The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1920-04-28

| match for Claire. I wanted to do
! something, to go out and earn Il living
for myself, but she never would con.
| sent. She insisted I'd be dnmnplnp
Claire's prospects If went into trade
as she calls 1t, and | promised her Pd
do nothing until after Claire is safely
married."
And Is she to be marricd?" asked
a troubled expression came into her
facr
she was to be. but now | don't
KNOW she IS engaged to marry young
iiEIry -. Thayer, who Is worth n lot
Of money, bat someone has found ont
about her secret"
"ioW 'llL they find Ont?" I asked
'A.r"lv ] understood now the mystic
rlons r"o'ing in the park that had
hrourhn ~" hrSt into touch with Bar
hnrn hr; 'nrl Some bnnd of rnsca,s
r.:. 10 blackmail Claire Brad.
''srs ~: i, r. ester was trying to save
,;r.
'7i.ni's the grcu!cst mystery Of ALL"
exclaimed Miss Bradford. before
pad died he turnnd over to me all the
papers about the nnnumCnt Of Claire's
marriage. Somehow he seemed to
rely on me fur more thnn on either
Mother or Claire. He explained to
me the Importance Of always Keeping
them, in case the past should ever
crop up, but he charged me to see that
they always were safely put away
where no one could find them"
Where did you keep themT'
asked.
I'm the wall safe in my sitting
room"
"In the wall safe!" I cried, think
Ing in bewilderment Of the colncl-
dence that these papers should have
had similar hiding place to the Gas
ton jewels which had vanished so
strangely.
"Yes," she answered, plainly puzzled
at my bewllderment. ut was an ex-
cellent hiding place. No one but my
self had the combination. don't see
now who could have taken them. I
found the safe locked as 1t always
was"
'When did you first discover the pa
pers were missing2"
"Let me see," she pondered.
"Claire's engagement was announced
at dinner three weeks ago last
Thursday. The newspapers on Sun
day carried brief notice Of 1t. Two
days later the first note came"
what note"
She reached into tho pocket Of her
riding habit and drew forth folded
slip Of paper.
II brought 1t with me to show you;
here, this Is the first one"
Like the mysterious note myself
had received only tho preceding night,
this one was not incloscd in an en-
vel0pe. 1t was just folded slip, ad-
dressed in typewrltlng to Miss Claire
Bradford" On the other side was this
messagc:
"What If Thayer knew about your
being married before? How much
will you give to get those papers
back?"
"Where did you get thls?" I asked
II found 1t on the floor Of my bed
room one morning when got up late.
gave 1t to my sister without having
read 1t, thinking she had dropped 1t
there. She read It and screamed and
tainted. Fortunately Mother was out
Of the house at the time. Naturally I
read the note then. I went to the
safe and found the documents gone.
Claire has been nearly crazy ever
since. She insists that 1t Is all my
fault. She says I ought to have de-
stroyed the papers, but couldn't,
could II"
"Of course not" replied warmly.
"You did quite right in keeping them.
1t was not your fault they were
stolen"
II couldn't destroy them. Dad had
told me to keep them" she said simply.
"What did you do then? Did you
tell your mOther7"
"Oh, no, she must never know. Dad
did not want her ever told anything
about it. We talked 1t over, Claire
and I, and decided to put personal
advertisement in the papers. It sim
ply said Liberal reward and no ques-
lions asked for return Of important
papers,"
"Were there any answersY
"Yes and no. One morning there
was a second note"
delivered like the flrst?"
"Yes, found 1t, too, on the floor
Of my bedroom. Here 1t is"
More amazed ond nprployed tbon