The Green Cloak
Summary
A veil of inexplicable transformation shrouds Ruth McAllister upon her return from the rugged West, leaving her devoted suitor, John Gilbert, grappling with a poignant rejection rooted in undisclosed sorrows. The domestic tranquility of the McAllister estate is shattered by the abrupt, breathless intrusion of a stranger, Gerald, whose mere presence triggers Ruth's immediate collapse. Gilbert's astonishment deepens as Ruth, regaining her composure, introduces the enigmatic figure as a mere acquaintance from her travels, a pretense barely maintained amidst the palpable tension. An astute observer, Gilbert later notes Gerald's chilling apprehension at the sight of Wilkins, the butler, whose cryptic half-smile hints at a deeper, sinister connection. Gerald's desperate attempt to flee is thwarted by Professor McAllister's burgeoning suspicion, trapping him in the library. There, Ruth confronts him, his life now in peril, compelling her to assist his escape. The ensuing discovery of Gerald's lifeless form, a tell-tale green silken tassel—a twin to those on Ruth's own cloak—clutched in his hand, ignites a chilling murder investigation. Ruth's return to the scene is marked not by grief, but by a "shriek of savage joy," a horrifying testament to the labyrinthine secrets she harbors. Under relentless interrogation, her initial defiance crumbles, revealing a clandestine marriage to the deceased man during her Western sojourn, thereby ensnaring her in a web of damning circumstantial evidence and a murder charge. The intricate unraveling of Gerald's true identity and the serpentine path to justice form the gripping heart of this compelling mystery.
Synopsis
Upon Ruth McAllister's return with her father from a Western trip, John Gilbert calls to renew his attentions. He immediately notices a change in her and is greatly pained when she refuses him, not because she does not care for him but for reasons that she will not divulge. A stranger, in the meantime, calls, and rushing past the maid, stops breathlessly in the presence of Ruth and Gilbert. Astonished at the intrusion, Gilbert is more amazed when Ruth, seeing the intruder, faints. Asked to explain, the stranger tells Gilbert to ask Ruth. Regaining her composure, the stranger tells Ruth that he will not leave until he has had a talk with her, whereupon Gilbert, furious, is about to attack him as Professor McAllister enters. To Gilbert's surprise, Ruth introduces the stranger as Mr. Gerald, a friend whom she met while traveling and then excuses herself while the men chat about things in general. Upon the entrance of Wilkins, the butler, Gilbert is quick to discern the expression of fear that comes over the countenance of the stranger as a half smile curves the servant's lips, who, after making an unimportant announcement, retires. Then, with the excuse that some very important letters require his immediate attention, Gerald announces his intention to go, but the Professor, now suspicious, insists that he use his library for his correspondence. Alone in the library, Ruth enters and upbraids Gerald for coming to the house. He tells her that his life is in danger and begs her to help him escape. This she promises and leaves to call a taxicab. Dinner is announced and the Professor, opening the library door to call Gerald, is shocked to find him dead, and a green silken tassel, similar to those which adorn Ruth's cloak, clasped in his hand. Shortly after the arrival of the police, Ruth returns in the taxicab and entering the house, utters a shriek of laughter, not hysterical, but a laugh of savage joy, as she beholds the dead man. Questioned as to the man's identity, Ruth at first refuses to answer but finally admits that she had married him while in the West. With a strong case of circumstantial evidence against her, she is arrested and taken to headquarters, where she is held for trial on a charge of murder. Who Gerald really was and how the tangled skeins of destiny were finally unraveled make a charming, convincing and intensely interesting mystery story.
