text stringlengths 3 516 |
|---|
he was late of course but when he did appear i almost forgot our usual greeting in my hurry to ask him if he had seen the evening papers |
however a little later we had a comfortable chat |
it was one which gave me a small triumph over george |
the suggestion he had laughed at was not so entirely foolish as he had been pleased to consider it |
their greeting was cordial and the lines on the latter's face relaxed a little as he met the still bright eye of the man upon whose instinct and judgment so much reliance had always been placed |
this is very good of you he began glancing down at the aged detective's bundled up legs and gently pushing a chair towards him |
it's the most inexplicable there |
but clews there are absolutely none |
that is we have not been able to find any perhaps you can |
at least that is what we hope |
it's a case in a thousand gryce |
the old man's eyes shot fire and unconsciously one foot slipped to the floor |
she had no companion near her |
no word no cry just a collapse and sudden fall |
in olden days they would have said struck by a bolt from heaven |
what do you make of it gryce |
i should like to see the desk you speak of and the spot where she fell |
a young fellow who had been hovering in the background at once stepped forward |
he was the plain faced detective who had spoken to george |
this sweetwater as they called him was i have since understood one of his proteges and more or less of a favourite |
been over the ground studied the affair carefully |
very well then you're in a position to pioneer me |
well well that's honest at all events |
but i'm in no position to make promises |
old days don't return for the asking |
whether he got anything else it would be impossible to say from his manner as he finally sank into a chair by one of the openings and looked down on the lobby below |
one or two of the musicians from the end of the hall |
naturally they reached her first |
mark sowerby and claus hennerberg |
honest germans men who have played here for years |
who came next on the scene some people from the lobby |
anybody before the father came in |
yes miss clarke the middle aged lady with the parrishes |
i suppose she has been carefully questioned very i should say |
and she speaks of no weapon |
not till the doctor came her doctor who was happily in his office in this very building |
yes mister slater the assistant manager who was in the lobby at the time says that ten minutes at least must have elapsed |
no doubt |
sweetwater someone drew that weapon out |
not altogether by me |
wherever she pleases only i can't walk far |
it has not been running since last night or it would be full of curious people all the time hustling to get a glimpse of this place |
but they'll put a man on for you |
very good manage it as you will |
i'll wait here till you're ready explain yourself to the lady tell her i'm an old and rheumatic invalid who has been used to asking his own questions |
as her quiet figure appeared in the doorway sweetwater stole a glance at mister gryce |
there was no doubting them in this instance |
yes |
for some little time that is it seemed long though i believe it was not more than a minute before two men came running from the musicians gallery |
yes many times |
what made the difference |
miss clarke started and her sweet face showed a moment's perplexity did i she queried musingly |
no a very natural one i should say |
and the glance she cast him while not meeting his eye showed that she understood the importance of the admission |
i know she said what you are going to ask me now |
there was no poniard in the wound |
the time is narrowed down to one and in that one miss clarke was the only person to touch her |
i will trouble you no further |
sweetwater help me out of this |
but vigour returned to him before he had well reached the door and he showed some of his old spirit as he thanked miss clarke and turned to take the elevator |
the next minute she was in this lady's arms |
no weapon protruded from the wound nor was any found on or near her in the mezzanine what follows |
she struck the blow herself and the strength of purpose which led her to do this gave her the additional force to pull the weapon out and fling it from her |
it did not fall upon the floor around her therefore it flew through one of those openings into the lobby and there it either will be or has been found |
he had written a number of books himself among them a history of dancing a history of costume a key to shakespeare's sonnets a study of the poetry of ernest dowson et cetera |
hugh's written a delightful part for her and she's quite inexpressible |
i happen to have mac connell's box for tonight or there'd be no chance of our getting places |
alexander exclaimed mildly |
myself i always knew she had it in her |
do you know alexander mainhall looked with perplexity up into the top of the hansom and rubbed his pink cheek with his gloved finger do you know i sometimes think of taking to criticism seriously myself |
when they entered the stage box on the left the first act was well under way the scene being the interior of a cabin in the south of ireland |
as they sat down a burst of applause drew alexander's attention to the stage |
of course hilda is irish the burgoynes have been stage people for generations and she has the irish voice |
it's delightful to hear it in a london theatre |
when she began to dance by way of showing the gossoons what she had seen in the fairy rings at night the house broke into a prolonged uproar |
after her dance she withdrew from the dialogue and retreated to the ditch wall back of philly's burrow where she sat singing the rising of the moon and making a wreath of primroses for her donkey |
mac connell let me introduce mister bartley alexander |
the playwright gave mainhall a curious look out of his deep set faded eyes and made a wry face |
he nodded curtly and made for the door dodging acquaintances as he went |
i dare say it's quite true that there's never been any one else |
he's another who's awfully keen about her let me introduce you |
sir harry towne bowed and said that he had met mister alexander and his wife in tokyo |
i say sir harry the little girl's going famously to night isn't she |
the fact is she's feeling rather seedy poor child |
a little attack of nerves possibly |
he bowed as the warning bell rang and mainhall whispered you know lord westmere of course the stooped man with the long gray mustache talking to lady dowle |
in a moment peggy was on the stage again and alexander applauded vigorously with the rest |
in the half light he looked about at the stalls and boxes and smiled a little consciously recalling with amusement sir harry's judicial frown |
he leaned forward and beamed felicitations as warmly as mainhall himself when at the end of the play she came again and again before the curtain panting a little and flushed her eyes dancing and her eager nervous little mouth tremulous with excitement |
all the same he lifted his glass here's to you little hilda |
i'm glad she's held her own since |
it was youth and poverty and proximity and everything was young and kindly |
on the last saturday in april the new york times published an account of the strike complications which were delaying alexander's new jersey bridge and stated that the engineer himself was in town and at his office on west tenth street |
over the fireplace there was a large old fashioned gilt mirror |
he rose and crossed the room quickly |
of course i know bartley she said at last that after this you won't owe me the least consideration but we sail on tuesday |
i saw that interview in the paper yesterday telling where you were and i thought i had to see you that's all good night i'm going now |
let me take off your coat and your boots they're oozing water |
if you'd sent me a note or telephoned me or anything |
i told myself that if i were really thinking of you and not of myself a letter would be better than nothing |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.