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UNION RECORDER. MILLEPGEVILLE. GEORGIA.
The House of
By WILLIAM
JOHNSTON
Whispers
#
Copyright by 1
Little, Brown A Co.
'cxA><?
.•SOMETHING WRONG HERE."
„ a i, ^circumstances having
" n L d Spalding Nelson, clerk.
- mining the American forces
,r '! m J,o nance, he is in a de-
, moo d when he receives an
r;, n to dinner from his great-
in u[auon f , a 0aston on his way
he meets, under pe-
a young girl,
to whom he
. ‘ the house
t0 ] ,... circumstances, a
fU J'f v in trouble.
She lives in the
*■" nt building as Rufus
ap .f and he accompanies her home.
CHAPTER I.—Continued.
—2—
though I tried to pretend an in-
in ’their conversation and absent
answered their questions about my
‘ jlv „iy thoughts kept constantly
urri'ng to tlie strange trouble of
' irl across the bull, her plight in-
wting me far more than the pur-
1., f„ r which my great-uncle hud
t for me. I had expected that he
U i,,-oiich that subject himself, but
ii ffee arrived and still the eon-
aiion lmd been limited to stilted
II v dint. As we returned to the
: room, I decided to give him a
I •
■)[ r iiuuhcr wrote me—” I began.
1.1, y ( , s ," said old Rufus, looking
oil, of course,” ec
hoed Mrs
of
waited for one or the oth
»n to proceed but for some reason
By both seemed at a loss forewords.
Itou toll hhn, Rufus,” said tny
|ut-inint at last.
red old eyes studied my eoun-
carefully, searcbingly.'-as. U’_
Iwas trying to read my soul.
RVhat is it?” I asked impatiently.
|lt is this,” said old Rufus, speak?
slmvly and with effort, as '-if he 1
Ul to disclose his intentions,
live days from now—that will he
morning—my wife and I are
hg to Maine to he gone for, some
pilis. \Ve have leased a furiii^^ed
ge there and shall take our serv-
attd our motor with us. We do
ike to leave this apartment wholly
tenanted, and it occurred to Mrs."
Yon that you might occupy it in
1 absence."
In/u afraid my countenance at that
pint must have betrayed my • con-
nation. My great expectations-
Islied, blew up, disappeared. They
|not want me for an heir but for a
“taker. What a fool I had been to
fine for one moment that this pe
lts old couple had contemplated
anything for me. They wanted
■to do something for them. A sa,r-
|ic refusal of their proffer treiri-
l on my lips but was stayed by my
pt-aant speaking: -»
will enable you to save your
rent. Mr. Gaston will pay the
l In advance before we go. There
be no one here to serve your
so you will have to get them
Y'bere, hut I will arrange with my
Iress to come in once a day to
up your room, and you'll be un-
|no expense,"
l er suggestion that T would have
|° om r, ‘ nt pay decided me. Two
considerations also influenced
It might be a plan on the fyart
old people to try me out and
was trustworthy, and then,
pbitg under the same roof with
[''(i'll Bradford, I might have op-
unities of seeing her again, and
J kn,, 'vs. perhaps of assisting her
l"f her mysterious plight,
shall lie very glad indeed to
I found myself saying. “It
I** of you both to think of me.”
f
m
M
KMUfi&i
*'" fl Wron 9 Here —in Th
House—| tell You!”
1 consider the matter settled
Hi old R U f
110 PlPstS here
at te
us. “We are un-
so you had better
pte-p 1 0,1 S|| nday, an hour after
f ,e started „
|uf Us "
■ sgested tny great-aunt
I him the
hS ''*‘ iy > "had you not better
Mv CombI nation of the wall
I there J !' UPls nre there, and lu
I.. neie should he a fire _..
r,ot tul;e 'hem with you?"
ay
■bided.
I»i... J* Juiisance when you are
she objected. ‘ ‘ 'V
“A safe deposit box would be bet
ter, then.”
“No,” said old Rufus shortly. “Roth
my safe deposit boxes are full and
there Is no use hiring another one.
'I he jewels will be all right where
they are. In case of lire you can re
move them to a place of safety. This
is the combination—see that you re
member it—six right, four left, two
right, eight left, 6,428.”
“I’ll remember it,”" I replied, men
tally repeating it over and over again.
“And now, my dear,” said the old
gentleman, “if you will get the keys
from my desk, wc can permit our
nephew to depart.”
My great-aunt left the room to do
his mission. The minute she was
safely out of hearing old Rufus’ whole
manner underwent a startling change.
Into his deep-set gray eyes came a
look of terror. His face became ashen,
and the withered hand with which he
clutched my arm was trembling vio
lently.
“Listen, boy," he hissed, leaning for
ward that he might speak into my ear
and looking about apprehensively as if
he feared to be overheard. “Listen—
there’s something wrong here.”
My first thought was that he had
been suddenly stricken with sen i IH
dementia, but recalling his perfectly
rational conduct throughout the rest
of the evening, I dismissed the theory
as absolutely untenable. His fear,
whatever caused it, certainly seemed
very real.
“Something wrong?” I repeated,
wonderingly. “What do you mean.?.
What is it?”
He clutched my arm in a still'tight
er grasp, and his voice, suppressed to
a terrified whisper, became more in
sistent.
„“I don’t know,” hh brbathed. “I wish
I did.” He glanced timorously about
and went on. “There’s something
wrong! I sense it. I feel it. I can
not find .out what it Is. All kinds of
queer' things "happen. I am always
hearing voices—whispers, whispers,
whispers! That Is why we are going
away. My, wife thinks 1$ ( is on ac-
cbiint of my health. I don't want iter
to know. Please, please, Spalding,
find out what it is before we return.
I have no son. There is no one else
•but .you to do If. Solve the niysjet^
for me. ..Find out about the "whispers.:
Promise me you wilt. Ssli—nbt a
word to her! Not a word!”
He withdrew ills hold on my arm
and laid ills finger on his lips as lie
beard his wife returning. • Witli a vis
ible effort lie straightehed up, and
when she entered the room he appar
ently had entirely recovered his self-
possession and was his natural self
again, a dignified, world-weary old
man.
“I can’t find your keys, Rufus,” said
my great-aunt, "you had better get
them yourself.”
The minute lie left the room she
hastened to my side and she, too, be
gan to whisper mysterious warnings,
exhibiting a terror hardly less than
her aged husband’s.
“This is a house of mystery," she
announced. “I’m always hearing
strange sounds here. He doesn't
know”—with a nod in the direction old
Rufus had gone, “and I do not want
him to. That is the reason I ani tak
ing him away. Solve the mystery of
it before we return. I’ll pay you. I’ll
make it well worth your while.”
Her husband’s shuffling in the pass
age warned her of his return, and she
quickly dropped ray arm. As he en
tered she was telling me in quite nor
mal tones to be sure to remember her
to my mother the next time I wrote.
Old Rufus handed me the keys, ex
plaining which was which.
“And remember,” said my great-
uncle, us he escorted me to the door,
“you are not to come until Sunday
morning at ten, after we have gone.
And remember the combination of tlie
safe—Remember!"
Tlie insistent way in which he re
pented tlie word conveyed to mo force-
J fully that wliat lu* most wanted me
I to remember was tlie strange warning
! he had given me, and as I clasped liis
i hand in parting ! tried by the firm
ness of my grip to let him know that
I understood.
"Remember," repeated my aunt, too,
ns she stood there in tlie door a little
behind him, at tlie same time giving
me a significant look.
Yet, puzzling as had been the con
duct of both of them, my memories
that night were not of their warning
nor of the combination of tlie safe
nor of the hour at which I was to
arrive. They were of the most beau
tiful eyes I ever bad seen and of the
haunting terror written in them.
CHAPTER II.
Sunday morning came at last.
It was hardly eight when I set out
for my new quarters, taking with me
only one small handbag and leaving
my two trunks for tlie expressman.
In the time intervening since my visit
to the Gaston home I had done hut
little except speculate on the mysteri
ous warnings that both of tlie old peo
ple had surreptitiously given me. It
' seemed bo utterly improbable'und In*'
possible that there could be any in
explicable mystery about a home in a
modern, up-to-date apartment house
in the center of a civilized city. And
if there was a mystery, why did they
stay there? Why didn’t they move?
Yet, as I pondered over the matter,
I was convinced that both my great-
uncle and his wife were rational. I
dismissed without hesitation the the
ory that there could have been any
supernatural happenings to affright
them. It was probable, I decided, that
their fears might have been played on
by some conspiracy on tlie part of
their servants to induce them to spend
a season in Maine. Perhaps there
was some specter from my great-
uncle’s pnst now rising to confront
him that he was seeking to hide from
his wife. It might he that she knew
of it or had received threats and was
trying to conceal tin* matter from him.
There are few men of millions with
out some secret shameful pages in
their lives. As I remembered that
old Rufus Gaston’s dollars had been
made in South America, all that I had
heard and road of plots and counter
plots below the equator* came buzzing
into my brain. If such should be the
case, that some betrayed conspirator
now was seeking vengeance, more
than ever I welcomed the unexpected
chance that had thrown this oppor
tunity for adventure in my prosaic
path.
Yet maybe their warnings were jus
tified. There was .Barbara Bradford,
who lived under tlie same roof, on the
.very floor with them. ;She seemed to
be caught in tlie web of some plot, to i
.he liying In. fear of some mysterious
peril.
Was she, I wondered, in any way
connected with the mystery that over
hung, the Gaston home? Did,my great
uncle and his wife know her? Her
mission to the park had been to get
some papers. Could they have been
in any way involved with .what was
' menacing my ‘great-unole’s peace *of
mind? How I regretted now that I
had not asked tlie Gastons if they
knew Miss Bradford. How I welcom
ed 1 the opportunity I was now to have
of living in the same apartment house
with her, close at hand if ever I could
serve her. I was glad now that.cir
cumstances had prevented my going
to France with’ Rirge anff' Roller..
As I arrived at ray great-uncle’s cor
ner, I saw Miss Bradford approaching
from tlie opposite .direction. She was
in riding togs. I timed my .steps to
reach tlie corner Us'.she did. Would
she,' I wondered, consider our strange
meeting a few evenings before, suffi
cient introduction to justify her speak?
ing- to me.
“Good morning, Mr. Nelson;.”' she
greeted me pleasantly. “Making ah
early call, aren’t you?”
“I’m coming here to live for a while,”
I answered, falling into step with her.
“Tlie Gastons are going to Maine and.
have asked me to occupy their apart
ment while they are away.”
As we chatted we had entered .tlie
building, and as before ! went into
the elevator with her. As I left her
at the door, wondering if she had had
any more encounters in tlie park, yet
hardly daring to ask, she turned to
me, half apologetically, and said:
“Mr. Nelson, since you’ve come to
live here in the house, L must be care
ful. We have not been introduced,
and my people will think it strange
if they see me speaking to you. You
understand, don’t you? You must not
speak to me or recognize me until—”
“FiitU what?” I cried eagerly.
“Until we can manage to be proper
ly introduced.”
“Yet,” I insisted, “you promised to
let me help you.”
“I have not forgotten. I’m grateful,
really I am. Perhaps I may call on
your services. I may have to. If I
do, I’ll find some way 'of letting you
know."
“Some secret way,” I, suggested, half
sarcastically. 1
“Perhaps,” she laughingly nodded as
we separated.
As I took Out the keys my great-
uncle had givpn me and entered tin*
apartment, I looked about me with a
wholly new interest. That little word
“mine” makes a vast difference in the
way we regard things. Now that
these luxurious quarters were to lie
my home, temporarily at least, I look
ed about curiously. Certainly at first
glance there was nothing mysterious
in the atmosphere. Setting my bag
down I began an immediate inspec
tion of tlie rooms.
Tlie Gaston apartment, I discovered,
occupied one whole side of tlie sixtli
door of a twelve-story building.
Around the elevator shaft that came
up through the center was a small
square court witli four doors, two
opening into the Rrndford apnrtment
opposite and two into the one I was
occupying. The east apartments were
known as Six A and the west as Six B.
Tlie door by which I had entered led
into a lofty foyer, connecting by sliding
doors with a great (lining room, and be
yond it, in the front of the house, with.'
a reception or living room that ran the
entire width of the apartment. Back
room and two bedrooms. From the
foyer a long hall nan almost tlie length
of tlie building. On tlie servants’ side
it was blank as to doors, save for tlie
passage from tlie pantry to tin* dining
room, but on the other side several
doors opened into spacious sleeping
rooms, encli with its own bath. As I
was wondering which of tlie bedrooms
my great-aunt had expected me to
occupy, I noticed still another door
which I found led into a small bed
room on the servants’ side of tlie
liou.se but unconnected with their
quarters. While it was less elabor
ately furnished than the rooms oppo
site, it was comfortable enough, and
it had a spacious bathroom adjoining.
The fact that the bed here had been
left turned down was evidence enough
that it was intended for my occupancy.
Returning to tlie foyer to get my bag
and unpack it, I was startled by the
ringing of the front doorbell.
I sprang eagerly t.o answer it. It
must be Miss Bradford. Probably she
had reconsidered and had decided to
take me into her confidence. Who
else could it be? There was no one
else who knew I was in the apart
ment. It must lie Miss Bradford!
With an exclamation of welcome on
my lips I flung open tlie door. A man
stood there—an utter stranger. In my
disappointment I was almost closing
the door in liis face, but as if .antici
pating my thought lie quickly advanced
one foot over tlie sill and kept it there.
“Well,” I demanded, almost savage*
ly, “what do you want?”
“Oh, it is you, is it?” ho replied, eye
ing me with wlint seemed to me a
most insolent stare.
“Wliat do you mean?" I asked, be
wildered. Certainly I never had geen
tills person before. He was short and
stocky, with sparse nondescript hair
and weak, shifty blue eyes. IIis, -fac*
“You Must Not Speak to Me or Recug.
nize Me Until—” 1
had an unhealthy pallor, as if he had
lived long, away ^rom the sunlight,
and was sunken in ns if from .under
nourishment, yet tlie breadih of Ills
shoulders and his huge rough hands
seemed to indicate physical strength
beyond the iQrdlnnry.
“You’re Mr. Spalding Nelson, aren't
you ?”
“That's m.y 1 name,” I answered
shortly.
'"Mr. Gaston’s—’’ He paused, aS If
trying to recall the relationship.
“Mr. Gaston’s grent-rtephew.”
“I guess'you are'him,, all right,” he
sitid,. In a manner of evident relief.
“I'm Mr.Wick, the superintendent of
the liouse.” .
,“0f 'course,” I answered, feeling
ratjher' foolish at my own vexation. ■,
"Mr. Gaston told me you were ('mix
ing in tills morning," he hastened ta
expluin. '
“He gave-me a description Of you,”
Mr. Wick went oh, unperturbed, “and
the boys in tlie hall were pretty suru
it was you that came in, but—”
“But what?’’
“I couldn’t understand it. You didn't
announce yourself. It seemed funny,
your coming in with tlie young lady
from next door.”
“It just happened that way," I ex
plained, now understanding his mysti
fication. “I met her as I was com-
iug in.”
“Twice,” lit* said, rather insolently
“I can’t see that it is any of youi
business,” I retorted apgrily, “if it
happened a dozen times.”
His manner at once became apolp
gietic, • and he hastened to offer oh*
sequious explanations.
“Mr. Gaston asked me to take par
ticular notice. Tlie other evening
when you were coming to dinner h«.
told me to tell the hall boys to look
at you closely so that they could idem
tify you as the right party when you
came in today. That was how it hap*
pened. You see, sir, in a house of
tliis sort we have to be careful. It
doesn’t do to let strangers prowl about
without finding out who they are and
what they are doing.”
(TO BE CONTINUED.!
Rapid Communication.
A receiver which takes down dots
and dashes on sensitized tape at the
rate of 200 words a minute is ths
latest device in wireless telegraphy.
As the human ear cannot interpret
a message so rapidly delivered the
transmission cannot be understood
except at stations using thte machine.
Foregt It.
A slang expression which ought t«
he applied like a sticking plaster to i
SICK? BILIOUS? COME LISTEN!
Don’t Nauseate or Salivate Yourself with Nasty Calomell
Take “Dodson’s Liver Tone” Instead
Never take dangerous Calomel
again! “Dodson’s Liver Tone” will
start your liver and quickly rid you
of all miseries of constipation and
biliousness; all the headache, dizzi
ness, bad breath, sallowness and stom
ach distress goes. Calomel sickens,
salivates, gets into the bones, crumps
you. “Dodson’s Liver Tone” is a per
fect substitute for Calomel and is so
pleasant and harmless you can safely
give It to children. It doesn't sicken
you or shake you all up. A large bot
tle costs but a few cents nt your drug
gist’s. Dodson’s Liver Tone Is guar
anteed to act better than Calomel or
you get your money back.» No argu
ment 1—Adv.
H ERE is an offer backed by one of your personal Iriends
—a man whom you have known for a long time, and
in whose honesty you have implicit confidence. This man
is your local druggist. He will tell you that he has been
selling Hunt’s Salve, formerly called Hunt’s Cure ever
since he has been in business, under the strict guarantee
to promptly refund the purchase price to any dissatisfied
user.
He will say to you “Take home a box of Hunt’s Salve
and if it is not successful in the treatment of itching skin
’• diseases, I will promptly refund to you your 75 cents.”
Hunt’s Salve is especially compounded for the treatment
of Itch, Eczemft, Ringworm, Tetter, and other itching
skin diseases. • -
TUs Getferal Manager of the Lida Valley Railway Co.,
G.&Mfield. .'Nevada, A. D. Goodenough, writes: “At one
tljtiei'I had a very bad case of Eczema, which troubled me
for seven or eight years, and although I tried all kinfis of
medicine and several doctors, 1 got no relief until I used
Hunt's Salve. It finally cured me. 1 .
Thousands of such letters have ‘been received, testifying
as to the^ .curativ.e merits of, this^wonderful remedy. ;.
Don’t fail to ask your druggist about Hunt's Salve, formerly called Hunt's Cdfe.
Show him this ad, and ask him if the statements herein made'are not correct. {•
Sold by ail reputable druggists everywhere at 75 cents per box, or sent direct.Jra
receipt of stamps or money order.
A. B. ]R.ICHARDS MEDICINE CO., Sherman, Texjis
Eternity-has no gray hairs.
State of $ Ohio, City of Toledo,' Lucas
County—sill.
Frank J. -Cheney makes oath that he Is
senior partner of the firm of F. J. Cheney
& Co., dohix business In tlie City of To
ledo, County and State uforesatd, and that
said firm will pay the sum of ONE HUN
DRED DOLLARS for any case of Catarrh
that cannot be cured by the use of
HALL'S CATARRH MEDICINE.
FRANK J. CHENEY.
Sworn to: before me nnd subscribed in
my presence, this 6th day of December,
A D 1886
CSeal) A. -W. Gleason, Notary Public.
HADE’S CATARRH MEDICINE is tak
en internally and acts through the Blood
on the Mucous Surfaces of the System.
F. J. Cheney &! Co., Toledo, Ohio:
F. J. Cheney & Co., Toledo, Ohio,
SEEKS FOE OF JAP BEETLE
Specialist Has Been Detailed to
. Bring to This Country Enemy of
Horticultural Pest.
Tho Japanese beetle is going to have
its old enemies on its trail in tills
country. The United .States depart
ment of agriculture lias sent a man to
Japan to find those enemies and send
them across tlie ocean. They will
then lie established in tlie Sections of
New. Jersey where (lie beetle lias
gained a foothold, and they are ex
pected to aid greatly in the control of
I lie pest.
The agent employed in Japan is
familiar witli Japanese conditions and
is a specialist in this kind of work. It
is expected that the task will require
his sojourn in Japan for two or three
years. While something is known of
tlie parasites of tlie Japanese beetle
a great deal Is still to lie learned only
under field conditions where the
beetle lives witli all tlie eneinips that
prey upon it. Tlie heetlp reached this
country .with importations of green
house plants, and thus far apparently
lias been comparatively free from mo
lestations by natural enemies.
A Clew to Perkins.
Caller—Is Mr. Perkins at home?
Maid—Which one, sir? There are
two brothers living here.
Caller—The one that has a sister
rfl Birmingham.—I.ondon Tit-Bits.
• Tlie highest giving implies sharing.
FRECKLES
Now Is the Time to Get Rid of
These Ugly Spots.
There's no longer the slightest need of
feeling ashamed of your freckles, as Othlne
—double strength—Is guaranteed to remove
these homely spots.
Simply got un ounce of Othlne—double
strength—from your druggist, and apply a
little of it night and morning and you
should soon see that even the worst freckig/i
have begun to disappear, while the lighter
ones have vanished entirely. It Is seldom
that more than one ounce is needed to com
pletely clear tho skin and gain a beautiful
clear complexion.
Be sure to ask for the double strength
Othlne, as this Is sold under guarantee of
mpney back If It falls to rernovo freckles.
LONG SINCE HE HEARD WORD
Tramp Probably Would Have’ Needed
Dictionary to Get Proper Defi
nition of Morals.
The tramp was a long, skinny indi
vidual witli a particularly villainous
cast of countenance, and lie wore a
pair of trousers that lmd been de
signed for a man of nt least three
times his diameter. His rap on the
farmhouse door brought out a sour,
hard-faced puritanical woman who
froze him witli one glance and then
proceeded to eye him up and down—
especially down.
“You needn’t ask me for anything,”
she said, harsldy. “I can sec that your
morals are of tlie loosest kind and that
you deserve nothing.”
“Well, mum,” replied the tramp,
glancing down at his nether garments,
“mebhe so, though I ain’t never heard
'em cglled that name before. Prob’ly
me tailor ain’t jes’ up to date, but if
you won't give me somethin’ to'help
fill ’em out mebbe you'd spare tne.n hit
of rope to hold ’em up with.”—Ex
change. ;
A woman may call her new Easter
bonnet a love of a bat because it- sel
dom lasts more than six months.
The man who finds fn’Ht witli his
neighbors’ religion should spend a lit
tle time repairing his own.
of the elevator, with a separate door
for the servants’use, were the kitchen, large proportion, of our achqsuM to
the butler’s panhy;-ir&ervahf<Mlttlng r£eC’Tletl:“ 1 -ExcfiRnrfli *' .*■
One Trial
of Grape-Nuts
will do more than many words to
convince you of the goodness of
this wheat and barley food.
But it’s worth saying that Grape-
Nuts contains all the nutriment of
the grains, is ready to eat, requires
no sugar and there’s no waste.
Grape-Nuts is a Builder