The Beckoning Hand, and Other Stories Read online

  PREFACE.

  Of the thirteen stories included in this volume, "The Gold Wulfric,""The Two Carnegies," and "John Cann's Treasure" originally appeared inthe pages of the _Cornhill_; "The Third Time" and "The Search Party'sFind" are from _Longman's Magazine_; "Harry's Inheritance" first saw thelight in the _English Illustrated_; and "Lucretia," "My Uncle's Will,""Olga Davidoff's Husband," "Isaline and I," "Professor Milliter'sDilemma," and "In Strict Confidence," obtained hospitable shelterbetween the friendly covers of _Belgravia_. My title-piece, "TheBeckoning Hand," is practically new, having only been published beforeas the Christmas supplement of a provincial newspaper. My thanks are dueto Messrs. Smith and Elder, Longmans, Macmillan, and Chatto and Windusfor kind permission to reprint most of the stories here. If anybodyreads them and likes them, let me take this opportunity (as anunprejudiced person) of recommending to him my other volume of "StrangeStories," which I consider every bit as gruesome as this one. Should Isucceed in attaining the pious ambition of the Fat Boy, and "making yourflesh creep," then, as somebody once remarked before, "this work willnot have been written in vain."

  G. A. THE NOOK, DORKING, _Christmas Day_, 1886.