The Jasper news., 1920-07-22
CHAPTER I.-contlnued.

Although 1 tried to pretend an in
terest In their conversation and absent
ly answered their questions about my
family, my thoughts kept constantly
recurring to the strange trouble Of
the girl across the hall, her plight in
teresting me far more than the pur-
pose for which my great-uncle had
sent for me. i had expected that he
would broach that subject himself, but
the coffee arrived and still the con-
versation had been limited to stilted
family chat. As we returned to the
living room, decided to give him a
lead:
MY mother wrote me-" l began.
"oh, yes" said old Rufus, looking
relieved.
"Yes, yes, of course" echoed Mrs.
CASTOR.
waited for one or the other Of
them to proceed but for some reason
they both seemed at q loss for words.
you tell him, Rufus" said my
great-aunt at last.
his tired old eyes studied my coun-
tenance carefully, searchingly, as If
he was trying to read my soul.
what is IL" I asked impatiently.
1T is this" said old Rufus, speak
ing slowly and with effort, as IL he
hated to disclose his intentions.
"Three days from now-that will be
Sunday morning-my wife and l are
going to Maine to be gone for some
months. We have leased a furnished
cottage there and shall take our serv-
ants and our motor with us. We do
not like to leave this apartment wholly
untenanted, and 1t occurred to Mrs.
Castor that you might occupy 1t In
our absence"
/ am afraid my countenance at that
moment must have betrayed my con-
Isternation. My great expectations
vanished, blew up, disappeared. They
did not want me for an heir but for a
Icaretaker. What a fool had been to
Imagine for one moment that this pc
INJURIOUS old couple had contemplated
doing anything for me. They wanted
me to do something for them. A sar-
castle refusal Of their proffer trem-
bled on my lips but was stayed by my
great-aunt speaking:
"It Will enable you to save your
room rent. Mr.. CASTOR will pay the
rent in advance before we go. There
win be no one here to serve your
meals so you will have to get them
elsewhere, but will arrange with my
laundress to come in once a day to
make up your room. and you'll be un-
der no expense"
Her suggestion that l would have
no room rent to pay decided me. Two
other considerations also Influenced
me. It might be a plan on the part
of the old people to try me ort and
see II l was Trustworthy, and then,
dwelling under the same roof with
Barbara Bradford. might have op-
portunities Of seeing her again, and
who knows, perhaps Of assisting her
out Of her mysterious plight.
II shall be very glad indeed to
come" i found myself saying. at
was nice of you both to think Of me-"
"We1l consider the matter settled, "
announced old Rufus. "We are un-
used to guests here. so you had better
come at ten on Sunday, an hour after
we have started"
'Rufus," suggested my great-aunt
apprehensively, had you not better
give him the combination of the wall
safer Ny Jewels are there, and In
case there should be a fire.
"Why not take them with your" j
4nterrupted.
''They are nuisance when you are
tcaveU"~" she objected.
"A safe deposit box would be bet
ter, then"
mo" said old Rufus shortly. "Bott
my safe deposit boxes are full and
there Is no use hiring another one
Ehs jewels will bs ell right wher'