had not Informed the police OF
the loss OF the Jewels.
CHAPTER rv.-Barbara tells Nelson
her sister Claire had some years before
made Il ruHaHa marriage with an ad-
venturer, from whom she vas soon parted
| and the marriage annulled. tiaire Is en-
gagged to be married and someone know
! Ing Of her ~escapade has stolen document:
| concerning the affair from the Bfadloru
apartment and demands a large sum OF
money for their return. threatening TO
| forward them to Claife's fance II the de-
mands are not met. Neither Barbara nor
her sister have tie money to satisfy the
demands. She tells Nelson she has also
heard mysterious sounds in the Hat. They
agree to meet frequently.
CHAPTER V.--The CASTOR laundress,
the only person in the apartment besides
Nelson. tells lin she has heard whispers
and footsteps. apparently in the wall. lie
begins 10 suspect his great-uncle OF some
knowledge of the affair. Barbara tells
him SIZE also has heard the footsteps, In
the morning he discovers his pockets
have been searched during the night, in.
contestabln evidence OF the presence OF
someone in the apartment during the
night.
CHAPTER vI.-Nelson invites Miss
Nellie Kelly, telephone operator in the
building. to dinner, hoping through her to
find nut something that Will help him
During her temporary absence from the
table Nelson Is Informed by the house
detective that she is a known associate
OF criminals, and the wife Of Lefty
Moore" a convict IN Sing Sing. He tells
something OF the affair to the detective
James Gurman-and makes an appoint
ment for the next day. Returning home
he fnds Claire Bradford in his apartment
She tells him she was trying to trace th'
source of the whispers, which had alst
disturbed her.
CHAPTER VIT-Gorman agrees to TAKE
the case in a professional capacity. Tha'
evening Nelson discovers a concealed pas
sageway In the wall VI his apartment
While he IL investigating Barbara join!
him, making her way across a ledge con
Meeting the two apartments. He showi
her the entrance To- the passaeeway, ant
while they are talking they hear 6
scream. followed by a shot, from tn
tens back and Nelson hurries 70 IN!
scene Of the disturbance. He meets Wicl
at the door Of the fiat below.
CHAPTER withdrawing. they NM
the oCcupan Of the apartment, Daisy Lu
tan. an actress. dead. Wick's opposition
10 calling the police arouses Nelson's sus
piclons. and he insists on their being in
formed. Answering the detectives ques
tiOning. Wick apparently tries TO throv
suspicion on Nelson. Returning TO hi
APARTMENT. he sees Claire just leaving
Detectives find a revolver concealed In
bureau drawer in Nelson's room, tn
weapon with which the crime was com
mitted, and arrest him as the murderer
CHAPTER IX.-Circumstarrtial evidenc
apparently Is overwhelming against Mel
son. and after a preliminary investigated
he IN rernanded without bail. Claire Brad
ford makes him a visit.
CHAPTER X.-Nelson and Claire agre
e.. that Barbara's connection with the cas-
must he kept secret. In a consultation
German expresses his conviction tina
Wick is a 'Crook." The detective Is o
opinion that a band of criminals p op
Grating, and Nelson again becorney sus
picious Of his great-uncle, German re
fuses to believe In the existence Of tn
secret passageway.