The Gloved Hand

er. The fact that our plot was really moving, that Swain was in the enemy's country, so to speak, gave the affair a finality which it had lacked before. It was too l

I turned away, walked slowly back to the hou

it had been I, and not Swain, who had gone to the rendezvous; wiser still, perhaps, to have sought an interview openly, and to have made sure of the facts before seeming to encourage what might easily prove to be a girl's more or less romantic illusions

oked at my watch. It was half-past eleven. Well, whatever the story was, Swain was hearing it now, and I should hear it

"I'll be back in a minute," and he ran

ne to confide in and advise with. The stretch of lonel

eeting surprised Godfrey, f

I said. "I've got s

ed, but he drew a chair close to mine

ay's adventures. He listened without comme

ose grounds now," he said tho

there three-quar

e Miss Vaughan nam

of being discovered earlier than that-or perha

is head bent in th

t go up to the roof, to remain there till midnight. That is the one time of

, and his voice was qu

you going

e star falls as usual, we'll know that ev

oment we were at the ladder; in another moment we were high

h," said Godfrey, in a low vo

little glare of light against the nearest

inutes of twe

w the strange star appear among them; but when I closed my eyes for an instant and looked again, it was gone. Slow minute followed minute, and the hand with which I clutched the l

g past midnight

frey gravely; "we m

and found him waiting, a dark shadow. He put his hand on my arm, and stood a moment, as though i

ked, at last

answered. "If he has, all right. If he h

frey?" I demanded. "Do yo

ing wrong over there. This is the first night

t, "that may have not

grounds-and I'm always afraid of coincidences. Let

held h

"he'll have taken the la

the wall, and there was the dim white line of the ladder leaning against it. Withou

erplexedly. I could not see his face, but I could guess how tense it was. I had been w

he said, at last. "Do you know w

ne corner of the g

and take a quiet look for him

though in danger of falling, and staring at the top of the wall, wher

rm brought me ar

s voice, and I felt the weapon pressed into my hand.

ay of light shot toward the wall,

added, "ready for action. No telling wha

on the ladder, b

the daughter of the house invited him to a meeting; but if we go over the wall, we're trespassers pure and simple. Anybody who run

chuckling, and I fe

rtarin holding you back. My advice is to shake the lawyer, Lester. He's out of his element

I started after him,

!" he w

he other side of the wall; then a

wn the wall, and I knew that the person at the top had lifted the other ladder over. Then

recognise it; then I s

g mouth and smear of blood across the forehead. Godfrey, I knew, was also st

, and seized him by the arm;

d, hoarsely. "Who is

dfrey flashed his torch into

u're no

s is Mr.

God

e're staying a

e hand to his head and leane

suggested, soothingly. "We all need a bracer. T

hat he had not understood. His face was

my head's wrong, somehow." His voice trailed off into an unintelligible mumble, but he held one hand u

rily. "You're right-that cut must be atte

nexpected vigour. "We must take down t

y n

" He stopped, stammering, and again his voice trail

se, for there was something in Swain's face-a sort of vacant horror and dumb shrinking-that filled me with a vague repu

ke the ladders, since you think it so important

brant with fear, that I stood there crouching, every muscle rigid. Again the scream came, more poignant, more terrible, wrung fr

frey's finger had slipped from the button of his torch, and we were in d

nstant, the figure poised itself on the coping of the wall and then plunged forward out of s

e-foot drop! Why, the man's mad! Hand me that ladder, Les

e before that night, and saw G

ust save him if we can!"

ling desperately after him. Th