Show ri t J-t The S tf Yil Johnson ty Myers THE GASTON PEARLS Synopsis Circumstances having prevented Spalding Nelson clerk from joining the American forces going to France he Is In Jn a R. de despondent despondent de- de mood when he receives an Invitation to dinner from his uncle great Rufus Gaston On the way to the house he meets under peculiar circumstances a young girl apparently In trouble to whom he has hats an art opportunity to be of or slight service She lives In the same apartment building as Rufus Gaston Gas- Gas ton and he lie accompanies her to the house Gaston and his wife are goIng going go go- ing lag to Maine for tor a trip and want to leave Nelson In charge of or tho the apartment He Re accepts Gaston and his wife tell teU their nephew great-nephew or of mysterious noises whispers noises whispers which they have heard in the house On his way to the Gaston Gaston Gaston Gas- Gas ton apartment next Sunday Nelson again meets his accidental acquaintanCe acquaintance acquaintance ac ac- ac- ac of or a few days dars before Barbara Bradford She urges him not to allow the tact fact of ot their beIng being be be- Ing acquainted to be known The hero takes an Instinctive dislike to the superintendent Wick of or the building CHAPTER II Continued 3 3 Quite a n proper pre precaution aution I ad nd- The elevator boy reported reported- your our ar arrival arrival ar- ar r- r rival he continued but he wasn't quite sure It was ns you The fact that you were chatting with the young oung lady ady bothered him and me too Mr Gaston told me you yon were a n stranger In n the tIle city and I didn't expect to find you knowing one of the It was on the tip of ot my tongue to say Well VeU you ou see I do know her when I recalled her request that I would not recognize her until we had bad been introduced In some fashion I contented myself with saying merely Well VelI I hope you are satisfied now now Of course Mr Nelson of ot course he answered though his looks looks' belied Ills ils words Manifestly he was still ji p d o over oyer er ray acquaintance with ls Bradford I hope you will find It comfortable here he lie said plainly trying to continue continue con con- the conversation con If It theres there's ever nn anything the matter Just call me meon on ti tb the house phone Mr Wick the I name Is S I will I said sald and he unwillingly withdrew If It there's theres ever eyer anything the mater matter matter mat mat- ter er Was Vas there something sinister Inister ID It the superintendents superintendent's partIng parting part- part Ing ng remark remar Once more the warn warn- lags ings of m mj r relatives flashed Into my i Who t was vas wrong In the house Why did h he be anticipate that I might be calling ailing him up Why did he exhibit such uch an Interest In me and In my acquaintance with the girl across the ball liall Somehow the mans man's whole aspect aspect as ns- had Impressed me unfavorably I carried my bag back to my bedroom bedroom bedroom bed bed- room and unpacked It The various In the bath looked so in- in 5 hat I stripped and amused myself myself my ray- self for half an nn hour testing the variety va va- va- va 9 pf f sho showers vers rind and sprays provided D D' ning my bathrobe I T leisurely smoked an excellent cigar from a box boxold boxold old Rufus had or thoughtfully thoughtfully-or or perI perhaps perhaps per per- I haps thoughtlessly left left open on his desk and then returned to the Inspection Inspection tion of my new quarters As It was Sunday I had a whole day of leisure before me and I felt that hat If It I was to clear up the he mystery that had driven the old couple out It was was Incumbent on on me to make a n minute minute mi ml- nute flute study of my surroundings Only In n the little rear sitting room oora was there here any atmosphere of hominess AUt All AU t the e rest of the place was done done- In the best sest department f style stylO even to toMie to Mie dille he richly bound hound sets of standard authors au nu- nu thors which lined the walls of the JIvIng living living liv liv- ing room most of ot which 1 I I found had their pages uncut My search of the place and place and It was thorough extending even to the empty canisters in the pantry and kitchen kitchen- i revealed nothing whatever that gave gaveS S any hint as to the cause or explanation tion of ot old Rufus Rufus' fears The place seemed the least likely of all an places In the world to hide any mystery Just Justa a great modern luxurious apartment apat equipped with ever possible device for tor forthe forthe I the comfort comfor and convenience of its oc c- c It would have bave to be he an up- up oC-J oC to date to-date date ghost to find Itself at home here bere j I But watt walt I Perhaps the safe held II some clue to the problem they wanted me to solve But where was the safe sate I had not Bot noticed It anywhere In my rep repeated Journeys through the rooms I made another tour looking for tor lt it More than likely It had been located In some Inconspicuous place purposely But where At last I located It behind behind behind be be- hind a n faded cra crayon portrait of Mrs Gaston in the little e a sitting room I lifted the picture to the flo floor flor r and stood hesitant before the safe Should I or should shou d I not open it The fact that they had given me rue the tion seemed to imply that I had a aI l lI I perfect right tt to Inspect its contents l Six to the tile right to four ir r to the time left I two to the rl ht eight to the left loft As I turned the knob I repeated the j I combination to m myself There was a n nI little click and the lice steel door dool came me I n In In I drew forth two o l. l fa II Jewel leu-el cases of f I t l i b h i leather h 4 h d. d T train my pocket the keys my gre uncle great t had haI given me and to toyed ed with them thought thought- fully Among them were two tiny keys that undoubtedly belonged t to the Jewel cases Had I the right to use them I decided that I had The first case I opened contained so sotar far tar as my limited knowledge of pr precious prec prec- clous c- c ious bus stones enabled me me- meto to Judge nothing nothing noth ing but a n bunch of ot cheap Junk bit bits of or finery finer from another century coral earrings that Mrs Gaston may have worn when she was a little girl combs of or Jet amber beads quaint hoop earrings earrings earrings ear ear- rings and a a. ring or two merely the trinkets of a van vain old woman treasured treas trens- tired from the time when the money to buy them was scarce There was nothing in the lot ot that any self re thief would take precious as ns they may may- have bavo been to their owner I locked up that case and returned It to the safe and opened the other As I raised the lid an nn Involuntary exclamation of ot amazement and admiration admiration admiration admi admi- ration e es escaped aped me There nestling In Inthe Inthe Inthe the center of a velvet-lined velvet tray lay Iny gleaming the most wonderful mass of Iridescent pearls I ever had laid eyes on surely worth a n vast fortune TurnIng TurnIng Turning Turn Turn- ing them over and over admiringly Inthe in inthe inthe the light at last I laid them back In Inthe Inthe inthe the tray and began to Investigate the theother theother theother other treasures the casket contained In other traps In the box I found diamonds diamonds diamonds dia dia- monds galore a great solitaire that must have been all nU of seven carats dinner rings bar pins crescents stars stars- earrings and In a compartment aUby all aU by Itself a tiara of ot rubles rubies and dia din monds There was also a variety of ot other gems pins and rings wrought In curious designs with rubles diamonds diamonds dia din monds sapphires and pearls some unset unset un un- set diamonds and loose fragments of pieces that had evidently been torn apart to add to other settings the collection of a n woman with unlimited money to spend With trembling hands I restored the Jewels to their hiding place twice testIng testing testing test test- ing the knob to make malte sure that the combination had set The unexpected sight of ot such a vast fortune In gems had filled fined me with strange emotions with thoughts so evil ll I har hardly lIY dared admit them to myself There must have b been en nearly half a million dollars dollars' worth of precious stones In that one asket casket The Time Gaston pearls in themselves them them- selves sel were a fortune If It only they were mine To every ery honest man at times come temptations as ns great as ns come to any criminal No man knows whether or not he is honest until he lie has hns been putto put putto to the test I knew klew I I was tempted strongly tempted to take my great aunts aunt's Jewels What was to hinder The old couple were to be absent for months They had left me In charge and had given me their keys jeys and the safe combination There would be abundant time for disposing of the Jewels before their theft was ered With the money they would bring I co could Jd satisfy my craving for adventure I could travel the world over oyer Yet Yet-as s I look back at It It all the time I was th thinking nl ing these thoughts I knew I would not take the tIne Jewels A normal man cannot steal Even E wl when en his desires lead him to theft his mind points out the folly fony and acid his conscience the wr wrong ng Re Resolutely I I put the tho thought of the Jewels out of or my ray head head or or tried to toA toA to- to S A Q There Nestling in the C Center iter of a Vel vet lined Tray Lay Gleaming the Most Wonderful Mass of Iridescent Pearls Pearla I Ever Everald Laid ald Eyes On and stretching myself out on a couch gave myself up to pleasant reveries reverie about my my delightful new acquaintance I the girl who lived Just across the hall bali I I pictured myself finding some way of winning her confidence and amI of helping her out of her mysterious trouble And what if eventually old Rufus should make me his heir Surely I J would wouldn n need ed a mate with whom to share Ow Joys of having bavins a n fortune With vis visIons Ions of or Barbara Bradford bedecked with m my aunts aunt's choicest est jewels jewel I J fell tell asleep It H wn ns almost t dusk k when lieu I J was I h bj by lice tho arrival nl of 01 th the e ex ex- ex with mv trunks r 1 I and had unpacked on un- UD- UD had receipted for them that hat I was packed I suddenly denty r realized nothing noticing since hungry for I had eaten I donned m my breakfast Hastily only to count m mj clothes stopping weeks week's salary In m mY money moneys With a for tor rent to pay pocket and no room several months surely I could afford change a n good dinner to celebrate the In my fortunes As I went out I stopped In the lower hall to chat with the telephone girl ostensibly to ask her to take any m s- s sa sages es for me though I was expecting none she shoe Youre Mr Nelson aint you Interest with curious me asked d e eyeing Nel Nel- Nel- Nel Yes I 1 replied Mr SpaldIng apartment apartment apart apart- apartment son I am nm occupying the Gaston ment while white they are n away amusement crossed her hoer A flicker of of a the suggestion face tace with Just S sneer I hope you'll enjoy living hiving here Why not I replied carel carelessly sly If any one calls caBs say that I will be home by ten Miss Miss Miss- Nellie K Kelly uy she added As I chatted with her the elevator had descended descend cd again and three perSons persons persons per per- sons emerged one of ot t them le beIn being she sloe for a n sight of ot whom I load had been intentionally luten- luten tl loitering One of the two persons with her was plainly the mother and the other I took t to be an older sister She resembled Barbara strongly but there was a n world-weary world look In her face and her beauty seemed seemed seemed seem seem- ed to me to be marred by a weak sensitive passionate mouth But I had load no e eyes es for her so absorbed was wasI I in In the appearance of the girl I had m met t In the park If I load had thought he her hel beautiful then she was ravishing now Her ller raven hair was piled high and nn caught back with a n great grent Spanish comb comb An trimmed ermine evening co cost coat t of brocade swathed her figure opening at the front Just jus enough to to- give me a a glimpse of her bared white white- neck Involuntarily my hand went to tom tom m mj t hat but Into her eyes came a aba ba haughty look and one hand went to he her het lips for Just a sec second d as If she were were warning me again not to r cog cog- her I stood there abashed as Sh sloe she swept by me to the waiting motor The Th-p telephone girls girl's voice Jarred me meba ba bak k to my senses I z thought you was a friend of the Br fords she said sarcastically Sure he is said the voice of Mr Wick behind me you hear the thE boys hoys telling me he lie came In twice with Miss Bradford eU what of It Id I answered lam iam lamely ly and fled from the house Indig- Indig nat t nn to at at- this tills open prying of the emPI em employees em- em PI ees Into my affairs yet entirely ly at n a loss to know how to stop It How co could ld I 1 tell ten them I knew Barbara Bradford when she had Just cut me mede de dedd d vaguely dissatisfied with m first day In my new home I boarded board- board ed f n a bus and nd rode downtown to a n little lIttle French cafe where my comrades nn and I had been accustomed to go when w we were In funds All An about m mes mE were merry erry Sunday evening dinner din din- ner neli nei parties partle and I was alone BIrge nn and Roller had gone and Miss l Bradford Brad Brad- fo ford foid d had refused to recognize me I Ihn hn hurried through my dinner paid my mych check ch ck and was leaving the restaurant v l en at a corner table I spied the these se faced faced man whom I had seen In the park k a few evenings before lie le e looked up and caught my glance Im mb o his lois face came a strange express Sl sion a n of of mall malignant ant hate not unmingled un- un mil mingled with fear Boldly I returned hi his gaze I was tempted to walk right up to him and ask him hirn what he had be been n doing In the park parle and why he lie h ha 1 d warned his bis mate away when he lie sa saw sav v me there Yet I had n no right to Interfere Miss 1 Bradford Bradford- load had not taken me into her confidence I had only suspicions to go on that the vo i two m men n had been there to attempt some wrong on the girl Slowly I left the restaurant puzzled more than ever by the malevolent glance he had load g given ven me ne and perplexed a as to how I was going to serve Miss Bradford when she would not even recognize me CHAPTER III lii My great aunts pearls were gone stolen stolen vanished vanished from the wan wall safe I 1 Still discrediting the evidence of ot myown myown my ray own eyes I lighted a n match an and an peered peered peered peer peer- ed Into the steel steel lined rece recess s. s It was empty On the table Reside eside me was of the two Jewel boxes it had contained the one filled with worthless worthless worthless worth worth- less trinkets ets The other which had contained lne the priceless Gaston pearls and the other rich tren treasure ure had vanished van van- fod Today y was Saturday Six days before before before be be- fore I 1 had arrived In the apartment There load had been two Jewel cases then With my own hands T I had put the them both back safe In their hl hiding place I recalled d having tested the knob to tomake make sure that the combination had set Yet since that time Ume someone ha had opened the safe sate Someone had removed re re- moved the jewels Who could it have been heen To Vo the best of ot my knowledge there thre had been hut lUt two persons In the rooms room old Mrs Burke in my aunts aunt's trusted laundress and m myself elt Certainly Certainly Cere I T had n mit t taken taleen the Jewels lewels and It seemed absurd to suspect tr l Mrs Burke nurle |