Evening Republican, Volume 23, Number 162, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 July 1920 — Page 2

“THE LITTLE PEOPLE."

Synopsis.—Spalding Nelson receives an Invitation to dinner from his great-uncle, Rufus Gaston. On the way he meets Barbara Bradford and renders her a service She lives in the same apartment building as the Gastons. They go there together. Gaston and his wife are going to Maine for a trip and ask Nelson to live in their apartments. He accepta The Gastons tell him of mysterious noises about the apartment—■•whispers” and noises that have scared them. Going to the apartment a few days later Nelson again meets Barbara, his accidental acquaintance. Nelson meets the building superintendent, Wick, and instinctively dislikes him. In a wall safe he finds a necklace of magnificent pearls. Next day Nelson finds the pearls have disappeared from the wall safe. Hla first idea of informing the police is net acted upon because of peculiar circumstances. He has been discharged from his position without adequate explanation or reason, and feels himself involved In something of a mystery. He decides to conduct an inveftlgation himself. That night Barbara signals from the window of her apartment, which is opposite his. and they arrange a meeting for next day. In the morning ha finds a note in his room, asking him why he had not informed the police of the loss of the jewels. Barbara tells Nelson her sister Claire had some years before made a run-away marriage with an adventurer, from whom she was soon parted, and the marriage had been annulled. Claire is engaged to be married and someone knowing of her escapade has stolen documents concerning the affair from the Bradford apartment and is attempting to blackmail the Bradfords. Nelson and Barbara exchange confidences about the “whispers," mysterious notes and other queer doings, which are much alike In both apartments.

CHAPTER V—Continued. I wondered which had been his bedToom- It was hardly likely that he tbad occupied the room in which I elepL As I debated the matter I theard someone moving about my room stnd went to investigate. It was Mrs. LBurke, making up my bed. She would know which room my great-uncle had (been accustomed to occupy. As I entered the bedroom for the purpose of cross-questioning her, my ♦first impression—and. philosopers tell •us that the first is most likely to be Che correct one —was of a simple-mind-ed, kindly old Irish woman of the Aitmost honesty. I was certain just by Qooking at her that there wasn’t a crooked hair in her head, even if she thad had the intelligence necessary for crimes beyond the ordinary. “It's Mr. Nelson I'm seeing at last,” whe exclaimed with satisfaction, “t •was wondering when I would be layling eyes on ye." “Yes,” said I,” “I am Mr. Nelson, IMr. Gaston’s great-nephew.” “Sure and I d have knowed ye any•wbere. It’s as like ye are as two peas, (barring the old gentleman's white hairs."

Her statement rather startled me, ifor while I never had regarded myself «s an Adonis, on the other hand I never had supposed I looked anything like old Rufus. . “Was this my great-uncle's bedroom •when he was here?" I asked, trying to cnake my inquiry seem casual. “It was and it wasn’t," Mrs. Burke .replied. “He gets queer notions, the ould gentleman does. In the last few weeks he’s slept in every room in the 'house.” “What made him do that?” “It’s not for me to be saying." PeJvoutly she crossed herself. “Some-

"Sometimes I Do Be Thinking the House Is Haunted."

tbaea I do be thinking the house is - ;hennted The old man was all the •time mumbling about —” Rhe hesitated and looked furtively '• "About whispers,” I suggested. Instead of replying to my question she «hot another one at me. “And have ye been hearing them, •oer

The Houses of Whispers

By William Johnston

I laughed, trying to put a note of merriment into my tones. “I don’t believe In things like that.” The old woman nodded her head largely: —“—- / ' . “It ain’t believing In them things that makes you hear them. Either you hear them or you don't. The old man heard them.” "How do you know?” “Didn’t I hear him asking meself about it? He heard them, many times.” "How about the others —the servants —did they hear them, too?” “They may have that. Niggers Is always hearing things anyhow. It's what the white folk hear that counts.” "How about the other apartments in the house? Do the people in them hear whispers?” “Never that I’ve heard tell of, but how should I know? This is the only place In the house that I work." “Did Mrs. Gaston eves speak to you about it?” “She did and she did not. She never in so many words asked me If I heard.them. Ail she says to me was. •Nora, if ever you see or hear anything strange or unusual here, you’re to let me know at once.’ And I says, ‘Yis, Mrs. Gaston, I will.’” “And have you ever seen or heard anything?" The old woman busied herself with making up the bed for a moment before she answered me. “I'm not saying I’ve seen anything,” she began, "but there’s thiugs I could be telling if I was minded to open my lips." “If you know anything,” I said, "you must tell me. Mr.<>aston 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?” “It's neither what I've seen nor what I know." She nodded mysteriously. “It's what I’ve been hearing myself.” -- “For heaven’s sake, woman," I cried, losing patience, “what is it you’ve heard ?”

“I've heard-them walking.” she announced with an air of triumph. “You’ve heard who walking?” “The little people, of course. Who else would it be doing it?” “Oh, bosh!” I exclaimed. I was well enough acquainted with the superstitions of the Irish to understand who she meant by “the little people.” It’s I the habit of the old crones from the I Emerald isle to attribute anything | they cannot understand to fairies. “You may laugh.” she retorted indignantly, “but I heard them. I tell ye.” “Where did you hear them, these footsteps?” . “Coming right out of the wall, here in this room, and in the kitchen, beyond.” “It was probably somebody in another apartment 'gou heard.” “It was not. The floors do be deadened like, and it’s nothing at all you can hear.; It was somebody walking soft-like right there in the wall at me back.” “Well,” I announced, “if there is anyth!ng Ilke that going on. lam going to stay here until I hear it. I 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 morning. so I can let you in when you ring.” “It’s me key you're wanting, is it?” —glte produced it from a pocket of her gown and handed it over, first unknotting it from a corner of her kerchief'where she had tied it for safe keeping. “And indeed if it's meself you’re not trusting with a key after Mrs. Gaston 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 I was not sorry that she had announced her decision not to return. While my impression of her was that she was ft simple-minded old woman of uttermost honesty, I was just as well satisfied that no one but myself should have entry to the apartment until I had finished my investigations and had made further progress in solving the mysteries that were so rapidly developing. Left once more to myself, I sat down at my great-uncle's desk and made out a list of questions that must be answered: 1. Where was Rufus Gaston? Had the old gentleman really gone away or was he in hiding in the building?

2. Who had removed the Gaston pearls from the wall safe? It must be someone who knew the combination. 3. Who had written the note I found on the floor of mv 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? - . 5. How had the anonymous notes

Uluriroiiotl# *y Irwin Myers

THE EVENING REPUBLICAN, RENSSELAER, IND

been delivered on the noor of Barbara Bradford’s room? (Evidently the writer was the same as In my case.) 0. Was there anything In the past relations of Mr. Bradford and my great-uncle that would cause my great-uncle to plot against the Bradford family? 7. How were the mysterious sounds heard both by my great-uncle, by Barbara Bradford, and by myself to be accounted for? 8. How were the mysterious footsteps heard by Mrs. Burke to be explained? Were they merely the Imaginings of a superstitious old woman? The relations between Mr. Bradford and Rufus Gaston puzzled 'me. Miss Bradford's recollection of her father’s remark about my great-unde certainly indicated that he held no high opinion of him. My great-uncle's actions throughout had been peculiar. His suddenly sending for me and insisting on my coming here to live, his insistence on leaving his wife’s jewels In my care, and on entrusting me with the combination of the safe, all now took on a sinister aspect. It certainly was peculiar that he had gone off without leaving me any address where he could be reached. Then, too, there was my own'unexpected and unwarranted discharge at my place of business. I was positive In some way It was connected with my having come to this place to live. Had my himself brought it about for the purpose of discrediting me? Was it the work of the blackmailers to get square with me for having accidentally butted in on the meeting they had arranged with Miss Bradford? The scar-faced man! Who was he? I was certain that he was In some way Involved. It might have been he who had caused me to lose my job? Certainly the malevolent glance he had given me in the restaurant that night showed that he would have wrought me harm if he could. The next time I laid eyes on him I was determined to trail him with bulldog tenacity until I ascertained his Identity and where he lived. I felt sure that the trail of the mystery would lead to his door. I decided not to leave the apartment all day. I had laid in a plentiful supply of food the day before so there was no necessity for my going out. There was plenty of work for me to do. I must try to devise some way of examining the safe door and the jewel box that remained for evidence of fingerprints, and I must Inspect the building both from within and without to see If I could learn how the notes were delivered.

From one of the toilet tables I obtained some fine powder and opening the wall safe again I took out the jewel box and carefully dusted It over with the powder. D hoped that the powder would reveal markings of hands on the box, but either I was too Inexperienced or my method was wrong, for I succeeded In obtaining no sort of result, beyond finding out what tpy own fingerprints looked likfe .>n a sheet of paper prepared with some home-made lampblack. After an hour or two of experimentation I gave it up as a bad job, and turned to the study of methods by which the notes might have been delivered. The Gaston apartment was on the sixth floor of the building, which was surrounded by ordinary three and four-story dwelling houses. It must have been someone In the building, if pot in the apartment itself. It would be quite possible for someone on the floor above to have projected the notes through my window and that of Miss Bradford by attaching them to the end of a long stick. I made up my mind to ascertain who occupied the apartments above. The mystery of the whispers did not seem to be of such easy solution. While I had been inclined at first to regard my own experience as a dream, the coincidence of Miss Bradford and my great-uncle having had the same illusion convinced me that It was some claptrap devised by the plotters for preying on the fears of their intended victims.

Eagerly I waited for the coming of evening and from half-past seven on I sat by my window waiting for Barbara's signal. It was nearly nine o'clock before I heard the three taps that had so startled me the evening before. Quickly I thrust my head out of the window and was rewarded by seeing hers appear at the same moment. “We must not talk long,” she warned me. “Someone might see us. you learned anything new?” “Yes,” I whispered. “In my uncle's diary I found several entries about the whispers.” "How strange!” she exclaimed. “Where is Mr. Gaston?” “I don’t know.” “That’s funny.” “It’s more than that. It Is decidedly odd that he left no word where he could be reached.” “I don’t blame him.” she almost sobbed. “I wish we could all get away off somewhere, away from It all.” “Don’t worry. Everything we find out will help discover the plotters. Tell me from what part of your room did the sounds come.” “Always from the same place, up in the corner, near the ceiling.” “I thought so,” I answered. “That's where they came from in my room. That shows it is just some mechanical trick they are using in the hope of terrifying us. Do you know who lives on the floor above?”

“I haven’t the slightest idea. Do you suspect them?” “I suspect everybody until this mystery is solved,” I replied almost savagely. “Not ao loud, they may hear you. Have you learned anything elaeF

"No, nothing- I questioned old Mn, Burke, Mrs. Gaston's laundress. She knew nothing, although she insisted that she had often heard footsteps when there was no one In the apartment. Of course it is only her imagination.” “I’m not so sure,” Miss Bradford whispered. ‘Tve heard them, too. They seemed to come right out of the wall.” “Why,” I exclaimed in amazement, “that's just how she described them.” “Often, too, when I get up in the morning I have a strange feeling that there must have been someone in my room while I was asleep.” “How strange!” I muttered, more to myself than to her. “I wonder If It could be anyone walking in their sleep.” “You mean” —she hesitated —“my sister?” “I don't mean anyone,” I hastened to say. “I was only thinking aloud, wondering If it could be a possible explanation. I have heard of Innocent persons doing all sorts of things under hypnotic Influence.” ‘Tve read of that, too,” she said soberly, “I wonder —” She left the sentence unfinished, but I felt that the same thought had flashed into her mind as into mine. Was It possible that the unscrupulous French-

I Gazed at It Horror-Stricken.

man who had wronged her sister years ago had in some way recently gained an interview with her and had gotten her once more into his power? Could it be that under the spell of another’s Wind Claire Bradford herself had taken away the papers concerning the annulment of her marriage and was placing the notes in the blackmail plot? “Look here.” I said determinedly, “we’ve got to see each other somewhere tomorrow and talk this over. Where can we meet?” “I’m afraid I can’t manage It tomorrow. I’m busy with my mother and sister all day long. Tuesday, perhaps. But we mustn’t talk here longer. Good night.” “Good night,” I called softly but her head had been already withdrawn, so quickly that I hardly knew whether she heard me. As I was about ready for bed I recalled that I had spent most of the money I had In my pockets, so I visited the bookcase where I had secreted my hoard and taking out a twenty-dollar bill, wrapped it about the three one-dollar bills I had left and put the roll in my trousers pocket. The next morning, as I was dressing, I happened to draw forth my money. I gazed at it horror-stricken. I distinctly recalled having wrapped the twenty-dollar bill about the three smaller bills. Now onp of the dollar bills was on the outside. There before me was Indisputable evidence that someone had been in my room while I slept, someone had gone through my pockets and had examined my money. Someone had put the dollar bill on the outside of the roll. Who had done it? How had they got into the room?

Enter Gorman, the detective.

(TO BE CONTINUED.)

Date With a Party.

My partner in business was called out of town and was not expected to return for a few days, so when I met his wife on the street she remarked that she was lonesome and I asked her to meet me late and have dinner with me. It was all arranged and I went to the office to fix up for the occasion when in came hubby and wanted to know why the dolling up, so I said that I had a date with a’party. When I met my friend’s wife I told her hubby had returned 'and she said: “Why I know it; I told him you and I were going out to dine.” —Exchange.

Find Value of Various Woods.

Investigations by the agricultural department show that one standard cord of well-seasoned hickory, oak, beech, birch, hard maple, ash, elm, locust or cherry wood Is approximately equal to one ton of anthracite coal. A cord and a half of soft maple or two cords of cedar, poplar or bass wood are required to give the same amount of heat. One cord of wellseasoned mixed wood equals at least one ton of average grade bituminous coat

Quite True.

“That fellow got money out of me by telling me he was in the trenches and he never went to war at all.” “But he told you the truth. He to employed laying gas pipe*" ;

INSPIRED BY LOVE

Remarkable Flag Made by Young American Giri. , i ■ — 1 -7Country's History, From the Birth of Independence, Woven Into Emblem in Honor of Heroes of Span- ‘ Ish-American War. Peace unfurled a million flags throughout the world, but not one of them was as remarkable and romantic as that which Josephine Mulford wrought with her own hands a score of years ago in honor of the heroes of the Spanish-American war, observes LonJnn Answers. x The flag on which Josephine toiled night and day for more than a year, with a great love to Inspire her fingers, is so large that three battalions of soldiers could be massed on it, and so heavy that half a dozen strong men •ould barely raise its folds from the ground. But it is the romance of Its fashioning that places it so far above all its rivals. It was begun on the first day of July, 1898, In the parlor of an old homestead in New Jersey, and from the first stitch to the last it was never for a moment out of the hands or thoughts of the young girl who had set herself this patriotic task. Every stitch was counted as it was made; for it represented an American soldier who was fighting in Cuba. The Pennsylvania star was partly made In the room in which, a century and a quarter earlier, Betsy Ross worked, under Washington’s guidance, on the very first American flag which proclaimed the Independence of the states and the star was finished in the room where the first continental met. To make Virginia’s star she traveled to Mount Vernon and stitched it in one of the rooms of Washington’s home. The Maryland star was made at Fort McHenry, historically associated with “The Star-Spangled Banner” of Francis Scott Key, and New York’s star was made partly in the very room in which Washington said goody-by to his officers, and partly on board the flagship New York. And thus, making as possible each stitch historic, the colossal task proceeeded, until the last of the 325,000 stitches was made, with loving, il trembling, fingers, and she rose front her year’s work triumphant, but shattered in health. Josephine lived to see her flag proud ly floating over Madison Square gar den, to thunders of cheers from 8 hundred thousand throats. Then cams a terrible reaction from the long strain and within a few weeks the handt that had toiled so long and lovinglj were still In death. But the spirit of courageous lov< which Josephine Mulford breathed int< her work lives on—for courage canno die.

Health in Business.

A business man walked into a doe tor’s office the other day. He looked in the pink of condition “I want a thorough physical examination,” he said. The doctor accommodated him. Heart was sound, lungs were healthy, kidneys and all other organs functioning properly.’ “You’re the most splendid specimen Fve seen in a long time,” said the doctor. “Thanks; I Intend to remain so," said the client. “You shall go over me like this every six months. And I propose to have every man in a responsible position in my organization undergo a similar examination twice a year. “A competing firm recently put a man into an important job who looked as well as I. He broke down, and in the demoralization of the firm’s business that came with the breaking, our firm has taken, over one of their biggest and best accounts. A condition of twenty years’ standing, which he thought completely overcome, caused that man’s breakdown. __ __ “I don’t propose that my firm shall suffer through any such experience." Good, hard business applied t® health. Doesn’t good sense recommend to every man such prudence? How many men can you recall who have discovered a serious state of health too late to mend?—Haverhill Gazette.

Gold Abundant In Siberia.

Literally speaking, rivers in the Okhotsk district have golden bottoms, says a bulletin of the British bureau of foreign and domestic commerce. Three men working In a primitive fashion in the winter wash out easily up to five funts (66 ounces troy) of gold a day. The Okhotsk deposits contain many nuggets. Nuggets weighing one-half funt are not rare. Last winter one zolotnik (0.137147 ounce troy) of gold cost 20 rubles; at the present time it costs 100 rubles. In spite of the rich deposits in this district, many concessions are not being exploited. A United States firm has explored the mine purchased from Stepanov, and is energetically preparing to work it.

Big Ranch of “King of Hawaii."

A $6,000,000 sugar ranch in the Hawaiian islands is about to come into the possession of a few American residents through the death of Col. Samuel Parker, an American who has been so intimately mixed up to Hawaiian offwira as to win the name of “the king of Hawaii.” He belonged to th* famous Parker family of Boston and Uw-nted in Hawaii many years ago.

CURRENT WIT and HUMOR

HAD HIS DOUBT.

The Counsellor—What, you broke after having a hand in that big box job? I thought you fellows had a gentlemen’s agreement to share the loot The Yegg—We had. But I suspect some of the parties to it were no gentlemen. Her Reason. “I wish I had psychic powers." "Why so?” “Because I am crazy for a car, and then I could give my husband auto suggestions.” Modest. . Ethel —I understand she ,was very modest at her birthday. Helen—Well, I should say so; she didn’t have half as many candles as she ought to have had on her eake. - Intelligence. Doctor—Did you give the patient the insomnia medicine I ordered? Amateur Nurse —Yes, doctor, but he got so mad whenever I woke him up to give it to him. Where Mystery Reign*. Biggs—What do you usually eat in this restaurant? Higgs —won't ask me; ask the cook. I simply order from the menu. Natural Affinity. “Why is it that widow seems to attract the horsey element?” “Probably because she is a grass widow."

TEST OF NERVES.

First Doctor —How are that patient’s nerves? Second Doctor —Fine; he can read all the headlines in the daily paper now without a tremor. Think of Others. When on the slippery street you set Your feet and get a twist, Think of what fun the others get; Just be an altruist. An Agreement. “The court gave.that convicted rascal a suspended sentence.” “So did the lynching mob. They banged him.” Not In the'Race. Belle—l wouldn’t marry the best man on earth. Nell —Of course, you wouldn’t. Somebody else long ago beat you to it. An Enthusiast. “Cleanliness can be carried too far.” “Impossible.” _ , — “It can. If I don’t stop her, my wife would scour the lettuce with soap." — One Assurance. “Do you think the tale Miss Flirty told you was made up on the face of It?” “Maybe not, but she was.” Often in One. Heck —My wife has a great fondness for pets; has yours? Peck —That depends on whether you refer to animals or the mood. Its Financial State. “That couple have just come back from their wedding trip dead broke.” “Ah! So the honeymoon has got to its last quarter.” K Exact Locality. Lawyer—Officer, did you. catch the prisoner in flagrante delictu? Policeman —No, sir; I caught him la the back alley. ■I —— Pertinent Illustration. “What have you there?" * ' “A booklet entitled, ’Short Cuts to Riches.’”. “Ah! I see there’s a mountain of dollars on the cover. To be consistent, there should be the picture of a penitentiary on the back.” . ■ a—i—,—M—» —- Why He Was Sent to Bed. “Pa. what is an anarchist?" “One who thinks there should be no government and no authority, my son.” “Then, pa, la ma an anarchist?"