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congratulate you upon----""No, no," Beatrice cried quickly. "Please don't. Perhaps if you tell me your name I may be in a position to help you to find anybody you may chance----" The stranger shook her head as she stood in the doorway. Her voice was low and sweet as she replied. "It does not in the least matter," she said. "You can call me the Slave of the Bond." CHAPTER II The guests had assembled at length, the dinner was in full swing. It would

shadows. As if there might be a fog. But no fog, however, thick, could hide the apple tree that grew close against the house.But the tree was there ... shadowy, indistinct in the gray, with a few withered apples still clinging to its boughs, a few shriveled leaves reluctant to leave the parent branch. The tree was there now. But it hadn't been when he first had looked. Mr. Chambers was sure of that. * * * * * And now he saw the faint outlines of his neighbor's house ... but those outlines were

l roared. "You've got thirty seconds to make it. And if you don't make it, you'll go down on my bad-rocket list!"Almost in one motion, the three cadet candidates saluted and charged through the door. When they had gone, Connel turned to the Polaris cadets who were still at attention. "At ease!" he roared and then grinned. The boys came to rest and smiled back at him tentatively. They never knew what to expect from Connel. "Well, did you put them through their

of the room, their skipper's final words ringing in their ears.Fifteen minutes later, having packed the necessary gear for the extended trip, the Polaris unit rode the slidewalk through the grassy quadrangle and the cluster of Academy buildings, out toward the spaceport. In the distance they could see the rocket cruiser Polaris, poised on the launching ramp, her long silhouette outlined sharply against the blue sky. Resting on her four stabilizer fins, her nose pointed toward the stars, the

legs and a little smile, and a little voice, and littleround-about ways. As long as I can remember him he was always goinglittle errands for people, and carrying little gossip. At this presenttime when he called me "Sophonisba!" he had a little old-fashionedlodging in that new neighbourhood of mine. I had not seen him for two orthree years, but I had heard that he still went out with a littleperspective-glass and stood on door-steps in Saint James's Street, to seethe nobility go to

"I understand, Captain Joyce," said the General, "that you have allowed a very important prisoner to slip through your fingers." "I am sorry, sir." "No doubt. But that will not mend matters. Did you ascertain anything about him before you lost him?" "No, sir." "How was that?" "I could get nothing out of him, sir." "Did you try?" "Yes, sir; I did what I could." "What did you do?" "Well, sir,

All is still and sombre. At this hour the simple traffic of the thinly-peopled country is over, and nothing can be more solitary.From this jungle, nevertheless, through which the mists of evening are already creeping, she sees a gigantic man approaching her. In that poor and primitive country robbery is a crime unknown. She, therefore, has no fears for her pound of tea, and pint of gin, and sixteen shillings in silver which she is bringing home in her pocket. But there is something that would

me back," he said, tenderly. "You will be cold.""It is colder for my son," said the old woman, and wept afresh. The sound of her sobs died away on his ears. The bed was warm, and his eyes heavy with sleep. He dozed fitfully, and then slept until a sudden wild cry from his wife awoke him with a start. "The paw!" she cried wildly. "The monkey's paw!" He started up in alarm. "Where? Where is it? What's the matter?" She came stumbling across

invariable custom of the house; and sat in a dead silence, that seemed natural to the great sober room.This, however, was not for want of a topic; on the contrary, they had a matter of great importance to discuss, and in fact this was why they dined tete-a-tete. But their tongues were tied for the present; in the first place, there stood in the middle of the table an epergne, the size of a Putney laurel-tree; neither Wardlaw could well see the other, without craning out his neck like a rifleman

11 As fast as thou shalt wane so fast thou grow'st, In one of thine, from that which thou departest, And that fresh blood which youngly thou bestow'st, Thou mayst call thine, when thou from youth convertest, Herein lives wisdom, beauty, and increase, Without this folly, age, and cold decay, If all were minded so, the times should cease, And threescore year would make the world away: Let those whom nature hath not made for store, Harsh, featureless, and rude, barrenly perish: Look whom she best