The Gloved Hand Read online

  CHAPTER II

  A STRANGE NEIGHBOUR

  Mechanically I followed Godfrey down the ladder, and, guided by theflaring lights, made my way back to the car. I climbed silently intomy seat, while Godfrey started the motor. Then we rolled slowly up thedriveway, and stopped before the door of a house standing deep amongthe trees.

  "Wait for me here a minute," Godfrey said, and, when I had got out,handed me my suit-case, and then drove the car on past the house, nodoubt to its garage.

  He was soon back, opened the house-door, switched on the lights, andwaved me in.

  "Here we are," he said. "I'll show you your room," and he led the wayup the stairs, opening a door in the hall at the top. "This is it," headded, and switched on the lights here also. "The bath-room is rightat the end of the hall. Wash up, if you need to, and then come down,and we will have a good-night smoke."

  It was a pleasant room, with the simplest of furniture. Thenight-breeze ruffled the curtains at the windows, and filled the roomwith the cool odour of the woods--how different it was from the odourof dirty asphalt! But I was in no mood to linger there--I wanted anexplanation of that strange light and of those two white-robedfigures. So I paused only to open my grip, change into alounging-coat, and brush off the dust of the journey. Then I hasteneddownstairs.

  Godfrey met me at the stair-foot, and led the way into what wasevidently a lounging-room. A tray containing some cold meat, bread andbutter, cheese, and a few other things, stood on a side-table, and tothis Godfrey added two bottles of Bass.

  "No doubt you're hungry after the ride," he said. "I know I am," andhe opened the bottles. "Help yourself," and he proceeded to makehimself a sandwich. "You see, I live the simple life out here. I'vegot an old couple to look after the place--Mr. and Mrs. Hargis. Mrs.Hargis is an excellent cook--but to ask her to stay awake tillmidnight would be fiendish cruelty. So she leaves me a lunch in theice-box, and goes quietly off to bed. I'll give you some berries forbreakfast such as you don't often get in New York--and the cream--waittill you try it! Have a cigar?"

  "No," I said, sitting down very content with the world, "I've got mypipe," and I proceeded to fill up.

  Godfrey took down his own pipe from the mantelshelf and sat downopposite me. A moment later, two puffs of smoke circled toward theceiling.

  "Now," I said, looking at him, "go ahead and tell me about it."

  Godfrey watched a smoke-ring whirl and break before he answered.

  "About ten days ago," he began, "just at midnight, I happened toglance out of my bedroom window, as I was turning in, and caught aglimpse of a queer light apparently sinking into the tree-tops. Ithought nothing of it; but two nights later, at exactly the same time,I saw it again. I watched for it the next night, and again sawit--just for an instant, you understand, as it formed high in the airand started downward. The next night I was up a tree and saw more ofit; but it was not until night before last that I found the place fromwhich the whole spectacle could be seen. The trees are pretty thickall around here, and I doubt if there is any other place from whichthose two figures would be visible."

  "Then there _were_ two figures!" I said, for I had begun to think thatmy eyes had deceived me.

  "There certainly were."

  "Standing in space?"

  "Oh, no; standing on a very substantial roof."

  "But what is it all about?" I questioned. "Why should that lightdescend every midnight? What _is_ the light, anyway?"

  "That's what I've brought you out here to find out. You've got fourclear days ahead of you--and I'll be at your disposal from midnighton, if you happen to need me."

  "But you must have some sort of idea about it," I persisted. "At leastyou know whose roof those figures were standing on."

  "Yes, I know that. The roof belongs to a man named WorthingtonVaughan. Ever hear of him?"

  I shook my head.

  "Neither had I," said Godfrey, "up to the time I took this place. Evenyet, I don't know very much. He's the last of an old family, who madetheir money in real estate, and are supposed to have kept most of it.He's a widower with one daughter. His wife died about ten years ago,and since then he has been a sort of recluse, and has the reputationof being queer. He has been abroad a good deal, and it is only duringthe last year that he has lived continuously at this place next door,which is called Elmhurst. That's about all I've been able to find out.He certainly lives a retired life, for his place has a twelve-footwall around it, and no visitors need apply."

  "How do you know?"

  "I tried to make a neighbourly call yesterday, and wasn't admitted.Mr. Vaughan was engaged. Getting ready for his regular midnighthocus-pocus, perhaps!"

  I took a meditative puff or two.

  "_Is_ it hocus-pocus, Godfrey?" I asked, at last. "If it is, it's amighty artistic piece of work."

  "And if it isn't hocus-pocus, what is it?" Godfrey retorted. "Aspiritual manifestation?"

  I confess I had no answer ready. Ideas which seem reasonable enoughwhen put dimly to oneself, become absurd sometimes when definitelyclothed with words.

  "There are just two possibilities," Godfrey went on. "Either it'shocus-pocus, or it isn't. If it is, it is done for some purpose. Twomen don't go out on a roof every night at midnight and fire off aRoman candle and wave their arms around, just for the fun of thething."

  "It wasn't a Roman candle," I pointed out. "A Roman candle is visiblewhen it's going up, and bursts and vanishes at the top of its flight.That light didn't behave that way at all. It formed high in the air,remained there stationary for a moment, gradually grew brighter, andthen started to descend. It didn't fall, it came down slowly, and atan even rate of speed. And it didn't drift away before the breeze, asit would have done if it had been merely floating in the air. Itdescended in a straight line. It gave me the impression of moving asthough a will actuated it--as though it had a distinct purpose. Therewas something uncanny about it!"

  Godfrey nodded thoughtful agreement.

  "I have felt that," he said, "and I admit that the behaviour of thelight is extraordinary. But that doesn't prove it supernatural. Idon't believe in the supernatural. Especially I don't believe that anytwo mortals could arrange with the heavenly powers to make ademonstration like that every night at midnight for their benefit.That's _too_ absurd!"

  "It is absurd," I assented, "and yet it isn't much more absurd than tosuppose that two men would go out on the roof every night to watch aRoman candle, as you call it, come down. Unless, of course, they'relunatics."

  "No," said Godfrey, "I don't believe they're lunatics--at least, notboth of them. I have a sort of theory about it; but it's a pretty thinone, and I want you to do a little investigating on your own accountbefore I tell you what it is. It's time we went to bed. Don't get upin the morning till you're ready to. Probably I'll not see you tillnight; I have some work to do that will take me off early. But Mrs.Hargis will make you comfortable, and I'll be back in time to join youin another look at the Roman candle!"

  He uttered the last words jestingly, but I could see that the jest wasa surface one, and that, at heart, he was deeply serious. Evidently,the strange star had impressed him even more than it had me--thoughperhaps in a different manner.

  I found that it had impressed me deeply enough, for I dreamed about itthat night--dreamed, and woke, only to fall asleep and dream and wakeagain. I do not remember that I saw any more in the dream than I hadseen with my waking eyes, but each time I awoke trembling withapprehension and bathed in perspiration. As I lay there the secondtime, staring up into the darkness and telling myself I was a fool,there came a sudden rush of wind among the trees outside; then a vividflash of lightning and an instant rending crash of thunder, and then asteady downpour of rain. I could guess how the gasping city welcomedit, and I lay for a long time listening to it, as it dripped from theleaves and beat against the house. A delightful coolness filled theroom, an odour fresh and clean; and when, at last, with nervesquieted, I fell asleep again, it was not to awaken until the sun wasbright aga
inst my curtains.