Mansfield mirror. (Mansfield, Wright County, Mo.) 1908-1957, 1920-07-08

CHAPTER circumstances having
prevented Spalding Nelson, clerk, joining
the American forces going to France, he
Is In q Respondent o when he re-
ceires an invitation TO dinner from his
gTeat-uncle, Rufus CASTOR. On his way
to the house he meets. under peculiar cir
cumstances. a young girl, apparently IN
trouble, to whom he has an opportunity
To be OF slight service, She lives in the
same apartment building as Rufus Gas
ton. and he accompanies her TO the house.
castor and his wife are going to Maine
FOR a trip and want to leave Nelson In
Castor and his wife tell their great
nephew OF mysterious noises-"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
few days before, Barbara Bradford. She
urges HIN not 10 allow the fact OF their
being acquainted TO be known. At the
apartment Nelson meets tie surertn;end-
ent, Wick. and instinctiyely d!sikes him,
In a wall safe he finds a necklace of
magnificent pearls. worth a small fortune.
Meeting Barbara in the hallway she
passes him without recognition. Dtnins
In a restaurant he is conscious Of the I'M
pleasant scrutiny OF a stranger. but q
man whom he had seen before.
CHAPTER IL-Next day Nelson finds
Tie ltE4 - ave eASaEftAAtS k-s
wall safe. His first idea OF informing the
police is not acted upon because of Pc
culiar circumstances He has been dis
charged from his position without ade-
himself involved in something of a mys-
terry. He decides to conduct "a !nvesu-
Cation himself. That nigh; Barbara sig
nails from the window Of her apartment,
q meeting for next day. In the morning
he finds a note in his room, asking him
why he had not informed the police OF
the loss OF the Jewels.
CHAPTER iv.-Barbara tells Nelson
her sister Claire had some years before
made q runaway marriage with an 40.
venturer, from whom she was soon parted
and the marriage apnulled. Claire Is en-
gagged 10 be married and someone know
Ing OF her escapade has stolen documents
concerning the affair from the Bradford
apartment and demand q large sum OF
money fer their return, threatening 70
forward them 10 Claire's' fance II the de-
nlands are not met Neither Barbara nor
her sister have the money to satisfy the
demands. She tells Nelson she has also
heard mysterious sound in the fiat They
agree to meet frequently.
CHAPTER v.-The CASTOR laundress,
the only person in the apartment besides
Nelson. tells him she has heard whispers
and footsteps, apparently in the wall. He
begins to suspect his Creat-uncle of some
knowledge Of the AFFAIR. Barbara teis
him she also has heard the footsteps, In
the mornings he discovers his pockets
have been searched during the night, In.
contestabIe evidence Of the presence OF
someone in the apartment during the
night
CHAPTER V-Nelson invites Miss
Nellie Kelly. telephone operator in the
building, to dinner. hoping through her TO
find out something that will help him.
Turing her temporary absence from the
table Nelson is informed by the house
detective tina; che is a known associate
Moore" - convict n : rr Sing. Vs tells
something OF the at7's &" The 9a.-gtiv-
James Gorman-ar lakes an appoint
ment for the next day. Returning home,
he finds Claire Bradford in his apartment.
She tells rim she was trying to trace the
source of the whispers. which had also
disturbed her.
CHkPTER vII-Gorman agrees to take
the case IN a professional capacity. That
evening Nelson discovers a concealed pas
sageway in the wall Of his apartment.
While he Is investigating Barbara joins
him. making her way across a ledge con-
her the entrance to the passageway. n
while they are talking they hear a
scream, followed by a shot, from the
apartment beneath them. Barbara has
h'aA' S~~ 49, '-"'SHi
scene Of the disturbance. He meets Wick
at the door of the fat below.
CHAPTER vIIL-Entering. they find
tie occupant OF the apartment. Daisy Lu.
tan, an actress, dead. Wick's opposition
TO calling the police arouses Nelson's sus-
picions. and he insists on their being in
formed. Answering the detectives qUes-
tioning. Wick apparently tries to throw
suspicion on Nelson. Returning to his
apartment. he sees Claire Just leaving.
Detectives find a revolver concealed IN. a
bureau drawer in Nelson's room, the
weapon with which the crime vas COM
mitted. arrest him as the murderer.
CHAPTER IX.-Circumstantial evidence
apparently is overwhelming against Nell
son, and after a preliminary investigation
he is renanded without bail Claire Brad
ford makes him a visit.
II have nothing to say" had been
my u%nvarying answer to all their ques-
tons.
Finally they gave it up and locked
me in a cell for the night, leaving me
thankful that the honor of being a srs-
pected murderer relieved me from
sharing a cell with some of the frowsy
prisoners l saw brought past my
barred door.
Haven't you any friends you would
like to have nOtIfedi" was the last
question they asked as they left me.
81 have nothing to say" / repeated
C more.
Nor was this answer this time mere
stubbornDess. Who vas there that /
could notify Of my plight? Birge and
Roller, my two intimates, were some
where OF the high seas. The men
whom ! had known in the Office where
j had worked. for obvior7 reasons.
Were not TO be called on. ! had no
idea Of the whereabouts Of my aged
relatives beyond the fact that they
were somewhere in Maine.
had no intention whatever Of COM
municating the fact of my arrest to
my mother. Indeed. I was hoping that
She would not hear Of II until after my
innocence was established.