The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1920-04-17

Ana nave You ever seen or heard
anything;"
The old woman busted herself with
making up the bed for moment be-
fore she answered me.
I'm not saying I've seen anything"
she began. but there's THUGS | could
be telling if | was minded to open my
lips"
IF you know anything" | said. 'yOu
must tell me. Mr.. CASTOR put me here
TO find out what was wrong"
There's no doubt there's wrong
here"
What makes YOU say that? What
have you seen? What do you know?''
Its neither what I've seen nor
what know" She nodded mysteri-
ously. Its what I've been hearing
myself"
For heavens sake. woman" cried.
losing patience, what is it you've
heard?"
I've heard them walking" she an
nounced with an air of triumph.
h'h W I'olh VINO Ndlhlll2s
THE little people, of course Who
else would it be doing it,"
"Oh. bOsh ~ l exclaimed. was well
enough acquainted with the supersti-
tiOns of the Irish to understand who
she meant by 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. | tell We"
Where did you hear them. these
footsteps?"
Coming right out of the wall. here
in this room, and in the kitchen. be-
yond."
at was probably somebody in an
other apartment you heard"
at was not. The floors do he dead
ened like, and its nothing at all you
can hear. 1t was somebody walking
soft-like right there in the wall at ME
back"
Well" l announced, IF there is
anything like that going on, | am go
ing to stay here until | hear il. |
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. 50 | can let you in when you ring:
ITS me key you're wanting. is it,"
She produced it from pocket Of
her gown and handed it over. first
unknOtting il from corner of her
kerchief where she had tied il for safe
keeping.
"And indeed If it's meself you're not
trusting with key after Mrs. CASTOR
letting me have it for these ten years
back, it's your own bed you can be
making. I'll not be coming near the
place again."
In fine Indignation she flounced out
of the place. To tell the truth was
not sorry that she had announced her
decision not to return. While nv i'm
preston of her was that she was a
honesty, 4 was just as well satisfied
that no one but myself should have
entry to the apartment until | had
finished my investigations and bad
made further progress in solving the
mysteries that were so rapidly devel-
oping.
Left once more to myself, sat down
at my great-uncle's desk and made
out list of questions that must be
/. Where was Rufus CASTOR? Had
the old gentleman really gone away
or was he in hiding in the building?
2. Who had removed the CASTOR
pearls from the wall safe? 1t must
be someone who knew the combina-
ton.
3. Who had written the note found
on the floor of my bedroom? How
and when had it been placed on the
floor there?
4. Who were the persons who were
trying to blackmail the family next
door?
3. How had the anonymous notes
been delivered on the floor of Barbara
room? Evidently the
writer was the same as in nv case.)
6. Was there anything in the past
relations of Mr.. Bradford and my
great-uncle that would cause my
great-uncle to plot against the Brad
ford family?
Z. How were the mysterious sounds
heard both by my great-uncle. by Bar
Dara Bradford, and by myself TO be
accounted for?
S. How were the mysterious foot
steps heard by Mrs. Burke TO be ex-
planned? Were they merely the inn
iginings of a superst!tious old woman?
The relations between Mr. Bradford
md Rufus CASTOR puzzled me. Miss
8radford's recollection of her fathers
remark about my great-un"ie certainly
Indicated that he held no high opinion
" him. My great-unclP's actions
throughout had been peculiar. His
sending for me and insisting
m my coming here to live. his insist
nee on leaving his wife's Jewels I'm my /.
are. and on entrusting me with the /.
of the safe. all now took /
N a sinister aspect. 1t certainly was
,ecullar that he had gone off without /
eaving me any address where he could
'e reached.