The Mystery Of The Clasped Hands: A Novel - free ebook by Guy Boothby

THE MYSTERY OF THE CLASPED HANDS

Each, 12mo, cloth, $1.00; paper, 50 cents....

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A NOVEL

AUTHOR OF DR. NIKOLA's EXPERIMENT PHAROS, THE EGYPTIAN MY INDIAN QUEEN, ETC....

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CHAPTER I

"I never knew such a fellow as you are for ferreting out these low, foreign eating-houses," said Godfrey Henderson to his friend, Victor Fensden, as they turned from Oxford Street into one of the narrow thoroughfares in the neighbourhood of Soho. "Why you should take such trouble, and at the same time do your digestion such irreparable injury, I can not imagine. There are any number of places where you can get a chop or steak, free of garlic, in a decent quarter of the Town, to say nothing of be

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CHAPTER II

One morning a week or so after the conversation described at the end of the previous chapter, Godfrey Henderson found lying on the table in the studio a long, blue envelope, the writing upon which was of a neat and legal character. He did not own a halfpenny in the world, so what this could mean he was not able to imagine. Animated by a feeling of curiosity he opened the envelope and withdrew the contents. He read the letter through the first time without altogether realizing its meaning; then,

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CHAPTER III

If I were given my choice of all the charming residences in the county of Midlandshire, I fancy I should decide in favour of Detwich Hall. To my thinking it is, in every respect, an ideal residence. While sufficiently old to have a history (one of the Charleses spent some days in hiding there), it has proved itself capable of being adapted to modern ideas of comfort. The main portion was built, I believe, toward the close of the reign of the Virgin Queen; a wing was added by the owner who occupi

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CHAPTER IV

More than a month had elapsed since Godfrey had made his début as a recognised member of the Midlandshire Hunt. It is also necessary to state that during that period he had seen a good deal of pretty Miss Molly Devereux, who, faithful to the promise she had given him, had shown him a large amount of the country, with the fences, hedges, and ditches thereof. She was also the person who was mainly responsible for the large sum of money he had spent on horseflesh during that time. As a matter of fa

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CHAPTER V

For a moment after he realized the true state of affairs Godfrey was spellbound with terror. Was it just possible that he would be able to head the horse off from the pit? If he could not, then it would be the end of all things as far as Miss Devereux was concerned. With the cold sweat of terror on his brow he watched the girl he loved racing down the slope on the maddened horse. He saw that she was making a brave fight to bring him to a standstill; but even at that distance he could tell that h

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CHAPTER VI

After leaving Teresina, Godfrey made his way back to his hotel. As he strode along he meditated as to what he should do to help her. That the girl was in serious trouble, he had not the least doubt; but since she would not allow him to assist her in any form, what could he do? He had been through a good deal that day, and by the time he reached his hotel he was quite worn out. The night porter who admitted him noticed his haggard appearance. "You don't look very well, sir," he said, sympathetica

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TERRIBLE MURDER OF A GIRL! REVOLTING DETAILS!

"I thought as much," said the police officer in a tone of bitter disappointment. "Just my luck again. I was in hopes of being able to put them on the scent, but it seems that they have found it out without me. Might I be so bold, sir, as to ask what it says?" "I will read the account," said Godfrey. "At an early hour this morning it was reported to the authorities at Scotland Yard that a murder of an unusual nature had been committed in the vicinity of the Tottenham Court Road. The victim is an

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CHAPTER VIII

In the previous chapter I described to you how Victor Fensden had fallen in a dead faint just at the moment when the gentlemen were about to go in search of the ladies, in order to reassure them after the terrible shock they had received. Immediately on hearing his friend fall, Godfrey hurried to his assistance, asking Sir Vivian meanwhile to go in search of brandy. The latter had scarcely left the room, however, before Victor opened his eyes. "My dear old fellow," said Godfrey, "I am indeed tha

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CHAPTER IX

The first train that left Detwich for London next morning had for its passengers Sir Vivian Devereux, Godfrey Henderson, and Victor Fensden. Inspector Griffin was also travelling by it, not a little elated by the importance of his errand. On reaching Euston, after promising to meet them at the inquest, Fensden drove off to his club, while Sir Vivian and Godfrey made their way to Lincoln's Inn Fields, where they were to have an interview with Mr. Cornelius Bensleigh, of the firm of Bensleigh and

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EXTRAORDINARY EVIDENCE

There was no need for him to wonder what that evidence was: he knew before he began to read. The prominence given by the paper to the case was a proof of the excitement the inquiry had aroused in the public mind. At last he forced himself to read. Every word rose before his eyes as vividly as though it had been traced in letters of fire. Set down in cold print, the affair presented a very sinister aspect, so far as he was concerned. Every portion of the evidence seemed to point to himself as bei

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CHAPTER XI

For some moments Godfrey stood looking at the man who had come down from town to arrest him, as if he were stunned. Though he had half expected it, now that the blow had fallen he seemed scarcely able to appreciate his position. At last, with an effort, he recovered his self-possession. "You may be able to imagine what a very unhappy mistake this is for me," he said to the detective. "But I have no wish to complain to you; you are only doing your duty. Where is it you desire to take me?" "We mus

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CHAPTER XII

The preliminary investigation before the magistrate calls for but little comment. The evidence was, with but few exceptions, that which had been given before the coroner on the Monday and Wednesday preceding. If it were remarkable for anything it was for the number of spectators in the Court. The building, in which the coroner's inquiry had been conducted, had been crowded, but the police-court was packed, not with the poorly-clad spectators which one usually meets and associates with that miser

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CHAPTER XIII

Jacob Burrell sat in his comfortable armchair and took counsel with himself. He was a bachelor, and like many other bachelors was wedded to a hobby, which in some respects was more to him than any wife could possibly have been. In other words he was an enthusiastic philatelist, and his collection of the world's stamps was the envy of every enthusiast who came in contact with them. For Jacob Burrell they possessed another interest that was quite apart from their mere intrinsic value. A very large

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CHAPTER XIV

The first night of his sojourn in Paris was spent at the residence of a friend who was also a well-known Stamp Collector. They dined at a Restaurant together, and spent the remainder of the evening at a Café discussing matters connected with their joint hobby. Had one looked in upon Jacob Burrell then, as he sat sipping a glass of brandy and water, it would have been difficult to imagine that this man who was so emphatic and precise about Water Marks, Bâtonné Papers, Misprints, and Fudges, was i

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Familiar Fish: Their Habits and Capture.

A Practical Book on Fresh-Water Game Fish. By Eugene McCarthy . With an Introduction by Dr. David Starr Jordan, President of Leland Stanford Junior University, and numerous Illustrations. 12mo. Cloth, $1.50. This informing and practical book describes in a most interesting fashion the habits and environment of our familiar freshwater game fish, including anadromous fish like the salmon and sea trout. The life of a fish is traced in a manner very interesting to Nature lovers, while the simple and

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Familiar Flowers of Field and Garden.

Illustrated by the Author. 12mo. Library Edition, cloth, $1.75; Pocket Edition, flexible morocco, $2.25....

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Familiar Trees and their Leaves.

Illustrated from Nature by the Author. 12mo. Cloth, $1.75....

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Familiar Features of the Roadside.

With Illustrations by the Author. 12mo. Cloth, $1.75....

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Familiar Life in Field and Forest.

With many Illustrations. 12mo. Cloth, $1.75....

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The Art of Taxidermy.

By John Rowley . Illustrated. 12mo. Cloth, $2.00....

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Insect Life.

By John Henry Comstock . 12mo. Library Edition, cloth, $2.50; Teachers' and Students' Edition, $1.50....

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The Insect World.

By Clarence M. Weed . 12mo. Cloth, 60 cents....

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Bird-Life.

A Study of our Common Birds. By Frank M. Chapman , Assistant Curator of Mammalogy and Ornithology in the American Museum of Natural History. Illustrated by Ernest Seton Thompson. 12mo, cloth, $1.75. With 75 full-page Plates in Colors, 8vo, cloth, $5.00....

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Handbook of Birds of Eastern North America.

By Frank M. Chapman . With nearly 200 Illustrations. 12mo. Library Edition, cloth, $3.00; Pocket Edition, flexible morocco, $3.50....

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The Brass Bottle.

A Romance. By F. Anstey , author of "Vice Versa," etc., With Frontispiece. 12mo. Cloth, $1.50. "Not only is the plot of the book novel, like all of Anstey's work, but he has developed it with rare skill. The rollicking hilarity and absurdity of the conception are carried off with a gravity and seriousness that is the very essence of droll fun. The man who loves to laugh will find 'The Brass Bottle' a fountain of mirth."— Brooklyn Eagle ....

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The Eagle's Heart.

A Story of the West. By Hamlin Garland , author of "A Spoil of Office," "A Member of the Third House," "Wayside Courtships," etc. 12mo. Cloth, $1.50. "'The Eagle's Heart' is Mr. Garland's best work, considered as a story of sustained interest, strong characters, and exciting incidents."— Cleveland Plain Dealer . "Hamlin Garland may be seen at his best in 'The Eagle's Heart.'... He has graphically depicted the wild life on the Western plains; he has added a symmetrical and intensely interesting c

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The Footsteps of a Throne.

A Romance. By Max Pemberton . Uniform with "Kronstadt" and "The Phantom Army." Illustrated. 12mo. Cloth, $1.50. "The reader's attention is held breathlessly until the last page has been turned."— Boston Journal . "The book trade has all at once had a great revival. Quite ten thousand copies of Mr. Max Pemberton's new story, 'Footsteps of a Throne,' have already been issued in this country alone. Of course, this is generally regarded as by far the best story, as well as one of the most dramatic,

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Path and Goal.

This latest book shows the constant human interest which characterizes the work of this sympathetic and charming writer. There is an entertaining plot, and the backgrounds of the varying scenes of action are sketched most vividly....

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Materfamilias.

"The story is fragrant with the breath of farms, the aroma of the salt sea, and the even sweeter essence that exhales from the homely virtues, practiced amid simple surroundings, where family ties are strong, and where love, loyal and true, reigns as queen."— Philadelphia Item ....

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A Humble Enterprise.

"A restful, sympathetic, domestic story, full of tender pathos, excellent character drawing, and genuine, lovable human nature—a story to be read, not once, but again and again."— London Daily Mail ....

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Fidelis.

"The original flavor of Ada Cambridge is not lost but enriched by being ingrafted on a sturdy stock. Her pictures of Australia and of rural England are as attractive as ever, her story better than ever."— New York Evening Post ....

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My Guardian.

"A story which will, from first to last, enlist the sympathies of the reader by its simplicity of style and fresh, genuine feeling.... The author is au fait at the delineation of character."— Boston Transcript ....

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The Three Miss Kings.

"An exceedingly strong novel. It is an Australian story, teeming with a certain calmness of emotional power that finds expression in a continual outflow of living thought and feeling."— Boston Times ....

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Not All in Vain.

"A worthy companion to the best of the author's former efforts, and in some respects superior to any of them."— Detroit Free Press ....

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A Marriage Ceremony.

"Highly original in conception, its action graceful though rapid, and its characters sparkling with that life and sprightliness that have made their author rank as a peer of delineators."— Baltimore American ....

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A Little Minx.

"A thoroughly charming novel, which is just the finest bit of work its author has yet accomplished."— Baltimore American . Each, 12mo, cloth, $1.00; paper, 50 cents....

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Garthowen: A Welsh Idyl.

"Wales has long waited for her novelist, but he seems to have come at last in the person of Mr. Allen Raine, who has at once proved himself a worthy interpreter and exponent of the romantic spirit of his country."— London Daily Mail . "Mr. Raine enters into the lives and traditions of the people, and herein lies the charm of his stories."— Chicago Tribune . "Interesting from the beginning, and grows more so as it proceeds."— San Francisco Bulletin . "It has the same grace of style, strength of d

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Torn Sails.

"It is a little idyl of humble life and enduring love, laid bare before us, very real and pure, which in its telling shows us some strong points of Welsh character—the pride, the hasty temper, the quick dying out of wrath.... We call this a well-written story, interesting alike through its romance and its glimpses into another life than ours."— Detroit Free Press . "Allen Raine's work is in the right direction and worthy of all honor."— Boston Budget ....

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Mifanwy: A Welsh Singer.

"Simple in all its situations, the story is worked up in that touching and quaint strain which never grows wearisome no matter how often the lights and shadows of love are introduced. It rings true, and does not tax the imagination."— Boston Herald . "One of the most charming tales that has come to us of late."— Brooklyn Eagle ....

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In Circling Camps.

A Romance of the American Civil War. 12mo. Cloth, $1.50. "Mr. Altsheler has an enviable reputation. His method is that of Fenimore Cooper.... In 'In Circling Camps' he tells a good, strong, human story for its own sake, and not for the sake of showing off his talent as a literary story-teller. He gives us some great battle pieces, notably Shiloh and Gettysburg. His admiration of the nobler qualities of 'old friends turned foes' is so hearty and so sincerely dramatic that we love and pity the ter

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A Herald of the West.

An American Story of 1811-1815. 12mo. Cloth, $ 1.50. "A portion of our history that has not before been successfully embodied in fiction.... Extremely well written, condensed, vivid, picturesque, and there is continual action.... A rattling good story, and unrivaled in fiction for its presentation of the American feeling toward England during our second conflict."— Boston Herald ....

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A Soldier of Manhattan.

And his Adventures at Ticonderoga and Quebec. 12mo. Cloth, $1.00; paper, 50 cents. "The story is told in such a simple, direct way that it holds the reader's interest to the end, and gives a most accurate picture of the times."— Boston Transcript . "Graphic and intensely interesting.... The book may be warmly commended as a good specimen of the fiction that makes history real and living."— San Francisco Chronicle ....

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The Sun of Saratoga.

A Romance of Burgoyne's Surrender. 12mo. Cloth, $1.00; paper, 50 cents. "Taken altogether, 'The Sun of Saratoga' is the best historical novel of American origin that has been written for years, if not, indeed, in a fresh, simple, unpretending, unlabored, manly way, that we have ever read."— New York Mail and Express . "A sprightly and spirited romance gracefully written in a crisp, fresh style that is simply delightful to read."— Philadelphia Press ....

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The Girl at the Halfway House.

A Romance of the Plains. By E. Hough , author of "The Story of the Cowboy." 12mo. Cloth, $1.50. The author of "The Girl at the Halfway House," Mr. E. Hough, gained general recognition by his remarkable book, "The Story of the Cowboy," published by D. Appleton and Company in this country, and also published in England. "The Girl at the Halfway House" has been called an American epic by critics who have read the manuscript. The author illustrates the strange life of the great westward movement whi

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Betsy Ross.

A Romance of the Flag . By Chauncey C. Hotchkiss , author of "In Defiance of the King," etc. 12mo. Cloth, $1.50. "Betsy Ross" is a historical romance based upon the story of the maker of the first official American flag. Mrs. Ross was a charming young widow of but little more than twenty-three when she was commissioned to make the flag from a design submitted to her by Washington. Her husband had been killed by an accident at the Philadelphia arsenal within a few months after his marriage. The r

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