Hand and Ring

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Text enclosed by equal signs is in bold face (=bold=).

HAND AND RING

by

ANNA KATHARINE GREEN

* * * * *

BY THE SAME AUTHOR.

=The Leavenworth Case.= A LAWYER'S STORY. 16mo, cloth, $1.00; paper, 50 cents; 4to, paper 20

=A Strange Disappearance.= 16mo, cloth, $1.00; paper 50

=The Sword of Damocles.= 16mo, cloth, $1.00; paper 50

=X. Y. Z.= A DETECTIVE STORY. 16mo, paper 25

=The Defence of the Bride, and other Poems.= Square, 8vo., flexible cloth 1 00

G. P. PUTNAM'S SONS, PUBLISHERS, NEW YORK AND LONDON.

* * * * *

[Illustration: "'Look out,' cried the detective, 'or you will get yourself into trouble,' and he tightened his grip on the old creature's arm."--(Page 43.) (Frontispiece.)]

HAND AND RING

by

ANNA KATHARINE GREEN

Author of "The Leavenworth Case", "The Sword of Damocles", "The Defense of the Bride" Etc., Etc.

"For murder, though it have no tongue, will speak with most miraculous organ."

G. P. Putnam's Sons New York: 27 & 29 West 23d Street London: 25 Henrietta Street, Covent Garden 1883

Copyright by Anna Katharine Green 1883

Press of G. P. Putnam's Sons New York

CONTENTS.

BOOK I.

THE GENTLEMAN FROM TOLEDO.

CHAPTER PAGE

I. A Startling Coincidence 1 II. An Appeal to Heaven 17 III. The Unfinished Letter 31 IV. Imogene 49 V. Horace Byrd 67 VI. The Skill of an Artist 85 VII. Miss Firman 95 VIII. The Thick-set Man 115 IX. Close Calculations 128 X. The Final Test 146 XI. Decision 162

BOOK II.

THE WEAVING OF A WEB.

XII. The Spider 168 XIII. The Fly 175 XIV. A Last Attempt 189 XV. The End of a Tortuous Path 199 XVI. Storm 205 XVII. A Surprise 213 XVIII. A Brace of Detectives 214 XIX. Mr. Ferris 233 XX. A Crisis 245 XXI. A Heart's Martyrdom 258 XXII. Craik Mansell 264 XXIII. Mr. Orcutt 278 XXIV. A True Bill 299 XXV. Among Telescopes and Charts 306 XXVI. "He Shall Hear Me!" 313

BOOK III.

THE SCALES OF JUSTICE.

XXVII. The Great Trial 315 XXVIII. The Chief Witness for the Prosecution 322 XXIX. The Opening of the Defence 350 XXX. Byrd Uses his Pencil Again 356 XXXI. The Chief Witness for the Defence 369 XXXII. Hickory 383 XXXIII. A Late Discovery 392 XXXIV. What Was Hid Behind Imogene's Veil 411 XXXV. Pro and Con 436 XXXVI. A Mistake Rectified 465 XXXVII. Under the Great Tree 475 XXXVIII. Unexpected Words 502 XXXIX. Mr. Gryce 516 XL. In the Prison 529 XLI. A Link Supplied 555 XLII. Consultations 568 XLIII. Mrs. Firman 573 XLIV. The Widow Clemmens 587 XLV. Mr. Gryce Says Good-bye 600

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

PAGE "'Look out,' cried the detective, 'or you will get yourself into trouble,' and he tightened his grip on the old creature's arm." Frontispiece

"Taking her hand in his, he looked at her long and searchingly. 'Imogene,' he exclaimed, 'there is something weighing on your heart.'" 58

"He paused, sick and horror-stricken. Her face had risen upon him from the back of the chair, and was staring at him like that of a Medusa." 252

Diagram 364

"The curtains parted and disclosed the form of Imogene. 'I am coming,' she murmured, and stepped forth." 402