Mansfield mirror. (Mansfield, Wright County, Mo.) 1908-1957, 1920-09-09

CHAPTER L-Circumstances having
prevented spaiding Nelson. clerk, joining
the American forces going 10 France, he
Is in q d~espouGent mood when he re-
tc!ves an invitation 70 dinner from his
g~reat-unC!e. Rufus CASTOR. On his way
70 the house he meets. under peculiar cir.
eamstaHces. a so-ng g.r!. apparently In
trouble. 10 whom lie has an OPPORTUNITY
10 be OF slight service. She Nyes In the
same apartment building as Rufus Gas
ton, and ne accompanies her to the house.
Gaston and Als wife are going to Maine
Tor a TIP and van TO leave Nelson in
charge Of the apartment. He accepts.
Castor and Zig wife tell their great
nephew Of mysterious no!EcE-"whispers"
which they have heard IN the house.
CHAPTER lion his way to the Gas
ton apartment next Sunday Nelson again
meets his accidental acquaintance Of a
few days before. Barbara Bradford. Shs
urges him not TO allow the fact Of their
being acquaU@d TO be known. At the
apartment Nelson meets the sGperintsnd-
eDt. Wick, ana instinctively dislIkes him.
pagnihcent pearls. worth a small fortune.
Meeting Barbara In the hallway she
passes him without recognition. Dining
In a restaurant he Is conscious Of the un-
pleasant scrutiny Of a stranger, but a
man whom he had seen before.
CHAPTER IIL-Eext day Nelson finds
the pearls have disappeared from the
wall safe. His first idea Of informing the
police Is not acted upon because Of pc
euliar circumstances. He has been dis
charged from his position without ade-
quate explanation or reason, and feels
himself involved IN something Of a mys-
very. He decides 20 conduct an investi-
cation himself. That night Barbara Sig
mails from the window OF her apartment.
which is opposite his, and they arrange
. meeting for next day. In the morning
he finds a note in his room, asking MN
why he had not Informed the police OF
the loss OF the Jewels.
CHAPTER fv.-Barbara tells Nelson
her sister Claire had some years before
made a runaway marriage with an ad.
venturer from whom she was soon parted
and the marriage annulled. Claire IL en-
| gagged TO be married and someone know
| Ing OF her ~escapade has stolen documents
I concerning the affair from the Bradford
apartment and demands Il large sum Of
| money for their return. threatening 70
1 forward them TO Clsire's fiance ~ the de-
/ mands are not met. Neither Barbara nor
her sister have the money TO satisfy the
demands. She tells Nelson che has also
heard mysterious sounds In the nat. They
agree 10 meet frequently.
CHAPTER v.-The CASTOR lsundress.
the only person In the apartment besides
Nelson. tells him che has heard wh,speTs
and footsteps, apparently IN the wall ne
begins 10 suspect his great-uncle OF Some
knowiedge Of the affair. Barbara te.ls
him she also has heard the footsteps. In
The morning he discovers his pockets
have been searched during the night. In.
contesta BILE evidence Of the presence Of
someone IN the apartment during the
night.
CHAPTER VI-Nelson invites MISE
Nellie Kelly, telephone operator In the
building, 10 dinner. hoping through her TO
lind out something that VIII h.lp h!in.
During her temporary absence from the
liable Nelson is Informed by the house
that shs 10 a known associate
Of criminals. and. the wife OF "Lsti-