Mansfield mirror. (Mansfield, Wright County, Mo.) 1908-1957, 1920-05-20

ting 70 this girl on whom l was most
eager to make the best of impressions
that l was a young man ont of Il po-
Sition, discharged in disgrace. Yet
she had given me her confidence. II
was only fair 10 her and ~ myself
that there should he IN secrets be-
tween us. l began NJ the beginning.
I told her of my coming 10 New York
and how | had seer my great-uncle
Rufus only once or twice. | related
the departure nf RnllGr and Birse for
the war front and told her how eager
| had been 10 GO with them. l even
went into detail as 10 the reason had
not cone with them. my debt TO the
mother.
She did MOI seem greatly interested
in the first part Of my narrative hut
when | began telling of the PROPOSE
tion the Gastons had made TO me and
ot the mysterious warnings each Of
them had separately given me, | could
see her interest kindling.
There is something wrong in that
apartment house. she explained. I'VE
have had nothing hut trouble ever
since we lived there. | wonder il
there is anything in the theory that
evil deeds make bad karma. which
: spreads lis effects all about. | know
l feel there is a sinister atmosphere
about the whole place
Tn beginning TO feel it, too" I said
bitterly.
| told her then of my unexpected
and unwarranted discharge without
explanation the day before.
How do you account for it," she
asked ~perpleXedly.
You must have some enemy. some
malicious person, who has spread
some terrible tale about You"
81 haven't any enemy in the world"
l replied. yet even as I spoke there
4 flashed across my mind the malevulcnt
glance the scar-faCed man had given
me in the ]restauran a few evenings
before.
II wonder" said Miss Bradford
7 thoughtfully, "'if. the same people who
are trying to hlackmall us are not try
ing 10 involve you with us in some
way
why should they"
They may have been watching and
have seen You enter the house Nth
me twice. They may think that YOU
and | are friends and thar You We're
there in the park purposely that first
time"
Even So I replied. that doesn't
explain this"
pulled from my pocket the note
I had found on the floor of my bed
! room and showed ii L her.
"Wh"re did you get that?" she
gaSped in astoniShment.
Last night 7 heard footsteps and
whispers. | thought at the time 7
was dreaming. This morning I found
this note on the floor
"You heard Whispers she cried ex-
citedly. whispers that seemed to
come from up ear the c"iling:'
~ thought l heard them. wasn't
sure"
Il know. she said. s%huddering.
"I've heard them-twice."
We looked AT each other despairing-
IL. We both Of us realized that we
must he surrounded with some potent
evil forces working 10 accomplish our
ruin. The motive in the Anonymous
letters that Miss Bradford had been
receiving had plainly been blackmail.
But what was the motive in my WI
case? Why had meO stolen the
Castor pearls and then in an anony-
rnou- otter to me spoken Of the theft:
I wondered. too. if the successful at
tempt to discredit me at my place Of
business had hot originated from the
am mysterious source.
Was my great.uncle Rufus to blamet
The suspicion Of him rose IL my
mind and would not he dOWncd. ] re.
called the unusual prcteXt on which
he had sent for me after having paid
no attention to my existence for near
~ a year. ! recalled his curious warn
Ing and that of his aged wife. ! re.
m%embered that they had insisted on
leaving the jewels behind against my
urgings, and that they had been in
sistent On my having the combination
they also had some grIdge against the
B~radfords, their ncighbOrs. and In
some way had got hold of Claire Brad
fOrd's secretf
a think you said" / asked Miss
Bradford, that your family and the
GastOns were not acquainted in any
way"
NO" she replied, Eve don't know
them at all. Why do you ask thatf'
IL was wondering II it could be pos
sibIe that my grcat.uncln Rufus could
have had any hand in all this. Hes
. q queer, secrctive old chap"
"It's probable that he and my father
might have known each other. Botf
were in business here in the city fol
many years. / never remember
though, Of hearing Dad speak Of him
wait. yes, | did once"
when was thatT'
ut must have been six or eigh
years ago. There was something II
the papers about Mr.. CASTOR rctirihi
from business"
what was IT he saidf" ] aske'
eagerly, wondering If som old fcu'
between the two men might not give
US d clue to unraycl the web Of mys
terry.
AS nearly as ] can recall his word.
were. i see that old pirate CASTOR ha'
retired with his ill.gOtten gains.'"
"To whom was he t%alkingf"
81 don't remember Tint, probably
come man who was visiting at tn