The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-03-22
THE LADY'S GLOVE

the mushroom in your honor You
must tell me whether they are as good
and as national as people say. and also
you can tell me"
They moved away, and West lost the
| conclusion of the sentence; and in the
mushroom he could not get close
| enough to overhear their conversation.
/ He had to be content with watching
| them from a distance.
| The orchestra was small but excel
lent. playing Russian music almost ex-
| clusively, perhaps on Lady Hanson's
| instructions, or perhaps because the
leader, the first violin, had noted that
the honored guest of the evening was
| a compatriot. 1t was in the generals
direction that he bowed when ac-
knowledging applause.
The MUSHROOM was the center Of
suite of rooms containing many treas
ures of art. pictures. china statuary,
and rare furniture; treasures which
would have come to the hammer. it
was whispered, had not Lord Hanson
married a fortune. When the music
ceased the guests broke up into groups,
some moving in one direction, some Ii.
another. The hostess had been called
away for a moment, and the general
was alone.
Whether is was accidental or whether
| he Intentionally kept on the edge of
! the moving crowd, West could not de-
termir1e. but as If he had been watching
for his opportunity the first violin was
suddenly at the generals side.
Monsieur the lady who has Just left
dropped this apd he held out a long,
white glove, which the general took
almost mechanically. The musician
gave him no opportunity to ask ques-
tons; as quickly as he had come he
! was gone. and was lost among the
guests. Conscious apparently that he
looked rather foolish holding the long
glove as if it were something he did
| not understand, the general doubled 1t
| up, and had thrust 1t into his pocket
when Lady Hanson returned. She was
wearing gloves; she had not dropped
one, yet she must be the lady referred
to as having just left him. The general
had been with no other.
| Valentine West. looking exceedingly
| bored, became keenly alert Not for a
moment must he lose sight of Rasiloff.
| The general may have been surprised
| to get the glove from the violinist. but
| sooner or later he expected to receive
it, and knew it's significance. Just at
first West had not been certain Of this,
| but ne was the moment he saw the
| general thrust 1t into his pocket The
glove was sign: action of some kind,
probably would follow quickly. and
wide issues might hang on the gener-
ais behavior during the next two or
| three hours.
The first move came sooner than
West expected. Making some excuse
to his hostess. the general went hur-
| riedly into the hall as if in pursui. OF
some one he had caught sight of: ana
as he went he took the glove from his
| pocket, feeling it carefully,
| He turned it SO as to get at the
| fingers, and from one of them he took
something. This was accomplished as
ne went among the guests, unnoticed.
by any one except West. who followed
close behind him. Under a light in the
corner of the hall he casually unfolded
tiny piece of paper. as a man does
| VINO nnds a scrap in his pocket and
| WONDERS what 1t is; as casually" he
screwed it up in his fingers and tossed
1t aside. much to Vests establishment.
It could not be of much importance.
Then he turned back toward the room
he had left and seeing a servant gave
him the glove
Il picked this up. Some one may in
| Quire about it"
the moment he had gone West L.,
his handkerchief fall. and in picking II
up picked the paper pellet as wen ON
It was written in ink:
Tonight. After one. No. ~
Grove Road, Kensington.
He did not throw it away again. but
slipped it into his waistcoat pocket
Then he followed the servant.
By the way. do you chance to have
found a glove-a lady's long glover"
| a gentleman has just given me this.
That's the one. Thanks very much.
west looked at his watch. made a
rapid calculation. and stroned back into
the rooms. He caught sight of the
general in the distance-taIking to I,oro
hanson, and then he ran into Morrison
! m on soon. Are you going to the
club? We might go together
Sorry. but am off now-FIeet street
way Social article, You know. Fleet
street gets busy when the rest of the
world is thinking Of going to bed"
An hour later when Sir Charles re-
marked IN the club that Valentine West
was journalist, he caused a roar of
laughter. West had never done a DAYS
| work in his life either with pen o,
| with any other implement, he was in
| formed. and the general impression was
that Sir Charles had had his leg badly
pulled.
West got his hat and coat from the
cloak-room- He was walking. he told
the servant at the door. He crossed
the road to the ratings of the garden
IN the center of the square, paused
there. and was Immediately Joined by
J a man In a bowler hat and ulster.
The man listened while West talked.
/ You quite understand Be sure You
/ operate on the right carr
There shall be no mistake, Mr..
/ West" West walked le;surely out of
the square and found his own car at
the corner Of an adjacent street
We get a move on. Amos. he said
to the chauffeur, "and it's not in the
direction of bed yet Grove Road. Ken