e hand, without doubt, and a left hand. Do you
know of any left-handed persons about here?"

"Why, the man himself was left-handed," answered the landlord and Mrs.
Strain together--"Captain Heathcote himself."

"He had been wounded, and carried his right arm in a sling," added Mr.
Graub.

"Ah, yes," said the widow; "I remember now. Was this impression
measured?"

"Yes; I have the exact figures," replied the landlord, taking out a
note-book, and reading the items aloud in a slow, important voice.

"Did you measure it yourself?" asked the widow. "Because if _you_ did
it, I shall feel sure the figures are correct."

"I did not measure it myself," answered Mr. Graub, not unimpressed by
this confidence. "I can, however, re-measure it in a moment if it would
be any gratification to you."

"It would be--immense," said the widow. Whereupon he went down stairs
for a measure.

"I am subject to dizziness myself, but I _must_ hear some one come up
that outside stairway," said Mrs. Young to Mrs. Strain during his
absence. "_Would_ you do it for me? I want to _imagine_ the _whole_."

Mrs. J. Strain, though stout, consented; and when her highly decorated
bonnet was out of sight, the visitor swiftly drew from her pocket the
paper outline of Heathcote's hand which Anne had given her, and compared
it with the impression. The outlines seemed different; the hand which
had touched the cloth appeared to have been shorter and wider than
Heathcote's, the finger-tips broader, as though cushioned with flesh
underneath. Mrs. Strain's substantial step was now heard on the outside
stairway. But the pattern was already safely returned to the deep pocket
of Mrs. Young.

"I have been picturing the entire scene," she said, in an impressive
whisper when the bonnet re-appeared, "and I assure you that when I heard
your footsteps on those stairs, goose-flesh rose and ran like lightning
down my spine." And Mrs. Strain, though out of breath, considered that
her services had been well repaid.

Mr. Graub now returned, and measured the prints with the nicest
accuracy. Owing to the widow's compliment to his hands, he had stopped
to wash them, in order to give a finer effect to the operation. Mrs.
Young requested that the figures be written down for her on a slip of
paper, "as a memorial"; and then, with one more exhaustive look at the
room, the stairway, and the garden, she went away, accompanied by her
friend, leaving Mr. Graub more than ever conv