Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-05-12
CIEEK~|


that It is older, sir, than the Christian
religion itself!"
He held 1t out upon the fiat of his
palm. the better for Cleek to see and to
admire it. and signed to his son to hand
the visitor magnifying glass.
Wonderful, most wonderful" OBJ
served Cleek, bending over the spurious
gem and focusing the glass upon it;
not, however. for the purpose of study
ing the fraud, but to examine some
round and red and angry looking
which marked the palm itself, at the
base of the middle finger. "No wonder
you are proud of such a prize. l think
II owned an antique like that. But,
pardon me. have you met with an acct
dent. Mr.. Bawdrey? That's an ugly
place you have on your palm"
That? Oh. that's nothing" he an
swered gayly. 1T itches a great deal
some. 1t came out as a sort of red
blister in the beginning. and since 1t
broke 1t has been spreading great
deal: But, really. it doesn't amount to
anything at ALL
"Oh. that's just like you dad" put in
Philip. always making light of the
wretched thing. 1 notice one thing,
however. Rickaby 1t seems to grow
worse instead of better. And dad knows
as well as do when it began. 1t came
out suddenly about a fortnight ago.
after he had been holding some green
worsted for my stepmother to wind into
balls. Just look at it. will you. old
chap"
Nonsense. nonsense" chimed in the old
man laughingly. Don't mind the silly
boy, Mr.. Rickaby. He will have it that
that green worsted is to blame. just be-
cause he happened to spy the thing the
morning after"
Let's have look at it," said Cleek.
inc fho hohf pff q,
clofe examination. Il don't think it
amounts to anything, after ALL" he added.
as he laid aside the glass. II shouldn't
worry myself about 1t if l were you, Phil.
It's just ordinary blister. nothing more.
Let's go on with the collection, Mr..
Bawdrey; I'm deeply interested in it. l
assure you. Never saw such a marvellous
lot. Got any more amazing things. gems.
1 mean. like that wonderful scarab? l
say"'-halting suddenly before long.
narrow case with glass front. which
stood on end in far corner. and, being
lined with black velvet. brought into
CHASTITY prominence the suspended shape
of a human skeleton contained within
like a doctors specimen. b'gad. You
haven't let anybody mean. you haven't
been buying any prehistoric bones. have
you Mr. Bawdrey?"
ing round and seeing to what he was
abiding "Oh, that's a curiosity of quite
a different sort. Mr.. Rickaby. You are
saying it looks like doctors specimen
1t is--or, rather 1t was. Mrs. Bawdrey's
father was a doctor, and 1t once belonged
to him. Properly, it ought to have no
place in collection of this sort. but
well, it's such an amazing thing l couldn't
quite refuse 1t a place. sir It's freak of
nature. The skeleton OF a nine fingered
man..
rOf a WHAT"
"a ne-finsered man"
"Well | can't say that see anything
remarkable in that. I've got nine fingers
myself, nine and one over, when 1t comes
to that
mo. you haven't. you duffer." put in
young Bawdrey. with laugh. You've
got eight fngers-eight fingers and two
thumbs. This bony Johnny has nine fin
gers and two thumbs That's what makes
him freak. | say. dad, open the beggars
boy. and let Rckaby see"
His father obeyed the request. Lift
ing the tiny brass latch which alone
secured it, he swung open the glazed
door of the case. and, reaching in, drew
forward the flexible left arm Of the
skeleton.
the bony hand upon his palm, SO that
all it's fingers were spread out and
Cleek might get clear view Of the
monstrosity. What trial he must
he?" laughing gayly. Fancy the con-
fusion and dismay. Mr.. Rickaby. if a
fellow like this walked into a Bond
street shop and asked for pair of
gloves in hurry"
Cleek bent over and examined the
thing with interest At first glance the
hand was no different from any other
skeleton hand one might see any day in
any place where they sold anatomical
specimens for the use of members OF
the medical profession: but as Mr.
Bawdrey. holding it on the palm Of his
right hand. flattened 1t out with the
fingers of his left. the abnormality at
the base of the fourth finger, a per-
fectly developed fifth appeared curling
inward toward what had once been the
palm of the hand. as though in life it
ing 1t from observation by holding it
in that position. 1t was however per-
fectly flexible. and Mr.. Bawdrey had no