The Black Drop - Tapa blanda

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1919. Excerpt: ... "The amount of it is," went on Cross, with no embarrassment but a perfection of concise matter of fact statement it would have been hard to challenge, " Mr. Charles, sir, is being watched." Norris gave the slightest perceptible start; it was a movement of the foot only, but in reality it seemed to him his heart leaped out of its place, and that he must gasp before he got his breath normally again. Cross appeared to understand he wasn't to be helped out, and went on, as if he had an everyday matter to state, yet impressively, too: "Mr. Charles is doing German propaganda work. He has harbored an alien wanted by the government, one of a gang conspiring against the allies--and the States, too, Mr. Tracy, I give you my word." Norris got up from his chair, pushing it violently to one side, and walked to the window, and there he stood, his back to Cross, staring out at the lights in the house opposite and conscious of the iron band about his forehead and the thickness of his breath. A girl came to the window opposite and presently another girl joined her and put an arm about her and they waltzed back into the room to the pounding of a piano. The little picture etched itself on his memory, so that whenever afterward he thought of his son's downfall, he saw two girls waltzing and heard a trumpery tune. Then, at last, because he had to meet the blow in exactly the way it was dealt him and no other, he turned back into the room, walked to the table and stood there, one hand finding the support of the pile of books at the end, and faced round upon Cross who had not stirred from the spot he had occupied when he first came in. "You want," said Norris, "to have him warned." "No, sir," said Cross imperturbably. "I want you to tell madam that it is time for her to go abro...