Seriously, I
should have hated to have been in his position.
Gertie had thrown her arms about Kennedy, as if in wildest
devotion. I wondered what Elaine would have thought, if she had a
picture of that!
"Oh," she begged him, "please--please, help me!"
Still Kennedy seemed utterly unaffected by her passionate embrace.
Carefully he loosened her fingers from about his neck and removed
the plump, enticing arms.
Gertie sank into a chair, weeping, while Kennedy stood before her
a moment in deep abstraction.
Finally he seemed to make up his mind to something. His manner
toward her changed. He took a step to her side.
"I WILL help you," he said, laying his hand on her shoulder. "If
it is possible I will recover your jewels. Where do you live?"
"At Hazlehurst," she replied, gratefully. "Oh, Mr. Kennedy, how
can I ever thank you?"
She seemed overcome with gratitude and took his hand, pressed it,
even kissed it.
"Just a minute," he added, carefully extricating his hand. "I'll
be ready in just a minute."
Kennedy entered the room where I was listening.
"What's it all about, Craig?" I whispered, mystified.
For a moment he stood thinking, apparently reconsidering what he
had just done. Then his second thought seemed to approve it.
"This is a trap of the Clutching Hand, Walter," he whispered,
adding tensely, "and we're going to walk right into it.
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