The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1920-06-12

ldlA i''-il l'H'i't4-
What" exclaimed my greut-uncle,
starting from his seat. not the
pearls"
/ nodded.
Everything. The casket with the
pearls was gone. The other with the
trinketS was undiSturbed.'
Good HEAVENS :" he exclaimed. My .
wife's pearls stolen, Why. boy. paid /
hundred and fifty thousand dollars /
! for that string Tell me everything /
about it-everything. ut once"
I could only repeat what | had told |
him already. When | had opened the |
safe on Sunday the pearls We're there.
/ WhenI had opened il again on the fol-
/ lowing Saturday the pearls were gone.
"Of course you told the police ut
once"
| explained To him why | had not
done 81. and my reason seemed 10
satisfy him.
go on with your story" he calmly
directed. He seemed 10 have himself
well in hand again. After the first
shock at hearing of the loss of the
pearls he showed no sign of emotion
or displeaSure.
He listened intently as | told him Of
my second meeting with Barbara
Bradford when | had learned that the
Bradford wall safe had been looted,
TOO. and the papers ahstracted con
corning the annullment of Claire'S
10
, slightly when | told him of the anony-
nous notes found on the floor in
. both apartments.
Did you hear the whispers. to6?"
he questioned.
Eyes" | answered. II heard them
several times. Barbara has heard
, them. and the laundress. too
\ look of unspeakable relief came
, over his face.
I'm glad 70 know that Others have
, heard them besides myself. When a
: man gets old his nerves sometimes
plav him strange pranks. The whis,
a pers seemed so unreal and incredible
= that | feared that | was suffering from
the Authorizations of Old age. Now
:. that I know that the whispers are real
there is nothing to fear
And" | observed. Il believe, | am
: almost positive. | can explain the
: origin of the whispers"
Tell me-" he cried, his manner now
entirely changed. He seemed elateo
; at discovering that his brain was Stil
dependable. Ii was as If Il burden nae
= suddenly been lifted from him.
y Here was my opportunity. GormaT
had utterly refused to credit my stor.
of a secret passage and had ridlcule'
il. There had been no way that
" could prove it. nor was it possible 70
- German To have investigated the wall
= of the Granddeck, even If he ha'
~ pIaced any credence in my story. Wit
nv great-uncIe it was different.
the occupant of the apartment II
would have every right and oppol
tunitv to explore and verify my state
aS ments. I told him how. While specU
Iating as 70 the origin of the whisper
" 7 had observed the discrepancy in tn
measurements of the apartment an
j! had verified my deduction that ther
WAS space enough for passagewa
IN bip enough for man to traverse
hg tbe wall between the room | had o
us cuuied and the long hall. He Istene
intently as described the plan OF Il
rooms in detail and nodded his a
~ prevail.
Ut "And what is more" 7 added II
'Ae umphantly. Barbara Bradford ana
~ had lust discovered an opening into
Is nv pushing the wall panel in my roo
fis back and then sliding it along. v
ies were inspecting it when we heard u
T. shot in the apartment below. clos
r. tho noneI and ran downstairs and ha
YIN had no opportunity since TO inves
~ gate. but | am sure the passage
ufr there. am convinced that II was Z
w sound of voices there that made I
~ whispers. l suspect it was used
" vboever left the anonymous notes
rVt tho room. and that the person or p'
eN sons who looted the safes entered a
M escaped by that means. | would u
lne he surprised if it was not by means
4 this DaSSaSeWay thdt 'iie ihNi
Miss Lutan escaped, after he had Il
hef his revolver In the drawer OF !
ei7 dresser.
, Nv great-uncle shook his head p
plexedly.
q "It sounds improbable-too mu
y like a romance. They do not bu
d modern apartment buildings with
pet orat passageways. Space is far
valuable. and besides. all plans ha
red ~ he filed with the city's bureau
cid buildings
" "But it's there" cried desperate
Sol ..I saw II. Barbara Bradford saw
n Il "Wen," he comforted me. I'VE
eas soon find our about it. l have ma
han matters 10 attend to today, but tom
or row | shall go up to the apartme
and if there is such passagewa!
,eeu shaIr find II and see where it LEADS.
. n. "Tben you are not staying IN
tho apartment?
,lIou NO. | shall remain at hotei I'll
O 81 my wife returns
need At this juncture n prison attehd
,rioS approached and informed him mat
ouai time of his visit was Up. lmperlou
reed nv great-uncle waved the man Il"
10 somehow the possession OF gr
,ositi wealth carries with il II manner oil
.,o.i1o, obedience from every one I