Putnam patriot., 1911-05-19
me AlabaSter Hand
1. Was the Cause of a Very
 Ludicrous Mistake
By Clarissa Mackie
co,vright by American Press Asso- ciation. 1911.


 |, vas A quiet residential street, and .. ..retebed away from the glittering n.-o,,-hfare like a dimly lighted tun- The long blocks were composed = rather old fashioned red brick s-ouings. the more pretentious faced with brownstone'
 I,o,en Braddock had chosen Blank .-.a, as the shortest cut to his apart .ts in the Circle hotel. which held s.sef exclusively apart from the ave nnes where trains roared above and so,ov the ground and electric cars e,hizzad on the surface between the two.
 an this particular night Lucien .-erorsed the street with unaccustom- "a haste The rain fell with slanting. ..inoing steadiness. The drops drum ' u,od m his umbrella and battered -roinst the smooth surface of his mack # .s.osh Once or twice he poked his r.ad out from under the umbrella to # .oka survey of his surroundings. # or the second occasion he saw 1t and stonped short in his tracks to stare up ot lighted parlor window. # rncien Braddoek had heard of beau VI .,t,,l hands. he had read in novels of # nrnorhle brows'' and .alabaster hands # and arms" but in the course of his VI rrosaic existence he had never come across these marks of feminine lowell K noss He had seen pretty hands. # coroa were white. and others were & .o,ned with summer sunshine. but VI never had he seen womans hand # that might be likened to the alabaster # ones of his novel reading days.
 Now he saw it.
 # It WAS white as snow or marble or "a tba alahaster of his novels; perfect in # shane with small fingers. tapering to point For an instant he saw the whole hand: then the womans other M hand was lifted. and the shade was drawn 10 the sill of the window.
 For the first time since he had paus- ad before the window Braddock be came aware that he was violating all the rules of politeness. Never before had he stared into window in this manner. and now he turned hastily and resumed his way through the pelt- ing rain with mingled shame and GU riOsity.
 The recollection of the white hand he had seen impressed him strangely. Ii had looked so dead white, so lifeless. so rigid. as compared to the careless 1s., hon ,,-r,n hn reached up to pull down the shade. Ills mind pictured a dozen situations that might account for the peculiar vhiteness of the hand. The one which found most favor with him was that the beautiful hand was paralyzed and quite bloodless.
 When he arrived at his hotel he dis Emssed the subject from his mind and went about his evening engagements with his customary vigorous interest.
 Every night as he passed through #Blank street his eyes involuntarily turned toward the block where stood the house that interested him. It was some time before he could locate the particuar house. because it was mere Sly by the mellow lighting of the room pr the figure of the woman who had stOod there that he might hope to rec pgnlze the place once more.
 Then came another evening, when he Hwas sauntering homeward with pleas ant anticipation of the excellent dinner that would await his arrival home, fhpro cha yio tho CQ niC- ture that he had seen once before on that rainy night. The same woman ttood there holding back the rose col pred curtains with that dead white band
 Once more Lucien Braddock paused end stared up at the picture. This lme he gazed at the woman's head ramed in It's mist of dark hair. Her ace was in shadow. but be fancied Dat she must be beautiful. and as she ld not stir from her position nor lake any attempt to pull down the nade, he was suddenly smitten with sense of his own rudeness. and. with Involuntary removal of his hat. he passed on.
 Then 1t was that a low. amused ugh broke the silence of the street. laeien stopped and looked around. He
 uld have sworn that the laugh came on the Yestibule of the house. The ont door was slightly ajar. and
 rough the glass panel a red light l0t down upon the sidewalk. With
 shrug of the shoulders and an un-
 miortable feeling he went on. He selYed that he would not let curiosi-
 again tempt him down the length of
 anE street He would walk one
 He block and traverse another street.
 weeks passed. and Braddock had
 "e forgotten the incident of the wo-
 al With the alabaster hand. Busi-
 aualrs of unusual importance oc-
 pied his attention to the exclusion
 amusements, and he found life filled
 ue brlm with action.
 ueh the strain was removed. on the
 eums Of the very day on which he
 won the case which was to make
 iafnous among lawyers. he rode
 ~e on the electric car and from
 or habit dropped off at the cor
 of Blank street
 usd gone half its length when he
 Vonsclous of some disturbance in
 or the staid red brick dwellings
 D'ight light flickered against the
 4o~s. and q maidServant stood or
 'Ofen screaming hysterically.
 40eh took ln the situation at a
 ana leaped up the steps and int uOuse Of the woman with the ala
 v nanQ Just nov he had caughl