The Gloved Hand

saw that it was, indeed, a sealed and addressed envelope. I had somehow expected that address

EDERIC

ifth A

York

at this

y the Cal

arly a year since he had entered either place. For some eight hours of every week-day, he laboured in the law offices of Royce & Lester; he slept in a little room on the top floor of the Marathon; three hours of every e

front and was supposed to have inherited a fortune from somewhere; but, when he died, this edifice was found to be all fa?ade and no foundation, and Freddie inherited nothing but debts. He had been expen

ling to the skirts of Society as a vendor of champagne or an organiser o

state, and when the storm was over and we were sitting among

yce inquired. "Ever had an

easily. "But I can learn. I was thinking of

re are always so many openings. You see, nobody

he top, you know," he added, with a grin. "I can go to the night-school at the University, and I

fraid that, right at first, anyway, you can scarcely hope

on him with f

u give me a job. I'll do my work

k. He applied himself to his work with an energy that surprised me, and I learned that he was taking the night-course at the University, as he had planned. Finally, one night, I met him as I was turning in to my rooms at the Marathon, and found that he had re

it in him. He had a rude awakening from his dream

affluence he had been awakened; and now, as I sat staring at this

and saw that it was nearly half past twelve. Swain, I knew, would be at lunch, and was not due at the office until one o

r," she said. "I was just going to send Willi

with a very creditable appetite, when you cons

in," she said. "Yo

somewhere about?" I asked, as I

or into a little room fitted up as a study

got to call up the office

ce. As I had guessed, Swain was not yet back from lunch, and I left word for him to call me a

s. Hargis?" I asked, as I sat down. "That is

ated to the end of the line, and then the trolley.

oes one

pect Str

is this pl

old Bennett

Mrs. Hargis," I added, "that I

face flushed

she said. "We have our own garden, an

ncied I'd like to potter around in a garden. I

. Sometimes he can hardly tear himself

endid fellow-one of the nicest, squarest

y, as though there was something else she wished to say. But she evidently thought better of it. "There

d was filling my pipe when th

I'm at a place up here in the Bronx,

said Swain. "How

ley which runs along Dryden Road. Get off at Prospect Street, walk two bl

again. "Do you want me to br

ckly as you can," I a

ught came to me that I might as well make a little exploration of the neighbourhood, and I sauntered out to the road. Along it for some distance ran

where the gates were set-heavy gates of wrought iron, very tall, and surmounted by sharp spikes. The whol

, closed by a heavy, iron-banded door-the servants' entrance, I told myself. The grounds of a row of houses facing the road beyond ran up to the wall at the back, and I could not follow it without att

away out of sight in either direction, and a dense mass of shrubbery opposite the gate shut off any view of the grounds. Even of the house, th

, and, I reflected, would form an admirable hiding-place. The road itself seemed little travelled, an

h, so that, even without the glass, it would be impossible for anyone to get over it without assistance. As I stood there looking at it, resenting the threat of that broken glass, and pondering the infirmity of character which such a threat revealed, it suddenly struck me that the upper part of the wall dif

I saw someone coming up the drive. In a momen

good tim

catching an express and not ha

," I added. "I have a message

silently, as I led the way into Godfrey

and I sat down mysel

ps told of battles fought and won. A year ago, it had seemed natural to call him Freddie, but no one would think of doing so now. His father's creditors had not attempted to take from him his wardrobe-a costly and extensive one-so that he was dressed as carefully, if not quite as fashio

message for me, si

ve you ever been o

n out this way a

this pla

ioned, but I have nev

se place that is

to a lower key. "It belong

ou kno

quite well, sir," and h

more interested, "you also kne

lour crimson

e these questions, Mr

have is from that young lady, and

g at me, and all the blood

er! From Marjorie! What is it,

said, and handed

He unfolded the sheet of paper it contained, and as his eyes ran along it, his face grew whiter still.