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diff --git a/old/eelai10.txt b/old/eelai10.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..f12ef20 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/eelai10.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11798 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Exploits of Elaine, by Arthur B. Reeve +(#9 in our series by Arthur B. Reeve) + +Copyright laws are changing all over the world. Be sure to check the +copyright laws for your country before downloading or redistributing +this or any other Project Gutenberg eBook. + +This header should be the first thing seen when viewing this Project +Gutenberg file. Please do not remove it. Do not change or edit the +header without written permission. + +Please read the "legal small print," and other information about the +eBook and Project Gutenberg at the bottom of this file. Included is +important information about your specific rights and restrictions in +how the file may be used. You can also find out about how to make a +donation to Project Gutenberg, and how to get involved. + + +**Welcome To The World of Free Plain Vanilla Electronic Texts** + +**eBooks Readable By Both Humans and By Computers, Since 1971** + +*****These eBooks Were Prepared By Thousands of Volunteers!***** + + +Title: The Exploits of Elaine + +Author: Arthur B. Reeve + +Release Date: February, 2004 [EBook #5151] +[Yes, we are more than one year ahead of schedule] +[This file was first posted on May 15, 2002] + +Edition: 10 + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK, THE EXPLOITS OF ELAINE *** + + + + +This eBook was produced by Charles Franks and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team. + + + +THE CRAIG KENNEDY SERIES + +THE EXPLOITS OF ELAINE + +BY + +ARTHUR B. REEVE + + + + +CONTENTS + +CHAPTER + + I THE CLUTCHING HAND + + II THE TWILIGHT SLEEP + + III THE VANISHING JEWELS + + IV "THE FROZEN SAFE" + + V THE POISONED ROOM + + VI THE VAMPIRE + + VII THE DOUBLE TRAP + +VIII THE HIDDEN VOICE + + IX THE DEATH RAY + + X THE LIFE CURRENT + + XI THE HOUR OF THREE + + XII THE BLOOD CRYSTALS + +XIII THE DEVIL WORSHIPPERS + + XIV THE RECKONING + + + + +THE EXPLOITS OF ELAINE + + + + +CHAPTER I + +THE CLUTCHING HAND + + +"Jameson, here's a story I wish you'd follow up," remarked the +managing editor of the Star to me one evening after I had turned +in an assignment of the late afternoon. + +He handed me a clipping from the evening edition of the Star and I +quickly ran my eye over the headline: + + "THE CLUTCHING HAND" WINS AGAIN + + NEW YORK'S MYSTERIOUS MASTER CRIMINAL + PERFECTS ANOTHER COUP + + CITY POLICE COMPLETELY BAFFLED + +"Here's this murder of Fletcher, the retired banker and trustee of +the University," he explained. "Not a clue--except a warning +letter signed with this mysterious clutching fist. Last week it +was the robbery of the Haxworth jewels and the killing of old +Haxworth. Again that curious sign of the hand. Then there was the +dastardly attempt on Sherburne, the steel magnate. Not a trace of +the assailant except this same clutching fist. So it has gone, +Jameson--the most alarming and most inexplicable series of murders +that has ever happened in this country. And nothing but this +uncanny hand to trace them by." + +The editor paused a moment, then exclaimed, "Why, this fellow +seems to take a diabolical--I might almost say pathological-- +pleasure in crimes of violence, revenge, avarice and self- +protection. Sometimes it seems as if he delights in the pure +deviltry of the thing. It is weird." + +He leaned over and spoke in a low, tense tone. "Strangest of all, +the tip has just come to us that Fletcher, Haxworth, Sherburne and +all the rest of those wealthy men were insured in the Consolidated +Mutual Life. Now, Jameson, I want you to find Taylor Dodge, the +president, and interview him. Get what you can, at any cost." + +I had naturally thought first of Kennedy, but there was no time +now to call him up and, besides, I must see Dodge immediately. + +Dodge, I discovered over the telephone, was not at home, nor at +any of the clubs to which he belonged. Late though it was I +concluded that he was at his office. No amount of persuasion could +get me past the door, and, though I found out later and shall tell +soon what was going on there, I determined, about nine o'clock, +that the best way to get at Dodge was to go to his house on Fifth +Avenue, if I had to camp on his front doorstep until morning. The +harder I found the story to get, the more I wanted it. + +With some misgivings about being admitted, I rang the bell of the +splendid, though not very modern, Dodge residence. An English +butler, with a nose that must have been his fortune, opened the +door and gravely informed me that Mr. Dodge was not at home, but +was expected at any moment. + +Once in, I was not going lightly to give up that advantage. I +bethought myself of his daughter, Elaine, one of the most popular +debutantes of the season, and sent in my card to her, on a chance +of interesting her and seeing her father, writing on the bottom of +the card: "Would like to interview Mr. Dodge regarding Clutching +Hand." + +Summoning up what assurance I had, which is sometimes +considerable, I followed the butler down the hall as he bore my +card. As he opened the door of the drawing room I caught a vision +of a slip of a girl, in an evening gown. + +Elaine Dodge was both the ingenue and the athlete--the thoroughly +modern type of girl--equally at home with tennis and tango, table +talk and tea. Vivacious eyes that hinted at a stunning amber brown +sparkled beneath masses of the most wonderful auburn hair. Her +pearly teeth, when she smiled, were marvellous. And she smiled +often, for life to her seemed a continuous film of enjoyment. + +Near her I recognized from his pictures, Perry Bennett, the rising +young corporation lawyer, a mighty good looking fellow, with an +affable, pleasing way about him, perhaps thirty-five years old or +so, but already prominent and quite friendly with Dodge. + +On a table I saw a book, as though Elaine had cast it down when +the lawyer arrived to call on the daughter under pretense of +waiting for her father. Crumpled on the table was the Star. They +had read the story. + +"Who is it, Jennings?" she asked. + +"A reporter, Miss Dodge," answered the butler glancing +superciliously back at me, "and you know how your father dislikes +to see anyone here at the house," he added deferentially to her. + +I took in the situation at a glance. Bennett was trying not to +look discourteous, but this was a call on Elaine and it had been +interrupted. I could expect no help from that quarter. Still, I +fancied that Elaine was not averse to trying to pique her visitor +and determined at least to try it. + +"Miss Dodge," I pleaded, bowing as if I had known them all my +life, "I've been trying to find your father all the evening. It's +very important." + +She looked up at me surprised and in doubt whether to laugh or +stamp her pretty little foot in indignation at my stupendous +nerve. + +She laughed. "You are a very brave young man," she replied with a +roguish look at Bennett's discomfiture over the interruption of +the tete-a-tete. + +There was a note of seriousness in it, too, that made me ask +quickly, "Why?" + +The smile flitted from her face and in its place came a frank +earnest expression which I later learned to like and respect very +much. "My father has declared he will eat the very next reporter +who tries to interview him here," she answered. + +I was about to prolong the waiting time by some jolly about such a +stunning girl not having by any possibility such a cannibal of a +parent, when the rattle of the changing gears of a car outside +told of the approach of a limousine. + +The big front door opened and Elaine flung herself in the arms of +an elderly, stern-faced, gray-haired man. "Why, Dad," she cried, +"where have you been? I missed you so much at dinner. I'll be so +glad when this terrible business gets cleared up. Tell--me. What +is on your mind? What is it that worries you now?" + +I noticed then that Dodge seemed wrought-up and a bit unnerved, +for he sank rather heavily into a chair, brushed his face with his +handkerchief and breathed heavily. Elaine hovered over him +solicitously, repeating her question. + +With a mighty effort he seemed to get himself together. He rose +and turned to Bennett. + +"Perry," he exclaimed, "I've got the Clutching Hand!" + +The two men stared at each other. + +"Yes," continued Dodge, "I've just found out how to trace it, and +tomorrow I am going to set the alarms of the city at rest by +exposing--" + +Just then Dodge caught sight of me. For the moment I thought +perhaps he was going to fulfill his threat. + +"Who the devil--why didn't you tell me a reporter was here, +Jennings?" he sputtered indignantly, pointing toward the door. + +Argument, entreaty were of no avail. He stamped crustily into the +library, taking Bennett with him and leaving me with Elaine. +Inside I could hear them talking, and managed to catch enough to +piece together the story. I wanted to stay, but Elaine, smiling at +my enthusiasm, shook her head and held out her hand in one of her +frank, straight-arm hand shakes. There was nothing to do but go. + +At least, I reflected, I had the greater part of the story--all +except the one big thing, however,--the name of the criminal. But +Dodge would know him tomorrow! + +I hurried back to the Star to write my story in time to catch the +last morning edition. + + . . . . . . . . + +Meanwhile, if I may anticipate my story, I must tell of what we +later learned had happened to Dodge so completely to upset him. + +Ever since the Consolidated Mutual had been hit by the murders, he +had had many lines out in the hope of enmeshing the perpetrator. +That night, as I found out the next day, he had at last heard of a +clue. One of the company's detectives had brought in a red-headed, +lame, partly paralyzed crook who enjoyed the expressive monniker +of "Limpy Red." "Limpy Red" was a gunman of some renown, evil +faced and having nothing much to lose, desperate. Whoever the +master criminal of the Clutching Hand might have been he had seen +fit to employ Limpy but had not taken the precaution of getting +rid of him soon enough when he was through. + +Wherefore Limpy had a grievance and now descended under pressure +to the low level of snitching to Dodge in his office. + +"No, Governor," the trembling wretch had said as he handed over a +grimy envelope, "I ain't never seen his face--but here is +directions how to find his hang-out." + +As Limpy ambled out, he turned to Dodge, quivering at the enormity +of his unpardonable sin in gang-land, "For God's sake, Governor," +he implored, "don't let on how you found out!" + +And yet Limpy Red had scarcely left with his promise not to tell, +when Dodge, happening to turn over some papers came upon an +envelope left on his own desk, bearing that mysterious Clutching +Hand! + +He tore it open, and read in amazement: + +"Destroy Limpy Red's instructions within the next hour." + +Dodge gazed about in wonder. This thing was getting on his nerves. +He determined to go home and rest. + +Outside the house, as he left his car, pasted over the monogram on +the door, he had found another note, with the same weird mark and +the single word: + +"Remember!" + +Much of this I had already gathered from what I overheard Dodge +telling Bennett as they entered the library. Some, also, I have +pieced together from the story of a servant who overheard. + +At any rate, in spite of the pleadings of young Bennett, Dodge +refused to take warning. In the safe in his beautifully fitted +library he deposited Limpy's document in an envelope containing +all the correspondence that had lead up to the final step in the +discovery. + + . . . . . . . . + +It was late in the evening when I returned to our apartment and, +not finding Kennedy there, knew that I would discover him at the +laboratory. + +"Craig," I cried as I burst in on him, "I've got a case for you-- +greater than any ever before!" + +Kennedy looked up calmly from the rack of scientific instruments +that surrounded him, test tubes, beakers, carefully labelled +bottles. + +He had been examining a piece of cloth and had laid it aside in +disappointment near his magnifying glass. Just now he was watching +a reaction in a series of test tubes standing on his table. He was +looking dejectedly at the floor as I came in. + +"Indeed?" he remarked coolly going back to the reaction. + +"Yes," I cried. "It is a scientific criminal who seems to leave no +clues." + +Kennedy looked up gravely. "Every criminal leaves a trace," he +said quietly. "If it hasn't been found, then it must be because no +one has ever looked for it in the right way." + +Still gazing at me keenly, he added, "Yes, I already knew there +was such a man at large. I have been called in on that Fletcher +case--he was a trustee of the University, you know." + +"All right," I exclaimed, a little nettled that he should have +anticipated me even so much in the case. "But you haven't heard +the latest." + +"What is it?" he asked with provoking calmness, + +"Taylor Dodge," I blurted out, "has the clue. To-morrow he will +track down the man!" + +Kennedy fairly jumped as I repeated the news. + +"How long has he known?" he demanded eagerly. + +"Perhaps three or four hours," I hazarded. + +Kennedy gazed at me fixedly. + +"Then Taylor Dodge is dead!" he exclaimed, throwing off his acid- +stained laboratory smock and hurrying into his street clothes. + +"Impossible!" I ejaculated. + +Kennedy paid no attention to the objection. "Come, Walter," he +urged. "We must hurry, before the trail gets cold." + +There was something positively uncanny about Kennedy's assurance. +I doubted--yet I feared. + +It was well past the middle of the night when we pulled up in a +night-hawk taxicab before the Dodge house, mounted the steps and +rang the bell. + +Jennings answered sleepily, but not so much so that he did not +recognize me. He was about to bang the door shut when Kennedy +interposed his foot. + +"Where is Mr. Dodge?" asked Kennedy. "Is he all right?" + +"Of course he is--in bed," replied the butler. + +Just then we heard a faint cry, like nothing exactly human. Or was +it our heightened imaginations, under the spell of the darkness? + +"Listen!" cautioned Kennedy. + +We did, standing there now in the hall. Kennedy was the only one +of us who was cool. Jennings' face blanched, then he turned +tremblingly and went down to the library door whence the sounds +had seemed to come. + +He called but there was no answer. He turned the knob and opened +the door. The Dodge library was a large room. In the center stood +a big flat-topped desk of heavy mahogany. It was brilliantly +lighted. + +At one end of the desk was a telephone. Taylor Dodge was lying on +the floor at that end of the desk--perfectly rigid--his face +distorted--a ghastly figure. A pet dog ran over, sniffed +frantically at his master's legs and suddenly began to howl +dismally. + +Dodge was dead! + +"Help!" shouted Jennings. + +Others of the servants came rushing in. There was for the moment +the greatest excitement and confusion. + +Suddenly a wild figure in flying garments flitted down the stairs +and into the library, dropping beside the dead man, without +seeming to notice us at all. + +"Father!" shrieked a woman's voice, heart broken. "Father! Oh--my +God--he--he is dead!" + +It was Elaine Dodge. + +With a mighty effort, the heroic girl seemed to pull herself +together. + +"Jennings," she cried, "Call Mr. Bennett--immediately!" + +From the one-sided, excited conversation of the butler over the +telephone, I gathered that Bennett had been in the process of +disrobing in his own apartment uptown and would be right down. + +Together, Kennedy, Elaine and myself lifted Dodge to a sofa and +Elaine's aunt, Josephine, with whom she lived, appeared on the +scene, trying to quiet the sobbing girl. + +Kennedy and I withdrew a little way and he looked about curiously. + +"What was it?" I whispered. "Was it natural, an accident, or--or +murder?" + +The word seemed to stick in my throat. If it was a murder, what +was the motive? Could it have been to get the evidence which Dodge +had that would incriminate the master criminal? + +Kennedy moved over quietly and examined the body of Dodge. When he +rose, his face had a peculiar look. + +"Terrible!" he whispered to me. "Apparently he had been working at +his accustomed place at the desk when the telephone rang. He rose +and crossed over to it. See! That brought his feet on this +register let into the floor. As he took the telephone receiver +down a flash of light must have shot from it to his ear. It shows +the characteristic electric burn." + +"The motive?" I queried. + +"Evidently his pockets had been gone through, though none of the +valuables were missing. Things on his desk show that a hasty +search has been made." + +Just then the door opened and Bennett burst in. + +As he stood over the body, gazing down at it, repressing the +emotions of a strong man, he turned to Elaine and in a low voice, +exclaimed, "The Clutching Hand did this! I shall consecrate my +life to bring this man to justice!" + +He spoke tensely and Elaine, looking up into his face, as if +imploring his help in her hour of need, unable to speak, merely +grasped his hand. + +Kennedy, who in the meantime had stood apart from the rest of us, +was examining the telephone carefully. + +"A clever crook," I heard him mutter between his teeth. "He must +have worn gloves. Not a finger print--at least here." + + . . . . . . . . + +Perhaps I can do no better than to reconstruct the crime as +Kennedy later pieced these startling events together. + +Long after I had left and even after Bennett left, Dodge continued +working in his library, for he was known as a prodigious worker. + +Had he taken the trouble, however, to pause and peer out into the +moonlight that flooded the back of his house, he might have seen +the figures of two stealthy crooks crouching in the half shadows +of one of the cellar windows. + +One crook was masked by a handkerchief drawn tightly about his +lower face, leaving only his eyes visible beneath the cap with +visor pulled down over his forehead. He had a peculiar stoop of +the shoulders and wore his coat collar turned up. One hand, the +right, seemed almost deformed. It was that which gave him his name +in the underworld--the Clutching Hand. + +The masked crook held carefully the ends of two wires attached to +an electric feed, and sending his pal to keep watch outside, he +entered the cellar of the Dodge house through a window whose pane +they had carefully removed. As he came through the window he +dragged the wires with him, and, alter a moment's reconnoitering +attached them to the furnace pipe of the old-fashioned hot-air +heater where the pipe ran up through the floor to the library +above. The other wire was quickly attached to the telephone where +its wires entered. + +Upstairs, Dodge, evidently uneasy in his mind about the precious +"Limpy Red" letter, took it from the safe along with most of the +other correspondence and, pressing a hidden spring in the wall, +opened a secret panel, placed most of the important documents in +this hiding place. Then he put some blank sheets of paper in an +envelope and returned it to the safe. + +Downstairs the masked master criminal had already attached a +voltmeter to the wires he had installed, waiting. + +Just then could be heard the tinkle of Dodge's telephone and the +old man rose to answer it. As he did so he placed his foot on the +iron register, his hand taking the telephone and the receiver. At +that instant came a powerful electric flash. Dodge sank on the +floor grasping the instrument, electrocuted. Below, the master +criminal could scarcely refrain from exclaiming with satisfaction +as his voltmeter registered the powerful current that was passing. + +A moment later the criminal slid silently into Dodge's room. +Carefully putting on rubber gloves and avoiding touching the +register, he wrenched the telephone from the grasp of the dead +man, replacing it in its normal position. Only for a second did he +pause to look at his victim as he destroyed the evidence of his +work. + +Minutes were precious. First Dodge's pockets, then his desk +engaged his attention. There was left the safe. + +As he approached the strong box, the master criminal took two +vials from his pockets. Removing a bust of Shakespeare that stood +on the safe, he poured the contents of the vials in two mixed +masses of powder forming a heap on the safe, into which he +inserted two magnesium wires. + +He lighted them, sprang back, hiding his eyes from the light, and +a blinding gush of flame, lasting perhaps ten seconds, poured out +from the top of the safe. + +It was not an explosion, but just a dazzling, intense flame that +sizzled and crackled. It seemed impossible, but the glowing mass +was literally sinking, sinking down into the cold steel. At last +it burned through--as if the safe had been of tinder! + +Without waiting a moment longer than necessary, the masked +criminal advanced again and actually put his hand down through the +top of the safe, pulling out a bunch of papers. Quickly he thrust +them all, with just a glance, into his pocket. + +Still working quickly, he took the bust of the great dramatist +which he had removed and placed it under the light. Next from his +pocket he drew two curious stencils, as it were, which he had +apparently carefully prepared. With his hands, still carefully +gloved, he rubbed the stencils on his hair, as if to cover them +with a film of natural oils. Then he deliberately pressed them +over the statue in several places. It was a peculiar action and he +seemed to fairly gloat over it when it was done, and the bust +returned to its place, covering the hole. + +As noiselessly as he had come, he made his exit after one last +malignant look at Dodge. It was now but the work of a moment to +remove the wires he had placed, and climb out of the window, +taking them and destroying the evidence down in the cellar. + +A low whistle from the masked crook, now again in the shadow, +brought his pal stealthily to his side. + +"It's all right," he whispered hoarsely to the man. "Now, you +attend to Limpy Red." + +The villainous looking pal nodded and without another word the two +made their getaway, safely, in opposite directions. + + . . . . . . . . + +When Limpy Red, still trembling, left the office of Dodge earlier +in the evening, he had repaired as fast as his shambling feet +would take him to his favorite dive upon Park Row. There he might +have been seen drinking with any one who came along, for Limpy had +money--blood money,--and the recollection of his treachery and +revenge must both be forgotten and celebrated. + +Had the Bowery "sinkers" not got into his eyes, he might have +noticed among the late revellers, a man who spoke to no one but +took his place nearby at the bar. + +Limpy had long since reached the point of saturation and, lurching +forth from his new found cronies, he sought other fields of +excitement. Likewise did the newcomer, who bore a strange +resemblance to the look-out who had been stationed outside at the +Dodge house a scant half hour before. + +What happened later was only a matter of seconds. It came when the +hated snitch--for gangdom hates the informer worse than anything +else dead or alive--had turned a sufficiently dark and deserted +corner. + +A muffled thud, a stifled groan followed as a heavy section of +lead pipe wrapped in a newspaper descended on the crass skull of +Limpy. The wielder of the improvised but fatal weapon permitted +himself the luxury of an instant's cruel smile--then vanished into +the darkness leaving another complete job for the coroner and the +morgue. + +It was the vengeance of the Clutching Hand--swift, sure, +remorseless. + +And yet it had not been a night of complete success for the master +criminal, as anyone might have seen who could have followed his +sinuous route to a place of greater safety. + +Unable to wait longer he pulled the papers he had taken from the +safe from his pocket. His chagrin at finding them to be blank +paper found only one expression of foiled fury--that menacing +clutching hand! + + . . . . . . . . + +Kennedy had turned from his futile examination for marks on the +telephone. There stood the safe, a moderate sized strong box but +of a modern type. He tried the door. It was locked. There was not +a mark on it. The combination had not been tampered with. Nor had +there been any attempt to "soup" the safe. + +With a quick motion he felt in his pocket as if looking for +gloves. Finding none, he glanced about, and seized a pair of tongs +from beside the grate. With them, in order not to confuse any +possible finger prints on the bust, he lifted it off. I gave a +gasp of surprise. + +There, in the top of the safe, yawned a gaping hole through which +one could have thrust his arm! + +"What is it?" we asked, crowding about him. + +"Thermit," he replied laconically. + +"Thermit?" I repeated. + +"Yes--a compound of iron oxide and powdered aluminum invented by a +chemist at Essen, Germany. It gives a temperature of over five +thousand degrees. It will eat its way through the strongest +steel." + +Jennings, his mouth wide open with wonder, advanced to take the +bust from Kennedy. + +"No--don't touch it," he waved him off, laying the bust on the +desk. "I want no one to touch it--don't you see how careful I was +to use the tongs that there might be no question about any clue +this fellow may have left on the marble?" + +As he spoke, Craig was dusting over the surface of the bust with +some black powder. + +"Look!" exclaimed Craig suddenly. + +We bent over. The black powder had in fact brought out strongly +some peculiar, more or less regular, black smudges. + +"Finger prints!" I cried excitedly. + +"Yes," nodded Kennedy, studying them closely. "A clue--perhaps." + +"What--those little marks--a clue?" asked a voice behind us. + +I turned and saw Elaine, looking over our shoulders, fascinated. +It was evidently the first time she had realized that Kennedy was +in the room. + +"How can you tell anything by that?'" she asked. + +"Why, easily," he answered picking up a brass blotting-pad which +lay on the desk. "You see, I place my finger on this weight--so. I +dust the powder over the mark--so. You could see it even without +the powder on this glass. Do you see those lines? There are +various types of markings--four general types--and each person's +markings are different, even if of the same general type--loop, +whorl, arch, or composite." + +He continued working as he talked. + +"Your thumb marks, for example, Miss Dodge, are different from +mine. Mr. Jameson's are different from both of us. And this +fellow's finger prints are still different. It is mathematically +impossible to find two alike in every respect." + +Kennedy was holding the brass blotter near the bust as he talked. + +I shall never forget the look of blank amazement on his face as he +bent over closer. + +"My God!" he exclaimed excitedly, "this fellow is a master +criminal! He has actually made stencils or something of the sort +on which by some mechanical process he has actually forged the +hitherto infallible finger prints!" + +I, too, bent over and studied the marks on the bust and those +Kennedy had made on the blotter to show Elaine. + +THE FINGER PRINTS ON THE BUST WERE KENNEDY'S OWN. + + + + +CHAPTER II + +THE TWILIGHT SLEEP + + +Kennedy had thrown himself wholeheartedly into the solution of the +mysterious Dodge case. + +Far into the night, after the challenge of the forged finger +print, he continued at work, endeavoring to extract a clue from +the meagre evidence--the bit of cloth and trace of poison already +obtained from other cases, and now added the strange succession of +events that surrounded the tragedy we had just witnessed. + +We dropped around at the Dodge house the next morning. Early +though it was, we found Elaine, a trifle paler but more lovely +than ever, and Perry Bennett themselves vainly endeavoring to +solve the mystery of the Clutching Hand. + +They were at Dodge's desk, she in the big desk chair, he standing +beside her, looking over some papers. + +"There's nothing there," Bennett was saying as we entered. + +I could not help feeling that he was gazing down at Elaine a bit +more tenderly than mere business warranted. + +"Have you--found anything?" queried Elaine anxiously, turning +eagerly to Kennedy. + +"Nothing--yet," he answered shaking his head, but conveying a +quiet idea of confidence in his tone. + +Just then Jennings, the butler, entered, bringing the morning +papers. Elaine seized the Star and hastily opened it. On the first +page was the story I had telephone down very late in the hope of +catching a last city edition. + +We all bent over and Craig read aloud: + +"CLUTCHING HAND" STILL AT LARGE + +NEW YORK'S MASTER CRIMINAL REMAINS UNDETECTED--PERPETRATES NEW +DARING MURDER AND ROBBERY OF MILLIONAIRE DODGE + +He had scarcely finished reading the brief but alarming news story +that followed and laid the paper on the desk, when a stone came +smashing through the window from the street. + +Startled, we all jumped to our feet. Craig hurried to the window. +Not a soul was in sight! + +He stooped and picked up the stone. To it was attached a piece of +paper. Quickly he unfolded it and read: + +"Craig Kennedy will give up his search for the "Clutching Hand"-- +or die!" + +Later I recalled that there seemed to be a slight noise +downstairs, as if at the cellar window through which the masked +man had entered the night before. + +In point of fact, one who had been outside at the time might +actually have seen a sinister face at that cellar window, but to +us upstairs it was invisible. The face was that of the servant, +Michael. + +Without another word Kennedy passed into the drawing room and took +his hat and coat. Both Elaine and Bennett followed. + +"I'm afraid I must ask you to excuse me--for the present," Craig +apologized. + +Elaine looked at him anxiously. + +"You--you will not let that letter intimidate you?" she pleaded, +laying her soft white hand on his arm. "Oh, Mr. Kennedy," she +added, bravely keeping back the tears, "avenge him! All the money +in the world would be too little to pay--if only--" + +At the mere mention of money Kennedy's face seemed to cloud, but +only for a moment. He must have felt the confiding pressure of her +hand, for as she paused, appealingly, he took her hand in his, +bowing slightly over it to look closer into her upturned face. + +"I'll try," he said simply. + +Elaine did not withdraw her hand as she continued to look up at +him. Craig looked at her, as I had never seen him look at a woman +before in all our long acquaintance. + +"Miss Dodge," he went on, his voice steady as though he were +repressing something, "I will never take another case until the +'Clutching Hand' is captured." + +The look of gratitude she gave him would have been a princely +reward in itself. + +I did not marvel that all the rest of that day and far into the +night Kennedy was at work furiously in his laboratory, studying +the notes, the texture of the paper, the character of the ink, +everything that might perhaps suggest a new lead. It was all, +apparently, however, without result. + + . . . . . . . . + +It was some time after these events that Kennedy, reconstructing +what had happened, ran across, in a strange way which I need not +tire the reader by telling, a Dr. Haynes, head of the Hillside +Sanitarium for Women, whose story I shall relate substantially as +we received it from his own lips: + +It must have been that same night that a distinguished visitor +drove up in a cab to our Hillside Sanitarium, rang the bell and +was admitted to my office. I might describe him as a moderately +tall, well-built man with a pleasing way about him. Chiefly +noticeable, it seems to me, were his mustache and bushy beard, +quite medical and foreign. + +I am, by the way, the superintending physician, and that night I +was sitting with Dr. Thompson, my assistant, in the office +discussing a rather interesting case, when an attendant came in +with a card and handed it to me. It read simply, "Dr. Ludwig +Reinstrom, Coblenz." + +"Here's that Dr. Reinstrom, Thompson, about whom my friend in +Germany wrote the other day," I remarked, nodding to the attendant +to admit Dr. Reinstrom. + +I might explain that while I was abroad some time ago, I made a +particular study of the "Daemmerschlaf"--otherwise, the "twilight +sleep," at Freiburg where it was developed and at other places in +Germany where the subject had attracted great attention. I was +much impressed and had imported the treatment to Hillside. + +While we waited I reached into my desk and drew out the letter to +which I referred, which ended, I recall: + +"As Dr. Reinstrom is in America, he will probably call on you. I +am sure you will be glad to know him. + +"With kindest regards, I am, + +"Fraternally yours, + +"EMIL SCHWARZ, M. D., + +"Director, Leipsic Institute of Medicine." + +"Most happy to meet you, Dr. Reinstrom," I greeted the new +arrival, as he entered our office. + +For several minutes we sat and chatted of things medical here and +abroad. + +"What is it, Doctor," I asked finally, "that interests you most in +America?" + +"Oh," he replied quickly with an expressive gesture, "it is the +broadmindedness with which you adopt the best from all over the +world, regardless of prejudice. For instance, I am very much +interested in the new twilight sleep. Of course you have borrowed +it largely from us, but it interests me to see whether you have +modified it with practice. In fact I have come to the Hillside +Sanitarium particularly to see it used. Perhaps we may learn +something from you." + +It was most gracious and both Dr. Thompson and myself were charmed +by our visitor. I reached over and touched a call-button and our +head nurse entered from a rear room. + +"Are there any operations going on now?" I asked. + +She looked mechanically at her watch. "Yes, there are two cases, +now, I think," she answered. + +"Would you like to follow our technique, Doctor?" I asked, turning +to Dr. Reinstorm. + +"I should be delighted," he acquiesced. + +A moment later we passed down the corridor of the Sanitarium, +still chatting. At the door of a ward I spoke to the attendant who +indicated that a patient was about to be anesthetized, and +Reinstrom and I entered the room. + +There, in perfect quiet, which is an essential part of the +treatment, were several women patients lying in bed in the ward. +Before us two nurses and a doctor were in attendance on one. + +I spoke to the Doctor, Dr. Holmes, by the way, who bowed politely +to the distinguished Dr. Reinstrom, then turned quickly to his +work. + +"Miss Sears," he asked of one of the nurses, "will you bring me +that hypodermic needle? How are you getting on, Miss Stern?" to +the other who was scrubbing the patient's arm with antiseptic soap +and water, thoroughly sterilizing the skin. + +"You will see, Dr. Reinstrom." I interposed in a low tone, "that +we follow in the main your Freiburg treatment. We use scopolamin +and narkophin." + +I held up the bottle, as I said it, a rather peculiar shaped +bottle, too. + +"And the pain?" he asked. + +"Practically the same as in your experience abroad. We do not +render the patient unconscious, but prevent her from remembering +anything that goes on." + +Dr. Holmes, the attending physician, was just starting the +treatment. Filling his hypodermic, he selected a spot on the +patient's arm, where it had been scrubbed and sterilized, and +injected the narcotic. + +"How simply you do it all, here!" exclaimed Reinstrom in surprise +and undisguised admiration. "You Americans are wonderful!" + +"Come--see a patient who is just recovering," I added, much +flattered by the praise, which, from a German physician, meant +much. + +Reinstrom followed me out of the door and we entered a private +room of the hospital where another woman patient lay in bed +carefully watched by a nurse. + +"How do you do?" I nodded to the nurse in a modulated tone. +"Everything progressing favorably?" + +"Perfectly," she returned, as Reinstrom, Haynes and myself formed +a little group about the bedside of the unconscious woman. + +"And you say they have no recollection of anything that happens?" +asked Reinstrom. + +"Absolutely none--if the treatment is given properly," I replied +confidently. + +I picked up a piece of bandage which was the handiest thing about +me and tied it quite tightly about the patient's arm. + +As we waited, the patient, who was gradually coming from under the +drug, roused herself. + +"What is that--it hurts!" she said putting her hand on the bandage +I had tied tightly. + +"That is all right. Just a moment. I'll take it off. Don't you +remember it?" I asked. + +She shook her head. I smiled at Reinstrom. + +"You see, she has no recollection of my tying the bandage on her +arm," I pointed out. + +"Wonderful!" ejaculated Reinstrom as we left the room. + +All the way back to the office he was loud in his praises and +thanked us most heartily, as he put on his hat and coat and shook +hands a cordial good-bye. + +Now comes the strange part of my story. After Reinstrom had gone, +Dr. Holmes, the attending physician of the woman whom we had seen +anesthetized, missed his syringe and the bottle of scopolamine. + +"Miss Sears," he asked rather testily, "what have you done with +the hypodermic and the scopolamine?" + +"Nothing," she protested. + +"You must have done something." + +She repeated that she had not. + +"Well, it is very strange then," he said, "I am positive I laid +the syringe and the bottle right here on this tray on the table." + +Holmes, Miss Sears and Miss Stern all hunted, but it could not be +found. Others had to be procured. + +I thought little of it at the time, but since then it has occurred +to me that it might interest you, Professor Kennedy, and I give it +to you for what it may be worth. + +It was early the next morning that I awoke to find Kennedy already +up and gone from our apartment. I knew he must be at the +laboratory, and, gathering the mail, which the postman had just +slipped through the letter slot, I went over to the University to +see him. As I looked over the letters to cull out my own, one in a +woman's handwriting on attractive notepaper addressed to him +caught my eye. + +As I came up the path to the Chemistry Building I saw through the +window that, in spite of his getting there early, he was finding +it difficult to keep his mind on his work. It was the first time I +had ever known anything to interfere with science in his life. + +I thought of the letter again. + +Craig had lighted a Bunsen burner under a large glass retort. But +he had no sooner done so than he sat down on a chair and, picking +up a book which I surmised might be some work on toxicology, +started to read. + +He seemed not to be able, for the moment, to concentrate his mind +and after a little while closed the book and gazed straight ahead +of him. Again I thought of the letter, and the vision that, no +doubt, he saw of Elaine making her pathetic appeal for his help. + +As he heard my footstep in the hall, it must have recalled him for +he snapped the book shut and moved over quickly to the retort. + +"Well," I exclaimed as I entered, "you are the early bird. Did you +have any breakfast?" + +I tossed down the letters. He did not reply. So I became absorbed +in the morning paper. Still, I did not neglect to watch him +covertly out of the corner of my eye. Quickly he ran over the +letters, instead of taking them, one by one, in his usual +methodical way. I quite complimented my own superior acumen. He +selected the dainty note. + +A moment Craig looked at it in anticipation, then tore it open +eagerly. I was still watching his face over the top of the paper +and was surprised to see that it showed, first, amazement, then +pain, as though something had hurt him. + +He read it again--then looked straight ahead, as if in a daze. + +"Strange, how much crime there is now," I commented, looking up +from the paper I had pretended reading. + +No answer. + +"One would think that one master criminal was enough," I went on. + +Still no answer. + +He continued to gaze straight ahead at blankness. + +"By George," I exclaimed finally, banging my fist on the table and +raising my voice to catch his attention, "you would think we had +nothing but criminals nowadays." + +My voice must have startled him. The usually imperturbable old +fellow actually jumped. Then, as my question did not evidently +accord with what was in his mind, he answered at random, "Perhaps- +-I wonder if--" and then he stopped, noncommittally. + +Suddenly he jumped up, bringing his tightly clenched fist down +with a loud clap into the palm of his hand. + +"By heaven!" he exclaimed, "I--I will!" + +Startled at his incomprehensible and unusual conduct I did not +attempt to pursue the conversation but let him alone as he strode +hastily to the telephone. Almost angrily he seized the receiver +and asked for a number. It was not like Craig and I could not +conceal my concern. + +"Wh-what's the matter, Craig?" I blurted out eagerly. + +As he waited for the number, he threw the letter over to me. I +took it and read: + +"Professor Craig Kennedy, "The University, The Heights, City. + +"Dear Sir,-- + +"I have come to the conclusion that your work is a hindrance +rather than an assistance in clearing up my father's death and I +hereby beg to state that your services are no longer required. +This is a final decision and I beg that you will not try to see me +again regarding the matter. + +"Very truly yours, ELAINE DODGE." + +If it had been a bomb I could not have been more surprised. A +moment before I think I had just a sneaking suspicion of jealousy +that a woman--even Elaine--should interest my old chums. But now +all that was swept away. How could any woman scorn him? + +I could not make it out. + +Kennedy impatiently worked the receiver up and down, repeating the +number. "Hello--hello," he repeated, "Yes--hello. Is Miss--oh-- +good morning, Miss Dodge." + +He was hurrying along as if to give her no chance to cut him off. +"I have just received a letter, Miss Dodge, telling me that you +don't want me to continue investigating your father's death, and +not to try to see you again about--" + +He stopped. I could hear the reply, as sometimes one can when the +telephone wire conditions are a certain way and the quality of the +voice of the speaker a certain kind. + +"Why--no--Mr. Kennedy, I have written you no letter." + +The look of mingled relief and surprise that crossed Craig's face +spoke volumes. + +"Miss Dodge," he almost shouted, "this is a new trick of the +Clutching Hand. I--I'll be right over." + +Craig hung up the receiver and turned from the telephone. +Evidently he was thinking deeply. Suddenly his face seemed to +light up. He made up his mind to something and a moment later he +opened the cabinet--that inexhaustible storehouse from which he +seemed to draw weird and curious instruments that met the ever new +problems which his strange profession brought to him. + +I watched curiously. He took out a bottle and what looked like a +little hypodermic syringe, thrust them into his pocket and, for +once, oblivious to my very existence, deliberately walked out of +the laboratory. + +I did not propose to be thus cavalierly dismissed. I suppose it +would have looked ridiculous to a third party but I followed him +as hastily as if he had tried to shut the door on his own shadow. + +We arrived at the corner above the Dodge house just in time to see +another visitor--Bennett--enter. Craig quickened his pace. +Jennings had by this time become quite reconciled to our presence +and a moment later we were entering the drawing room, too. + +Elaine was there, looking lovelier than ever in the plain black +dress, which set off the rosy freshness of her face. + +"And, Perry," we heard her say, as we were ushered in, "someone +has even forged my name--the handwriting and everything--telling +Mr. Kennedy to drop the case--and I never knew." + +She stopped as we entered. We bowed and shook hands with Bennett. +Elaine's Aunt Josephine was in the room, a perfect duenna. + +"That's the limit!" exclaimed Bennett. "Miss Dodge has just been +telling me,--" + +"Yes," interrupted Craig. "Look, Miss Dodge, this is it." + +He handed her the letter. She almost seized it, examining it +carefully, her large eyes opening wider in wonder. + +"This is certainly my writing and my notepaper," she murmured, +"but I never wrote the letter!" + +Craig looked from the letter to her keenly. No one said a word. +For a moment Kennedy hesitated, thinking. + +"Might I--er--see your room, Miss Dodge?" he asked at length. + +Aunt Josephine frowned. Bennett and I could not conceal our +surprise. + +"Why, certainly," nodded Elaine, as she led the way upstairs. + +It was a dainty little room, breathing the spirit of its mistress. +In fact it seemed a sort of profanation as we all followed in +after her. For a moment Kennedy stood still, then he carefully +looked about. At the side of the bed, near the head, he stooped +and picked up something which he held in the palm of his hand. I +bent over. Something gleamed in the morning sunshine--some little +thin pieces of glass. As he tried deftly to fit the tiny little +bits together, he seemed absorbed in thought. Quickly he raised it +to his nose, as if to smell it. + +"Ethyl chloride!" he muttered, wrapping the pieces carefully in a +paper and putting them into his pocket. + +An instant later he crossed the room to the window and examined +it. + +"Look!" he exclaimed. + +There, plainly, were marks of a jimmy which had been inserted near +the lock to pry it open. + +"Miss Dodge," he asked, "might I--might I trouble you to let me +see your arm?" + +Wonderingly she did so and Kennedy bent almost reverently over her +plump arm examining it. + +On it was a small dark discoloration, around which was a slight +redness and tenderness. + +"That," he said slowly, "is the mark of a hypodermic needle." + +As he finished examining Elaine's arm he drew the letter from his +pocket. Still facing her he said in a low tone, "Miss Dodge--you +did write this letter--but under the influence of the new +'twilight sleep.'" + +We looked at one another amazed. + +Outside, if we had been at the door in the hallway, we might have +seen the sinister-faced Michael listening. He turned and slipped +quietly away. + +"Why, Craig," I exclaimed excitedly, "what do you mean?" + +"Exactly what I say. With Miss Dodge's permission I shall show +you. By a small administration of the drug which will injure you +in no way, Miss Dodge, I think I can bring back the memory of all +that occurred to you last night. Will you allow me?" + +"Mercy, no!" protested Aunt Josephine. + +Craig and Elaine faced each other as they had the day before when +she had asked him whether the sudden warning of the Clutching Hand +would intimidate him. She advanced a step nearer. Elaine trusted +him. + +"Elaine!" protested Aunt Josephine again. + +"I want the experiment to be tried," she said quietly. + +A moment later Kennedy had placed her in a wing chair in the +corner of the room. + +"Now, Mrs. Dodge," he said, "please bring me a basin and a towel." + +Aunt Josephine, reconciled, brought them. Kennedy dropped an +antiseptic tablet into the water and carefully sterilized Elaine's +arm just above the spot where the red mark showed. Then he drew +the hypodermic from his pocket--carefully sterilizing it, also, +and filling it with scopolamine from the bottle. + +"Just a moment, Miss Dodge," he encouraged as he jabbed the needle +into her arm. + +She did not wince. + +"Please lie back on the couch," he directed. Then turning to us he +added, "It takes some time for this to work. Our criminal got over +that fact and prevented an outcry by using ethyl chloride first. +Let me reconstruct the scene." + +As we watched Elaine going under slowly, Craig talked. + +"That night," he said, "warily, the masked criminal of the +Clutching Hand might have been seen down below us in the alley. Up +here, Miss Dodge, worn out by the strain of her father's death, +let us say, was nervously trying to read, to do anything that +would take her mind off the tragedy. Perhaps she fell asleep. + +"Just then the Clutching Hand appeared. He came stealthily through +that window which he had opened. A moment he hesitated, seeing +Elaine asleep. Then he tiptoed over to the bed, let us say, and +for a moment looked at her, sleeping. + +"A second later he had thrust his hand into his pocket and had +taken out a small glass bulb with a long thin neck. That was ethyl +chloride, a drug which produces a quick anesthesia. But it lasts +only a minute or two. That was enough, As he broke the glass neck +of the bulb--letting the pieces fall on the floor near the bed--he +shoved the thing under Elaine's face, turning his own head away +and holding a handkerchief over his own nose. The mere heat of his +hand was enough to cause the ethyl chloride to spray out and +overcome her instantly. He stepped away from her a moment and +replaced the now empty vial in his pocket. + +"Then he took a box from his pocket, opened it. There must have +been a syringe and a bottle of scopolamine. Where they came from I +do not know, but perhaps from some hospital. I shall have to find +that out later. He went to Elaine, quickly jabbing the needle, +with no resistance from her now. Slowly he replaced the bottle and +the needle in his pocket. He could not have been in any hurry now, +for it takes time for the drug to work." + +Kennedy paused. Had we known at the time, Michael--he of the +sinister face--must have been in the hallway, careful that no one +saw him. A tap at the door and the Clutching Hand, that night, +must have beckoned him. A moment's parley and they separated-- +Clutching Hand going back to Elaine, who was now under the +influence of the second drug. + +"Our criminal," resumed Kennedy thoughtfully, "may have shaken +Elaine. She did not answer. Then he may have partly revived her. +She must have been startled. Clutching Hand, perhaps, was half +crouching, with a big ugly blue steel revolver leveled full in her +face. + +"'One word and I shoot!' he probably cried. "Get up!' + +"Trembling, she must have done so. 'Your slippers and a kimono,' +he would naturally have ordered. She put them on mechanically. +Then he must have ordered her to go out of the door and down the +stairs. Clutching Hand must have followed and as he did so he +would have cautiously put out the lights." + +We were following, spell-bound, Kennedy's graphic reconstruction +of what must have happened. Evidently he had struck close to the +truth. Elaine's eyes were closed. Gently Kennedy led her along. +"Now, Miss Dodge," he encouraged, "try--try hard to recollect just +what it was that happened last night--everything." + +As Kennedy paused after his quick recital, she seemed to tremble +all over. Slowly she began to speak. We stood awestruck. Kennedy +had been right! + +The girl was now living over again those minutes that had been +forgotten--blotted out by the drug. + +And it was all real to her, too,--terribly real. She was speaking, +plainly in terror. + +"I see a man--oh, such a figure--with a mask. He holds a gun in my +face--he threatens me. I put on my kimono and slippers, as he +tells me. I am in a daze. I know what I am doing--and I don't +know. I go out with him, downstairs, into the library." + +Elaine shuddered again at the recollection. "Ugh! The room is +dark, the room where he killed my father. Moonlight outside +streams in. This masked man and I come in. He switches on the +lights. + +"'Go to the safe,' he says, and I do it, the new safe, you know. +'Do you know the combination?' he asks me. 'Yes,' I reply, too +frightened to say no. + +"'Open it then,' he says, waving that awful revolver closer. I do +so. Hastily he rummages through it, throwing papers here and +there. But he seems not to find what he is after and turns away, +swearing fearfully. + +"'Hang it!' he cries to me. 'Where else did your father keep +papers?' I point in desperation at the desk. He takes one last +look at the safe, shoves all the papers he has strewn on the floor +back again and slams the safe shut. + +"'Now, come on!' he says, indicating with the gun that he wants me +to follow him away from the safe. At the desk he repeats the +search. But he finds nothing. Almost I think he is about to kill +me. 'Where else did your father keep papers?' he hisses fiercely, +still threatening me with the gun. + +"I am too frightened to speak. But at last I am able to say, 'I--I +don't know!' Again he threatens me. 'As God is my judge,' I cry, +'I don't know.' It is fearful. Will he shoot me? + +"Thank heaven! At last he believes me. But such a look of foiled +fury I have never seen on any human face before. + +"'Sit down!' he growls, adding, 'at the desk.' I do. + +"'Take some of your notepaper--the best.' I do that, too. + +"'And a pen,' he goes on. My fingers can hardly hold it. + +"'Now--write!' he says, and as he dictates, I write--" + +"This?" interjected Kennedy, eagerly holding up the letter that he +had received from her. + +Elaine looked it over with her drug-laden eyes. "Yes," she nodded, +then lapsed again to the scene itself. "He reads it over and as he +does so says, 'Now, address an envelope.' Himself he folds the +letter, seals the envelope, stamps it, and drops it into his +pocket, hastily straightening the desk. + +"'Now, go ahead of me--again. Leave the room--no, by the hall +door. We are going back upstairs.' I obey him, and at the door he +switches off the lights. How I stand it, I don't know. I go +upstairs, mechanically, into my own room--I and this masked man. + +"'Take off the kimono and slippers!' he orders. I do that. 'Get +into bed!' he growls. I crawl in fearfully. For a moment he looks +about,--then goes out--with a look back as he goes. Oh! Oh! That +hand--which he raises at me--THAT HAND!" + +The poor girl was sitting bolt upright, staring straight at the +hall door, as we watched and listened, fascinated. + +Kennedy was bending over, soothing her. She gave evidences of +coming out from the effect of the drug. + +I noticed that Bennett had suddenly moved a step in the direction +of the door at which she stared. + +"My God!" he muttered, staring, too. "Look!" + +We did look. A letter was slowly being inserted under the door. + +I took a quick step forward. That moment I felt a rough tug at my +arm, and a voice whispered, "Wait--you chump!" + +It was Kennedy. He had whipped out his automatic and had carefully +leveled it at the door. Before he could fire, however, Bennett had +rushed ahead. + +I followed. We looked down the hall. Sure enough, the figure of a +man could be seen disappearing around an angle. I followed Bennett +out of the door and down the hall. + +Words cannot keep pace with what followed. Together we rushed to +the backstairs. + +"Down there, while I go down the front!" cried Bennett. + +I went down and he turned and went down the other flight. As he +did so, Craig followed him. + +Suddenly, in the drawing room, I bumped into a figure on the other +side of the portieres. I seized him. We struggled. Rip! The +portieres came down, covering me entirely. Over and over we went, +smashing a lamp. It was vicious. Another man attacked me, too. + +"I--I've got him--Kennedy!" I heard a voice pant over me. + +A scream followed from Aunt Josephine. Suddenly the portieres were +pulled off me. + +"The deuce!" puffed Kennedy. "It's Jameson!" + +Bennett had rushed plump into me, coming the other way, hidden by +the portieres. + +If we had known at the time, our Michael of the sinister face had +gained the library and was standing in the center of the room. He +had heard me coming and had fled to the drawing room. As we +finished our struggle in the library, he rose hastily from behind +the divan in the other room where he had dropped and had quietly +and hastily disappeared through another door. + +Laughing and breathing hard, they helped me to my feet. It was no +joke to me. I was sore in every bone. + +"Well, where DID he go?" insisted Bennett. + +"I don't know--perhaps back there," I cried. + +Bennett and I argued a moment, then started and stopped short. +Aunt Josephine had run downstairs and now was shoving the letter +into Craig's hands. + +We gathered about him, curiously. He opened it. On it was that +awesome Clutching Hand again. + +Kennedy read it. For a moment he stood and studied it, then slowly +crushed it in his hand. + +Just then Elaine, pale and shaken from the ordeal she had +voluntarily gone through, burst in upon us from upstairs. Without +a word she advanced to Craig and took the letter from him. + +Inside, as on the envelope, was that same signature of the +Clutching Hand. + +Elaine gazed at it wild-eyed, then at Craig. Craig smilingly +reached for the note, took it, folded it and unconcernedly thrust +it into his pocket. + +"My God!" she cried, clasping her hands convulsively and repeating +the words of the letter. "YOUR LAST WARNING!" + + + + +CHAPTER III + +THE VANISHING JEWELS + + +Banging away at my typewriter, the next day, in Kennedy's +laboratory, I was startled by the sudden, insistent ringing of the +telephone near me. + +"Hello," I answered, for Craig was at work at his table, trying +still to extract some clue from the slender evidence thus far +elicited in the Dodge mystery. + +"Oh, Mr. Kennedy," I heard an excited voice over the wire reply, +"my friend, Susie Martin is here. Her father has just received a +message from that Clutching Hand and--" + +"Just a moment, Miss Dodge," I interrupted. "This is Mr. Jameson." + +"Oh!" came back the voice, breathless and disappointed. "Let me +have Mr. Kennedy--quick." + +I had already passed the telephone to Craig and was watching him +keenly as he listened over it. The anticipation of a message from +Elaine did not fade, yet his face grew grave as he listened. + +He motioned to me for a pad and pencil that lay near me. + +"Please read the letter again, slower, Miss Dodge," he asked, +adding, "There isn't time for me to see it--just yet. But I want +it exactly. You say it is made up of separate words and type cut +from newspapers and pasted on note paper?" + +I handed him paper and pencil. + +"All right now, Miss Dodge, go ahead." + +As he wrote, he indicated to me by his eyes that he wanted me to +read. I did so: + +"Sturtevant Martin, Jeweler, "739 1/2 Fifth Ave., "New York City. + +"SIR: + +"As you have failed to deliver the $10,000, I shall rob your main +diamond case at exactly noon today." + +"Thank you, Miss Dodge," continued Kennedy, laying down the +pencil. "Yes, I understand perfectly--signed by that same +Clutching Hand. Let me see," he pondered, looking at his watch. +"It is now just about half past eleven. Very well. I shall meet +you and Miss Martin at Mr. Martin's store directly." + +It lacked five minutes of noon when Kennedy and I dashed up before +Martin's and dismissed our taxi-cab. + +A remarkable scene greeted us as we entered the famous jewelry +shop. Involuntarily I drew back. Squarely in front of us a man had +suddenly raised a revolver and leveled it at us. + +"Don't!" cried a familiar voice. "That is Mr. Kennedy!" + +Just then, from a little knot of people, Elaine Dodge sprang +forward with a cry and seized the gun. + +Kennedy turned to her, apparently not half so much concerned about +the automatic that yawned at him as about the anxiety of the +pretty girl who had intervened. The too eager plainclothesman +lowered the gun sheepishly. + +Sturtevant Martin was a typical society business man, quietly but +richly dressed. He was inclined to be pompous and affected a pair +of rather distinguished looking side whiskers. + +In the excitement I glanced about hurriedly. There were two or +three policemen in the shop and several plainclothesmen, some +armed with formidable looking sawed-off shot guns. + +Directly in front of me was a sign, tacked up on a pillar, which +read, "This store will be closed at noon today. Martin & Co." + +All the customers were gone. In fact the clerks had had some +trouble in clearing the shop, as many of them expressed not only +surprise but exasperation at the proceeding. Nevertheless the +clerks had politely but insistently ushered them out. + +Martin himself was evidently very nervous and very much alarmed. +Indeed no one could blame him for that. Merely to have been +singled out by this amazing master criminal was enough to cause +panic. Already he had engaged detectives, prepared for whatever +might happen, and they had advised him to leave the diamonds in +the counter, clear the store, and let the crooks try anything, if +they dared. + +I fancied that he was somewhat exasperated at his daughter's +presence, too, but could see that her explanation of Elaine's and +Perry Bennett's interest in the Clutching Hand had considerably +mollified him. He had been talking with Bennett as we came in and +evidently had a high respect for the young lawyer. + +Just back of us, and around the corner, as we came in, we had +noticed a limousine which had driven up. Three faultlessly attired +dandies had entered a doorway down the street, as we learned +afterwards, apparently going to a fashionable tailor's which +occupied the second floor of the old-fashioned building, the first +floor having been renovated and made ready for renting. Had we +been there a moment sooner we might have seen, I suppose, that one +of them nodded to a taxicab driver who was standing at a public +hack stand a few feet up the block. The driver nodded +unostentatiously back to the men. + +In spite of the excitement, Kennedy quietly examined the show +case, which was, indeed, a veritable treasure store of brilliants. +Then with a keen scrutinizing glance he looked over the police and +detectives gathered around. There was nothing to do now but wait, +as the detectives had advised. + +I looked at a large antique grandfather's clock which was standing +nearby. It now lacked scarcely a minute of twelve. + +Slowly the hands of the clock came nearer together at noon. + +We all gathered about the show case with its glittering hoard of +wealth, forming a circle at a respectful distance. + +Martin pointed nervously at the clock. + +In deep-lunged tones the clock played the chords written, I +believe, by Handel. Then it began striking. + +As it did so, Martin involuntarily counted off the strokes, while +one of the plainclothesmen waved his shotgun in unison. + +Martin finished counting. + +Nothing had happened. + +We all breathed a sigh of relief. + +"Well, it is still there!" exclaimed Martin, pointing at the show- +case, with a forced laugh. + +Suddenly came a rending and crashing sound. It seemed as if the +very floor on which we stood was giving way. + +The show-case, with all its priceless contents, went smashing down +into the cellar below. + +The flooring beneath the case had been cut through! + +All crowded forward, gazing at the black yawning cavern. A moment +we hesitated, then gingerly craned our necks over the edge. + +Down below, three men, covered with linen dusters and their faces +hidden by masks, had knocked the props away from the ceiling of +the cellar, which they had sawed almost through at their leisure, +and the show case had landed eight or ten feet below, shivered +into a thousand bits. + +A volley of shots whizzed past us, and another. While one crook +was hastily stuffing the untold wealth of jewels into a burlap +bag, the others had drawn revolvers and were firing up through the +hole in the floor, desperately. + +Martin, his detectives, and the rest of us fell back from the edge +of the chasm hastily, to keep out of range of the hail of bullets. + +"Look out!" cried someone behind us, before we could recover from +our first surprise and return the fire. + +One of the desperadoes had taken a bomb from under his duster, +lighted it, and thrown it up through the hole in the floor. + +It sailed up over our heads and landed near our little group on +the floor, the fuse sputtering ominously. + +Quickly we divided and backed away even further. + +I heard an exclamation of fear from Elaine. + +Kennedy had pushed his way past us and picked up the deadly +infernal machine in his bare hands. + +I watched him, fascinated. As near as he dared, he approached the +hole in the floor, still holding the thing off at arm's length. +Would he never throw it? + +He was coolly holding it, allowing the fuse to burn down closer to +the explosion point. + +It was now within less than an inch sure death. + +Suddenly he raised it and hurled the deadly thing down through the +hole. + +We could hear the imprecations of the crooks as it struck the +cellar floor, near them. They had evidently been still cramming +jewelry into the capacious maw of the bag. One of them, +discovering the bomb, must have advanced toward it, then retreated +when he saw how imminent was the explosion. + +"Leave the store--quick!" rang out Kennedy's voice. + +We backed away as fast as those behind us would permit. Kennedy +and Bennett were the last to leave, in fact paused at the door. + +Down below the crooks were beating a hasty retreat through a +secret entrance which they had effected. + +"The bag! The bag!" we could hear one of them bellow. + +"The bomb--run!" cried another voice gruffly. + +A second later came an ominous silence. The last of the three must +have fled. + +The explosion that followed lifted us fairly off our feet. A great +puff of smoke came belching up through the hole, followed by the +crashing of hundreds of dollars' worth of glass ware in the +jewelry shop as fragments of stone, brick and mortar and huge +splinters of wood were flung with tremendous force in every +direction from the miniature volcano. + +As the smoke from the explosion cleared away, Kennedy could be +seen, the first to run forward. + +Meanwhile Martin's detectives had rushed down a flight of back +stairs that led into a coal cellar. With coal shovels and bars, +anything they could lay hands on, they attacked the door that +opened forward from the coal cellar into the front basement where +the robbers had been. + +A moment Kennedy and Bennett paused on the brink of the abyss +which the bomb had made, waiting for the smoke to decrease. Then +they began to climb down cautiously over the piled up wreckage. + +The explosion had set the basement afire, but the fire had not +gained much headway, by the time they reached the basement. +Quickly Kennedy ran to the door into the coal cellar and opened +it. + +From the other side, Martin, followed by the police and the +detectives, burst in. + +"Fire!" cried one of the policemen, leaping back to turn in an +alarm from the special apparatus upstairs. + +All except Martin began beating out the flames, using such weapons +as they already held in their hands to batter down the door. + +To Martin there was one thing paramount--the jewels. + +In the midst of the confusion, Elaine, closely followed by her +friend Susie, made her way fearlessly into the stifle of smoke +down the stairs. + +"There are your jewels, Mr. Martin," cried Kennedy, kicking the +precious burlap bag with his foot as if it had been so much +ordinary merchandise, and turning toward what was in his mind the +most important thing at stake--the direction taken by the agents +of the Clutching Hand. + +"Thank heaven!" ejaculated Martin, fairly pouncing on the bag and +tearing it open. "They didn't get away with them--after all!" he +exclaimed, examining the contents with satisfaction. "See--you +must have frightened them off at just the right moment when you +sent the bomb back at them." + +Elaine and Susie pressed forward eagerly as he poured forth the +sparkling stream of gems, intact. + +"Wasn't he just simply wonderful!" I heard Susie whisper to +Elaine. + +Elaine did not answer. She had eyes or ears for nothing now in the +melee but Kennedy. + + . . . . . . . . + +Events were moving rapidly. + +The limousine had been standing innocently enough at the curb near +the corner, with the taxicab close behind it. + +Less than ten minutes after they had entered, three well-dressed +men came out of the vacant shop, apparently from the tailor's +above, and climbed leisurely into their car. + +As the last one entered, he half turned to the taxicab driver, +hiding from passers-by the sign of the Clutching Hand which the +taxicab driver returned, in the same manner. Then the big car +whirled up the avenue. + +All this we learned later from a street sweeper who was at work +nearby. + +Down below, while the police and detectives were putting out the +fire, Kennedy was examining the wall of the cellar, looking for +the spot where the crooks had escaped. + +"A secret door!" he exclaimed, as he paused after tapping along +the wall to determine its character. "You can see how the force of +the explosion has loosened it." + +Sure enough, when he pointed it out to us, it was plainly visible. +One of the detectives picked up a crowbar and others, still with +the hastily selected implements they had seized to fight the fire, +started in to pry it open. + +As it yielded, Kennedy pushed his way through. Elaine, always +utterly fearless, followed. Then the rest of us went through. + +There seemed to be nothing, however, that would help us in the +cellar next door, and Kennedy mounted the steps of a stairway in +the rear. + +The stairway led to a sort of storeroom, full of barrels and +boxes, but otherwise characterless. When I arrived Kennedy was +gingerly holding up the dusters which the crooks had worn. + +"We're on the right trail," commented Elaine as he showed them to +her, "but where do you suppose the owners are?" + +Craig shrugged his shoulders and gave a quick look about. +"Evidently they came in from and went away by the street," he +observed, hurrying to the door, followed by Elaine. + +On the sidewalk, he gazed up the avenue, then catching sight of +the street cleaner, called to him. + +"Yes, sir," replied the man, stolidly looking up from his work. "I +see three gentlemen come out and get into an automobile." + +"Which way did they go?" asked Kennedy. + +For answer the man jerked his thumb over his shoulder in the +general direction uptown. + +"Did you notice the number of the car?" asked Craig eagerly. + +The man shrugged his shoulders blankly. + +With keen glance, Kennedy strained his eyes. Far up the avenue, he +could descry the car threading its way in and out among the +others, just about disappearing. + +A moment later Craig caught sight of the vacant taxicab and +crooked his finger at the driver, who answered promptly by +cranking his engine. + +"You saw that limousine standing there?" asked Craig. + +"Yes," nodded the chauffeur with a show of alertness. + +"Well, follow it," ordered Kennedy, jumping into the cab. + +"Yes, sir." + +Craig was just about to close the door when a slight figure +flashed past us and a dainty foot was placed on the step. + +"Please, Mr. Kennedy," pleaded Elaine, "let me go. They may lead +to my father's slayer." + +She said it so earnestly that Craig could scarcely have resisted +if he had wanted to do so. + +Just as Elaine and Kennedy were moving off, I came out of the +vacant store, with Bennett and the detectives. + +"Craig!" I called. "Where are you going?" + +Kennedy stuck his head out of the window and I am quite sure that +he was not altogether displeased that I was not with him. + +"Chasing that limousine," he shouted back. "Follow us in another +car." + +A moment later he and Elaine were gone. + +Bennett and I looked about. + +"There are a couple of cabs--down there," I pointed out at the +other end of the block. "I'll take one you take the other." + +Followed by a couple of the detectives, I jumped into the first +one I came to, excitedly telling the driver to follow Kennedy's +taxi, directing him with my head out of the window. + +"Mr. Jameson, please--can't I go with you?" + +I turned. It was Susie Martin. "One of you fellows, go in the +other car," I asked the detectives. + +Before the man could move, Mr. Martin himself appeared. + +"No, Susan, I--I won't allow it," he ordered. + +"But Elaine went," she pouted. + +"Well, Elaine is--ah--I won't have it," stormed Martin. + +There was no time to waste. With a hasty apology, I drove off. + +Who, besides Bennett, went in the other car, I don't know, but it +made no difference, for we soon lost them. Our driver, however, +was a really clever fellow. Far ahead now we could see the +limousine drive around a corner, making a dangerous swerve. +Kennedy's cab followed, skidding dangerously near a pole. + +But the taxicab was no match for the powerful limousine. On uptown +they went, the only thing preventing the limousine from escaping +being the fear of pursuit by traffic police if the driver let out +speed. They were content to manage to keep just far enough ahead +to be out of danger of having Kennedy overhaul them. As for us, we +followed as best we could, on uptown, past the city line, and out +into the country. + +There Kennedy lost sight altogether of the car he was trailing. +Worse than that, we lost sight of Kennedy. Still we kept on +blindly, trusting to luck and common sense in picking the road. + +I was peering ahead over the driver's shoulder, the window down, +trying to direct him, when we approached a fork in the road. Here +was a dilemma which must be decided at once rightly or wrongly. + +As we neared the crossroad, I gave an involuntary exclamation. +Beside the road, almost on it, lay the figure of a man. Our driver +pulled up with a jerk and I was out of the car in an instant. + +There lay Kennedy! Someone had blackjacked him. He was groaning +and just beginning to show signs of consciousness as I bent over. + +"What's the matter, old man?" I asked, helping him to his feet. + +He looked about dazed a moment, then seeing me and comprehending, +he pointed excitedly, but vaguely. + +"Elaine!" he cried. "They've kidnapped Elaine!" + +What had really happened, as we learned later from Elaine and +others, was that when the cross roads was reached, the three +crooks in the limousine had stopped long enough to speak to an +accomplice stationed there, according to their plan for a getaway. +He was a tough looking individual who might have been hoboing it +to the city. + +When, a few minutes later, Kennedy and Elaine had approached the +fork, their driver had slowed up, as if in doubt which way to go. +Craig had stuck his head out of the window, as I had done, and, +seeing the crossroads, had told the chauffeur to stop. There stood +the hobo. + +"Did a car pass here, just now--a big car?" called Craig. + +The man put his hand to his ear, as if only half comprehending. + +"Which way did the big car go?" repeated Kennedy. + +The hobo approached the taxicab sullenly, as if he had a grudge +against cars in general. + +One question after another elicited little that could be construed +as intelligence. If Craig had only been able to see, he would have +found out that, with his back toward the taxicab driver, the hobo +held one hand behind him and made the sign of the Clutching Hand, +glancing surreptitiously at the driver to catch the answering +sign, while Craig gazed earnestly up the two roads. + +At last Craig gave him up as hopeless. "Well--go ahead--that way," +he indicated, picking the most likely road. + +As the chauffeur was about to start, he stalled his engine. + +"Hurry!" urged Craig, exasperated at the delays. + +The driver got out and tried to crank the engine. Again and again +he turned it over, but, somehow, it refused to start. Then he +lifted the hood and began to tinker. + +"What's the matter?" asked Craig, impatiently jumping out and +bending over the engine, too. + +The driver shrugged his shoulders. "Must be something wrong with +the ignition, I guess," he replied. + +Kennedy looked the car over hastily. "I can't see anything wrong," +he frowned. + +"Well, there is," growled the driver. + +Precious minutes were speeding away, as they argued. Finally with +his characteristic energy, Kennedy put the taxicab driver aside. + +"Let me try it," he said. "Miss Dodge, will you arrange that spark +and throttle?" + +Elaine, equal to anything, did so, and Craig bent down and cranked +the engine. It started on the first spin. + +"See!" he exclaimed. "There wasn't anything, after all." + +He took a step toward the taxicab. + +"Say," objected the driver, nastily, interposing himself between +Craig and the wheel which he seemed disposed to take now, "who's +running this boat, anyhow?" + +Surprised, Kennedy tried to shoulder the fellow out of the way. +The driver resisted sullenly. + +"Mr. Kennedy--look out!" cried Elaine. + +Craig turned. But it was too late. The rough looking fellow had +wakened to life. Suddenly he stepped up behind Kennedy with a +blackjack. As the heavy weight descended, Craig crumpled up on the +ground, unconscious. + +With a scream, Elaine turned and started to run. But the chauffeur +seized her arm. + +"Say, bo," he asked of the rough fellow, "what does Clutching Hand +want with her? Quick! There's another cab likely to be along in a +moment with that fellow Jameson in it." + +The rough fellow, with an oath, seized her and dragged her into +the taxicab. "Go ahead!" he growled, indicating the road. + +And away they sped, leaving Kennedy unconscious on the side of the +road where we found him. + + . . . . . . . . + +"What are we to do?" I asked helplessly of Kennedy, when we had at +last got him on his feet. + +His head still ringing from the force of the blow of the +blackjack, Craig stooped down, then knelt in the dust of the road, +then ran ahead a bit where it was somewhat muddy. + +"Which way--which way?" he muttered to himself. + +I thought perhaps the blow had affected him and leaned over to see +what he was doing. Instead, he was studying the marks made by the +tire of the Clutching Hand cab. Very decidedly, there in the road, +the little anti-skid marks on the tread of the tire showed--some +worn, some cut--but with each revolution the same marks +reappearing unmistakably. More than that, it was an unusual make +of tire. Craig was actually studying the finger prints, so to +speak, of an automobile! + +More slowly now and carefully, we proceeded, for a mistake meant +losing the trail of Elaine. Kennedy absolutely refused to get +inside our cab, but clung tightly to a metal rod outside while he +stood on the running board--now straining his eyes along the road +to catch any faint glimpse of either taxi or limousine, or the +dust from them, now gazing intently at the ground following the +finger prints of the taxicab that was carrying off Elaine. All +pain was forgotten by him now in the intensity of his anxiety for +her. + +We came to another crossroads and the driver glanced at Craig. +"Stop!" he ordered. + +In another instant he was down in the dirt, examining the road for +marks. + +"That way!" he indicated, leaping back to the running board. + +We piled back into the car and proceeded under Kennedy's +direction, as fast as he would permit. So it continued, perhaps +for a couple of hours. + +At last Kennedy stopped the cab and slowly directed the driver to +veer into an open space that looked peculiarly lonesome. Near it +stood a one story brick factory building, closed, but not +abandoned. + +As I looked about at the unattractive scene, Kennedy already was +down on his knees in the dirt again, studying the tire tracks. +They were all confused, showing that the taxicab we were following +had evidently backed in and turned several times before going on. + +"Crossed by another set of tire tracks!" he exclaimed excitedly, +studying closer. "That must have been the limousine, waiting." + +Laboriously he was following the course of the cars in the open +space, when the one word escaped him, "Footprints!" + +He was up and off in a moment, before we could imagine what he was +after. We had got out of the cab, and followed him as, down to the +very shore of a sort of cove or bay, he went. There lay a rusty, +discarded boiler on the beach, half submerged in the rising tide. +At this tank the footprints seemed to go right down the sand and +into the waves which were slowly obliterating them. Kennedy gazed +out as if to make out a possible boat on the horizon, where the +cove widened out. + +"Look!" he cried. + +Farther down the shore, a few feet, I had discovered the same +prints, going in the opposite direction, back toward the place +from which we had just come. I started to follow them, but soon +found myself alone. Kennedy had paused beside the old boiler. + +"What is it?" I asked, retracing my steps. + +He did not answer, but seemed to be listening. We listened also. +There certainly was a most peculiar noise inside that tank. + +Was it a muffled scream? + +Kennedy reached down and picked up a rock, hitting the tank a +resounding blow. As the echo died down, he listened again. + +Yes, there was a sound--a scream perhaps--a woman's voice, faint, +but unmistakable. + +I looked at his face inquiringly. Without a word I read in it the +confirmation of the thought that had flashed into my mind. + +Elaine Dodge was inside! + + . . . . . . . . + +First had come the limousine, with its three bandits, to the spot +fixed on as a rendezvous. Later had come the taxicab. As it hove +into sight, the three well-dressed crooks had drawn revolvers, +thinking perhaps the plan for getting rid of Kennedy might +possibly have miscarried. But the taxicab driver and the rough- +faced fellow had reassured them with the sign of the Clutching +Hand, and the revolvers were lowered. + +As they parleyed hastily, the rough-neck and the fake chauffeur +lifted Elaine out of the taxi. She was bound and gagged. + +"Well, now we've got her, what shall we do with her?" asked one. + +"It's got to be quick. There's another cab," put in the driver. + +"The deuce with that." + +"The deuce with nothing," he returned. "That fellow Kennedy's a +clever one. He may come to. If he does, he won't miss us. Quick, +now!" + +"I wish I'd broken his skull," muttered the roughneck. + +"We'd better leave her somewhere here," remarked one of the +better-dressed three. "I don't think the chief wants us to kill +her--yet," he added, with an ominous glance at Elaine, who in +spite of threats was not cowed, but was vainly struggling at her +bonds. + +"Well, where shall it be?" asked another. + +They looked about. + +"See," cried the third. "See that old boiler down there at the +edge of the water? Why not put her in there? No one'll ever think +to look in such a place." + +Down by the water's edge, where he pointed, lay a big boiler such +as is used on stationary engines, with its end lapped by the +waves. With a hasty expression of approval, the rough-neck picked +Elaine up bodily, still struggling vainly, and together they +carried her, bound and gagged, to the tank. The opening, which was +toward the water, was small, but they managed, roughly, to thrust +her in. + +A moment later and they had rolled up a huge boulder against the +small entrance, bracing it so that it would be impossible for her +to get out from the inside. Then they drove off hastily. + +Inside the old boiler lay Elaine, still bound and gagged. If she +could only scream! Someone might hear. She must get help. There +was water in the tank. She managed to lean up inside it, standing +as high as the walls would allow her, trying to keep her head +above the water. + +Frantically, she managed to loosen the gag. She screamed. Her +voice seemed to be bound around by the iron walls as was she +herself. She shuddered, The water was rising--had reached her +chest, and was still rising, slowly, inexorably. + +What should she do? Would no one hear her? The water was up to her +neck now. She held her head as high as she could and screamed +again. + +What was that? Silence? Or was someone outside? + + . . . . . . . . + +Coolly, in spite of the emergency, Kennedy took in the perilous +situation. + +The lower end of the boiler, which was on a slant on the rapidly +shelving beach, was now completely under water and impossible to +get at. Besides, the opening was small, too small. + +We pulled away the stone, but that did no good. No one could hope +to get in and then out again that way alive--much less with a +helpless girl. Yet something must be done. The tank was +practically submerged inside, as I estimated quickly. Blows had no +effect on the huge iron trap which had been built to resist many +pounds of pressure. + +Kennedy gazed about frantically and his eye caught the sign on the +factory: + +OXYACETYLENE WELDING CO. + +"Come, Walter," he cried, running up the shore. + +A moment later, breathless, we reached the doorway. It was, of +course, locked. Kennedy whipped out his revolver and several well- +directed shots through the keyhole smashed the lock. We put our +shoulders to it and swung the door open, entering the factory. + +There was not a soul about, not even a watchman. Hastily we took +in the place, a forge and a number of odds and ends of metal +sheets, rods, pipes and angles. + +Beside a workbench stood two long cylinders, studded with bolts. + +"That's what I'm looking for," exclaimed Craig. "Here, Walter, +take one. I'll take the other--and the tubes--and--" + +He did not pause to finish, but seized up a peculiar shaped +instrument, like a huge hook, with a curved neck and sharp beak. +Really it was composed of two metal tubes which ran into a +cylinder or mixing chamber above the nozzle, while parallel to +them ran another tube with a nozzle of its own. + +We ran, for there was no time to lose. As nearly as I could +estimate it, the water must now be slowly closing over Elaine. + +"What is it?" I asked as he joined up the tubes from the tanks to +the peculiar hook-like apparatus he carried. + +"An oxyacetylene blowpipe," he muttered back feverishly working. +"Used for welding and cutting, too," he added. + +With a light he touched the nozzle. Instantly a hissing, blinding +flame-needle made the steel under it incandescent. The terrific +heat from one nozzle made the steel glow. The stream of oxygen +from the second completely consumed the hot metal. And the force +of the blast carried a fine spray of disintegrated metal before +it. It was a brilliant sight. But it was more than that. Through +the very steel itself, the flame, thousands of degrees hot, seemed +to eat its way in a fine line, as if it were a sharp knife cutting +through ordinary cardboard. + +With tense muscles Kennedy skillfully guided the terrible +instrument that ate cold steel, wielding the torch as deftly as if +it had been, as indeed it was, a magic wand of modern science. + +He was actually cutting out a huge hole in the still exposed +surface of the tank--all around, except for a few inches, to +prevent the heavy piece from falling inward. + +As Kennedy carefully bent outward the section of the tank which he +had cut, he quickly reached down and lifted Elaine, unconscious, +out of the water. + +Gently he laid her on the sand. It was the work of only a moment +to cut the cords that bound her hands. + +There she lay, pale and still. Was she dead? + +Kennedy worked frantically to revive her. + +At last, slowly, the color seemed to return to her pale lips. Her +eyelids fluttered. Then her great, deep eyes opened. + +As she looked up and caught sight of Craig bending anxiously over +her, she seemed to comprehend. For a moment both were silent. Then +Elaine reached up and took his hand. + +There was much in the look she gave him--admiration, confidence,-- +love itself. + +Heroics, however, were never part of Kennedy's frank make-up. The +fact was that her admiration, even though not spoken, plainly +embarrassed him. Yet he forgot that as he looked at her lying +there, frail and helpless. + +He stroked her forehead gently, laying back the wet ringlets of +her hair. + +"Craig," she murmured, "you--you've saved my life!" + +Her tone was eloquent. + +"Elaine," he whispered, still gazing into her wonderful eyes, "the +Clutching Hand shall pay for this! It is a fight to the finish +between us!" + + + + +CHAPTER IV + +"THE FROZEN SAFE" + + +Kennedy swung open the door of our taxicab as we pulled up, safe +at last, before the Dodge mansion, after the rescue of Elaine from +the brutal machinations of the Clutching Hand. + +Bennett was on the step of the cab in a moment and, together, one +on each side of Elaine, they assisted her out of the car and up +the steps to the house. + +As they mounted the steps, Kennedy called back to me, "Pay the +driver, Walter, please." + +It was the first time I had thought of that. As it happened, I had +quite a bankroll with me and, in my hurry, I peeled off a ten +dollar bill and tossed it to the fellow, intending to be generous +and tell him to keep the change. + +"Say," he exclaimed, pointing to the clock, "come across--twenty- +three, sixty." + +Protesting, I peeled off some more bills. + +Having satisfied this veritable anaconda and gorged his dilating +appetite for banknotes, I turned to follow the others. Jennings +had opened the door immediately. Whether it was that he retained a +grudge against me or whether he did not see me, he would have +closed it before I could get up there. I called and took the steps +two at a time. + +Elaine's Aunt Josephine was waiting for us in the drawing room, +very much worried. The dear old lady was quite scandalized as +Elaine excitedly told of the thrilling events that had just taken +place. + +"And to think they--actually--carried you!" she exclaimed, +horrified, adding, "And I not--" + +"But Mr. Kennedy came along and saved me just in time," +interrupted Elaine with a smile. "I was well chaperoned!" + +Aunt Josephine turned to Craig gratefully. "How can I ever thank +you enough, Mr. Kennedy," she said fervently. + +Kennedy was quite embarrassed. With a smile, Elaine perceived his +discomfiture, not at all displeased by it. + +"Come into the library," she cried gaily, taking his arm. "I've +something to show you." + +Where the old safe which had been burnt through had stood was now +a brand new safe of the very latest construction and design--one +of those that look and are so formidable. + +"Here is the new safe," she pointed out brightly. "It is not only +proof against explosives, but between the plates is a lining that +is proof against thermit and even that oxy-acetylene blowpipe by +which you rescued me from the old boiler. It has a time lock, too, +that will prevent its being opened at night, even if anyone should +learn the combination." + +They stood before the safe a moment and Kennedy examined it +closely with much interest. + +"Wonderful!" he admired. + +"I knew you'd approve of it," cried Elaine, much pleased. "Now I +have something else to show you." + +She paused at the desk and from a drawer took out a portfolio of +large photographs. They were very handsome photographs of herself. + +"Much more wonderful than the safe," remarked Craig earnestly. +Then, hesitating and a trifle embarrassed, he added, "May I--may I +have one?" + +"If you care for it," she said, dropping her eyes, then glancing +up at him quickly. + +"Care for it?" he repeated. "It will be one of the greatest +treasures." + +She slipped the picture quickly into an envelope. "Come," she +interrupted. "Aunt Josephine will be wondering where we are. She-- +she's a demon chaperone." + +Bennett, Aunt Josephine and myself were talking earnestly as +Elaine and Craig returned. + +"Well," said Bennett, glancing at his watch and rising as he +turned to Elaine, "I'm afraid I must go, now." + +He crossed over to where she stood and shook hands. There was no +doubt that Bennett was very much smitten by his fair client. + +"Good-bye, Mr. Bennett," she murmured, "and thank you so much for +what you have done for me today." + +But there was something lifeless about the words. She turned +quickly to Craig, who had remained standing. + +"Must you go, too, Mr. Kennedy?" she asked, noticing his position. + +"I'm afraid Mr. Jameson and I must be back on the job before this +Clutching Hand gets busy again," he replied reluctantly. + +"Oh, I hope you--we get him soon!" she exclaimed, and there was +nothing lifeless about the way she gave Craig her hand, as +Bennett, he and I left a moment later. + + . . . . . . . . + +That morning I had noticed Kennedy fussing some time at the door +of our apartment before we went over to the laboratory. As nearly +as I could make out he had placed something under the rug at the +door out into the hallway. + +When we approached our door, now, Craig paused. By pressing a +little concealed button he caused a panel in the wall outside to +loosen, disclosing a small, boxlike plate in the wall underneath. + +It was about a foot long and perhaps four inches wide. Through it +ran a piece of paper which unrolled from one coil and wound up on +another, actuated by clockwork. Across the blank white paper ran +an ink line traced by a stylographic pen, such as I had seen in +mechanical pencils used in offices, hotels, banks and such places. + +Kennedy examined the thing with interest. + +"What is it?" I asked. + +"A new seismograph," he replied, still gazing carefully at the +rolled up part of the paper. "I have installed it because it +registers every footstep on the floor of our apartment. We can't +be too careful with this Clutching Hand. I want to know whether we +have any visitors or not in our absence. This straight line +indicates that we have not. Wait a moment." + +Craig hastily unlocked the door and entered. Inside, I could see +him pacing up and down our modest quarters. + +"Do you see anything, Walter?" he called. + +I looked at the seismograph. The pen had started to trace its +line, no longer even and straight, but zigzag, at different +heights across the paper. + +He came to the door. "What do you think of it?" he inquired. + +"Splendid idea," I answered enthusiastically. + +Our apartment was, as I have said, modest, consisting of a large +living room, two bedrooms, and bath--an attractive but not ornate +place, which we found very cosy and comfortable. On one side of +the room was a big fire place, before which stood a fire screen. +We had collected easy chairs and capacious tables and desks. Books +were scattered about, literally overflowing from the crowded +shelves. On the walls were our favorite pictures, while for +ornament, I suppose I might mention my typewriter and now and then +some of Craig's wonderful scientific apparatus as satisfying our +limited desire for the purely aesthetic. + +We entered and fell to work at the aforementioned typewriter, on a +special Sunday story that I had been forced to neglect. I was not +so busy, however, that I did not notice out of the corner of my +eye that Kennedy had taken from its cover Elaine Dodge's picture +and was gazing at it ravenously. + +I put my hand surreptitiously over my mouth and coughed. Kennedy +wheeled on me and I hastily banged a sentence out on the machine, +making at least half a dozen mistakes. + +I had finished as much of the article as I could do then and was +smoking and reading it over. Kennedy was still gazing at the +picture Miss Dodge had given him, then moving from place to place +about the room, evidently wondering where it would look best. I +doubt whether he had done another blessed thing since we returned. + +He tried it on the mantel. That wouldn't do. At last he held it up +beside a picture of Galton, I think, of finger print and eugenics +fame, who hung on the wall directly opposite the fireplace. +Hastily he compared the two. Elaine's picture was of precisely the +same size. + +Next he tore out the picture of the scientist and threw it +carelessly into the fireplace. Then he placed Elaine's picture in +its place and hung it up again, standing off to admire it. + +I watched him gleefully. Was this Craig? Purposely I moved my +elbow suddenly and pushed a book with a bang on the floor. Kennedy +actually jumped. I picked up the book with a muttered apology. No, +this was not the same old Craig. + +Perhaps half an hour later, I was still reading. Kennedy was now +pacing up and down the room, apparently unable to concentrate his +mind on any but one subject. + +He stopped a moment before the photograph, looked at it fixedly. +Then he started his methodical walk again, hesitated, and went +over to the telephone, calling a number which I recognized. + +"She must have been pretty well done up by her experience," he +said apologetically, catching my eye. "I was wondering if--Hello-- +oh, Miss Dodge--I--er--I--er--just called up to see if you were +all right." + +Craig was very much embarrassed, but also very much in earnest. + +A musical laugh rippled over the telephone. "Yes, I'm all right, +thank you, Mr. Kennedy--and I put the package you sent me into the +safe, but--" + +"Package?" frowned Craig. "Why, I sent you no package, Miss Dodge. +In the safe?" + +"Why, yes, and the safe is all covered with moisture--and so +cold." + +"Moisture--cold?" he repeated quickly. + +"Yes, I have been wondering if it is all right. In fact, I was +going to call you up, only I was afraid you'd think I was +foolish." + +"I shall be right over," he answered hastily, clapping the +receiver back on its hook. "Walter," he added, seizing his hat and +coat, "come on--hurry!" + +A few minutes later we drove up in a taxi before the Dodge house +and rang the bell. + +Jennings admitted us sleepily. + + . . . . . . . . + +It could not have been long after we left Miss Dodge late in the +afternoon that Susie Martin, who had been quite worried over our +long absence after the attempt to rob her father, dropped in on +Elaine. Wide-eyed, she had listened to Elaine's story of what had +happened. + +"And you think this Clutching Hand has never recovered the +incriminating papers that caused him to murder your father?" asked +Susie. + +Elaine shook her head. "No. Let me show you the new safe I've +bought. Mr. Kennedy thinks it wonderful." + +"I should think you'd be proud of it," admired Susie. "I must tell +father to get one, too." + +At that very moment, if they had known it, the Clutching Hand with +his sinister, masked face, was peering at the two girls from the +other side of the portieres. + +Susie rose to go and Elaine followed her to the door. No sooner +had she gone than the Clutching Hand came out from behind the +curtains. He gazed about a moment, then moving over to the safe +about which the two girls had been talking, stealthily examined +it. + +He must have heard someone coming, for, with a gesture of hate at +the safe itself, as though he personified it, he slipped back of +the curtains again. + +Elaine had returned and as she sat down at the desk to go over +some papers which Bennett had left relative to settling up the +estate, the masked intruder stealthily and silently withdrew. + +"A package for you, Miss Dodge," announced Michael later in the +evening as Elaine, in her dainty evening gown, was still engaged +in going over the papers. He carried it in his hands rather +gingerly. + +"Mr. Kennedy sent it, ma'am. He says it contains clues and will +you please put it in the new safe for him." + +Elaine took the package eagerly and examined it. Then she pulled +open the heavy door of the safe. + +"It must be getting cold out, Michael," she remarked. "This +package is as cold as ice." + +"It is, ma'am," answered Michael, deferentially with a sidelong +glance that did not prevent his watching her intently. + +She closed the safe and, with a glance at her watch, set the time +lock and went upstairs to her room. + +No sooner had Elaine disappeared than Michael appeared again, cat- +like, through the curtains from the drawing room, and, after a +glance about the dimly lighted library, discovering that the coast +was clear, motioned to a figure hiding behind the portieres. + +A moment, and Clutching Hand himself came out. + +He moved over to the safe and looked it over. Then he put out his +hand and touched it. + +"Good, Michael," he exclaimed with satisfaction. + +"Listen!" cautioned Michael. + +Someone was coming and they hastily slunk behind the protecting +portieres. It was Marie, Elaine's maid. + +She turned up the lights and went over to the desk for a book for +which Elaine had evidently sent her. She paused and appeared to be +listening. Then she went to the door. + +"Jennings!" she beckoned. + +"What is it, Marie?" he replied. + +She said nothing, but as he came up the hall led him to the center +of the room. + +"Listen! I heard sighs and groans!" + +Jennings looked at her a moment, puzzled, then laughed. "You +girls!" he exclaimed. "I suppose you'll always think the library +haunted, now." + +"But, Jennings, listen," she persisted. + +Jennings did listen. Sure enough, there were sounds, weird, +uncanny. He gazed about the room. It was eerie. Then he took a few +steps toward the safe. Marie put out her hand to it, and started +back. + +"Why, that safe is all covered with cold sweat!" she cried with +bated breath. + +Sure enough the face of the safe was beaded with dampness. +Jennings put his hand on it and quickly drew it away, leaving a +mark on the dampness. + +"Wh-what do you think of that?" he gasped. + +"I'm going to tell Miss Dodge," cried Marie, genuinely frightened. + +A moment later she burst into Elaine's room. + +"What is the matter, Marie?" asked Elaine, laying down her book. +"You look as if you had seen a ghost." + +"Ah, but, mademoiselle--it ees just like that. The safe--if +mademoiselle will come downstairs, I will show it you." + +Puzzled but interested, Elaine followed her. In the library +Jennings pointed mutely at the new safe. Elaine approached it. As +they stood about new beads of perspiration, as it were, formed on +it. Elaine touched it, and also quickly withdrew her hand. + +"I can't imagine what's the matter," she said. "But--well-- +Jennings, you may go--and Marie, also." + +When the servants had gone she still regarded the safe with the +same wondering look, then turning out the light, she followed. + +She had scarcely disappeared when, from the portiered doorway +nearby, the Clutching Hand appeared, and, after gazing out at +them, took a quick look at the safe. + +"Good!" he muttered. + +Noiselessly Michael of the sinister face moved in and took a +position in the center of the room, as if on guard, while +Clutching Hand sat before the safe watching it intently. + +"Someone at the door--Jennings is answering the bell," Michael +whispered hoarsely. + +"Confound it!" muttered Clutching Hand, as both moved again behind +the heavy velour curtains. + + . . . . . . . . + +"I'm so glad to see you, Mr. Kennedy," greeted Elaine unaffectedly +as Jennings admitted us. + +She had heard the bell and was coming downstairs as we entered. We +three moved toward the library and someone switched on the lights. + +Craig strode over to the safe. The cold sweat on it had now turned +to icicles. Craig's face clouded with thought as he examined it +more closely. There was actually a groaning sound from within. + +"It can't be opened," he said to himself. "The time lock is set +for tomorrow morning." + +Outside, if we had not been so absorbed in the present mystery, we +might have seen Michael and the Clutching Hand listening to us. +Clutching Hand looked hastily at his watch. + +"The deuce!" he muttered under his breath, stifling his suppressed +fury. + +We stood looking at the safe. Kennedy was deeply interested, +Elaine standing close beside him. Suddenly he seemed to make up +his mind. + +"Quick--Elaine!" he cried, taking her arm. "Stand back!" + +We all retreated. The safe door, powerful as it was, had actually +begun to warp and bend. The plates were bulging. A moment later, +with a loud report and concussion the door blew off. + +A blast of cold air and flakes like snow flew out. Papers were +scattered on every side. + +We stood gazing, aghast, a second, then ran forward. Kennedy +quickly examined the safe. He bent down and from the wreck took up +a package, now covered with white. + +As quickly he dropped it. + +"That is the package that was sent," cried Elaine. + +Taking it in a table cover, he laid it on the table and opened it. +Inside was a peculiar shaped flask, open at the top, but like a +vacuum bottle. + +"A Dewar flask!" ejaculated Craig. + +"What is it?" asked Elaine, appealing to him. + +"Liquid air!" he answered. "As it evaporated, the terrific +pressure of expanding air in the safe increased until it blew out +the door. That is what caused the cold sweating and the groans." + +We watched him, startled. + +On the other side of the portieres Michael and Clutching Hand +waited. Then, in the general confusion, Clutching Hand slowly +disappeared, foiled. + +"Where did this package come from?" asked Kennedy of Jennings +suspiciously. + +Jennings looked blank. + +"Why," put in Elaine, "Michael brought it to me." + +"Get Michael," ordered Kennedy. + +"Yes, sir," nodded Jennings. + +A moment later he returned. "I found him, going upstairs," +reported Jennings, leading Michael in. + +"Where did you get this package?" shot out Kennedy. + +"It was left at the door, sir, by a boy, sir." + +Question after question could not shake that simple, stolid +sentence. Kennedy frowned. + +"You may go," he said finally, as if reserving something for +Michael later. + +A sudden exclamation followed from Elaine as Michael passed down +the hall again. She had moved over to the desk, during the +questioning, and was leaning against it. + +Inadvertently she had touched an envelope. It was addressed, +"Craig Kennedy." + +Craig tore it open, Elaine bending anxiously over his shoulder, +frightened. + +We read: + +"YOU HAVE INTERFERED FOR THE LAST TIME. IT IS THE END." + +Beneath it stood the fearsome sign of the Clutching Hand! + + . . . . . . . . + +The warning of the Clutching Hand had no other effect on Kennedy +than the redoubling of his precautions for safety. Nothing further +happened that night, however, and the next morning found us early +at the laboratory. + +It was the late forenoon, when after a hurried trip down to the +office, I rejoined Kennedy at his scientific workshop. + +We walked down the street when a big limousine shot past. Kennedy +stopped in the middle of a remark. He had recognized the car, with +a sort of instinct. + +At the same moment I saw a smiling face at the window of the car. +It was Elaine Dodge. + +The car stopped in something less than twice its length and then +backed toward us. + +Kennedy, hat off, was at the window in a moment. There were Aunt +Josephine, and Susie Martin, also. + +"Where are you boys going?" asked Elaine, with interest, then +added with a gaiety that ill concealed her real anxiety, "I'm so +glad to see you--to see that--er--nothing has happened from that +dreadful Clutching Hand." + +"Why, we were just going up to our rooms," replied Kennedy. + +"Can't we drive you around?" + +We climbed in and a moment later were off. The ride was only too +short for Kennedy. We stepped out in front of our apartment and +stood chatting for a moment. + +"Some day I want to show you the laboratory," Craig was saying. + +"It must be so--interesting!" exclaimed Elaine enthusiastically. +"Think of all the bad men you must have caught!" + +"I have quite a collection of stuff here at our rooms," remarked +Craig, "almost a museum. Still," he ventured, "I can't promise +that the place is in order," he laughed. + +Elaine hesitated. "Would you like to see it?" she wheedled of Aunt +Josephine. + +Aunt Josephine nodded acquiescence, and a moment later we all +entered the building. + +"You--you are very careful since that last warning?" asked Elaine +as we approached our door. + +"More than ever--now," replied Craig. "I have made up my mind to +win." + +She seemed to catch at the words as though they had a hidden +meaning, looking first at him and then away, not displeased. + +Kennedy had started to unlock the door, when he stopped short. + +"See," he said, "this is a precaution I have just installed. I +almost forgot in the excitement." + +He pressed a panel and disclosed the box-like apparatus. + +"This is my seismograph which tells me whether I have had any +visitors in my absence. If the pen traces a straight line, it is, +all right; but if--hello--Walter, the line is wavy." + +We exchanged a significant glance. + +"Would you mind--er--standing down the hall just a bit while I +enter?" asked Craig. + +"Be careful," cautioned Elaine. + +He unlocked the door, standing off to one side. Then he extended +his hand across the doorway. Still nothing happened. There was not +a sound. He looked cautiously into the room. Apparently there was +nothing. + + . . . . . . . . + +It had been about the middle of the morning that an express wagon +had pulled up sharply before our apartment. + +"Mr. Kennedy live here?" asked one of the expressmen, descending +with his helper and approaching our janitor, Jens Jensen, a +typical Swede, who was coming up out of the basement. + +Jens growled a surly, "Yes--but Mr. Kannady, he bane out." + +"Too bad--we've got this large cabinet he ordered from Grand +Rapids. We can't cart it around all day. Can't you let us in so we +can leave it?" + +Jensen muttered. "Wall--I guess it bane all right." + +They took the cabinet off the wagon and carried it upstairs. +Jensen opened our door, still grumbling, and they placed the heavy +cabinet in the living room. + +"Sign here." + +"You fallers bane a nuisance," protested Jens, signing +nevertheless. + +Scarcely had the sound ox their footfalls died away in the outside +hallway when the door of the cabinet slowly opened and a masked +face protruded, gazing about the room. + +It was the Clutching Hand! + +From the cabinet he took a large package wrapped in newspapers. As +he held it, looking keenly about, his eye rested on Elaine's +picture. A moment he looked at it, then quickly at the fireplace +opposite. + +An idea seemed to occur to him. He took the package to the +fireplace, removed the screen, and laid the package over the +andirons with one end pointing out into the room. + +Next he took from the cabinet a couple of storage batteries and a +coil of wire. Deftly and quickly he fixed them on the package. + +Meanwhile, before an alleyway across the street and further down +the long block the express wagon had stopped. The driver and his +helper clambered out and for a moment stood talking in low tones, +with covert glances at our apartment. They moved into the alley +and the driver drew out a battered pair of opera glasses, +levelling them at our windows. + +Having completed fixing the batteries and wires, Clutching Hand +ran the wires along the moulding on the wall overhead, from the +fireplace until he was directly over Elaine's picture. Skillfully, +he managed to fix the wires, using them in place of the picture +wires to support the framed photograph. Then he carefully moved +the photograph until it hung very noticeably askew on the wall. + +The last wire joined, he looked about the room, then noiselessly +moved to the window and raised the shade. + +Quickly he raised his hand and brought the fingers slowly +together. It was the sign. + +Off in the alley, the express driver and his helper were still +gazing up through the opera glass. + +"What d'ye see, Bill?" he asked, handing over the glass. + +The other took it and looked. "It's him--the Hand, Jack," +whispered the helper, handing the glasses back. + +They jumped into the wagon and away it rattled. + +Jensen was smoking placidly as the wagon pulled up the second +time. + +"Sorry," said the driver sheepishly, "but we delivered the cabinet +to the wrong Mr. Kennedy." + +He pulled out the inevitable book to prove it. + +"Wall, you bane fine fallers," growled Jensen, puffing like a +furnace, in his fury. "You cannot go up agane." + +"We'll get fired for the mistake," pleaded the helper. + +"Just this once," urged the driver, as he rattled some loose +change in his pocket. "Here--there goes a whole day's tips." + +He handed Jens a dollar in small change. + +Still grumpy but mollified by the silver Jens let them go up and +opened the door to our rooms again. There stood the cabinet, as +outwardly innocent as when it came in. + +Lugging and tugging they managed to get the heavy piece of +furniture out and downstairs again, loading it on the wagon. Then +they drove off with it, accompanied by a parting volley from +Jensen. + +In an unfrequented street, perhaps half a mile away, the wagon +stopped. With a keen glance around, the driver and his helper made +sure that no one was about. + +"Such a shaking up as you've given me!" growled a voice as the +cabinet door opened. "But I've got him this time!" + +It was the Clutching Hand. + +"There, men, you can leave me here," he ordered. + +He motioned to them to drive off and, as they did so, pulled off +his masking handkerchief and dived into a narrow street leading up +to a thoroughfare. + + . . . . . . . . + +Craig gazed into our living room cautiously. + +"I can't see anything wrong," he said to me as I stood just beside +him. "Miss Dodge," he added, "will you and the rest excuse me if I +ask you to wait just a moment longer?" + +Elaine watched him, fascinated. He crossed the room, then went +into each of our other rooms. Apparently nothing was wrong and a +minute later he reappeared at the doorway. + +"I guess it's all right," he said. "Perhaps it was only Jensen, +the janitor." + +Elaine, Aunt Josephine and Susie Martin entered. Craig placed +chairs for them, but still I could see that he was uneasy. From +time to time, while they were admiring one of our treasures after +another, he glanced about suspiciously. Finally he moved over to a +closet and flung the door open, ready for anything. No one was in +the closet and he closed it hastily. + +"What is the trouble, do you think?" asked Elaine wonderingly, +noticing his manner. + +"I--I can't just say," answered Craig, trying to appear easy. + +She had risen and with keen interest was looking at the books, the +pictures, the queer collection of weapons and odds and ends from +the underworld that Craig had amassed in his adventures. + +At last her eye wandered across the room. She caught sight of her +own picture, occupying a place of honor--but hanging askew. + +"Isn't that just like a man!" she exclaimed laughingly. "Such +housekeepers as you are--such carelessness!" + +She had taken a step or two across the room to straighten the +picture. + +"Miss Dodge!" almost shouted Kennedy, his face fairly blanched, +"Stop!" + +She turned, her stunning eyes filled with amazement at his +suddenness. Nevertheless she moved quickly to one side, as he +waved his arms, unable to speak quickly enough. + +Kennedy stood quite still, gazing at the picture, askew, with +suspicion. + +"That wasn't that way when we left, was it, Walter?" he asked. + +"It certainly was not," I answered positively, "There was more +time spent in getting that picture just right than I ever saw you +spend on all the rest of the room." + +Craig frowned. + +As for myself, I did not know what to make of it. + +"I'm afraid I shall have to ask you to step into this back room," +said Craig at length to the ladies. "I'm sorry--but we can't be +too careful with this intruder, whoever he was." + +They rose, surprised, but, as he continued to urge them, they +moved into my room. + +Elaine, however, stopped at the door. + +For a moment Kennedy appeared to be considering. Then his eye fell +on a fishing rod that stood in a corner. He took it and moved +toward the picture. + +On his hands and knees, to one side, down as close as he could get +to the floor, with the rod extended at arm's length, he motioned +to me to do the same, behind him. + +Elaine, unable to repress her interest took a half step forward, +breathless, from the doorway, while Susie Martin and Aunt +Josephine stood close behind her. + +Carefully Kennedy reached out with the pole and straightened the +picture. + +As he did so there was a flash, a loud, deafening report, and a +great puff of smoke from the fireplace. + +The fire screen was riddled and overturned. A charge of buckshot +shattered the precious photograph of Elaine. + +We had dropped flat on the floor at the report. I looked about. +Kennedy was unharmed, and so were the rest. + +With a bound he was at the fireplace, followed by Elaine and the +rest of us. There, in what remained of a package done up roughly +in newspaper, was a shot gun with its barrel sawed off about six +inches from the lock, fastened to a block of wood, and connected +to a series of springs on the trigger, released by a little +electromagnetic arrangement actuated by two batteries and leading +by wires up along the moulding to the picture where the slightest +touch would complete the circuit. + +The newspapers which were wrapped about the deadly thing were +burning, and Kennedy quickly tore them off, throwing them into the +fireplace. + +A startled cry from Elaine caused us to turn. + +She was standing directly before her shattered picture where it +hung awry on the wall. The heavy charges of buckshot had knocked +away large pieces of paper and plaster under it. + +"Craig!" she gasped. + +He was at her side in a second. + +She laid one hand on his arm, as she faced him. With the other she +traced an imaginary line in the air from the level of the buckshot +to his head and then straight to the infernal thing that had lain +in the fireplace. + +"And to think," she shuddered, "that it was through ME that he +tried to kill you!" + +"Never mind," laughed Craig easily, as they gazed into each +other's eyes, drawn together by their mutual peril, "Clutching +Hand will have to be cleverer than this to get either of us-- +Elaine!" + + + + +CHAPTER V + +THE POISONED ROOM + + +Elaine and Craig were much together during the next few days. + +Somehow or other, it seemed that the chase of the Clutching Hand +involved long conferences in the Dodge library and even, in fact, +extended to excursions into that notoriously crime-infested +neighborhood of Riverside Drive with its fashionable processions +of automobiles and go-carts--as far north, indeed, as that +desperate haunt known as Grant's Tomb. + +More than that, these delvings into the underworld involved +Kennedy in the necessity of wearing a frock coat and silk hat in +the afternoon, and I found that he was selecting his neckwear with +a care that had been utterly foreign to him during all the years +previous that I had known him. + +It all looked very suspicious to me. + +But, to return to the more serious side of the affair. + +Kennedy and Elaine had scarcely come out of the house and +descended the steps, one afternoon, when a sinister face appeared +in a basement areaway nearby. + +The figure was crouched over, with his back humped up almost as if +deformed, and his left hand had an unmistakable twist. + +It was the Clutching Hand. + +He wore a telephone inspector's hat and coat and carried a bag +slung by a strap over his shoulder. For once he had left off his +mask, but, in place of it, his face was covered by a scraggly +black beard. In fact, he seemed to avoid turning his face full, +three-quarters or even profile to anyone, unless he had to do so. +As much as possible he averted it, but he did so in a clever way +that made it seem quite natural. The disguise was effective. + +He saw Kennedy and Miss Dodge and slunk unobtrusively against a +railing, with his head turned away. Laughing and chatting, they +passed. As they walked down the street, Clutching Hand turned and +gazed after them. Involuntarily the menacing hand clutched in open +hatred. + +Then he turned in the other direction and, going up the steps of +the Dodge house, rang the bell. + +"Telephone inspector," he said in a loud tone as Michael, in +Jennings' place for the afternoon, opened the door. + +He accompanied the words with the sign and Michael, taking care +that the words be heard, in case anyone was listening, admitted +him. + +As it happened, Aunt Josephine was upstairs in Elaine's room. She +was fixing flowers in a vase on the dressing table of her idolized +niece. Meanwhile, Rusty, the collie, lay, half blinking, on the +floor. + +"Who is this?" she asked, as Michael led the bogus telephone +inspector into the room. + +"A man from the telephone company," he answered deferentially. + +Aunt Josephine, unsophisticated, allowed them to enter without a +further question. + +Quickly, like a good workman, Clutching Hand went to the telephone +instrument and by dint of keeping his finger on the hook and his +back to Aunt Josephine succeeded in conveying the illusion that he +was examining it. + +Aunt Josephine moved to the door. Not so, Rusty. He did not like +the looks of the stranger and he had no scruples against letting +it be known. + +As she put her hand on the knob to go out into the hall, Rusty +uttered a low growl which grew into a full-lunged snarl at the +Clutching Hand. Clutching Hand kicked at him vigorously, if +surreptitiously. Rusty barked. + +"Lady," he disguised his voice, "will yer please ter call off the +dog? Me and him don't seem to cotton to each other." + +"Here, Rusty," she commanded, "down!" + +Together Aunt Josephine and Michael removed the still protesting +Rusty. + +No sooner was the door shut than the Clutching Hand moved over +swiftly to it. For a few seconds, he stood gazing at them as they +disappeared down-stairs. Then he came back into the center of the +room. + +Hastily he opened his bag and from it drew a small powder-spraying +outfit such as I have seen used for spraying bug-powder. He then +took out a sort of muzzle with an elastic band on it and slipped +it over his head so that the muzzle protected his nose and mouth. + +He seemed to work a sort of pumping attachment and from the nozzle +of the spraying instrument blew out a cloud of powder which he +directed at the wall. + +The wall paper was one of those rich, fuzzy varieties and it +seemed to catch the powder. Clutching Hand appeared to be more +than satisfied with the effect. + +Meanwhile, Michael, in the hallway, on guard to see that no one +bothered the Clutching Hand at his work, was overcome by curiosity +to see what his master was doing. He opened the door a little bit +and gazed stealthily through the crack into the room. + +Clutching Hand was now spraying the rug close to the dressing +table of Elaine and was standing near the mirror. He stooped down +to examine the rug. Then, as he raised his head, he happened to +look into the mirror. In it he could see the full reflection of +Michael behind him, gazing into the room. + +"The scoundrel!" muttered Clutching Hand, with repressed fury at +the discovery. + +He rose quickly and shut off the spraying instrument, stuffing it +into the bag. He took a step or two toward the door. Michael drew +back, fearfully, pretending now to be on guard. + +Clutching Hand opened the door and, still wearing the muzzle, +beckoned to Michael. Michael could scarcely control his fears. But +he obeyed, entering Elaine's room after the Clutching Hand, who +locked the door. + +"Were you watching me?" demanded the master criminal, with rage. + +Michael, trembling all over, shook his head. For a moment +Clutching Hand looked him over disdainfully at the clumsy lie. + +Then he brutally struck Michael in the face, knocking him down. An +ungovernable, almost insane fury seemed to possess the man as he +stood over the prostrate footman, cursing. + +"Get up!" he ordered. + +Michael obeyed, thoroughly cowed. + +"Take me to the cellar, now," he demanded. + +Michael led the way from the room without a protest, the master +criminal following him closely. + +Down into the cellar, by a back way, they went, Clutching Hand +still wearing his muzzle and Michael saying not a word. + +Suddenly Clutching Hand turned on him and seized him by the +collar. + +"Now, go upstairs, you," he muttered, shaking him until his teeth +fairly chattered, "and if you watch me again--I'll kill you!" + +He thrust Michael away and the footman, overcome by fear, hurried +upstairs. Still trembling and fearful, Michael paused In the +hallway, looking back resentfully, for even one who is in the +power of a super-criminal is still human and has feelings that may +be injured. + +Michael put his hand on his face where the Clutching Hand had +struck him. There he waited, muttering to himself. As he thought +it over, anger took the place of fear. He slowly turned in the +direction of the cellar. Closing both his fists, Michael made a +threatening gesture at his master in crime. + +Meanwhile, Clutching Hand was standing by the electric meter. He +examined it carefully, feeling where the wires entered and left it +starting to trace them out. At last he came to a point where it +seemed suitable to make a connection for some purpose he had in +mind. + +Quickly he took some wire from his bag and connected it with the +electric light wires. Next, he led these wires, concealed of +course, along the cellar floor, in the direction of the furnace. + +The furnace was one of the old hot air heaters and he paused +before it as though seeking something. Then he bent down beside it +and uncovered a little tank. He took off the top on which were +cast in the iron the words: + +"This tank must be kept full of water." + +He thrust his hand gingerly into it, bringing it out quickly. The +tank was nearly full of water and he brought his hand out wet. It +was also hot. But he did not seem to mind that, for he shook his +head with a smile of satisfaction. + +Next, from his capacious bag he took two metal poles, or +electrodes, and fastened them carefully to the ends of the wires, +placing them at opposite ends of the tank in the water. + +For several moments he watched. The water inside the tank seemed +the same as before, only on each electrode there appeared bubbles, +on one bubbles of oxygen, on the other of hydrogen. The water was +decomposing under the current by electrolysis. + +Another moment he surveyed his work to see that he had left no +loose ends. Then he picked up his bag and moved toward the cellar +steps. As he did so, he removed the muzzle from his nose and +quietly let himself out of the house. + + . . . . . . . . + +The next morning, Rusty, who had been Elaine's constant companion +since the trouble had begun, awakened his mistress by licking her +hand as it hung limply over the side of her bed. + +She awakened with a start and put her hand to her head. She felt +ill. + +"Poor old fellow," she murmured, half dazedly, for the moment +endowing her pet with her own feelings, as she patted his faithful +shaggy head. + +Rusty moved away again, wagging his tail listlessly. The collie, +too, felt ill. Elaine watched him as he walked, dejected, across +the room and then lay down. + +"Why, Miss Elaine--what ees ze mattair? You are so pale!" +exclaimed the maid, Marie, as she entered the room a moment later +with the morning's mail on a salver. + +"I don't feel well, Marie," she replied, trying with her slender +white hand to brush the cobwebs from her brain. "I--I wish you'd +tell Aunt Josephine to telephone Dr. Hayward." + +"Yes, mademoiselle," answered Marie, deftly and sympathetically +straightening out the pillows. + +Languidly Elaine took the letters one by one off the salver. She +looked at them, but seemed not to have energy enough to open them. + +Finally she selected one and slowly tore it open. It had no +superscription, but it at once arrested her attention and +transfixed her with terror. + +It read: + +"YOU ARE SICK THIS MORNING. TOMORROW YOU WILL BE WORSE. THE NEXT +DAY YOU WILL DIE UNLESS YOU DISCHARGE CRAIG KENNEDY." + +It was signed by the mystic trademark of the fearsome Clutching +Hand! + +Elaine drew back into the pillows, horror stricken. + +Quickly she called to Marie. "Go--get Aunt Josephine--right away!" + +As Marie almost flew down the hall, Elaine still holding the +letter convulsively, pulled herself together and got up, +trembling. She almost seized the telephone as she called Kennedy's +number. + + . . . . . . . . + +Kennedy, in his stained laboratory apron, was at work before his +table, while I was watching him with intense interest, when the +telephone rang. + +Without a word he answered the call and I could see a look of +perturbation cross his face. I knew it was from Elaine, but could +tell nothing about the nature of the message. + +An instant later he almost tore off the apron and threw on his hat +and coat. I followed him as he dashed out of the laboratory. + +"This is terrible--terrible," he muttered, as we hurried across +the campus of the University to a taxi-cab stand. + +A few minutes later, when we arrived at the Dodge mansion, we +found Aunt Josephine and Marie doing all they could under the +circumstances. Aunt Josephine had just given her a glass of water +which she drank eagerly. Rusty had, meanwhile, crawled under the +bed, caring only to be alone and undisturbed. + +Dr. Hayward had arrived and had just finished taking her pulse and +temperature as our cab pulled up. + +Jennings who had evidently been expecting us let us in without a +word and conducted us up to Elaine's room. We knocked. + +"Mr. Kennedy and Mr. Jameson," we could hear Marie whisper in a +subdued voice. + +"Tell them to come in," answered Elaine eagerly. + +We entered. There she lay, beautiful as ever, but with a whiteness +of her fresh cheek that was too etherially unnatural. Elaine was +quite ill indeed. + +"Oh--I'm so glad to see you," she breathed, with an air of relief +as Kennedy advanced. + +"Why--what is the matter?" asked Craig, anxiously. + +Dr. Hayward shook his head dubiously, but Kennedy did not notice +him, for, as he approached Elaine, she drew from the covers where +she had concealed it a letter and handed it to him. + +Craig took it and read: + +"YOU ARE SICK THIS MORNING. TOMORROW YOU WILL BE WORSE. THE NEXT +DAY YOU WILL DIE UNLESS YOU DISCHARGE CRAIG KENNEDY." + +At the signature of the Clutching Hand he frowned, then, noticing +Dr. Hayward, turned to him and repeated his question, "What is the +matter?" + +Dr. Hayward continued shaking his head. "I cannot diagnose her +symptoms," he shrugged. + +As I watched Kennedy's face, I saw his nostrils dilating, almost +as if he were a hound and had scented his quarry. I sniffed, too. +There seemed to be a faint odor, almost as if of garlic, in the +room. It was unmistakable and Craig looked about him curiously but +said nothing. + +As he sniffed, he moved impatiently and his foot touched Rusty, +under the bed. Rusty whined and moved back lazily. Craig bent over +and looked at him. + +"What's the matter with Rusty?" he asked. "Is he sick, too?" + +"Why--yes," answered Elaine, following Craig with her deep eyes. +"Poor Rusty. He woke me up this morning. He feels as badly as I +do, poor old fellow." + +Craig reached down and gently pulled the collie out into the room. +Rusty crouched down close to the floor. His nose was hot and dry +and feverish. He was plainly ill. + +"How long has Rusty been in the room?" asked Craig. + +"All night," answered Elaine. "I wouldn't think of being without +him now." + +Kennedy lifted the dog by his front paws. Rusty submitted +patiently, but without any spirit. + +"May I take Rusty along with me?" he asked finally. + +Elaine hesitated. "Surely," she said at length, "only, be gentle +with him." + +Craig looked at her as though it would be impossible to be +otherwise with anything belonging to Elaine. + +"Of course," he said simply. "I thought that I might be able to +discover the trouble from studying him." + +We stayed only a few minutes longer, for Kennedy seemed to realize +the necessity of doing something immediately and even Dr. Hayward +was fighting in the dark. As for me, I gave it up, too. I could +find no answer to the mystery of what was the peculiar malady of +Elaine. + +Back in the laboratory, Kennedy set to work immediately, brushing +everything else aside. He began by drawing off a little of Rusty's +blood in a tube, very carefully. + +"Here, Walter," he said pointing to the little incision he had +made. "Will you take care of him?" + +I bound up the wounded leg and gave the poor beast a drink of +water. Rusty looked at me gratefully from his big sad brown eyes. +He seemed to appreciate our gentleness and to realize that we were +trying to help him. + +In the meantime, Craig had taken a flask with a rubber stopper. +Through one hole in it was fitted a long funnel; through another +ran a glass tube. The tube connected with a large U-shaped drying +tube filled with calcium chloride, which, in turn, connected with +a long open tube with an upturned end. + +Into the flask, Craig dropped some pure granulated zinc. Then he +covered it with dilute sulphuric acid, poured in through the +funnel tube. + +"That forms hydrogen gas," he explained to me, "which passes +through the drying tube and the ignition tube. Wait a moment until +all the air is expelled from the tubes." + +He lighted a match and touched it to the open, upturned end. The +hydrogen, now escaping freely, was ignited with a pale blue flame. + +A few moments later, having extracted something like a serum from +the blood he had drawn off from Rusty. He added the extract to the +mixture in the flask, pouring it in, also through the funnel tube. + +Almost immediately the pale, bluish flame turned to bluish white, +and white fumes were formed. In the ignition tube a sort of +metallic deposit appeared. + +Quickly Craig made one test after another. + +As he did so, I sniffed. There was an unmistakable odor of garlic +in the air which made me think of what I had already noticed in +Elaine's room. + +"What is it?" I asked, mystified. + +"Arseniuretted hydrogen," he answered, still engaged in verifying +his tests. "This is the Marsh test for arsenic." + +I gazed from Kennedy to the apparatus, then to Rusty and a picture +of Elaine, pale and listless, flashed before me. + +"Arsenic!" I repeated in horror. + + . . . . . . . . + +I had scarcely recovered from the surprise of Kennedy's startling +revelation when the telephone rang again. Kennedy seized the +receiver, thinking evidently that the message might be from or +about Elaine. + +But from the look on his face and from his manner, I could gather +that, although it was not from Elaine herself, it was about +something that interested him greatly. As he talked, he took his +little notebook and hastily jotted down something in it. Still, I +could not make out what the conversation was about. + +"Good!" I heard him say finally. "I shall keep the appointment-- +absolutely." + +His face wore a peculiar puzzled look as he hung up the receiver. + +"What was it?" I asked eagerly. + +"It was Elaine's footman, Michael," he replied thoughtfully. "As I +suspected, he says that he is a confederate of the Clutching Hand +and if we will protect him he will tell us the trouble with +Elaine." + +I considered a moment. "How's that?" I queried. + +"Well," added Craig, "you see, Michael has become infuriated by +the treatment he received from the Clutching Hand. I believe he +cuffed him in the face yesterday. Anyway, he says he has +determined to get even and betray him. So, after hearing how +Elaine was, he slipped out of the servant's door and looking about +carefully to see that he wasn't followed, he went straight to a +drug store and called me up. He seemed extremely nervous and +fearful." + +I did not like the looks of the thing, and said so. "Craig," I +objected vehemently, "don't go to meet him. It is a trap." + +Kennedy had evidently considered my objection already. + +"It may be a trap," he replied slowly, "but Elaine is dying and +we've got to see this thing through." + +As he spoke, he took an automatic from a drawer of a cabinet and +thrust it into his pocket. Then he went to another drawer and took +out several sections of thin tubing which seemed to be made to +fasten together as a fishing pole is fastened, but were now +separate, as if ready for travelling. + +"Well--are you coming, Walter?" he asked finally--the only answer +to my flood of caution. + +Then he went out. I followed, still arguing. + +"If YOU go, _I_ go," I capitulated. "That's all there is to it." + +Following the directions that Michael had given over the telephone +Craig led me into one of the toughest parts of the lower West +Side. + +"Here's the place," he announced, stopping across the street from +a dingy Raines Law Hotel. + +"Pretty tough," I objected. "Are you sure?" + +"Quite," replied Kennedy, consulting his note book again. + +"Well, I'll be hanged if I'll go in that joint," I persisted. + +It had no effect on Kennedy. "Nonsense, Walter," he replied, +crossing the street. + +Reluctantly I followed and we entered the place. + +"I want a room," asked Craig as we were accosted by the +proprietor, comfortably clad in a loud checked suit and striped +shirt sleeves. "I had one here once before--forty-nine, I think." + +"Fifty--" I began to correct. + +Kennedy trod hard on my toes. + +"Yes, forty-nine," he repeated. + +The proprietor called a stout negro porter, waiter, and bell-hop +all combined in one, who led us upstairs. + +"Fohty-nine, sah," he pointed out, as Kennedy dropped a dime into +his ready palm. + +The negro left us and as Craig started to enter, I objected, "But, +Craig, it was fifty-nine, not forty-nine. This is the wrong room." + +"I know it," he replied. "I had it written in the book. But I want +forty-nine--now. Just follow me, Walter." + +Nervously I followed him into the room. + +"Don't you understand?" he went on. "Room forty-nine is probably +just the same as fifty-nine, except perhaps the pictures and +furniture, only it is on the floor below." + +He gazed about keenly. Then he took a few steps to the window and +threw it open. As he stood there he took the parts of the rods he +had been carrying and fitted them together until he had a pole +some eight or ten feet long. At one end was a curious arrangement +that seemed to contain lenses and a mirror. At the other end was +an eye-piece, as nearly as I could make out. + +"What is that?" I asked as he completed his work. + +"That? That is an instrument something on the order of a miniature +submarine periscope," Craig replied, still at work. + +I watched him, fascinated at his resourcefulness. He stealthily +thrust the mirror end of the periscope out of the window and up +toward the corresponding window up stairs. Then he gazed eagerly +through the eye-piece. + +"Walter--look!" he exclaimed to me. + +I did. There, sure enough, was Michael, pacing up and down the +room. He had already preceded us. In his scared and stealthy +manner, he had entered the Raines Law hotel which announced +"Furnished Rooms for Gentlemen Only." There he had sought a room, +fifty-nine, as he had said. + +As he came into the room, he had looked about, overcome by the +enormity of what he was about to do. He locked the door. Still, he +had not been able to avoid gazing about fearfully, as he was doing +now that we saw him. + +Nothing had happened. Yet he brushed his hand over his forehead +and breathed a sigh of relief. The air seemed to be stifling him +and already he had gone to the window and thrown it open. Then he +had gazed out as though there might be some unknown peril in the +very air. He had now drawn back from the window and was +considering. He was actually trembling. Should he flee? He +whistled softly to himself to keep his shaking fears under +control. Then he started to pace up and down the room in nervous +impatience and irresolution. + +As I looked at him nervously walking to and fro, I could not help +admitting that things looked safe enough and all right to me. +Kennedy folded the periscope up and we left our room, mounting the +remaining flight of stairs. + +In fifty-nine we could hear the measured step of the footman. +Craig knocked. The footsteps ceased. Then the door opened slowly +and I could see a cold blue automatic. + +"Look out!" I cried. + +Michael in his fear had drawn a gun. + +"It's all right, Michael," reassured Craig calmly. "All right, +Walter," he added to me. + +The gun dropped back into the footman's pocket. We entered and +Michael again locked the door. Not a word had been spoken by him +so far. + +Next Michael moved to the center of the room and, as I realized +later, brought himself in direct lines with the open window. He +seemed to be overcome with fear at his betrayal and stood there +breathing heavily. + +"Professor Kennedy," he began, "I have been so mistreated that I +have made up my mind to tell you all I know about this Clutching-- +" + +Suddenly he drew a sharp breath and both his hands clutched at his +own breast. He did not stagger and fall in the ordinary manner, +but seemed to bend at the knees and waist and literally crumple +down on his face. + +We ran to him. Craig turned him over gently on his back and +examined him. He called. No answer. Michael was almost pulseless. + +Quickly Craig tore off his collar and bared his breast, for the +man seemed to be struggling for breath. As he did so, he drew from +Michael's chest a small, sharp-pointed dart. + +"What's that?" I ejaculated, horror stricken. + +"A poisoned blow gun dart such as is used by the South American +Indians on the upper Orinoco," he said slowly. + +He examined it carefully. + +"What is the poison?" I asked. + +"Curari," he replied simply. "It acts on the respiratory muscles, +paralyzing them, and causing asphyxiation." + +The dart seemed to have been made of a quill with a very sharp +point, hollow, and containing the deadly poison in the sharpened +end. + +"Look out!" I cautioned as he handled it. + +"Oh, that's all right," he answered casually. "If I don't scratch +myself, I am safe enough. I could swallow the stuff and it +wouldn't hurt me--unless I had an abrasion of the lips or some +internal cut." + +Kennedy continued to examine the dart until suddenly I heard a low +exclamation of surprise from him. Inside the hollow quill was a +thin sheet of tissue paper, tightly rolled. He drew it out and +read: + +"To know me is DEATH Kennedy--Take Warning!" + +Underneath was the inevitable Clutching Hand sign. + +We jumped to our feet. Kennedy rushed to the window and slammed it +shut, while I seized the key from Michael's pocket, opened the +door and called for help. + +A moment before, on the roof of a building across the street, one +might have seen a bent, skulking figure. His face was copper +colored and on his head was a thick thatch of matted hair. He +looked like a South American Indian, in a very dilapidated suit of +castoff American clothes. + +He had slipped out through a doorway leading to a flight of steps +from the roof to the hallway of the tenement. His fatal dart sent +on its unerring mission with a precision born of long years in the +South American jungle, he concealed the deadly blow-gun in his +breast pocket, with a cruel smile, and, like one of his native +venomous serpents, wormed his way down the stairs again. + + . . . . . . . . + +My outcry brought a veritable battalion of aid. The hotel +proprietor, the negro waiter, and several others dashed upstairs, +followed shortly by a portly policeman, puffing at the exertion. + +"What's the matter, here?" he panted. "Ye're all under arrest!" + +Kennedy quietly pulled out his card case and taking the policeman +aside showed it to him. + +"We had an appointment to meet this man--in that Clutching Hand +case, you know. He is Miss Dodge's footman," Craig explained. + +Then he took the policeman into his confidence, showing him the +dart and explaining about the poison. The officer stared blankly. + +"I must get away, too," hurried on Craig. "Officer, I will leave +you to take charge here. You can depend on me for the inquest." + +The officer nodded. + +"Come on, Walter," whispered Craig, eager to get away, then adding +the one word, "Elaine!" + +I followed hastily, not slow to understand his fear for her. + +Nor were Craig's fears groundless. In spite of all that could be +done for her, Elaine was still in bed, much weaker now than +before. While we had been gone, Dr. Hayward, Aunt Josephine and +Marie were distracted. + +More than that, the Clutching Hand had not neglected the +opportunity, either. + +Suddenly, just before our return, a stone had come hurtling +through the window, without warning of any kind, and had landed on +Elaine's bed. + +Below, as we learned some time afterwards, a car had drawn up +hastily and the evil-faced crook whom the Clutching Hand had used +to rid himself of the informer, "Limpy Red," had leaped out and +hurled the stone through the window, as quickly leaping back into +the car and whisking away. + +Elaine had screamed. All had reached for the stone. But she had +been the first to seize it and discover that around it was wrapped +a piece of paper on which was the ominous warning, signed as usual +by the Hand: + +"Michael is dead. Tomorrow, you. Then Kennedy. Stop before it is +too late." + +Elaine had sunk back into her pillows, paler than ever from this +second shock, while the others, as they read the note, were +overcome by alarm and despair, at the suddenness of the thing. + +It was just then that Kennedy and I arrived and were admitted. + +"Oh, Mr. Kennedy," cried Elaine, handing him the note. + +Craig took it and read. "Miss Dodge," he said, as he held the note +out to me, "you are suffering from arsenic poisoning--but I don't +know yet how it is being administered." + +He gazed about keenly. Meanwhile, I had taken the crumpled note +from him and was reading it. Somehow, I had leaned against the +wall. As I turned, Craig happened to glance at me. + +"For heaven's sake, Walter," I heard him exclaim. "What have you +been up against?" + +He fairly leaped at me and I felt him examining my shoulder where +I had been leaning on the wall. Something on the paper had come +off and had left a white mark on my shoulder. Craig looked puzzled +from me to the wall. + +"Arsenic!" he cried. + +He whipped out a pocket lens and looked at the paper. "This heavy +fuzzy paper is fairly loaded with it, powdered," he reported. + +I looked, too. The powdered arsenic was plainly discernible. "Yes, +here it is," he continued, standing absorbed in thought. "But why +did it work so effectively?" + +He sniffed as he had before. So did I. There was still the faint +smell of garlic. Kennedy paced the room. Suddenly, pausing by the +register, an idea seemed to strike him. + +"Walter," he whispered, "come down cellar with me." + +"Oh--be careful," cried Elaine, anxious for him. + +"I will," he called back. + +As he flashed his pocket electric bull's-eye about, his gaze fell +on the electric meter. He paused before it. In spite of the fact +that it was broad daylight, it was running. His face puckered. + +"They are using no current at present in the house," he ruminated. +"Yet the meter is running." + +He continued to examine the meter. Then he began to follow the +electric wires along. At last he discovered a place where they had +been tampered with and tapped by other wires. + +"The work of the Clutching Hand!" he muttered. + +Eagerly he followed the wires to the furnace and around to the +back. There they led right into a little water tank. Kennedy +yanked them out. As he did so he pulled something with them. + +"Two electrodes--the villain placed there," he exclaimed, holding +them up triumphantly for me to see. + +"Y-yes," I replied dubiously, "but what does it all mean?" + +"Why, don't you see? Under the influence of the electric current +the water was decomposed and gave off oxygen and hydrogen. The +free hydrogen passed up the furnace pipe and combining with the +arsenic in the wall paper formed the deadly arseniuretted +hydrogen." + +He cast the whole improvised electrolysis apparatus on the floor +and dashed up the cellar steps. + +"I've found it!" he cried, hurrying into Elaine's room. "It's in +this room--a deadly gas--arseniuretted hydrogen." + +He tore open the windows and threw them all open. "Have her +moved," he cried to Aunt Josephine. "Then have a vacuum cleaner go +over every inch of wall, carpet and upholstery." + +Standing beside her, he breathlessly explained his discovery. +"That wall paper has been loaded down with arsenic, probably Paris +green or Schweinfurth green, which is aceto-arsenite of copper. +Every minute you are here, you are breathing arseniuretted +hydrogen. The Clutching Hand has cleverly contrived to introduce +the nascent gas into the room. That acts on the arsenic compounds +in the wall paper and hangings and sets free the gas. I thought I +knew the smell the moment I got a whiff of it. You are slowly +being poisoned by minute quantities of the deadly gas. This +Clutching Hand is a diabolical genius. Think of it--poisoned wall +paper!" + +No one said a word. Kennedy reached down and took the two +Clutching Hand messages Elaine had received. "I shall want to +study these notes, more, too," he said, holding them up to the +wall at the head of the bed as he flashed his pocket lens at them. +"You see, Elaine, I may be able to get something from studying the +ink, the paper, the handwriting--" + +Suddenly both leaped back, with a cry. + +Their faces had been several inches apart. Something had whizzed +between them and literally impaled the two notes on the wall. + +Down the street, on the roof of a carriage house, back of a +neighbor's, might have been seen the uncouth figure of the +dilapidated South American Indian crouching behind a chimney and +gazing intently at the Dodge house. + +As Craig had thrown open Elaine's window and turned to Elaine, the +figure had crouched closer to his chimney. + +Then with an uncanny determination he slowly raised the blow-gun +to his lips. + +I jumped forward, followed by Dr. Hayward, Aunt Josephine, and +Marie. Kennedy had a peculiar look as he pulled out from the wall +a blow-gun dart similar in every way to that which had killed +Michael. + +"Craig!" gasped Elaine, reaching up and laying her soft white hand +on his arm in undisguised fear for him, "you--you must give up +this chase for the Clutching Hand!" + +"Give up the chase for the Clutching Hand?" he repeated in +surprise. "Never! Not until either he or I is dead!" + +There was both fear and admiration mingled in her look, as he +reached down and patted her dainty shoulder encouragingly. + + + + +CHAPTER VI + +THE VAMPIRE + + +Kennedy went the next day to the Dodge house, and, as usual, Perry +Bennett was there in the library with Elaine, still going over the +Clutching Hand case, in their endeavor to track down the +mysterious master criminal. + +Bennett seemed as deeply as ever in love with Elaine. Still, as +Jennings admitted Craig, it was sufficiently evident by the manner +in which Elaine left Bennett and ran to meet Craig that she had +the highest regard for him. + +"I've brought you a little document that may interest you," +remarked Kennedy, reaching into his pocket and pulling out an +envelope. + +Elaine tore it open and looked at the paper within. + +"Oh, how thoughtful of you!" she exclaimed in surprise. + +It was a permit from the police made out in her name allowing her +to carry a revolver. + +A moment later, Kennedy reached into his coat pocket and produced +a little automatic which he handed to her. + +"Thank you," she cried eagerly. + +Elaine examined the gun with interest, then, raising it, pointed +it playfully at Bennett. + +"Oh--no--no!" exclaimed Kennedy, taking her arm quickly, and +gently deflecting the weapon away. "You mustn't think it is a toy. +It explodes at a mere touch of the trigger--when that safety +ratchet is turned." + +Bennett had realized the danger and had jumped back, almost +mechanically. As he did so, he bumped into a suit of medieval +armor standing by the wall, knocking it over with a resounding +crash. + +"I beg pardon," he ejaculated, "I'm very sorry. That was very +awkward of me." + +Jennings, who had been busy about the portieres at the doorway, +started to pick up the fallen knight. Some of the pieces were +broken, and the three gathered about as the butler tried to fit +them together again as best he could. + +"Too bad, too bad," apologized Bennett profusely. "I really forgot +how close I was to the thing." + +"Oh, never mind," returned Elaine, a little crestfallen, "It is +smashed all right--but it was my fault. Jennings, send for someone +to repair it." + +She turned to Kennedy. "But I do wish you would teach me how to +use this thing," she added, touching the automatic gingerly. + +"Gladly," he returned. + +"Won't you join us, Mr. Bennett?" asked Elaine. + +"No," the young lawyer smiled, "I'm afraid I can't. You see, I had +an engagement with another client and I'm already late." + +He took his hat and coat and, with a reluctant farewell, moved +toward the hallway. + +A moment later Elaine and Craig followed, while Jennings finished +restoring the armor as nearly as possible as it had been. + + . . . . . . . . + +It was late that night that a masked figure succeeded in raising +itself to the narrow ornamental ledge under Elaine's bedroom +window. + +Elaine was a light sleeper and, besides, Rusty, her faithful +collie, now fully recovered from the poison, was in her room. + +Rusty growled and the sudden noise wakened her. + +Startled, Elaine instantly thought of the automatic. She reached +under her pillow, keeping very quiet, and drew forth the gun that +Craig had given her. Stealthily concealing her actions under the +covers, she levelled the automatic at the figure silhouetted in +her window and fired three times. + +The figure fell back. + +Down in the street, below, the assistant of the Clutching Hand who +had waited while Taylor Dodge was electrocuted, was waiting now as +his confederate, "Pitts Slim"--which indicated that he was both +wiry in stature and libellous in delegating his nativity--made the +attempt. + +As Slim came tumbling down, having fallen back from the window +above, mortally wounded, the confederate lifted him up and carried +him out of sight hurriedly. + +Elaine, by this time, had turned on the lights and had run to the +window to look out. Rusty was barking loudly. + +In a side street, nearby, stood a waiting automobile, at the wheel +of which sat another of the emissaries of the Clutching Hand. The +driver looked up, startled, as he saw his fellow hurry around the +corner carrying the wounded Pitts Slim. It was the work of just a +moment to drop the wounded man, as comfortably as possible under +the circumstances, in the rear seat, while his pals started the +car off with a jerk in the hurry of escape. + +Jennings, having hastily slipped his trousers on over his pajamas +came running down the hall, while Marie, frightened, came in the +other direction. Aunt Josephine appeared a few seconds later, +adding to the general excitement. + +"What's the matter?" she asked, anxiously. + +"A burglar, I think," exclaimed Elaine, still holding the gun in +her hand. "Someone tried to get into my window." + +"My gracious," cried Aunt Josephine, in alarm, "where will this +thing end?" + +Elaine was doing her best now to quiet the fears of her aunt and +the rest of the household. + +"Well," she laughed, a little nervously, now that it was all over, +"I want you all to go to bed and stop worrying about me. Don't you +see, I'm perfectly able to take care of myself? Besides, there +isn't a chance, now, of the burglar coming back. Why, I shot him." + +"Yes," put in Aunt Josephine, "but--" + +Elaine laughingly interrupted her and playfully made as though she +were driving them out of her room, although they were all very +much concerned over the affair. However, they went finally, and +she locked the door. + +"Rusty!" she called, "Down there!" + +The intelligent collie seemed to understand. He lay down by the +doorway, his nose close to the bottom of the door and his ears +alert. + +Finally Elaine, too, retired again. + + . . . . . . . . + +Meanwhile the wounded man was being hurried to one of the hangouts +of the mysterious Clutching Hand, an old-fashioned house in the +Westchester suburbs. It was a carefully hidden place, back from +the main road, surrounded by trees, with a driveway leading up to +it. + +The car containing the wounded Pitts Slim drew up and the other +two men leaped out of it. With a hurried glance about, they +unlocked the front door with a pass-key and entered, carrying the +man. + +Indoors was another emissary of the Clutching Hand, a rather +studious looking chap. + +"Why, what's the matter?" he exclaimed, as the crooks entered his +room, supporting their half-fainting, wounded pal. + +"Slim got a couple of pills," they panted, as they laid him on a +couch. + +"How?" demanded the other. + +"Trying to get into the Dodge house. Elaine did it." + +Slim was, quite evidently, badly wounded and was bleeding +profusely. A glance at him was enough for the studious-looking +chap. He went to a secret panel and, pressing it down, took out +what was apparently a house telephone. + +In another part of this mysterious house was the secret room of +the Clutching Hand himself where he hid his identity from even his +most trusted followers. It was a small room, lined with books on +every conceivable branch of science that might aid him and +containing innumerable little odds and ends of paraphernalia that +might help in his nefarious criminal career. + +His telephone rang and he took down the receiver. + +"Pitts Slim's been wounded--badly--Chief," was all he waited to +hear. + +With scarcely a word, he hung up the receiver, then opened a table +drawer and took out his masking handkerchief. Next he went to a +nearby bookcase, pressed another secret spring, and a panel +opened. He passed through, the handkerchief adjusted. + +Across, in the larger, outside study, another panel opened and the +Clutching Hand, all crouched up, transformed, appeared. Without a +word he advanced to the couch on which the wounded crook lay and +examined him. + +"How did it happen?" he asked at length. + +"Miss Dodge shot him," answered the others, "with an automatic." + +"That Craig Kennedy must have given it to her!" he exclaimed with +suppressed fury. + +For a moment the Clutching Hand stopped to consider. Then he +seized the regular telephone. + +"Dr. Morton?" he asked as he got the number he called. + +Late as it was the doctor, who was a well-known surgeon in that +part of the country, answered, apparently from an extension of his +telephone near his bed. + +The call was urgent and apparently from a family which he did not +feel that he could neglect. + +"Yes, I'll be there--in a few moments," he yawned, hanging up the +receiver and getting out of bed. + +Dr. Morton was a middle-aged man, one of those medical men in +whose judgment one instinctively relies. From the brief +description of the "hemorrhage" which the Clutching Hand had +cleverly made over the wire, he knew that a life was at stake. +Quickly he dressed and went out to his garage, back of the house +to get his little runabout. + +It was only a matter of minutes before the doctor was speeding +over the now deserted suburban roads, apparently on his errand of +mercy. + +At the address that had been given him, he drew up to the side of +the road, got out and ran up the steps to the door. A ring at the +bell brought a sleepy man to the door, in his trousers and +nightshirt. + +"How's the patient?" asked Dr. Morton, eagerly. + +"Patient?" repeated the man, rubbing his eyes. "There's no one +sick here." + +"Then what did you telephone for?" asked the doctor peevishly, + +"Telephone? I didn't call up anyone, I was asleep." + +Slowly it dawned on the doctor that it was a false alarm and that +he must be the victim of some practical joke. + +"Well, that's a great note," he growled, as the man shut the door. + +He descended the steps, muttering harsh language at some unknown +trickster. As he climbed back into his machine and made ready to +start, two men seemed to rise before him, as if from nowhere. + +As a matter of fact, they had been sent there by the Clutching +Hand and were hiding in a nearby cellar way until their chance +came. + +One man stood on the running board, on either side of him, and two +guns yawned menacingly at him. + +"Drive ahead--that way!" muttered one man, seating himself in the +runabout with his gun close to the doctor's ribs. + +The other kept his place on the running board, and on they drove +in the direction of the mysterious, dark house. Half a mile, +perhaps, down the road, they halted and left the car beside the +walk. + +Dr. Morton was too surprised to marvel at anything now and he +realized that he was in the power of two desperate men. Quickly, +they blindfolded him. + +It seemed an interminable walk, as they led him about to confuse +him, but at last he could feel that they had taken him into a +house and along passageways, which they were making unnecessarily +long in order to destroy all recollection that they could. Finally +he knew that he was in a room in which others were present. He +suppressed a shudder at the low, menacing voices. + +A moment later he felt them remove the bandage from his eyes, and, +blinking at the light, he could see a hard-faced fellow, pale and +weak, on a blood-stained couch. Over him bent a masked man and +another man stood nearby, endeavoring by improvised bandages to +stop the flow of blood. + +"What can you do for this fellow?" asked the masked man. + +Dr. Morton, seeing nothing else to do, for he was more than +outnumbered now, bent down and examined him. + +As he rose, he said, "He will be dead from loss of blood by +morning, no matter if he is properly bandaged." + +"Is there nothing that can save him?" whispered the Clutching Hand +hoarsely. + +"Blood transfusion might save him," replied the Doctor. "But so +much blood would be needed that whoever gives it would be liable +to die himself." + +Clutching Hand stood silent a moment, thinking, as he gazed at the +man who had been one of his chief reliances. Then, with a menacing +gesture, he spoke in a low, bitter tone. + +"SHE WHO SHOT HIM SHALL SUPPLY THE BLOOD." + + . . . . . . . . + +A few quick directions followed to his subordinates, and as he +made ready to go, he muttered, "Keep the doctor here. Don't let +him stir from the room." + +Then, with the man who had aided him in the murder of Taylor +Dodge, he sallied out into the blackness that precedes dawn. + +It was just before early daybreak when the Clutching Hand and his +confederate reached the Dodge House in the city and came up to the +back door, over the fences. As they stood there, the Clutching +Hand produced a master key and started to open the door. But +before he did so, he took out his watch. + +"Let me see," he ruminated. "Twenty minutes past four. At exactly +half past, I want you to do as I told you--see?" + +The other crook nodded. + +"You may go," ordered the Clutching Hand. + +As the crook slunk away, Clutching Hand stealthily let himself +into the house. Noiselessly he prowled through the halls until he +came to Elaine's doorway. + +He gave a hasty look up and down the hall. There was no sound. +Quickly he took a syringe from his pocket and bent down by the +door. Inserting the end under it, he squirted some liquid through +which vaporized rapidly in a wide, fine stream of spray. Before he +could give an alarm, Rusty was overcome by the noxious fumes, +rolled over on his back and lay still. + +Outside, the other crook was waiting, looking at his watch. As the +hand slowly turned the half hour, he snapped the watch shut. With +a quick glance up and down the deserted street, he deftly started +up the rain pipe that passed near Elaine's window. + +This time there was no faithful Rusty to give warning and the +second intruder, after a glance at Elaine, still sleeping, went +quickly to the door, dragged the insensible dog out of the way, +turned the key and admitted the Clutching Hand. As he did so he +closed the door. + +Evidently the fumes had not reached Elaine, or if they had, the +inrush of fresh air revived her, for she waked and quickly reached +for the gun. In an instant the other crook had leaped at her. +Holding his hand over her mouth to prevent her screaming he +snatched the revolver away before she could fire it. + +In the meantime the Clutching Hand had taken out some chloroform +and, rolling a towel in the form of a cone, placed it over her +face. She struggled, gasping and gagging, but the struggles grew +weaker and weaker and finally ceased altogether. + +When Elaine was completely under the influence of the drug, they +lifted her out of bed, the chloroform cone still over her face, +and quietly carried her to the door which they opened stealthily. + +Downstairs they carried her until they came to the library with +its new safe and there they placed her on a couch. + + . . . . . . . . + +At an early hour an express wagon stopped before the Dodge house +and Jennings, half dressed, answered the bell. + +"We've come for that broken suit of armor to be repaired," said a +workman. + +Jennings let the men in. The armor was still on the stand and the +repairers took armor, stand, and all, laying it on the couch where +they wrapped it in the covers they had brought for the purpose. +They lifted it up and started to carry it out. + +"Be careful," cautioned the thrifty Jennings. + +Rusty, now recovered, was barking and sniffing at the armor. + +"Kick the mutt off," growled one man. + +The other did so and Rusty snarled and snapped at him. Jennings +took him by the collar and held him as the repairers went out, +loaded the armor on the wagon, and drove off. + +Scarcely had they gone, while Jennings straightened out the +disarranged library, when Rusty began jumping about, barking +furiously. Jennings looked at him in amazement, as the dog ran to +the window and leaped out. + +He had no time to look after the dog, though, for at that very +instant he heard a voice calling, "Jennings! Jennings!" + +It was Marie, almost speechless. He followed her as she led the +way to Miss Elaine's room. There Marie pointed mutely at the bed. + +Elaine was not there. + +There, too, were her clothes, neatly folded, as Marie had hung +them for her. + +"Something must have happened to her!" wailed Marie. + +Jennings was now thoroughly alarmed. + +Meanwhile the express wagon outside was driving off, with Rusty +tearing after it. + +"What's the matter?" cried Aunt Josephine coming in where the +footman and the maid were arguing what was to be done. + +She gave one look at the bed, the clothes, and the servants. + +"Call Mr. Kennedy!" she cried in alarm. + + . . . . . . . . + +"Elaine is gone--no one knows how or where," announced Craig as he +leaped out of bed that morning to answer the furious ringing of +our telephone bell. + +It was very early, but Craig dressed hurriedly and I followed as +best I could, for he had the start of me, tieless and collarless. + +When we arrived at the Dodge house, Aunt Josephine and Marie were +fully dressed. Jennings let us in. + +"What has happened?" demanded Kennedy breathlessly. + +While Aunt Josephine tried to tell him, Craig was busy examining +the room. + +"Let us see the library," he said at length. + +Accordingly down to the library we went. Kennedy looked about. He +seemed to miss something. + +"Where is the armor?" he demanded. + +"Why, the men came for it and took it away to repair," answered +Jennings. + +Kennedy's brow clouded in deep thought. + +Outside we had left our taxi, waiting. The door was open and a new +footman, James, was sweeping the rug, when past him flashed a +dishevelled hairy streak. + +We were all standing there still as Craig questioned Jennings +about the armor. With a yelp Rusty tore frantically into the room. +A moment he stopped and barked. We all looked at him in surprise. +Then, as no one moved, he seemed to single out Kennedy. He seized +Craig's coat in his teeth and tried to drag him out. + +"Here, Rusty--down, sir, down!" called Jennings. + +"No, Jennings, no," interposed Craig. "What's the matter, old +fellow?" + +Craig patted Rusty whose big brown eyes seemed mutely appealing. +Out of the doorway he went, barking still. Craig and I followed +while the rest stood in the vestibule. + +Rusty was trying to lead Kennedy down the street! + +"Wait here," called Kennedy to Aunt Josephine, as he stepped with +me on the running board of the cab. "Go on, Rusty, good dog!" + +Rusty needed no urging. With an eager yelp he started off, still +barking, ahead of us, our car following. On we went, much to the +astonishment of those who were on the street at such an early +hour. + +It seemed miles that we went, but at last we came to a peculiarly +deserted looking house. Here Rusty turned in and began scratching +at the door. We jumped off the cab and followed. + +The door was locked when we tried and from inside we could get no +answer. We put our shoulders to it and burst it in. Rusty gave a +leap forward with a joyous bark. + +We followed, more cautiously. There were pieces of armor strewn +all over the floor. Rusty sniffed at them and looked about, +disappointed, then howled. + +I looked from the armor to Kennedy, in blank amazement. + +"Elaine was kidnapped--in the armor," he cried. + + . . . . . . . . + +He was right. Meanwhile, the armor repairers had stopped at last +at this apparently deserted house, a strange sort of repair shop. +Still keeping it wrapped in blankets, they had taken the armor out +of the wagon and now laid it down on an old broken bed. Then they +had unwrapped it and taken off the helmet. + +There was Elaine! + +She had been stupefied, bound and gagged. Piece after piece of the +armor they removed, finding her still only half conscious. + +"Sh! What's that?" cautioned one of the men. They paused and +listened. Sure enough, there was a sound outside. They opened the +window cautiously. A dog was scratching on the door, endeavoring +to get in. It was Rusty. + +"I think it's her dog," said the man, turning. "We'd better let +him in. Someone might see him." + +The other nodded and a moment later the door opened and in ran +Rusty. Straight to Elaine he went, starting to lick her hand. + +"Right--her dog," exclaimed the other man, drawing a gun and +hastily levelling it at Rusty. + +"Don't!" cautioned the first. "It would make too much noise. You'd +better choke him!" + +The fellow grabbed for Rusty. Rusty was too quick. He jumped. +Around the room they ran. Rusty saw the wide open window--and his +chance. Out he went and disappeared, leaving the man cussing at +him. + +A moment's argument followed, then they wrapped Elaine in the +blankets alone, still bound and gagged, and carried her out. + + . . . . . . . . + +In the secret den, the Clutching Hand was waiting, gazing now and +then at his watch, and then at the wounded man before him. In a +chair his first assistant sat, watching Dr. Morton. + +A knock at the door caused them to turn their heads. The crook +opened it and in walked the other crooks who had carried off +Elaine in the suit of armor. + +Elaine was now almost conscious, as they sat her down in a chair +and partly loosed her bonds and the gag. She gazed about, +frightened. + +"Oh--help! help!" she screamed as she caught sight of the now +familiar mask of the Clutching Hand. + +"Call all you want--here, young lady," he laughed unnaturally. "No +one can hear. These walls are soundproof!" + +Elaine shrank back. + +"Now, doc.," he added harshly to Dr. Morton. "It was she who shot +him. Her blood must save him." + +Dr. Morton recoiled at the thought of torturing the beautiful +young girl before him. + +"Are--you willing--to have your blood transfused?" he parleyed. + +"No--no--no!" she cried in horror, + +Dr. Morton turned to the desperate criminal. "I cannot do it." + +"The deuce you can't!" A cold steel revolver pressed down on Dr. +Morton's stomach. In the other hand the master crook held his +watch. + +"You have just one minute to make up your mind." + +Dr. Morton shrank back. The revolver followed. The pressure of a +fly's foot meant eternity for him. + +"I--I'll try!" + +The other crooks next carried Elaine, struggling, and threw her +down beside the wounded man. Together they arranged another couch +beside him. + +Dr. Morton, still covered by the gun, bent over the two, the +hardened criminal and the delicate, beautiful girl. Clutching Hand +glared fiendishly, insanely. + +From his bag he took a little piece of something that shone like +silver. It was in the form of a minute, hollow cylinder, with two +grooves on it, a cylinder so tiny that it would scarcely have +slipped over the point of a pencil. + +"A cannulla," he explained, as he prepared to make an incision in +Elaine's arm and in the arm of the wounded rogue. + +He cuffed it over the severed end of the artery, so cleverly that +the inner linings of the vein and artery, the endothelium as it is +called, were in complete contact with each other. + +Clutching Hand watched eagerly, as though he had found some new, +scientific engine of death in the little hollow cylinder. + +A moment and the blood that was, perhaps, to save the life of the +wounded felon was coursing into his veins from Elaine. + +A moment later, Dr. Morton looked up at the Clutching Hand and +nodded, "Well, it's working!" + +At Elaine's head, Clutching Hand himself was administering just +enough ether to keep her under and prevent a struggle that would +wreck all. The wounded man had not been anesthetized and seemed +feebly conscious of what was being done to save him. + +All were now bending over the two. + +Dr. Morton bent closest over Elaine. He looked at her anxiously, +felt her pulse, watched her breathing, then pursed up his lips. + +"This is--dangerous," he ventured, gazing askance at the grim +Clutching Hand. + +"Can't help it," came back laconically and relentlessly. + +The doctor shuddered. + +The man was a veritable vampire! + + . . . . . . . . + +Outside the deserted house, Kennedy and I were looking helplessly +about. + +Suddenly Kennedy dashed back and reappeared a minute later with a +couple of pieces of armor. He held them down to Rusty and the dog +sniffed at them. + +But Rusty stood still. + +Kennedy pointed to the ground. + +Nothing doing. In leading us where he had been before, Rusty had +reached the end of his canine ability. + +Everything we could do to make Rusty understand that we wanted him +to follow a trail was unavailing. He simply could not do it. +Kennedy coaxed and scolded. Rusty merely sat up on his hind legs +and begged with those irresistible brown eyes. + +"You can't make a bloodhound out of a collie," despaired Craig, +looking about again helplessly. + +Then he reached into his pocket and pulled out a police whistle. +He blew three sharp blasts. + +Would it bring help? + + . . . . . . . . + +While we were thus despairing, the continued absence of Dr. Morton +from home had alarmed his family and had set in motion another +train of events. + +When he did not return, and could not be located at the place to +which he was supposed to have gone, several policemen had been +summoned to his house, and they had come, finally, with real +bloodhounds from a suburban station. + +There were the tracks of his car. That the police themselves could +follow, while two men came along holding in leash the pack, +leaders of which were "Searchlight" and "Bob." + +It had not been long before the party came across the deserted +runabout beside the road. There they had stopped, for a moment. + +It was just then that they heard Kennedy's call, and one of them +had been detailed to answer it. + +"Well, what do YOU want?" asked the officer, eyeing Kennedy +suspiciously as he stood there with the armor. "What's them pieces +of tin--hey?" + +Kennedy quickly flashed his own special badge. "I want to trail a +girl," he exclaimed hurriedly. "Can I find a bloodhound about +here?" + +"A hound? Why, we have a pack--over there." + +"Bring them--quick!" ordered Craig. + +The policeman, who was an intelligent fellow, saw at once that, as +Kennedy said, the two trails probably crossed. He shouted and in a +few seconds the others, with the pack, came. + +A brief parley resulted in our joining forces. + +Kennedy held the armor down to the dogs. "Searchlight" gave a low +whine, then, followed by "Bob" and the others, was off, all with +noses close to the ground. We followed. + +The armor was, after all, the missing link. + +Through woods and fields the dogs led us. + +Would we be in time to rescue Elaine? + + . . . . . . . . + +In the mysterious haunt of the Clutching Hand, all were still +standing around Elaine and the wounded Pitts Slim. + +Just then a cry from one of the group startled the rest. One of +them, less hardened than the Clutching Hand, had turned away from +the sight, had gone to the window, and had been attracted by +something outside. + +"Look!" he cried. + +From the absolute stillness of death, there was now wild +excitement among the crooks. + +"Police! Police!" they shouted to each other as they fled by a +doorway to a secret passage. + +Clutching Hand turned to his first assistant. + +"You--go--too," he ordered. + + . . . . . . . . + +The dogs had led us to a strange looking house, and were now +baying and leaping up against the door. We did not stop to knock, +but began to break through, for inside we could hear faintly +sounds of excitement and cries of "Police--police!" + +The door yielded and we rushed into a long hallway. Up the passage +we went until we came to another door. + +An instant and we were all against it. It was stout, but it shook +before us. The panels began to yield. + + . . . . . . . . + +On the other side of that door from us, the master crook stood for +a moment. Dr. Morton hesitated, not knowing quite what to do. + +Just then the wounded Pitts Slim lifted his hand feebly. He seemed +vaguely to understand that the game was up. He touched the +Clutching Hand. + +"You did your best, Chief," he murmured thickly. "Beat it, if you +can. I'm a goner, anyway." + +Clutching Hand hesitated by the wounded crook. This was the +loyalty of gangland, worthy a better cause. He could not bring +himself to desert his pal. He was undecided, still. + +But there was the door, bulging, and a panel bursting. + +He moved over to a panel in the wall and pushed a spring. It slid +open and he stepped through. Then it closed--not a second too +soon. + +Back in his private room, he quickly stepped to a curtained iron +door. Pushing back the curtains, he went through it and +disappeared, the curtains falling back. + +At the end of the passageway, he stopped, in a sort of grotto or +cave. As he came out, he looked back. All was still. No one was +about. He was safe here, at least! + +Off came the mask and he turned down the road a few rods distant +beyond some bushes, as little concerned about the wild happenings +as any other passer-by might have been. + + . . . . . . . . + +At the very moment when we burst in, Dr. Morton, seeing his +chance, stopped the blood transfusion, working frantically to stop +the flow of blood. + +Kennedy sprang to Elaine's side, horrified by the blood that had +spattered over everything. + +With a mighty effort he checked a blow that he had aimed at Dr. +Morton, as it flashed over him that the surgeon, now free again, +was doing his best to save the terribly imperilled life of Elaine. + +Just then the police burst through the secret panel and rushed on, +leaving us alone, with the unconscious, scarcely breathing Elaine. +From the sounds we could tell that they had come to the private +room of the Clutching Hand. It was empty and they were non- +plussed. + +"Not a window!" called one. + +"What are those curtains?" + +They pulled them back, disclosing an iron door. They tried it but +it was bolted on the other side. Blows had no effect. They had to +give it up for the instant. + +A policeman now stood beside Elaine and the wounded burglar who +was muttering deliriously to himself. + +He was pretty far gone, as the policeman knelt down and tried to +get a statement out of him. + +"Who was that man who left you--last--the Clutching Hand?" + +Not a word came from the crook. + +The policeman repeated his question. + +With his last strength, he looked disdainfully at the officer's +pad and pencil. "The gangster never squeals," he snarled, as he +fell back. + +Dr. Morton had paid no attention whatever to him, but was working +desperately now over Elaine, trying to bring her oack to life. + +"Is she--going to--die?" gasped Craig, frantically. + +Every eye was riveted on Dr. Morton. + +"She is all right," he muttered. "But the man is going to die." + +At the sound of Craig's voice Elaine had feebly opened her eyes. + +"Thank heaven," breathed Craig, with a sigh of relief, as his hand +gently stroked Elaine's unnaturally cold forehead. + + + + +CHAPTER VII + +THE DOUBLE TRAP + + +Mindful of the sage advice that a time of peace is best employed +in preparing for war, I was busily engaged in cleaning my +automatic gun one morning as Kennedy and I were seated in our +living room. + +Our door buzzer sounded and Kennedy, always alert, jumped up, +pushing aside a great pile of papers which had accumulated in the +Dodge case. + +Two steps took him to the wall where the day before he had +installed a peculiar box about four by six inches long connected +in some way with a lens-like box of similar size above our bell +and speaking tube in the hallway below. He opened it, disclosing +an oblong plate of ground glass. + +"I thought the seismograph arrangement was not quite enough after +that spring-gun affair," he remarked, "so I have put in a sort of +teleview of my own invention--so that I can see down into the +vestibule downstairs. Well--just look who's here!" + +"Some new fandangled periscope arrangement, I suppose?" I queried +moving slowly over toward it. + +However, one look was enough to interest me. I can express it only +in slang. There, framed in the little thing, was a vision of as +swell a "chicken" as I have ever seen. + +I whistled under my breath. + +"Um!" I exclaimed shamelessly, "A peach! Who's your friend?" + +I had never said a truer word than in my description of her, +though I did not know it at the time. She was indeed known as +"Gertie the Peach" in the select circle to which she belonged. + +Gertie was very attractive, though frightfully over-dressed. But, +then, no one thinks anything of that now, in New York. + +Kennedy had opened the lower door and our fair visitor was coming +upstairs. Meanwhile he was deeply in thought before the +"teleview." He made up his mind quickly, however. + +"Go in there, Walter," he said, seizing me quickly and pushing me +into my room. "I want you to wait there and watch her carefully." + +I slipped the gun into my pocket and went, just as a knock at the +door told me she was outside. + +Kennedy opened the door, disclosing a very excited young woman. + +"Oh, Professor Kennedy," she cried, all in one breath, with much +emotion, "I'm so glad I found you in. I can't tell you. Oh--my +jewels! They have been stolen--and my husband must not know of it. +Help me to recover them--please!" + +She had not paused, but had gone on in a wild, voluble +explanation. + +"Just a moment, my dear young lady," interrupted Craig, finding at +last a chance to get a word in edgewise. "Do you see that table-- +and all those papers? Really, I can't take your case. I am too +busy as it is even to take the cases of many of my own clients." + +"But, please, Professor Kennedy--please!" she begged. "Help me. It +means--oh, I can't tell you how much it means to me!" + +She had come close to him and had laid her warm, little soft hand +on his, in ardent entreaty. + +From my hiding place in my room, I could not help seeing that she +was using every charm of her sex and personality to lure him on, +as she clung confidingly to him. Craig was very much embarrassed, +and I could not help a smile at his discomfiture. Seriously, I +should have hated to have been in his position. + +Gertie had thrown her arms about Kennedy, as if in wildest +devotion. I wondered what Elaine would have thought, if she had a +picture of that! + +"Oh," she begged him, "please--please, help me!" + +Still Kennedy seemed utterly unaffected by her passionate embrace. +Carefully he loosened her fingers from about his neck and removed +the plump, enticing arms. + +Gertie sank into a chair, weeping, while Kennedy stood before her +a moment in deep abstraction. + +Finally he seemed to make up his mind to something. His manner +toward her changed. He took a step to her side. + +"I WILL help you," he said, laying his hand on her shoulder. "If +it is possible I will recover your jewels. Where do you live?" + +"At Hazlehurst," she replied, gratefully. "Oh, Mr. Kennedy, how +can I ever thank you?" + +She seemed overcome with gratitude and took his hand, pressed it, +even kissed it. + +"Just a minute," he added, carefully extricating his hand. "I'll +be ready in just a minute." + +Kennedy entered the room where I was listening. + +"What's it all about, Craig?" I whispered, mystified. + +For a moment he stood thinking, apparently reconsidering what he +had just done. Then his second thought seemed to approve it. + +"This is a trap of the Clutching Hand, Walter," he whispered, +adding tensely, "and we're going to walk right into it." + +I looked at him in amazement. + +"But, Craig," I demurred, "that's foolhardy. Have her trailed-- +anything--but---" + +He shook his head and with a mere motion of his hand brushed aside +my objections as he went to a cabinet across the room. + +From one shelf he took out a small metal box and from another a +test tube, placing the test tube in his waistcoat pocket, and the +small box in his coatpocket, with excessive care. + +Then he turned and motioned to me to follow him out into the other +room. I did so, stuffing my "gatt" into my pocket. + +"Let me introduce my friend, Mr. Jameson," said Craig, presenting +me to the pretty crook. + +The introduction quickly over, we three went out to get Craig's +car which he kept at a nearby garage. + + . . . . . . . . + +That forenoon, Perry Bennett was reading up a case. In the outer +office Milton Schofield, his office boy, was industriously chewing +gum and admiring his feet cocked up on the desk before him. + +The door to the waiting room opened and an attractive woman of +perhaps thirty, dressed in extreme mourning, entered with a boy. + +Milton cast a glance of scorn at the "little dude." He was in +reality about fourteen years old but was dressed to look much +younger. + +Milton took his feet down in deference to the lady, but snickered +openly at the boy. A fight seemed imminent. + +"Did you wish to see Mr. Bennett?" asked the precocious Milton +politely on one hand while on the other he made a wry grimace. + +"Yes--here is my card," replied the woman. + +It was deeply bordered in black. Even Milton was startled at +reading it: "Mrs. Taylor Dodge." + +He looked at the woman in open-mouthed astonishment. Even he knew +that Elaine's mother had been dead for years. + +The woman, however, true to her name in the artistic coterie in +which she was leader, had sunk into a chair and was sobbing +convulsively, as only "Weepy Mary" could. + +It was so effective that even Milton was visibly moved. He took +the card in, excitedly, to Bennett. + +"There's a woman outside--says she is Mrs. Dodge!" he cried. + +If Milton had had an X-ray eye he could have seen her take a +cigarette from her handbag and light it nonchalantly the moment he +was gone. + +As for Bennett, Milton, who was watching him closely, thought he +was about to discharge him on the spot for bothering him. He took +the card, and his face expressed the most extreme surprise, then +anger. He thought a moment. + +"Tell that woman to state her business in writing," he thundered +curtly at Milton. + +As the boy turned to go back to the waiting room, Weepy Mary, +hearing him coming, hastily shoved the cigarette into her "son's" +hand. + +"Mr. Bennett says for you to write out what it is you want to see +him about," reported Milton, indicating the table before which she +was sitting. + +Mary had automatically taken up sobbing, with the release of the +cigarette. She looked at the table on which were letter paper, +pens and ink. + +"I may write here?" she asked. + +"Surely, ma'am," replied Milton, still very much overwhelmed by +her sorrow. + +Weepy Mary sat there, writing and sobbing. + +In the midst of his sympathy, however, Milton sniffed. There was +an unmistakable odor of tobacco smoke about the room. He looked +sharply at the "son" and discovered the still smoking cigarette. + +It was too much for Milton's outraged dignity. Bennett did not +allow him that coveted privilege. This upstart could not usurp it. + +He reached over and seized the boy by the arm and swung him around +till he faced a sign in the corner on the wall. + +"See?" he demanded. + +The sign read courteously: + + "No Smoking in This Office--Please. "PERRY BENNETT." + +"Leggo my arm," snarled the "son," putting the offending cigarette +defiantly into his mouth. + +Milton coolly and deliberately reached over and, with an +exaggerated politeness swiftly and effectively removed it, +dropping it on the floor and stamping defiantly on it. + +"Son" raised his fists pugnaciously, for he didn't care much for +the role he was playing, anyhow. + +Milton did the same. + +There was every element of a gaudy mix-up, when the outer door of +the office suddenly swung open and Elaine Dodge entered. + +Gallantry was Milton's middle name and he sprang forward to hold +the door, and then opened Bennett's door, as he ushered in Elaine. + +As she passed "Weepy Mary," who was still writing at the table and +crying bitterly, Elaine hesitated and looked at her curiously. +Even after Milton had opened Bennett's door, she could not resist +another glance. Instinctively Elaine seemed to scent trouble. + +Bennett was still studying the black-bordered card, when she +greeted him. + +"Who is that woman?" she asked, still wondering about the identity +of the Niobe outside. + +At first he said nothing. But finally, seeing that she had noticed +it, he handed Elaine the card, reluctantly. + +Elaine read it with a gasp. The look of surprise that crossed her +face was terrible. + +Before she could say anything, however, Milton had returned with +the sheet of paper on which "Weepy Mary" had written and handed it +to Bennett. + +Bennett read it with uncontrolled astonishment. + +"What is it?" demanded Elaine. + +He handed it to her and she read: + +"As the lawful wife and widow of Taylor Dodge, I demand my son's +rights and my own. + +"MRS. TAYLOR DODGE." + +Elaine gasped at it. + +"She--my father's wife!" she exclaimed, "What effrontery! What +does she mean?" + +Bennett hesitated. + +"Tell me," Elaine cried, "Is there--can there be anything in it? +No--no--there isn't!" + +Bennett spoke in a low tone. "I have heard a whisper of some +scandal or other connected with your father--but--" He paused. + +Elaine was first shocked, then indignant. + +"Why--such a thing is absurd. Show the woman in!" + +"No--please--Miss Dodge. Let me deal with her." + +By this time Elaine was furious. + +"Yes--I WILL see her." + +She pressed the button on Bennett's desk and Milton responded. + +"Milton, show the--the woman in," she ordered, "and that boy, +too." + +As Milton turned to crook his finger at "Weepy Mary," she nodded +surreptitiously and dug her fingers sharply into "son's" ribs. + +"Yell--you little fool,--yell," she whispered. + +Obedient to his "mother's" commands, and much to Milton's disgust, +the boy started to cry in close imitation of his elder. + +Elaine was still holding the paper in her hands when they entered. + +"What does all this mean?" she demanded. + +"Weepy Mary," between sobs, managed to blurt out, "You are Miss +Elaine Dodge, aren't you? Well, it means that your father married +me when I was only seventeen and this boy is his son--your half +brother." + +"No--never," cried Elaine vehemently, unable to restrain her +disgust. "He never married again. He was too devoted to the memory +of my mother." + +"Weepy Mary" smiled cynically. "Come with me and I will show you +the church records and the minister who married us." + +"You will?" repeated Elaine defiantly. "Well, I'll just do as you +ask. Mr. Bennett shall go with me." + +"No, no, Miss Dodge--don't go. Leave the matter to me," urged +Bennett. "I will take care of HER. Besides, I must be in court in +twenty minutes." + +Elaine paused, but she was thoroughly aroused. + +"Then I will go with her myself," she cried defiantly. + +In spite of every objection that Bennett made, "Weepy Mary," her +son, and Elaine went out to call a taxicab to take them to the +railroad station where they could catch a train to the little town +where the woman asserted she had been married. + + . . . . . . . . + +Meanwhile, before a little country church in the town, a closed +automobile had drawn up. + +As the door opened, a figure, humped up and masked, alighted. + +It was the Clutching Hand. + +The car had scarcely pulled away, when he gave a long rap, +followed by two short taps, at the door of the vestry, a secret +code, evidently. + +Inside the vestry room a well-dressed man but with a very sinister +face heard the knock and a second later opened the door. + +"What--not ready yet?" growled the Clutching Hand. "Quick--now-- +get on those clothes. I heard the train whistle as I came in the +car. In which closet does the minister keep them?" + +The crook, without a word, went to a closet and took out a suit of +clothes of ministerial cut. Then he hastily put them on, adding +some side-whiskers, which he had brought with him. + +At about the same time, Elaine, acompanied by "Weepy Mary" and her +"son," had arrived at the little tumble-down station and had taken +the only vehicle in sight, a very ancient carriage. + +It ambled along until, at last, it pulled up before the vestry +room door of the church, just as the bogus minister was finishing +his transformation from a frank crook. Clutching Hand was giving +him final instructions. + +Elaine and the others alighted and approached the church, while +the ancient vehicle rattled away. + +"They're coming," whispered the crook, peering cautiously out of +the window. + +Clutching Hand moved silently and snake-like into the closet and +shut the door. + +"How do you do, Dr. Carton?" greeted "Weepy Mary." "I guess you +don't remember me." + +The clerical gentleman looked at her fixedly a moment. + +"Remember you?" he repeated. "Of course, my dear. I remember +everyone I marry." + +"And you remember to whom you married me?" + +"Perfectly. To an older man--a Taylor Dodge." + +Elaine was overcome. + +"Won't you step in?" he asked suavely. "Your friend here doesn't +seem well." + +They all entered. + +"And you--you say--you married this--this woman to Taylor Dodge?" +queried Elaine, tensely. + +The bogus minister seemed to be very fatherly. "Yes," he assented, +"I certainly did so." + +"Have you the record?" asked Elaine, fighting to the last. + +"Why, yes. I can show you the record." + +He moved over to the closet. "Come over here," he asked. + +He opened the door. Elaine screamed and drew back. There stood her +arch enemy, the Clutching Hand himself. + +As he stepped forth, she turned, wildly, to run--anywhere. But +strong arms seized her and forced her into a chair. + +She looked at the woman and the minister. It was a plot! + +A moment Clutching Hand looked Elaine over. "Put the others out," +he ordered the other crook. + +Quickly the man obeyed, leading "Weepy Mary" and her "son" to the +door, and waving them away as he locked it. They left, quite as +much in the dark about the master criminal's identity as Elaine. + +"Now, my pretty dear," began the Clutching Hand as the lock turned +in the vestry door, "we shall be joined shortly by your friend, +Craig Kennedy, and," he added with a leer, "I think your rather +insistent search for a certain person will cease." + +Elaine drew back in the chair, horrified, at the implied threat. + +Clutching Hand laughed, diabolically. + + . . . . . . . . + +While these astounding events were transpiring in the little +church, Kennedy and I had been tearing across the country in his +big car, following the directions of our fair friend. + +We stopped at last before a prosperous, attractive-looking house +and entered a very prettily furnished but small parlor. Heavy +portieres hung over the doorway into the hall, over another into a +back room and over the bay windows. + +"Won't you sit down a moment?" coaxed Gertie. "I'm quite blown to +pieces after that ride. My, how you drive!" + +As she pulled aside the hall portieres, three men with guns thrust +their hands out. I turned. Two others had stepped from the back +room and two more from the bay window. We were surrounded. Seven +guns were aimed at us with deadly precision. + +"No--no--Walter--it's no use," shouted Kennedy calmly restraining +my hand which I had clapped on my own gun. + +At the same time, with his other hand, he took from his pocket the +small can which I had seen him place there, and held it aloft. + +"Gentlemen," he said quietly. "I suspected some such thing. I have +here a small box of fulminate of mercury. If I drop it, this +building and the entire vicinity will be blown to atoms. Go ahead- +-shoot!" he added, nonchalantly. + +The seven of them drew back, rather hurriedly. + +Kennedy was a dangerous prisoner. + +He calmly sat down in an arm chair, leaning back as he carefully +balanced the deadly little box of fulminate of mercury on his +knee. He placed his finger tips together and smiled at the seven +crooks, who had gathered together, staring breathlessly at this +man who toyed with death. + +Gertie ran from the room. + +For a moment they looked at each other, undecided, then one by +one, they stepped away from Kennedy toward the door. + +The leader was the last to go. He had scarcely taken a step. + +"Stop!" ordered Kennedy. + +The crook did so. As Craig moved toward him, he waited, cold sweat +breaking out on his face. + +"Say," he whined, "you let me be!" + +It was ineffectual. Kennedy, still smiling confidently, came +closer, still holding the deadly little box, balanced between two +fingers. + +He took the crook's gun and dropped it into his pocket. + +"Sit down!" ordered Craig. + +Outside, the other six parleyed in hoarse whispers. One raised a +gun, but the woman and the others restrained him and fled. + +"Take me to your master!" demanded Kennedy. + +The crook remained silent. + +"Where is he?" repeated Craig. "Tell me!" + +Still the man remained silent. Craig looked the fellow over again. +Then, still with that confident smile, he reached into his inside +pocket and drew forth the tube I had seen him place there. + +"No matter how much YOU accuse me," added Craig casually, "no one +will ever take the word of a crook that a reputable scientist like +me would do what I am about to do." + +He had taken out his penknife and opened it. Then he beckoned to +me. + +"Bare his arm and hold his wrist, Walter," he said. + +Craig bent down with the knife and the tube, then paused a moment +and turned the tube so that we could see it. + +On the label were the ominous words: + +Germ culture 6248A Bacillus Leprae (Leprosy) + +Calmly he took the knife and proceeded to make an incision in the +man's arm. The crook's feelings underwent a terrific struggle. + +"No--no--no--don't," he implored. "I will take you to the +Clutching Hand--even if it kills me!" + +Kennedy stepped back, replacing the tube in his pocket. + +"Very well, go ahead!" he agreed. + +We followed the crook, Craig still holding the deadly box of +fulminate of mercury carefully balanced so that if anyone shot him +from a hiding place it would drop. + + . . . . . . . . + +No sooner had we gone than Gertie hurried to the nearest telephone +to inform the Clutching Hand of our escape. + +Elaine had sunk back into the chair, as the telephone rang. +Clutching Hand answered it. + +A moment later, in uncontrollable fury he hurled the instrument to +the floor. + +"Here--we've got to act quickly--that devil has escaped again," he +hissed. "We must get her away. You keep her here. I'll be back-- +right away--with a car." + +He dashed madly from the church, pulling off his mask as he gained +the street. + + . . . . . . . . + +Kennedy had forced the crook ahead of us into the car which was +waiting and I followed, taking the wheel this time. + +"Which way, now--quick!" demanded Craig, "And if you get me in +wrong--I've got that tube yet--you remember." + +Our crook started off with a whole burst of directions that +rivalled the motor guide--"through the town, following trolley +tracks, jog right, jog left under the R. R. bridge, leaving +trolley tracks; at cemetery turn left, stopping at the old stone +church." + +"Is this it?" asked Craig incredulously. + +"Yes--as I live," swore the crook in a cowed voice. + +He had gone to pieces. Kennedy jumped from the machine. + +"Here, take this gun, Walter," he said to me. "Don't take your +eyes off the fellow--keep him covered." + +Craig walked around the church, out of sight, until he came to a +small vestry window and looked in. + +There was Elaine, sitting in a chair, and near her stood an +elderly looking man in clerical garb, which to Craig's trained eye +was quite evidently a disguise. + +Elaine happened just then to glance at the window and her eyes +grew wide with astonishment at the sight of Craig. + +He made a hasty motion to her to make a dash for the door. She +nodded quietly. + +With a glance at her guardian, she suddenly made a rush. + +He was at her in a moment, pouncing on her, cat-like. + +Kennedy had seized an iron bar that lay beside the window where +some workmen had been repairing the stone pavement, and, with a +blow shattered the glass and the sash. + +At the sound of the smashing glass the crook turned and with a +mighty effort threw Elaine aside, drawing his revolver. As he +raised it, Elaine sprang at him and frantically seized his wrist. + +Utterly merciless, the man brought the butt of the gun down with +full force on Elaine's head. Only her hat and hair saved her, but +she sank unconscious. + +Then he turned at Craig and fired twice. + +One shot grazed Craig's hat, but the other struck him in the +shoulder and Kennedy reeled. + +With a desperate effort he pulled himself together and leaped +forward again, closing with the fellow and wrenching the gun from +him before he could fire again. + +It fell to the floor with a clang. + +Just then the man broke away and made a dash for the door leading +back into the church itself, with Kennedy after him. At the foot +of a flight of stairs, he turned long enough to pick up a chair. +As Kennedy came on, he deliberately smashed it over Craig's head. + +Kennedy warded off the blow as best he could, then, still +undaunted, started up the stairs after the fellow. + +Up they went, into the choir loft and then into the belfry itself. +There they came to sheer hand to hand struggle. Kennedy tripped on +a loose board and would have fallen backwards, if he had not been +able to recover himself just in time. The crook, desperate, leaped +for the ladder leading further up into the steeple. Kennedy +followed. + +Elaine had recovered consciousness almost immediately and, hearing +the commotion, stirred and started to rise and look about. + +From the church she could hear sounds of the struggle. She paused +just long enough to seize the crook's revolver lying on the floor. + +She hurried into the church and up into the belfry, thence up the +ladder, whence the sounds came. + +The crook by this time had gained the outside of the steeple +through an opening. Kennedy was in close pursuit. + +On the top of the steeple was a great gilded cross, considerably +larger than a man. As the crook clambered outside, he scaled the +steeple, using a lightning rod and some projecting points to pull +himself up, desperately. + +Kennedy followed unhesitatingly. + +There they were, struggling in deadly combat, clinging to the +gilded cross. + +The first I knew of it was a horrified gasp from my own crook. I +looked up carefully, fearing it was a stall to get me off my +guard. There were Kennedy and the other crook, struggling, swaying +back and forth, between life and death. + +I looked at my man. What should I do? Should I leave him and go to +Craig? If I did, might he not pick us both off, from a safe +vantage point, by some sharp-shooting skill? + +There was nothing I could do. + +Kennedy was clinging to a lightning rod on the cross. + +It broke. + +I gasped as Craig reeled back. But he managed to catch hold of the +rod further down and cling to it. + +The crook seemed to exult diabolically. Holding with both hands to +the cross, he let himself out to his full length and stamped on +Kennedy's fingers, trying every way to dislodge him. It was all +Kennedy could do to keep his hold. + +I cried out in agony at the sight, for he had dislodged one of +Craig's hands. The other could not hold on much longer. He was +about to fall. + +Just then I saw a face at the little window opening out from the +ladder to the outside of the steeple--a woman's face, tense with +horror. + +It was Elaine! + +Quickly a hand followed and in it was a revolver. + +Just as the crook was about to dislodge Kennedy's other hand, I +saw a flash and a puff of smoke and a second later, heard a +report--and another--and another. + +Horrors! + +The crook who had taken refuge seemed to stagger back, wildly, +taking a couple of steps in the thin air. + +Kennedy regained his hold. + +With a sickening thud, the body of the crook landed on the ground +around the corner of the church from me. + +"Come--you!" I ground out, covering my own crook with the pistol, +"and if you attempt a getaway, I'll kill you, too!" + +He followed, trembling, unnerved. + +We bent over the man. It seemed that every bone in his body must +be broken. He groaned, and before I could even attempt anything +for him, he was dead. + + . . . . . . . . + +As Kennedy let himself slowly and painfully down the lightning +rod, Elaine seized him and, with all her strength, pulled him in +through the window. + +He was quite weak now from loss of blood. + +"Are you--all right?" she gasped, as they reached the foot of the +ladder in the belfry. + +Craig looked down at his torn and soiled clothes. Then, in spite +of the smarting pain of his wounds, he smiled, "Yes--all right!" +"Thank heaven!" she murmured fervently, trying to staunch the flow +of blood. + +Craig gazed at her eagerly. The great look of relief in her face +seemed to take away all the pain from his own face. In its place +came a look of wonder--and hope. + +He could not resist. + +"This time--it was you--saved me!" he cried, "Elaine!" + +Involuntarily his arms sought hers--and he held her a moment, +looking deep into her wonderful eyes. + +Then their faces came slowly together in their first kiss. + + + + +CHAPTER VIII + +THE HIDDEN VOICE + + +"Jameson--wake up!" + +The strain of the Dodge case was beginning to tell on me, for it +was keeping us at work at all kinds of hours to circumvent the +Clutching Hand, by far the cleverest criminal with whom Kennedy +had ever had anything to do. + +I had slept later than usual that morning and, in a half doze, I +heard a voice calling me, strangely like Kennedy's and yet unlike +it. + +I leaped out of bed, still in my pajamas, and stood for a moment +staring about. Then I ran into the living room. I looked about, +rubbing my eyes, startled. No one was there. + +"Hey--Jameson--wake up!" + +It was spooky. + +I ran back into Craig's room. He was gone. There was no one in any +of our rooms. The surprise had now thoroughly awakened me. + +"Where--the deuce--are you?" I demanded. + +Suddenly I heard the voice again--no doubt about it, either. + +"Here I am--over on the couch!" + +I scratched my head, puzzled. There was certainly no one on that +couch. + +A laugh greeted me. Plainly, though, it came from the couch. I +went over to it and, ridiculous as it seemed, began to throw aside +the pillows. + +There lay nothing but a little oblong oaken box, perhaps eight or +ten inches long and three or four inches square at the ends. In +the face were two peculiar square holes and from the top projected +a black disc, about the size of a watch, fastened on a swinging +metal arm. In the face of the disc were several perforated holes. + +I picked up the strange looking thing in wonder and from that +magic oak box actually came a burst of laughter. + +"Come over to the laboratory, right away," pealed forth a merry +voice. "I've something to show you." + +"Well," I gasped, "what do you know about that?" + +Very early that morning Craig had got up, leaving me snoring. +Cases never wearied him. He thrived on excitement. + +He had gone over to the laboratory and set to work in a corner +over another of those peculiar boxes, exactly like that which he +had already left in our rooms. + +In the face of each of these boxes, as I have said, were two +square holes. The sides of these holes converged inward into the +box, in the manner of a four sided pyramid, ending at the apex in +a little circle of black, perhaps half an inch across. + +Satisfied at last with his work, Craig had stood back from the +weird apparatus and shouted my name. He had enjoyed my surprise to +the fullest extent, then had asked me to join him. + +Half an hour afterward I walked into the laboratory, feeling a +little sheepish over the practical joke, but none the less curious +to find out all about it. + +"What is it?" I asked indicating the apparatus. + +"A vocaphone," he replied, still laughing, "the loud speaking +telephone, the little box that hears and talks. It talks right out +in meeting, too--no transmitter to hold to the mouth, no receiver +to hold to the ear. You see, this transmitter is so sensitive that +it picks up even a whisper, and the receiver is placed back of +those two megaphone-like pyramids." + +He was standing at a table, carefully packing up one of the +vocaphones and a lot of wire. + +"I believe the Clutching Hand has been shadowing the Dodge house," +he continued thoughtfully. "As long as we watch the place, too, he +will do nothing. But if we should seem, ostentatiously, not to be +watching, perhaps he may try something, and we may be able to get +a clue to his identity over this vocaphone. See?" + +I nodded. "We've got to run him down somehow," I agreed. + +"Yes," he said, taking his coat and hat. "I am going to connect up +one of these things in Miss Dodge's library and arrange with the +telephone company for a clear wire so that we can listen in here, +where that fellow will never suspect." + + . . . . . . . . + +At about the same time that Craig and I sallied forth on this new +mission, Elaine was arranging some flowers on a stand near the +corner of the Dodge library where the secret panel was in which +her father had hidden the papers for the possession of which the +Clutching Hand had murdered him. They did not disclose his +identity, we knew, but they did give directions to at least one of +his hang-outs and were therefore very important. + +She had moved away from the table, but, as she did so, her dress +caught in something in the woodwork. She tried to loosen it and in +so doing touched the little metallic spring on which her dress had +caught. + +Instantly, to her utter surprise, the panel moved. It slid open, +disclosing a strong box. + +Elaine took it amazed, looked at it a moment, then carried it to a +table and started to pry it open. + +It was one of those tin dispatch boxes which, as far as I have +ever been able to determine, are chiefly valuable for allowing one +to place a lot of stuff in a receptacle which is very convenient +for a criminal. She had no trouble in opening it. + +Inside were some papers, sealed in an envelope and marked "Limpy +Red Correspondence." + +"They must be the Clutching Hand papers!" she exclaimed to +herself, hesitating a moment in doubt what to do. The fatal +documents seemed almost uncanny. Their very presence frightened +her. What should she do? + +She seized the telephone and eagerly called Kennedy's number. + +"Hello," answered a voice. + +"Is that you, Craig?" she asked excitedly. + +"No, this is Mr. Jameson." + +"Oh, Mr. Jameson, I've discovered the Clutching Hand papers," she +began, more and more excited. + +"Have you read them?" came back the voice quickly. + +"No--shall I?" + +"Then don't unseal them," cautioned the voice. "Put them back +exactly as you found them and I'll tell Mr. Kennedy the moment I +can get hold of him." + +"All right," nodded Elaine. "I'll do that. And please get him--as +soon as you possibly can." + +"I will." + +"I'm going out shopping now," she returned, suddenly. "But, tell +him I'll be back--right away." + +"Very well." + +Hanging up the receiver, Elaine dutifully replaced the papers in +the box and returned the box to its secret hiding place, pressing +the spring and sliding the panel shut. + +A few minutes later she left the house in the Dodge car. + + . . . . . . . . + +Outside our laboratory, leaning up against a railing, Dan the +Dude, an emissary of the Clutching Hand, whose dress now greatly +belied his underworld "monniker," had been shadowing us, watching +to see when we left. + +The moment we disappeared, he raised his hand carefully above his +head and made the sign of the Clutching Hand. Far down the street, +in a closed car, the Clutching Hand himself, his face masked, gave +an answering sign. + +A moment later he left the car, gazing about stealthily. Not a +soul was in sight and he managed to make his way to the door of +our laboratory without being observed. Then he opened it with a +pass key which he must have obtained in some way by working the +janitor or the university officials. + +Probably he thought that the papers might be at the laboratory, +for he had repeatedly failed to locate them at the Dodge house. At +any rate he was busily engaged in ransacking drawers and cabinets +in the laboratory, when the telephone suddenly rang. He did not +want to answer it, but if it kept on ringing someone outside might +come in. + +An instant he hesitated. Then, disguising his voice as much as he +could to imitate mine, he took off the receiver. + +"Hello!" he answered. + +His face was a study in all that was dark as he realized that it +was Elaine calling. He clenched his crooked hand even more +viciously. + +"Have you read them?" he asked, curbing his impatience as she +unsuspectingly poured forth her story, supposedly to me. + +"Then don't unseal them," he hastened to reply. "Put them back. +Then there can be no question about them. You can open them before +witnesses." + +For a moment he paused, then added, "Put them back and tell no one +of their discovery. I will tell Mr. Kennedy the moment I can get +him." + +A smile spread over his sinister face as Elaine confided in him +her intention to go shopping. + +"A rather expensive expedition for you, young lady," he muttered +to himself as he returned the receiver to the hook. + +Clutching Hand lost no further time at the laboratory. He had +thus, luckily for him, found out what he wanted. The papers were +not there after all, but at the Dodge house. + +Suppose she should really be gone on only a short shopping trip +and should return to find that she had been fooled over the wire? +Quickly, he went to the telephone again. + +"Hello, Dan," he called when he got his number. + +"Miss Dodge is going shopping. I want you and the other Falsers to +follow her--delay her all you can. Use your own judgment." + +It was what had come to be known in his organization as the +"Brotherhood of Falsers." There, in the back room of a low dive, +were Dan the Dude, the emissary who had been loitering about the +laboratory, a gunman, Dago Mike, a couple of women, slatterns, one +known as Kitty the Hawk, and a boy of eight or ten, whom they +called Billy. Before them stood large schooners of beer, while the +precocious youngster grumbled over milk. + +"All right, Chief," shouted back Dan, their leader as he hung up +the telephone after noting carefully the hasty instructions. +"We'll do it--trust us." + +The others, knowing that a job was to lighten the monotony of +existence, gathered about him. + +They listened intently as he detailed to them the orders of the +Clutching Hand, hastily planning out the campaign like a division +commander disposing his forces in battle and assigning each his +part. + +With alacrity the Brotherhood went their separate ways. + + . . . . . . . . + +Elaine had not been gone long from the house when Craig and I +arrived there. She had followed the telephone instructions of the +Clutching Hand and had told no one. + +"Too bad," greeted Jennings, "but Miss Elaine has just gone +shopping and I don't know when she'll be back." + +Shopping being an uncertain element as far as time was concerned, +Kennedy asked if anyone else was at home. + +"Mrs. Dodge is in the library reading, sir," replied Jennings, +taking it for granted that we would see her. + +Aunt Josephine greeted us cordially and Craig set down the +vocaphone package he was carrying. + +She nodded to Jennings to leave us and he withdrew. + +"I'm not going to let anything happen here to Miss Elaine again if +I can help it," remarked Craig in a low tone, a moment later, +gazing about the library. + +"What are you thinking of doing?" asked Aunt Josephine keenly. + +"I'm going to put in a vocaphone," he returned unwrapping it. + +"What's that?" she asked. + +"A loud speaking telephone--connected with my laboratory," he +explained, repeating what he had already told me, while she +listened almost awe-struck at the latest scientific wonder. + +He was looking about, trying to figure out just where it could be +placed to best advantage, when he approached the suit of armor. + +"I see you have brought it back and had it repaired," he remarked +to Aunt Josephine. Suddenly his face lighted up. "Ah--an idea!" he +exclaimed. "No one will ever think to look INSIDE that." + +It was indeed an inspiration. Kennedy worked quickly now, placing +the little box inside the breast plate of the ancient armourer +with the top of the instrument projecting right up into the +helmet. It was a strange combination--the medieval and the ultra- +modern. + +"Now, Mrs. Dodge," he said finally, as he had completed installing +the thing and hiding the wire under carpets and rugs until it ran +out to the connection which he made with the telephone, "don't +breathe a word of it--to anyone. We don't know who to trust or +suspect." + +"I shall not," she answered, by this time thoroughly educated in +the value of silence. + +Kennedy looked at his watch. + +"I've got an engagement with the telephone company, now," he said +rather briskly, although I knew that if Elaine had been there the +company and everything could have gone hang for the present. +"Sorry not to have seen Miss Elaine," he added as we bowed +ourselves out, "but I think we've got her protected now." + +"I hope so," sighed her aunt. + + . . . . . . . . + +Elaine's car had stopped finally at a shop on Fifth Avenue. She +stepped out and entered, leaving her chauffeur to wait. + +As she did so, Dan and Billy sidled along the crowded sidewalk. + +"There she is, Billy," pointed out Dan as Elaine disappeared +through the swinging doors of the shop. "Now, you wait right +here," he instructed stealthily, "and when she comes out--you know +what to do. Only, be careful." + +Dan the Dude left Billy, and Billy surreptitiously drew from under +his coat a dirty half loaf of bread. With a glance about, he +dropped it into the gutter close to the entrance to Elaine's car. +Then he withdrew a little distance. + +When Elaine came out and approached her car, Billy, looking as +cold and forlorn as could be, shot forward. Pretending to spy the +dirty piece of bread in the gutter, he made a dive for it, just as +Elaine was about to step into the car. + +Elaine, surprised, drew back. Billy picked up the piece of bread +and, with all the actions of having discovered a treasure, began +to gnaw at it voraciously. + +Shocked at the disgusting sight, she tried to take the bread away +from him. + +"I know it's dirty, Miss," whimpered Billy, "but it's the first +food I've seen for four days." + +Instantly Elaine was full of sympathy. She had taken the food +away. That would not suffice. + +"What's your name, little boy?" she asked. + +"Billy," he replied, blubbering. + +"Where do you live?" + +"With me mother and father--they're sick--nothing to eat--" + +He was whimpering an address far over on the East Side. + +"Get into the car," Elaine directed. + +"Gee--but this is swell," he cried, with no fake, this time. + +On they went, through the tenement canyons, dodging children and +pushcarts, stopping first at a grocer's, then at a butcher's and a +delicatessen. Finally the car stopped where Billy directed. Billy +hobbled out, followed by Elaine and her chauffeur, his arms piled +high with provisions. She was indeed a lovely Lady Bountiful as a +crowd of kids quickly surrounded the car. + +In the meantime Dago Mike and Kitty the Hawk had gone to a +wretched flat, before which Billy stopped. Kitty sat on the bed, +putting dark circles under her eyes with a blackened cork. She was +very thin and emaciated, but it was dissipation that had done it. +Dago Mike was correspondingly poorly dressed. + +He had paused beside the window to look out. "She's coming," he +announced finally. + +Kitty hastily jumped into the rickety bed, while Mike took up a +crutch that was standing idly in a corner. She coughed resignedly +and he limped about, forlorn. They had assumed their parts which +were almost to the burlesque of poverty, when the door was pushed +open and Billy burst in followed by Elaine and the chauffeur. + +"Oh, ma--oh, pa," he cried running forward and kissing his pseudo- +parents, as Elaine, overcome with sympathy, directed the chauffeur +to lay the things on a shaky table. + +"God bless you, lady, for a benevolent angel!" muttered the pair, +to which Elaine responded by moving over to the wretched bed and +bending down to stroke the forehead of the sick woman. + +Billy and Mike exchanged a sly wink. + +Just then the door opened again. All were genuinely surprised this +time, for a prim, spick and span, middle-aged woman entered. + +"I am Miss Statistix, of the organized charities," she announced, +looking around sharply. "I saw your car standing outside, Miss, +and the children below told me you were up here. I came up to see +whether you were aiding really DESERVING poor." + +She laid a marked emphasis on the word, pursing up her lips. There +was no mistaking the apprehension that these fine birds of prey +had of her, either. + +Miss Statistix took a step forward, looking in a very superior +manner from Elaine to the packages of food and then at these prize +members of the Brotherhood. She snorted contemptuously. + +"Why--wh-what's the matter?" asked Elaine, fidgeting +uncomfortably, as if she were herself guilty, in the icy +atmosphere that now seemed to envelope all things. + +"This man is a gunman, that woman is a bad woman, the boy is Billy +the Bread-Snatcher," she answered precisely, drawing out a card on +which to record something, "and you, Miss, are a fool!" + +"Ya!" snarled the two precious falsers, "get out o' here!" + +There was no combating Miss Statistix. She overwhelmed all +arguments by the very exactness of her personality. + +"YOU get out!" she countered. + +Kitty and Mike, accompanied by Billy, sneaked out. Elaine, now +very much embarrassed, looked about, wondering at the rapid-fire +change. Miss Statistix smiled pityingly. + +"Such innocence!" she murmured sadly shaking her head as she lead +Elaine to the door. "Don't you know better than to try to help +anybody without INVESTIGATING?" + +Elaine departed, speechless, properly squelched, followed by her +chauffeur. + + . . . . . . . . + +Meanwhile, a closed car, such as had stood across from the +laboratory, had drawn up not far from the Dodge house. Near it was +a man in rather shabby clothes and a visored cap on which were the +words in dull gold lettering, "Metropolitan Window Cleaning Co." +He carried a bucket and a small extension ladder. + +In the darkened recesses of the car was the Clutching Hand +himself, masked as usual. He had his watch in his hand and was +giving most minute instructions to the window cleaner about +something. As the latter turned to go, a sharp observer would have +noted that it was Dan the Dude, still further disguised. + +A few moments later, Dan appeared at the servants' entrance of the +Dodge house and rang the bell. Jennings, who happened to be down +there, came to the door. + +"Man to clean the windows," saluted the bogus cleaner, touching +his hat in a way quietly to call attention to the words on it and +drawing from his pocket a faked written order. + +"All right," nodded Jennings examining the order and finding it +apparently all right. + +Dan followed him in, taking the ladder and bucket upstairs, where +Aunt Josephine was still reading. + +"The man to clean the windows, ma'am," apologized Jennings. + +"Oh, very well," she nodded, taking up her book, to go. Then, +recalling the frequent injunctions of Kennedy, she paused long +enough to speak quietly to Jennings. + +"Stay here and watch him," she whispered as she went out. + +Jennings nodded, while Dan opened a window and set to work. + + . . . . . . . . + +Elaine had scarcely started again in her car down the crowded +narrow street. From her position she could not possibly have seen +Johnnie, another of the Brotherhood, watching her eagerly up the +street. + +But as her car approached, Johnnie, with great determination, +pulled himself together and ran forward across the street. She saw +that. + +"Oh!" she screamed, her heart almost stopping. + +He had fallen directly in front of the wheels of the car, +apparently, and although the chauffeur stopped with a jolt, it +seemed that the boy had been run over. + +They jumped out. There he was, sure enough, under the very wheels. +People came running now in all directions and lifted him up, +groaning piteously. He seemed literally twisted into a knot which +looked as if every bone in his body was broken or dislocated. + +Elaine was overcome. For, following their natural instincts the +crowd began pushing in with cries of "Lynch the driver!" It would +have gone hard with him, too, if she had not interfered. + +"Here!" cried Elaine, stepping in. "It wasn't his fault. The boy +ran across the street right in front of the car. Now--we're just +going to rush this boy to the hospital--right away!" + +She lifted Johnnie gently into the car herself and they drove off, +to a very vigorous blowing of the horn. + +A few moments later they pulled up before the ambulance entrance +to the hospital. + +"Quick!" beckoned Elaine to the attendants, who ran out and +carried Johnnie, still a complicated knot of broken bones, inside. + +In the reception room were a couple of nurses and a young medical +student, when Johnnie was carried in and laid on the bed. The +student, more interested in Elaine than the boy, examined him. His +face wore a puzzled look and there was every reason to believe +that Johnnie was seriously injured. + +At that moment the door opened and an elderly, gray-bearded house +physician entered. The others stepped back from the bed +respectfully. He advanced and examined Johnnie. + +The doctor looked at the boy a moment, then at Elaine. + +"I will now effect a miraculous cure by the laying on of hands," +he announced, adding quickly, "--and of feet!" + +To the utter surprise of all he seized the boy by the coat collar, +lifting him up and actually bouncing him on the floor. Then he +picked him up, shook him and ran him out of the room, delivering +one last kick as he went through the door. By the way Johnnie +went, it was quite evident that he was no more injured than the +chauffeur. Elaine did not know whether to be angry or to laugh, +but finally joined in the general laugh. + +"That was Double-Jointed Johnnie," puffed the doctor, as he +returned to them, "one of the greatest accident fakers in the +city." + +Elaine, having had two unfortunate experiences during the day, now +decided to go home and the doctor politely escorted her to her +car. + + . . . . . . . . + +From his closed car, the Clutching Hand gazed intently at the +Dodge house. He could see Dan on the ladder, now washing the +library window, his back toward him. + +Dan turned slowly and made the sign of the hand. Turning to his +chauffeur, the master criminal spoke a few words in a low tone and +the driver hurried off. + +A few minutes later the driver might have been seen entering a +near-by drug store and going into the telephone booth. Without a +moment's hesitation he called up the Dodge house and Marie, +Elaine's maid, answered. + +"Is Jennings there?" he asked. "Tell him a friend wants to speak +to him." + +"Wait a minute," she answered. "I'll get him." + +Marie went toward the library, leaving the telephone off the hook. +Dan was washing the windows, half inside, half outside the house, +while Jennings was trying to be very busy, although it was +apparent that he was watching Dan closely. + +"A friend of yours wants to speak to you over the telephone, +Jennings," said Marie, as she came into the library. + +The butler responded slowly, with a covert glance at Dan. + +No sooner had they gone, however, than Dan climbed all the way +into the room, ran to the door and looked after them. Then he ran +to the window. Across and down the street, the Clutching Hand was +gazing at the house. He had seen Dan disappear and suspected that +the time had come. + +Sure enough, there was the sign of the hand. He hastily got out of +the car and hurried up the street. All this time the chauffeur was +keeping Jennings busy over the telephone with some trumped-up +story. + +As the master criminal came in by the ladder through the open +window, Dan was on guard, listening down the hallway. A signal +from Dan, and Clutching Hand slid back of the portieres. Jennings +was returning. + +"I've finished these windows," announced Dan as the butler +reappeared. "Now, I'll clean the hall windows." + +Jennings followed like a shadow, taking the bucket. + +No sooner had they gone than Clutching Hand stealthily came from +behind the portieres. + +One of the maids was sweeping in the hall as Dan went toward the +window, about to wash it. + +"I wonder whether I locked these windows?" muttered Jennings, +pausing in the hallway. "I guess I'd better make sure." + +He had taken only a step toward the library again, when Dan +watchfully caught sight of him. It would never do to have Jennings +snooping around there now. Quick action was necessary. Dan knocked +over a costly Sevres vase. + +"There--clumsy--see what you've done!" berated Jennings, starting +to pick up the pieces. + +Dan had acted his part well and promptly. In the library, +Clutching Hand was busily engaged at that moment beside the secret +panel searching for the spring that released it. He ran his finger +along the woodwork, pausing here and there without succeeding. + +"Confound it!" he muttered, searching feverishly. + + . . . . . . . . + +Kennedy, having made the arrangements with the telephone company +by which he had a clear wire from the Dodge house to his +laboratory, had rejoined me there and was putting on the finishing +touches to his installation of the vocaphone. + +Every now and then he would switch it on, and we would listen in +as he demonstrated the wonderful little instrument to me. He had +heard the window cleaner and Jennings, but thought nothing of it +at the time. + +Once, however, Craig paused and I saw him listening more intently +than usual. + +"They've gone out," he muttered, "but surely there is someone in +the Dodge library." + +I listened; too. The thing was so sensitive that even a whisper +could be magnified and I certainly did hear something. + +Kennedy frowned. What was that scratching noise? Could it be +Jennings? Perhaps it was Rusty. + +Just then we could distinguish a sound as though someone had moved +about. + +"No--that's not Jennings," cried Craig. "He went out." + +He looked at me a moment. The same stealthy noise was repeated. + +"It's the Clutching Hand!" he exclaimed excitedly. + + . . . . . . . . + +A moment later, Dan hurried into the Dodge library. + +"For heaven's sake, Chief, hurry!" he whispered hoarsely. "The +falsers must have fallen down. The girl herself is coming!" + +Dan himself had no time to waste. He retreated into the hallway +just as Jennings was opening the door for Elaine. + +Marie took her wraps and left her, while Elaine handed her +numerous packages to Jennings. Dan watched every motion. + +"Put them away, Jennings," she said softly. + +Jennings had obeyed and gone upstairs. Elaine moved toward the +library. Dan took a quiet step or two behind her, in the same +direction. + +In the library, Clutching Hand was now frantically searching for +the spring. He heard Elaine coming and dodged behind the curtains +again just as she entered. + +With a hasty look about, she saw no one. Then she went quickly to +the panel, found the spring, and pressed it. So many queer things +had happened to her since she went out that she had begun to worry +over the safety of the papers. + +The panel opened. They were there, all right. She opened the box +and took them out, hesitating to break the seal before Kennedy +arrived. + +Stealthy and tiger-like the Clutching Hand crept up behind her. As +he did so, Dan gazed in through the portieres from the hall. + +With a spring, Clutching Hand leaped at Elaine, snatching at the +papers. Elaine clung to them tenaciously in spite of the surprise, +and they struggled for them, Clutching Hand holding one hand over +her mouth to prevent her screaming. Instantly Dan was there, +aiding his chief. + +"Choke her! Strangle her! Don't let her scream!" he ground out. + +They fought viciously. Would they succeed? It was two desperate, +unscrupulous men against one frail girl. + +Suddenly, from the man in armor in the corner, as if by a miracle +came a deep, loud voice. + +"Help! Help! Murder! Police! They are strangling me!" + +The effect was terrific. + +Clutching Hand and Dan, hardened in crime as they were, fell back, +dazed, overcome for the moment at the startling effect. + +They looked about. Not a soul. + +Then to their utter consternation, from the vizor of the helmet +again came the deep, vibrating warning. + +"Help! Murder! Police!" + + . . . . . . . . + +Kennedy and I had been listening over the vocaphone, for the +moment non-plussed at the fellow's daring. + +Then we heard from the uncanny instrument, "For Heaven's sake, +Chief, hurry! The falsers have fallen down. The girl herself is +coming!" + +What it meant we did not know. But Craig was almost beside +himself, as he ordered me to try to get the police by telephone, +if there was any way to block them. Only instant action would +count, however. What to do? + +He could hear the master criminal plainly fumbling, now. + +"Yes, that's the Clutching Hand," he repeated. + +"Wait," I cautioned, "someone else is coming!" + +By a sort of instinct he seemed to recognize the sounds. + +"Elaine!" he exclaimed, paling. + +Instantly followed, in less time than I can tell it, the sounds of +a suppressed scuffle. + +"He has seized her--gagged her," I cried in an agony of suspense. + +We could now hear everything that was going on in the library. +Craig was wildly excited. As for me, I was speechless. Here was +the vocaphone we had installed. It had warned us. But what could +we do? + +I looked blankly at Kennedy. He was equal to the emergency. + +He calmly turned a switch. + +Then, at the top of his lungs, he shouted, "Help! Help! Police! +They are strangling me!" + +I looked at him in amazement. What did he think he could do-- +blocks away? + +"It works both ways," he muttered. "Help! Murder! Police!" + +We could hear the astounded cursing of the two men. Also, down the +hall, now, we could hear footsteps approaching in answer to his +call for help--Aunt Josephine, Jennings, Marie, and others, all +shouting out that there were cries in the library. + +"The deuce! What is it?" muttered a gruff voice. + +"The man in armor!" hissed Clutching Hand. + +"Here they come, too, Chief!" + +There was a parting scuffle. + +"There--take that!" + +A loud metallic ringing came from the vocaphone. + +Then, silence! + +What had happened + + . . . . . . . . + +In the library, recovered from their first shock of surprise, Dan +cried out to the Clutching Hand, "The deuce. What is it?" + +Then, looking about, Clutching Hand quickly took in the situation. + +"The man in armor!" he pointed out. + +Dan was almost dead with fright at the weird thing. + +"Here they come, too, Chief," he gasped, as, down the hall he +could hear the family shouting out that someone was in the +library. + +With a parting thrust, Clutching Hand sent Elaine reeling. + +She held on to only a corner of the papers. He had the greater +part of them. They were torn and destroyed, anyway. + +Finally, with all the venomousness of which he was capable, +Clutching Hand rushed at the armor suit, drew back his gloved +fist, and let it shoot out squarely in a vicious solar plexus +blow. + +"There--take that!" he roared. + +The suit rattled, furiously. Out of it spilled the vocaphone with +a bang on the floor. + +An instant later those in the hall rushed in. But the Clutching +Hand and Dan were gone out of the window, the criminal carrying +the greater part of the precious papers. + +Some ran to Elaine, others to the window. The ladder had been +kicked away and the criminals were gone. Leaping into the waiting +car, they had been whisked away. + +"Hello! Hello! Hello!" called a voice, apparently from nowhere. + +"What is that?" cried Elaine, still blankly wondering. + +She had risen by this time and was gazing about, wondering at the +strange voice. Suddenly her eye fell on the armor scattered all +over the floor. She spied the little oak box. + +"Elaine!" + +Apparently the voice came from that. Besides, it had a familiar +ring to her ears. + +"Yes--Craig!" she cried. + +"This is my vocaphone--the little box that hears and talks," came +back to her. "Are you all right?" + +"Yes--all right,--thanks to the vocaphone." + +She had understood in an instant. She seized the helmet and +breastplate to which the vocaphone still was attached and was +holding them close to herself. + + . . . . . . . . + +Kennedy had been calling and listening intently over the machine, +wondering whether it had been put out of business in some way. + +"It works--yet!" he cried excitedly to me. "Elaine!" + +"Yes, Craig," came back over the faithful little instrument. + +"Are you all right?" + +"Yes--all right." + +"Thank heaven!" breathed Craig, pushing me aside. + +Literally he kissed that vocaphone as if it had been human! + + + + +CHAPTER IX + +THE DEATH RAY + + +Kennedy was reading a scientific treatise one morning, while I was +banging on the typewriter, when a knock at the laboratory door +disturbed us. + +By some intuition, Craig seemed to know who it was. He sprang to +open the door, and there stood Elaine Dodge and her lawyer, Perry +Bennett. + +Instantly, Craig read from the startled look on Elaine's face that +something dreadful had happened. + +"Why--what's the matter?" he asked, solicitously. + +"A--another letter--from the Clutching Hand!" she exclaimed +breathlessly. "Mr. Bennett was calling on me, when this note was +brought in. We both thought we'd better see you at once about it +and he was kind enough to drive me here right away in his car." + +Craig took the letter and we both read, with amazement: + +"Are you an enemy of society? If not, order Craig Kennedy to leave +the country by nine o'clock to-morrow morning. Otherwise, a +pedestrian will drop dead outside his laboratory every hour until +he leaves." + +The note was signed by the now familiar sinister hand, and had, +added, a postcript, which read: + +"As a token of his leaving, have him place a vase of flowers on +his laboratory window to-day." + +"What shall we do?" queried Bennett, evidently very much alarmed +at the threat. + +"Do?" replied Kennedy, laughing contemptuously at the apparently +futile threat, "why, nothing. Just wait." + + . . . . . . . . + +The day proved uneventful and I paid no further attention to the +warning letter. It seemed too preposterous to amount to anything. + +Kennedy, however, with his characteristic foresight, as I learned +afterwards, had not been entirely unprepared, though he had +affected to treat the thing with contempt. + +His laboratory, I may say, was at the very edge of the University +buildings, with the campus back of it, but opening on the other +side on a street that was ordinarily not overcrowded. + +We got up as usual the next day and, quite early, went over to the +laboratory. Kennedy, as was his custom, plunged straightway into +his work and appeared absorbed by it, while I wrote. + +"There IS something queer going on, Walter," he remarked. "This +thing registers some kind of wireless rays--infra-red, I think,-- +something like those that they say that Italian scientist, Ulivi, +claims he has discovered and called the 'F-rays.'" + +"How do you know?" I asked, looking up from my work. "What's that +instrument you are using?" + +"A bolometer, invented by the late Professor Langley," he replied, +his attention riveted on it. + +Some time previously, Kennedy had had installed on the window +ledge one of those mirror-like arrangements, known as a +"busybody," which show those in a room what is going on on the +street. + +As I moved over to look at the bolometer, I happened to glance +into the busybody and saw that a crowd was rapidly collecting on +the sidewalk. + +"Look, Craig!" I called hastily. + +He hurried over to me and looked. We could both see in the +busybody mirror a group of excited passersby bending over a man +lying prostrate on the sidewalk. + +He had evidently been standing on the curbstone outside the +laboratory and had suddenly put his hand to his forehead. Then he +had literally crumpled up into a heap, as he sank to the ground. + +The excited crowd lifted him up and bore him away, and I turned in +surprise to Craig. He was looking at his watch. + +It was now only a few moments past nine o'clock! + +Not quarter of an hour later, our door was excitedly flung open +and Elaine and Perry Bennett arrived. + +"I've just heard of the accident," she cried, fearfully. "Isn't it +terrible. What had we better do?" + +For a few moments no one said a word. Then Kennedy began carefully +examining the bolometer and some other recording instruments he +had, while the rest of us watched, fascinated. + +Somehow that "busybody" seemed to attract me. I could not resist +looking into it from time to time as Kennedy worked. + +I was scarcely able to control my excitement when, again, I saw +the same scene enacted on the sidewalk before the laboratory. +Hurriedly I looked at my watch. It was ten o'clock! + +"Craig!" I cried. "Another!" + +Instantly he was at my side, gazing eagerly. There was a second +innocent pedestrian lying on the sidewalk while a crowd, almost +panic-stricken, gathered about him. + +We watched, almost stunned by the suddenness of the thing, until +finally, without a word, Kennedy turned away, his face set in +tense lines. + +"It's no use," he muttered, as we gathered about him. "We're +beaten. I can't stand this sort of thing. I will leave to-morrow +for South America." + +I thought Elaine Dodge would faint at the shock of his words +coming so soon after the terrible occurrence outside. She looked +at him, speechless. + +It happened that Kennedy had some artificial flowers on a stand, +which he had been using long before in the study of synthetic +coloring materials. Before Elaine could recover her tongue, he +seized them and stuck them into a tall beaker, like a vase. Then +he deliberately walked to the window and placed the beaker on the +ledge in a most prominent position. + +Elaine and Bennett, to say nothing of myself, gazed at him, awe- +struck. + +"Is--is there no other way but to surrender?" she asked. + +Kennedy mournfully shook his head. + +"I'm afraid not," he answered slowly. "There's no telling how far +a fellow who has this marvellous power might go. I think I'd +better leave to save you. He may not content himself with innocent +outsiders always." + +Nothing that any of us could say, not even the pleadings of Elaine +herself could move him. The thought that at eleven o'clock a third +innocent passerby might lie stricken on the street seemed to move +him powerfully. + +When, at eleven, nothing happened as it had at the other two +hours, he was even more confirmed in his purpose. Entreaties had +no effect, and late in the morning, he succeeded in convincing us +all that his purpose was irrevocable. + +As we stood at the door, mournfully bidding our visitors farewell +until the morrow, when he had decided to sail, I could see that he +was eager to be alone. He had been looking now and then at the +peculiar instrument which he had been studying earlier in the day +and I could see on his face a sort of subtle intentness. + +"I'm so sorry--Craig," murmured Elaine, choking back her emotion, +and finding it impossible to go on. + +"So am I, Elaine," he answered, tensely. "But--perhaps--when this +trouble blows over--" + +He paused, unable to speak, turned, and shook his head. Then with +a forced gaiety he bade Elaine and Perry Bennett adieu, saying +that perhaps a trip might do him good. + +They had scarcely gone out and Kennedy closed the door carefully, +when he turned and went directly to the instrument which I had +seen him observing so interestedly. + +Plainly, I could see that it was registering something. + +"What's the matter?" I asked, non-plussed. + +"Just a moment, Walter," he replied evasively, as if not quite +sure of himself. + +He walked fairly close to the window this time, keeping well out +of the direct line of it, however, and there stood gazing out into +the street. + +A glint, as if of the sun shining on a pair of opera glasses could +be seen from a window across the way. + +"We are being watched," he said slowly, turning and looking at me +fixedly, "but I don't dare investigate lest it cost the lives of +more unfortunates." + +He stood for a moment in deep thought. Then he pulled out a +suitcase and began silently to pack it. + + . . . . . . . . + +Although we had not dared to investigate, we knew that from a +building, across the street, emissaries of the Clutching Hand were +watching for our signal of surrender. + +The fact was, as we found out later, that in a poorly furnished +room, much after the fashion of that which, with the help of the +authorities, we had once raided in the suburbs, there were at that +moment two crooks. + +One of them was the famous, or rather the infamous, Professor +LeCroix, with whom in a disguise as a doctor we had already had +some experience when he stole from the Hillside Sanitarium the +twilight sleep drugs. The other was the young secretary of the +Clutching Hand who had given the warning at the suburban +headquarters at the time when they were endeavoring to tranfuse +Elaine Dodge's blood to save the life of the crook whom she had +shot. + +This was the new headquarters of the master criminal, very +carefully guarded. + +"Look!" cried LeCroix, very much elated at the effect that had +been produced by his infra-red rays, "There is the sign--the vase +of flowers. We have got him this time!" + +LeCroix gleefully patted a peculiar instrument beside him. +Apparently it was a combination of powerful electric arcs, the +rays of which were shot through a funnel-like arrangement into a +converter or, rather, a sort of concentration apparatus from which +the dread power could be released through a tube-like affair at +one end. It was his infra-red heat wave, F-ray, engine. + +"I told you--it would work!" cried LeCroix. + + . . . . . . . . + +I did not argue any further with Craig about his sudden resolution +to go away. But it is a very solemn proceeding to pack up and +admit defeat after such a brilliant succession of cases as had +been his until we met this master criminal. + +He was unshakeable, however, and the next morning we closed the +laboratory and loaded our baggage, which was considerable, on a +taxicab. + +Neither of us said much, but I saw a quick look of appreciation on +Craig's face as we pulled up at the wharf and saw that the Dodge +car was already there. He seemed deeply moved that Elaine should +come at such an early hour to have a last word. + +Our cab stopped and Kennedy moved over toward her car, directing +two porters, whom I noticed that he chose with care, to wait at +one side. One of them was an old Irishman with a slight limp; the +other a wiry Frenchman with a pointed beard. + +In spite of her pleadings, however, Kennedy held to his purpose +and, as we shook hands for the last time, I thought that Elaine +would almost break down. + +"Here, you fellows, now," directed Craig, turning brusquely to the +porters, "hustle that baggage right aboard." + +"Can't we go on the ship, too?" asked Elaine, appealingly. + +"I'm sorry--I'm afraid there isn't time," apologized Craig. + +We finally tore ourselves away, followed by the porters carrying +as much as they could. + +"Bon voyage!" cried Elaine, bravely keeping back a choke in her +voice. + +Near the gangplank, in the crowd, I noticed a couple of sinister +faces watching the ship's officers and the passengers going +aboard. Kennedy's quick eye spotted them, too, but he did not show +in any way that he noticed anything as, followed by our two +porters, we quickly climbed the gangplank. + +A moment Craig paused by the rail and waved to Elaine and Bennett +who returned the salute feelingly. I paused at the rail, too, +speculating how we were to get the rest of our baggage aboard in +time, for we had taken several minutes saying good-bye. + +"In there," pointed Kennedy quickly to the porters, indicating our +stateroom which was an outside room. "Come, Walter." + +I followed him in with a heavy heart. + + . . . . . . . . + +Outside could be seen the two sinister faces in the crowd watching +intently, with eyes fixed on the stateroom. Finally one of the +crooks boarded the ship hastily, while the other watched the two +porters come out of the stateroom and pause at the window, +speaking back into the room as though answering commands. + +Then the porters quickly ran along the deck and down the plank, to +get the rest of the luggage. As they approached the Dodge car, +Elaine, Aunt Josephine and Perry Bennett were straining their eyes +to catch a last glimpse of us. + +The porters took a small but very heavy box and, lugging and +tugging, hastened toward the boat with it. But they were too late. +The gang plank was being hauled in. + +They shouted, but the ship's officers waved them back. + +"Too late!" one of the deckhands shouted, a little pleased to see +that someone would be inconvenienced for tardiness. + +The porters argued. But it was no use. All they could do was to +carry the box back to the Dodge car. + +Miss Dodge was just getting in as they returned. + +"What shall we do with this and the other stuff?" asked the Irish +porter. + +She looked at the rest of the tagged luggage and the box which was +marked: + +Scientific Instruments Valuable Handle with care. + +"Here--pile them in here," she said indicating the taxicab. "I'll +take charge of them." + +Meanwhile one of our sinister faced friends had just had time to +regain the shore after following us aboard ship and strolling past +the window of our stateroom. He paused long enough to observe one +of the occupants studying a map, while the other was opening a +bag. + +"They're gone!" he said to the other as he rejoined him on the +dock, giving a nod of his head and a jerk of his thumb at the +ship. + +"Yes," added the other crook, "and lost most of their baggage, +too." + + . . . . . . . . + +Slowly the Dodge car proceeded through the streets up from the +river front, followed by the taxicab, until at last the Dodge +mansion, was reached. + +There Elaine and Aunt Josephine got out and Bennett stood talking +with them a moment. Finally he excused himself reluctantly for it +was now late, even for a lawyer, to get to his office. + +As he hurried over to the subway, Elaine nodded to the porters in +the taxicab, "Take that stuff in the house. We'll have to send it +by the next boat." + +Then she followed Aunt Josephine while the porters unloaded the +boxes and bags. + +Elaine sighed moodily as she walked slowly in. + +"Here, Marie," she cried petulantly to her maid, "take these wraps +of mine." + +Marie ventured no remark, but, like a good servant, took them. + +A moment later Aunt Josephine left her and Elaine went into the +library and over to a table. She stood there an instant, then sank +down into a chair, taking up Kennedy's picture and gazing at it +with eyes filled by tears. + +Just then Jennings came into the room, ushering the two porters +laden with the boxes and bags. + +"Where shall I have them put these things, Miss Elaine?" he +inquired. + +"Oh--anywhere," she answered hurriedly, replacing the picture. + +Jennings paused. As he did so, one of the porters limped forward. +"I've a message for you, Miss," he said in a rich Irish brogue, +with a look at Jennings, "to be delivered in private." + +Elaine glanced at him surprised. Then she nodded to Jennings who +disappeared. As he did so, the Irishman limped to the door and +drew together the portieres. + +Then he came back closer to Elaine. + +A moment she looked at him, not quite knowing from his strange +actions whether to call for help or not. + + . . . . . . . . + +At a motion from Kennedy, as he pulled off his wig, I pulled off +the little false beard. + +Elaine looked at us, transformed, startled. + +"Wh--what--" she stammered. "Oh--I'm--so--glad. How--" + +Kennedy said nothing. He was thoroughly enjoying her face. + +"Don't you understand?" I explained, laughing merrily. "I admit +that I didn't until that last minute in the stateroom on the boat +when we didn't come back to wave a last good-bye. But all the care +that Craig took in selecting the porters was the result of work he +did yesterday, and the insistence with which he chose our +travelling clothes had a deep-laid purpose." + +She said nothing, and I continued. + +"The change was made quickly in the stateroom. Kennedy's man threw +on the coat and hat he wore, while Craig donned the rough clothes +of the porter and added a limp and a wig. The same sort of +exchange of clothes was made by me and Craig clapped a Van Dyck +beard on my chin." + +"I--I'm so glad," she repeated. "I didn't think you'd--" + +She cut the sentence short, remembering her eyes and the +photograph as we entered, and a deep blush crimsoned her face. + +"Mum's the word," cautioned Kennedy, "You must smuggle us out of +the house, some way." + + . . . . . . . . + +Kennedy lost no time in confirming the suspicions of his bolometer +as to the cause of the death of the two innocent victims of the +machinations of the Clutching Hand. + +Both of them, he had learned, had been removed to a nearby +undertaking shop, awaiting the verdict of the coroner. We sought +out the shop and prevailed on the undertaker to let us see the +bodies. + +As Kennedy pulled down the shroud from the face of the first +victim, he disclosed on his forehead a round dark spot about the +size of a small coin. Quickly, he moved to the next coffin and, +uncovering the face, disclosed a similar mark. + +"What is it?" I asked, awestruck. + +"Why," he said, "I've heard of a certain Viennese, one LeCroix I +believe, who has discovered or perfected an infra-red ray +instrument which shoots its power a great distance with extreme +accuracy and leaves a mark like these." + +"Is he in New York?" I inquired anxiously. + +"Yes, I believe he is." + +Kennedy seemed indisposed to answer more until he knew more, and I +saw that he would prefer not being questioned for the present. + +We thanked the undertaker for his courtesy and went out. + + . . . . . . . . + +Meanwhile Elaine had called up Perry Bennett. + +"Mr. Bennett," she exclaimed over the wire, "just guess who called +on me?" + +"Who?" he answered, "I give it up." + +"Mr. Kennedy and Mr. Jameson," she called back. + +"Is that so?" he returned. "Isn't that fine? I didn't think he was +the kind to run away like that. How did it happen?" + +Elaine quickly told the story as I had told her. + +Had she known it, however, Bennett's valet, Thomas, was at that +very moment listening at the door, intensely interested. + +As Bennett hung up the receiver, Thomas entered the room. + +"If anyone calls me," ordered Bennett, "take the message, +particularly if it is from Miss Dodge. I must get downtown--and +tell her after I finish my court work for the day I shall be right +up." + +"Yes sir," nodded the valet with a covert glance at his master. + +Then, as Bennett left, he followed him to the door, paused, +thought a moment, then, as though coming to a sudden decision, +went out by an opposite door. + +It was not long afterward that a knock sounded at the door of the +new headquarters of the Clutching Hand. LeCroix and the secretary +were there, as well as a couple of others. + +"The Chief!" exclaimed one. + +The secretary opened the door, and, sure enough, the Clutching +Hand entered. + +"Well, how did your infra-red rays work?" he asked LeCroix. + +"Fine." + +"And they're gone?" + +"Yes. The flowers were in the window yesterday. Two of our men saw +them on the boat." + +There came another knock. This time, as the door opened, it was +Thomas, Bennett's faithless valet, who entered. + +"Say," blurted out the informer, "do you know Kennedy and Jameson +are back?" + +"Back?" cried the crooks. + +"Yes,--they didn't go. Changed clothes with the porters. I just +heard Miss Dodge telling Mr. Bennett." + +Clutching Hand eyed him keenly, then seemed to burst into an +ungovernable fury. + +Quickly he began volleying orders at the valet and the others. +Then, with the secretary and two of the other crooks he left by +another door from that by which he had sent the valet forth. + + . . . . . . . . + +Leaving the undertaker's, Kennedy and I made our way, keeping off +thoroughfares, to police headquarters, where, after making +ourselves known, Craig made arrangements for a raid on the house +across the street from the laboratory where we had seen the opera +glass reflection. + +Then, as secretly as we had come, we went out again, letting +ourselves into the laboratory, stealthily looking up and down the +street. We entered by a basement door, which Kennedy carefully +locked again. + +No sooner had we disappeared than one of the Clutching Hand's +spies who had been watching behind a barrel of rubbish gave the +signal of the hand down the street to a confederate and, going to +the door, entered by means of a skeleton key. + +We entered our laboratory which Kennedy had closed the day before. +With shades drawn, it now looked deserted enough. + +I dropped into a chair and lighted a cigarette with a sigh of +relief, for really I had thought, until the boat sailed, that +Kennedy actually contemplated going away. + +Kennedy went over to a cabinet and, from it, took out a notebook +and a small box. Opening the notebook on the laboratory table, he +rapidly turned the pages. + +"Here, Walter," he remarked. "This will answer your questions +about the mysterious deadly ray." + +I moved over to the table, eager to satisfy my curiosity and read +the notes which he indicated with his finger. + +INFRA-RED RAY NOTES + +The infra-red ray which has been developed by LeCroix from the +experiments of the Italian scientist Ulivi causes, when +concentrated by an apparatus perfected by LeCroix, an +instantaneous combustion of nonreflecting surfaces. It is +particularly deadly in its effect on the brain centers. + +It can be diverted, it is said however, by a shield composed of +platinum backed by asbestos. + +Next Kennedy opened the case which he had taken out of the cabinet +and from it he took out the platinum-asbestos mirror, which was +something of his own invention. He held it up and in pantomime +showed me just how it would cut off the deadly rays. + +He had not finished even that, when a peculiar noise in the +laboratory itself disturbed him and he hastily thrust the asbestos +platinum shield into his pocket. + +Though we had not realized it, our return had been anticipated. + +Suddenly, from a closet projected a magazine gun and before we +could move, the Clutching Hand himself slowly appeared, behind us. + +"Ah!" he exclaimed with mock politeness, "so, you thought you'd +fool me, did you? Well!" + +Just then, two other crooks, who had let themselves in by the +skeleton key through the basement jumped into the room through +that door covering us. + +We started to our feet, but in an instant found ourselves both +sprawling on the floor. + +In the cabinet, beneath the laboratory table, another crook had +been hidden and he tackled us with all the skill of an old +football player against whom we had no defence. + +Four of them were upon us instantly. + + . . . . . . . . + +At the same time, Thomas, the faithless valet of Bennett, had been +dispatched by the Clutching Hand to commandeer his master's +roadster in his absence, and, carrying out the instructions, he +had driven up before Elaine's house at the very moment when she +was going out for a walk. + +Thomas jumped out of the car and touched his hat deferentially. + +"A message from Mr. Bennett, ma'am," he explained. "Mr. Kennedy +and Mr. Bennett have sent me to ask you to come over to the +laboratory." + +Unsuspecting, Elaine stepped into the car and drove off. + +Instead, however, of turning and pulling up on the laboratory side +of the street, Thomas stopped opposite it. He got out and Elaine, +thinking that perhaps it was to save time that he had not turned +the car around, followed. + +But when the valet, instead of crossing the street, went up to a +door of a house and rang the bell, she began to suspect that all +was not as it should be. + +"What are you going here for, Thomas?" she asked. "There's the +laboratory--over there." + +"But, Miss Dodge," he apologized, "Mr. Kennedy and Mr. Bennett are +here. They told me they'd be here." + +The door was opened quickly by a lookout of the Clutching Hand and +the valet asked if Craig and Elaine's lawyer were in. Of course +the lookout replied that they were and, before Elaine knew it, she +was jostled into the dark hallway and the door was banged shut. + +Resistance was useless now and she was hurried along until another +door was opened. + +There she saw LeCroix and the other crooks. + +And, as the door slammed, she caught sight of the fearsome +Clutching Hand himself. + +She drew back, but was too frightened even to scream. + +With a harsh, cruel laugh, the super-criminal beckoned to her to +follow him and look down through a small trap door. + +Unable now to resist, she looked. + +There she saw us. To that extent the valet had told the truth. +Kennedy was standing in deep thought, while I sat on an old box, +smoking a cigarette--very miserable. + + . . . . . . . . + +Was this to be the sole outcome of Kennedy's clever ruse, I was +wondering. Were we only to be shipwrecked in sight of port? + +Watching his chance, when the street was deserted, the Clutching +Hand and his followers had hustled us over to the new hangout +across from the laboratory. There they had met more crooks and had +thrust us into this vile hole. As the various ineffectual schemes +for escape surged through my head, I happened to look up and +caught a glance of horror on Craig's face. I followed his eyes. +There, above us, was Elaine! + +I saw her look from us to the Clutching Hand in terror. But none +of us uttered a word. + +"I will now show you, my dear young lady," almost hissed the +Clutching Hand at length, "as pretty a game of hide and seek as +you have ever seen." + +As he said it, another trap door near the infra-red ray machine +was opened and a beam of light burst through. I knew it was not +that which we had to fear, but the invisible rays that accompanied +it, the rays that had affected the bolometer. + +Just then a spot of light showed near my foot, moving about the +cement floor until it fell on my shoe. Instantly, the leather +charred, even before I could move. + +Kennedy and I leaped to our feet and drew back. The beam followed +us. We retreated further. Still it followed, inexorably. + +Clutching Hand was now holding Elaine near the door where she +could not help seeing, laughing diabolically while he directed +LeCroix and the rest to work the infra-red ray apparatus through +the trap. + +As we dodged from corner to corner, endeavoring to keep the red +ray from touching us, the crooks seemed in no hurry, but rather to +enjoy prolonging the torture as does a cat with a mouse. + +"Please--oh, please--stop!" begged Elaine. + +Clutching Hand only laughed with fiendish delight and urged his +men on. + +The thing was getting closer and closer. + +Suddenly we heard a strange voice ring out above us. + +"Police!" + +"Where?" growled the Clutching Hand in fury. + +"Outside--a raid! Run! He's told them!" + +Already we could hear the hammers and axes of the police whom +Kennedy had called upon before, as they battered at the outside +door. + +At that door a moment before, the lookout suddenly had given a +startled stare and a suppressed cry. Glancing down the street he +had seen a police patrol in which were a score or more of the +strongarm squad. They had jumped out, some carrying sledgehammers, +others axes. + +Almost before he could cry out and retreat to give a warning, they +had reached the door and the first resounding blows had been +struck. + +The lookout quickly had fled and drawn the bolts of a strong inner +door, and the police began battering that impediment. + +Instantly, Clutching Hand turned to LeCroix at the F-ray machine. + +"Finish them!" he shouted. + +We were now backed up against a small ell in the wall of the +cellar. It was barely large enough to hold us, but by crowding we +were able to keep out of the reach of the ray. The ray shot past +the ell and struck a wall a couple of inches from us. + +I looked. The cement began to crumble under the intense heat. + +Meanwhile, the police were having great difficulty with the +steelbolt-studded door into the room. Still, it was yielding a +bit. + +"Hurry!" shouted Clutching Hand to LeCroix. + +Kennedy had voluntarily placed himself in front of me in the ell. +Carefully, to avoid the ray, he took the asbestos-platinum shield +from his pocket and slid it forward as best he could over the wall +to the spot where the ray struck. + +It deflected the ray. + +But so powerful was it that even that part of the ray which was +deflected could be seen to strike the ceiling in the corner which +was of wood. Instantly, before Kennedy could even move the shield, +the wood burst into flames. + +Above us now smoke was pouring into the room where the deflected +ray struck the floor and flames broke out. + +"Confound him!" ground out Clutching Hand, as they saw it. + +The other crooks backed away and stood, hesitating, not knowing +quite what to do. + +The police had by this time finished battering in the door and had +rushed into the outer passage. + +While the flames leaped up, the crooks closed the last door into +the room. + +"Run!" shouted Clutching Hand, as they opened a secret gate +disclosing a spiral flight of iron steps. + +A moment later all had disappeared except Clutching Hand himself. +The last door would hold only a few seconds, but Clutching Hand +was waiting to take advantage of even that. With a last frantic +effort he sought to direct the terrific ray at us. Elaine acted +instantly. With all her strength she rushed forward, overturning +the machine. + +Clutching Hand uttered a growl and slowly raised his gun, taking +aim with the butt for a well-directed blow at her head. + +Just then the door yielded and a policeman stuck his head and +shoulders through. His revolver rang out and Clutching Hand's +automatic flew out of his grasp, giving him just enough time to +dodge through and slam the secret door in the faces of the squad +as they rushed in. + +Back of the house, Clutching Hand and the other crooks were now +passing through a bricked passage. The fire had got so far beyond +control by this time that it drove the police back from their +efforts to open the secret door. Thus the Clutching Hand had made +good his escape through the passage which led out, as we later +discovered, to the railroad tracks along the river. + +"Down there--Mr. Kennedy--and Mr. Jameson," cried Elaine, pointing +at the trap which was hidden in the stifle. + +The fire had gained terrific headway, but the police seized a +ladder and stuck it down into the basement. + +Choking and sputtering, half suffocated, we staggered up. + +"Are you hurt?" asked Elaine anxiously, taking Craig's arm. + +"Not a bit--thanks to you!" he replied, forgetting all in meeting +the eager questioning of her wonderful eyes. + + + + +CHAPTER X + +THE LIFE CURRENT + + +Assignments were being given out on the Star one afternoon, and I +was standing talking with several other reporter in the busy hum +of typewriters and clicking telegraphs. + +"What do you think of that?" asked one of the fellows. "You're +something of a scientific detective, aren't you?" + +Without laying claim to such a distinction, I took the paper and +read: + +THE POISONED KISS AGAIN + +Three More New York Women Report Being Kissed by Mysterious +Stranger--Later Fell into Deep Unconsciousness. What Is It? + +I had scarcely finished, when one of the copy boys, dashing past +me, called, "You're wanted on the wire, Mr. Jameson." + +I hurried over to the telephone and answered. + +A musical voice responded to my hurried hello, and I hastened to +adopt my most polite tone. + +"Is this Mr. Jameson?" asked the voice. + +"Yes," I replied, not recognizing it. + +"Well, Mr. Jameson, I've heard of you on the Star and I've just +had a very strange experience. I've had the poisoned kiss." + +The woman did not pause to catch my exclamation of astonishment, +but went on, "It was like this. A man ran up to me on the street +and kissed me--and--I don't know how it was--but I became +unconscious--and I didn't come to for an hour--in a hospital-- +fortunately. I don't know what would have happened if it hadn't +been that someone came to my assistance and the man fled. I +thought the Star would be interested." + +"We are," I hastened to reply. "Will you give me your name?" + +"Why, I am Mrs. Florence Leigh of number 20 Prospect Avenue," +returned the voice. "Really, Mr. Jameson, something ought to be +done about these cases." + +"It surely had," I assented, with much interest, writing her name +eagerly down on a card. "I'll be out to interview you, directly." + +The woman thanked me and I hung up the receiver. + +"Say," I exclaimed, hurrying over to the editor's desk, "here's +another woman on the wire who says she has received the poisoned +kiss. + +"Suppose you take that assignment," the editor answered, sensing a +possible story. + +I took it with alacrity, figuring out the quickest way by elevated +and surface car to reach the address. + +The conductor of the trolley indicated Prospect Avenue and I +hurried up the street until I came to the house, a neat, +unpretentious place. Looking at the address on the card first to +make sure, I rang the bell. + +I must say that I could scarcely criticize the poisoned kisser's +taste, for the woman who had opened the door certainly was +extraordinarily attractive. + +"And you really were--put out by a kiss?" I queried, as she led me +into a neat sitting room. + +"Absolutely--as much as if it had been by one of these poisoned +needles you read about," she replied confidently, hastening on to +describe the affair volubly. + +It was beyond me. + +"May I use your telephone?" I asked. + +"Surely," she answered. + +I called the laboratory. "Is that you, Craig?" I inquired. + +"Yes, Walter," he answered, recognizing my voice. + +"Say, Craig," I asked breathlessly, "what sort of kiss would +suffocate a person." + +My only answer was an uproarious laugh from him at the idea. + +"I know," I persisted, "but I've got the assignment from the Star- +-and I'm out here interviewing a woman about it. It's all right to +laugh--but here I am. I've found a case--names, dates and places. +I wish you'd explain the thing, then." + +"Oh, all right, Walter," he replied indulgently. "I'll meet you as +soon as I can and help you out." + +I hung up the receiver with an air of satisfaction. At least now I +would get an explanation of the woman's queer story. + +"I'll clear this thing up," I said confidently. "My friend, Craig +Kennedy, the scientific detective is coming out here." + +"Good! That fellow who attacked me ought to be shown up. All women +may not be as fortunate as I." + +We waited patiently. Her story certainly was remarkable. She +remembered every detail up to a certain point--and then, as she +said, all was blankness. + +The bell rang and the woman hastened to the door admitting +Kennedy. + +"Hello, Walter," he greeted. + +"This is certainly a most remarkable case, Craig," I said, +introducing him, and telling briefly what I had learned. + +"And you actually mean to say that a kiss had the effect--" Just +then the telephone interrupted. + +"Yes," she reasserted quickly. "Excuse me a second." + +She answered the call. "Oh--why--yes, he's here. Do you want to +speak to him? Mr. Jameson, it's the Star." + +"Confound it!" I exclaimed, "isn't that like the old man--dragging +me off this story before it's half finished in order to get +another. I'll have to go. I'll get this story from you, Craig." + + . . . . . . . . + +The day before, in the suburban house, the Clutching Hand had been +talking to two of his emissaries, an attractive young woman and a +man. + +They were Flirty Florrie and Dan the Dude. + +"Now, I want you to get Kennedy," he said. "The way to do it is to +separate Kennedy and Elaine--see?" + +"All right, Chief, we'll do it," they replied. + +"I've rigged it so that you'll reach him through Jameson, +understand?" + +They nodded eagerly as he told them the subtle plan. + +Clutching Hand had scarcely left when Flirty Florrie began by +getting published in the papers the story which I had seen. + +The next day she called me up from the suburban house. Having got +me to promise to see her, she had scarcely turned from the +telephone when Dan the Dude walked in from the next room. + +"He's coming," she said. + +Dan was carrying a huge stag head with a beautifully branched pair +of antlers. Under his arm was a coil of wire which he had +connected to the inside of the head. + +"Fine!" he exclaimed. Then, pointing to the head, he added, "It's +all ready. See how I fixed it? That ought to please the Chief." + +Dan moved quickly to the mantle and mounted a stepladder there by +which he had taken down the head, and started to replace the head +above the mantle. + +He hooked the head on a nail. + +"There," he said, unscrewing one of the beautiful brown glass eyes +of the stag. + +Back of it could be seen a camera shutter. Dan worked the shutter +several times to see whether it was all right. + +"One of those new quick shutter cameras," he explained. + +Then he ran a couple of wires along the moulding, around the room +and into a closet, where he made the connection with a sort of +switchboard on which a button was marked, "SHUTTER" and the +switch, "WIND FILM." + +"Now, Flirty," he said, coming out of the closet and pulling up +the shade which let a flood of sunlight into the room, "you see, I +want you to stand here--then, do your little trick. Get me?" + +"I get you Steve," she laughed. + +Just then the bell rang. + +"That must be Jameson," she cried. "Now--get to your corner." + +With a last look Dan went into the closet and shut the door. + +Perhaps half an hour later, Clutching Hand himself called me up on +the telephone. It was he--not the Star--as I learned only too +late. + + . . . . . . . . + +I had scarcely got out of the house, as Craig told me afterwards, +when Flirty Florrie told all over again the embroidered tale that +had caught my ear. + +Kennedy said nothing, but listened intently, perhaps betraying in +his face the scepticism he felt. + +"You see," she said, still voluble and eager to convince him, "I +was only walking on the street. Here,--let me show you. It was +just like this." + +She took his arm and before he knew it, led him to the spot on the +floor near the window which Dan had indicated. Meanwhile Dan was +listening attentively in his closet. + +"Now--stand there. You are just as I was--only I didn't expect +anything." + +She was pantomiming someone approaching stealthily while Kennedy +watched her with interest, tinged with doubt. Behind Craig, in his +closet, Dan was reaching for the switchboard button. + +"You see," she said advancing quickly and acting her words, "he +placed his hands on my shoulders--so--then threw his arms about my +neck--so." + +She said no more, but imprinted a deep, passionate kiss on +Kennedy's mouth, clinging closely to him. Before Kennedy could +draw away, Dan, in the closet, had pressed the button and the +switch several times in rapid succession. + +"Th-that's very realistic," gasped Craig, a good deal taken aback +by the sudden osculatory assault. + +He frowned. + +"I--I'll look into the case," he said, backing away. "There may be +some scientific explanation--but--er--" + +He was plainly embarrassed and hastened to make his adieux. + +Kennedy had no more than shut the door before Dan, with a gleeful +laugh, burst out of the closet and flung his own arms about +Florrie in an embrace that might have been poisoned, it is true, +but was none the less real for that. + + . . . . . . . . + +How little impression the thing made on Kennedy can be easily seen +from the fact that on the way downtown that afternoon he stopped +at Martin's, on Fifth Avenue, and bought a ring--a very handsome +solitaire, the finest Martin had in the shop. + +It must have been about the time that he decided to stop at +Martin's that the Dodge butler, Jennings, admitted a young lady +who presented a card on which was engraved the name + +Miss FLORENCE LEIGH 20 Prospect Avenue. + +As he handed Elaine the card, she looked up from the book she was +reading and took it. + +"I don't know her," she said puckering her pretty brow. "Do you? +What does she look like?" + +"I never saw her before, Miss Elaine," Jennings shrugged. "But she +is very well dressed." + +"All right, show her in, Jennings. I'll see her." + +Elaine moved into the drawing room, Jennings springing forward to +part the portieres for her and passing through the room quickly +where Flirty Florrie sat waiting. Flirty Florrie rose and stood +gazing at Elaine, apparently very much embarrassed, even after +Jennings had gone. + +There was a short pause. The woman was the first to speak. + +"It IS embarrassing," she said finally, "but, Miss Dodge, I have +come to you to beg for my love." + +Elaine looked at her non-plussed. + +"Yes," she continued, "you do not know it, but Craig Kennedy is +infatuated with you." She paused again, then added, "But he is +engaged to me." + +Elaine stared at the woman. She was dazed. She could not believe +it. + +"There is the ring," Flirty Florrie added indicating a very +impressive paste diamond. + +Elaine frowned but said nothing. Her head was in a whirl. She +could not believe. Although Florrie was very much embarrassed, she +was quite as evidently very much wrought up. Quickly she reached +into her bag and drew out two photographs, without a word, handing +them to Elaine. Elaine took them reluctantly. + +"There's the proof," Florrie said simply, choking a sob. + +Elaine looked with a start. Sure enough, there was the neat living +room in the house on Prospect Avenue. In one picture Florrie had +her arms over Kennedy's shoulders. In the other, apparently, they +were passionately kissing. + +Elaine slowly laid the photographs on the table. + +"Please--please, Miss Dodge--give me back my lost love. You are +rich and beautiful--I am poor. I have only my good looks. But--I-- +I love him--and he--loves me--and has promised to marry me." + +Filled with wonder, and misgivings now, and quite as much +embarrassed at the woman's pleadings as the woman herself had +acted a moment before, Elaine tried to wave her off. + +"Really--I--I don't know anything about all this. It--it doesn't +concern me. Please--go." + +Florrie had broken down completely and was weeping softly into a +lace handkerchief. + +She moved toward the door. Elaine followed her. + +"Jennings--please see the lady to the door." + +Back in the drawing room, Elaine almost seized the photographs and +hurried into the library where she could be alone. There she stood +gazing at them--doubt, wonder, and fear battling on her plastic +features. + +Just then she heard the bell and Jennings in the hall. + +She shoved the photographs away from her on the table. + +It was Kennedy himself, close upon the announcement of the butler. +He was in a particularly joyous and happy mood, for he had stopped +at Martin's. + +"How are you this afternoon?" he greeted Elaine gaily. + +Elaine had been too overcome by what had just happened to throw it +off so easily, and received him with a quickly studied coolness. + +Still, Craig, man-like, did not notice it at once. In fact he was +too busy gazing about to see that neither Jennings, Marie, nor the +duenna Aunt Josephine were visible. They were not and he quickly +took the ring from his pocket. Without waiting, he showed it to +Elaine. In fact, so sure had he been that everything was plain +sailing, that he seemed to take it almost for granted. Under other +circumstances, he would have been right. But not tonight. + +Elaine very coolly admired the ring, as Craig might have eyed a +specimen on a microscope slide. Still, he did not notice. + +He took the ring, about to put it on her finger. Elaine drew away. +Concealment was not in her frank nature. + +She picked up the two photographs. + +"What have you to say about those?" she asked cuttingly. + +Kennedy, quite surprised, took them and looked at them. Then he +let them fall carelessly on the table and dropped into a chair, +his head back in a burst of laughter. + +"Why--that was what they put over on Walter," he said. "He called +me up early this afternoon--told me he had discovered one of these +poisoned kiss cases you have read about in the papers. Think of +it--all that to pull a concealed camera! Such an elaborate +business--just to get me where they could fake this thing. I +suppose they've put some one up to saying she's engaged?" + +Elaine was not so lightly affected. "But," she said severely, +repressing her emotion, "I don't understand, MR. Kennedy, how +scientific inquiry into 'the poisoned kiss' could necessitate this +sort of thing." + +She pointed at the photographs accusingly. + +"But," he began, trying to explain. + +"No buts," she interrupted. + +"Then you believe that I--" + +"How can you, as a scientist, ask me to doubt the camera," she +insinuated, very coldly turning away. + +Kennedy rapidly began to see that it was far more serious than he +had at first thought. + +"Very well," he said with a touch of impatience, "if my word is +not to be taken--I--I'll--" + +He had seized his hat and stick. + +Elaine did not deign to answer. + +Then, without a word he stalked out of the door. + +As he did so, Elaine hastily turned and took a few steps after +him, as if to recall her words, then stopped, and her pride got +the better of her. + +She walked slowly back to the chair by the table--the chair he had +been sitting in--sank down into it and cried. + + . . . . . . . . + +Kennedy was moping in the laboratory the next day when I came in. + +Just what the trouble was, I did not know, but I had decided that +it was up to me to try to cheer him up. + +"Say, Craig," I began, trying to overcome his fit of blues. + +Kennedy, filled with his own thoughts, paid no attention to me. +Still, I kept on. + +Finally he got up and, before I knew it, he took me by the ear and +marched me into the next room. + +I saw that what he needed chiefly was to be let alone, and he went +back to his chair, dropping down into it and banging his fists on +the table. Under his breath he loosed a small volley of bitter +expletives. Then he jumped up. + +"By George--I WILL," he muttered. + +I poked my head out of the door in time to see him grab up his hat +and coat and dash from the room, putting his coat on as he went. + +"He's a nut today," I exclaimed to myself. + +Though I did not know, yet, of the quarrel, Kennedy had really +struggled with himself until he was willing to put his pride in +his pocket and had made up his mind to call on Elaine again. + +As he entered, he saw that it was really of no use, for only Aunt +Josephine was in the library. + +"Oh, Mr. Kennedy," she said innocently enough, "I'm so sorry she +isn't here. There's been something troubling her and she won't +tell me what it is. But she's gone to call on a young woman, a +Florence Leigh, I think." + +"Florence Leigh!" exclaimed Craig with a start and a frown. "Let +me use your telephone." + +I had turned my attention in the laboratory to a story I was +writing, when I heard the telephone ring. It was Craig. Without a +word of apology for his rudeness, which I knew had been purely +absent-minded, I heard him saying, "Walter--meet me in half an +hour outside that Florence Leigh's house." + +He was gone in a minute, giving me scarcely time to call back that +I would. + +Then, with a hasty apology for his abruptness, he excused himself, +leaving Aunt Josephine wondering at his strange actions. + +At about the same time that Craig had left the laboratory, at the +Dodge house Elaine and Aunt Josephine had been in the hall near +the library. Elaine was in her street dress. + +"I'm going out, Auntie," she said with an attempted gaiety. "And," +she added, "if anyone should ask for me, I'll be there." + +She had showed her a card on which was engraved, the name and +address of Florence Leigh. + +"All right, dear," answered Aunt Josephine, not quite clear in her +mind what subtle change there was in Elaine. + + . . . . . . . . + +Half an hour later I was waiting near the house in the suburbs to +which I had been directed by the strange telephone call the day +before. I noticed that it was apparently deserted. The blinds were +closed and a "To Let" sign was on the side of the house. + +"Hello, Walter," cried Craig at last, bustling along. He stopped a +moment to look at the house. Then, together, we went up the steps +and we rang the bell, gazing about. + +"Strange," muttered Craig. "The house looks deserted." + +He pointed out the sign and the generally unoccupied look of the +place. Nor was there any answer to our ring. Kennedy paused only a +second, in thought. + +"Come on, Walter," he said with a sudden decision. "We've got to +get in here somehow." + +He led the way around the side of the house to a window, and with +a powerful grasp, wrenched open the closed shutters. He had just +smashed the window viciously with his foot when a policeman +appeared. + +"Hey, you fellows--what are you doing there?" he shouted. + +Craig paused a second, then pulled his card from his pocket. + +"Just the man I want," he parried, much to the policeman's +surprise, "There's something crooked going on here. Follow us in." + +We climbed into the window. There was the same living room we had +seen the day before. But it was now bare and deserted. Everything +was gone except an old broken chair. Craig and I were frankly +amazed at the complete and sudden change and I think the policeman +was a little surprised, for he had thought the place occupied. + +"Come on," cried Kennedy, beckoning us on. + +Quickly he rushed through the house. There was not a thing in it +to change the deserted appearance of the first floor. At last it +occurred to Craig to grope his way down cellar. There was nothing +there, either, except a bin, as innocent of coal as Mother +Hubbard's cupboard was of food. For several minutes we hunted +about without discovering a thing. + +Kennedy had been carefully going over the place and was at the +other side of the cellar from ourselves when I saw him stop and +gaze at the floor. He was not looking, apparently, so much as +listening. I strained my ears, but could make out nothing. Before +I could say anything, he raised his hand for silence. Apparently +he had heard something. + +"Hide," he whispered suddenly to us. + +Without another word, though for the life of me I could make +nothing out of it, I pulled the policeman into a little angle of +the wall nearby, while Craig slipped into a similar angle. + +We waited a moment. Nothing happened. Had he been seeing things or +hearing things, I wondered? + +From our hidden vantage we could now see a square piece in the +floor, perhaps five feet in diameter, slowly open up as though on +a pivot. Beneath it we could make out a tube-like hole, perhaps +three feet across, with a covered top. It slowly opened. + +A weird and sinister figure of a man appeared. Over his head he +wore a peculiar helmet with hideous glass pieces over the eyes, +and tubes that connected with a tank which he carried buckled to +his back. As he slowly dragged himself out, I could wonder only at +the outlandish headgear. + +Quickly he closed down the cover of the tube, but not before a +vile effluvium seemed to escape, and penetrate even to us in our +hiding places. As he moved forward, Kennedy gave a flying leap at +him, and we followed with a regular football interference. + +It was the work of only a moment for us to subdue and hold him, +while Craig ripped off the helmet. + +It was Dan the Dude. + +"What's that thing?" I puffed, as I helped Craig with the +headgear. + +"An oxygen helmet," he replied. "There must be air down the tube +that cannot be breathed." + +He went over to the tube. Carefully he opened the top and gazed +down, starting back a second later, with his face puckered up at +the noxious odor. + +"Sewer gas," he ejaculated, as he slammed the cover down. Then he +added to the policeman, "Where do you suppose it comes from?" + +"Why," replied the officer, "the St. James Drain--an old sewer--is +somewhere about these parts." + +Kennedy puckered his face as he gazed at our prisoner. He reached +down quickly and lifted something off the man's coat. + +"Golden hair," he muttered. "Elaine's!" + +A moment later he seized the man and shook him roughly. + +"Where is she--tell me?" he demanded. + +The man snarled some kind of reply, refusing to say a word about +her. + +"Tell me," repeated Kennedy. + +"Humph!" snorted the prisoner, more close-mouthed than ever. + +Kennedy was furious. As he sent the man reeling away from him, he +seized the oxygen helmet and began putting it on. There was only +one thing to do--to follow the clue of the golden strands of hair. + +Down into the pest hole he went, his head protected by the oxygen +helmet. As he cautiously took one step after another down a series +of iron rungs inside the hole, he found that the water was up to +his chest. At the bottom of the perpendicular pit was a narrow low +passage way, leading off. It was just about big enough to get +through, but he managed to grope along it. He came at last to the +main drain, an old stone-walled sewer, as murky a place as could +well be imagined, filled with the foulest sewer gas. He was hardly +able to keep his feet in the swirling, bubbling water that swept +past, almost up to his neck. + +The minutes passed as the policeman and I watched our prisoner in +the cellar, by the tube. I looked anxiously at my watch. + +"Craig!" I shouted at last, unable to control my fears for him. + +No answer. To go down after him seemed out of the question. + +By this time, Craig had come to a small open chamber into which +the sewer widened. On the wall he found another series of iron +rungs up which he climbed. The gas was terrible. + +As he neared the top of the ladder, he came to a shelf-like +aperture in the sewer chamber, and gazed about. It was horribly +dark. He reached out and felt a piece of cloth. Anxiously he +pulled on it. Then he reached further into the darkness. + +There was Elaine, unconscious, apparently dead. + +He shook her, endeavoring to wake her up. But it was no use. + +In desperation Craig carried her down the ladder. + +With our prisoner, we could only look helplessly around. Again and +again I looked at my watch as the minutes lengthened. Suppose the +oxygen gave out? + +"By George, I'm going down after him," I cried in desperation. + +"Don't do it," advised the policeman. "You'll never get out." + +One whiff of the horrible gas told me that he was right. I should +not have been able to go fifty feet in it. I looked at him in +despair. It was impossible. + +"Listen," said the policeman, straining his ears. + +There was indeed a faint noise from the black depths below us. A +rope alongside the rough ladder began to move, as though someone +was pulling it taut. We gazed down. + +"Craig! Craig!" I called. "Is that you?" + +No answer. But the rope still moved. Perhaps the helmet made it +impossible for him to hear. + +He had struggled back in the swirling current almost exhausted by +his helpless burden. Holding Elaine's head above the surface of +the water and pulling on the rope to attract my attention, for he +could neither hear nor shout, he had taken a turn of the rope +about Elaine. I tried pulling on it. There was something heavy on +the other end and I kept on pulling. + +At last I could make out Kennedy dimly mounting the ladder. The +weight was the unconscious body of Elaine which he steadied as he +mounted. I tugged harder and he slowly came up. + +Together, at last, the policeman and I reached down and pulled +them out. + +We placed Elaine on the cellar floor, as comfortably as was +possible, and the policeman began his first-aid motions for +resuscitation. + +"No--no," cried Kennedy, "Not here--take her up where the air is +fresher." + +With his revolver still drawn to overawe the prisoner, the +policeman forced him to aid us in carrying her up the rickety +flight of cellar steps. Kennedy followed quickly, unscrewing the +oxygen helmet as he went. + +In the deserted living room we deposited our senseless burden, +while Kennedy, the helmet off now, bent over her. + +"Quick--quick!" he cried to the officer, "An ambulance!" + +"But the prisoner," the policeman indicated. + +"Hurry--hurry--I'll take care of him," urged Craig, seizing the +policeman's pistol and thrusting it into his pocket. "Walter--help +me." + +He was trying the ordinary methods of resuscitation. Meanwhile the +officer had hurried out, seeking the nearest telephone, while we +worked madly to bring Elaine back. + +Again and again Kennedy bent and outstretched her arms, trying to +induce respiration. So busy was I that for the moment I forgot our +prisoner. + +But Dan had seen his chance. Noiselessly he picked up the old +chair in the room and with it raised was approaching Kennedy to +knock him out. + +Before I knew it myself, Kennedy had heard him. With a half +instinctive motion, he drew the revolver from his pocket and, +almost before I could see it, had shot the man. Without a word he +returned the gun to his pocket and again bent over Elaine, without +so much as a look at the crook who sank to the floor, dropping the +chair from his nerveless hands. + +Already the policeman had got an ambulance which was now tearing +along to us. + +Frantically Kennedy was working. + +A moment he paused and looked at me--hopeless. + +Just then, outside, we could hear the ambulance, and a doctor and +two attendants hurried up to the door. Without a word the doctor +seemed to appreciate the gravity of the case. + +He finished his examination and shook his head. + +"There is no hope--no hope," he said slowly. + +Kennedy merely stared at him. But the rest of us instinctively +removed our hats. + +Kennedy gazed at Elaine, overcome. Was this the end? + +It was not many minutes later that Kennedy had Elaine in the +little sitting room off the laboratory, having taken her there in +the ambulance, with the doctor and two attendants. + +Elaine's body had been placed on a couch, covered by a blanket, +and the shades were drawn. The light fell on her pale face. + +There was something incongruous about death and the vast +collection of scientific apparatus, a ghastly mocking of humanity. +How futile was it all in the presence of the great destroyer? + +Aunt Josephine had arrived, stunned, and a moment later, Perry +Bennett. As I looked at the sorrowful party, Aunt Josephine rose +slowly from her position on her knees where she had been weeping +silently beside Elaine, and pressed her hands over her eyes, with +every indication of faintness. + +Before any of us could do anything, she had staggered into the +laboratory itself, Bennett and I following quickly. There I was +busy for some time getting restoratives. + +Meanwhile Kennedy, beside the couch, with an air of desperate +determination, turned away and opened a cabinet. From it he took a +large coil and attached it to a storage battery, dragging the +peculiar apparatus near Elaine's couch. + +To an electric light socket, Craig attached wires. The doctor +watched him in silent wonder. + +"Doctor," he asked slowly as he worked, "do you know of Professor +Leduc of the Nantes Ecole de Medicin?" + +"Why--yes," answered the doctor, "but what of him?" + +"Then you know of his method of electrical resuscitation." + +"Yes--but--" He paused, looking apprehensively at Kennedy. + +Craig paid no attention to his fears, but approaching the couch on +which Elaine lay, applied the electrodes. "You see," he explained, +with forced calmness, "I apply the anode here--the cathode there." + +The ambulance surgeon looked on excitedly, as Craig turned on the +current, applying it to the back of the neck and to the spine. + +For some minutes the machine worked. + +Then the young doctor's eyes began to bulge. + +"My heavens!" he cried under his breath. "Look!" + +Elaine's chest had slowly risen and fallen. Kennedy, his attention +riveted on his work, applied himself with redoubled efforts. The +young doctor looked on with increased wonder. + +"Look! The color in her face! See her lips!" he cried. + +At last her eyes slowly fluttered open--then closed. + +Would the machine succeed? Or was it just the galvanic effect of +the current? The doctor noticed it and quickly placed his ear to +her heart. His face was a study in astonishment. The minutes sped +fast. + +To us outside, who had no idea what was transpiring in the other +room, the minutes were leaden-feeted. Aunt Josephine, weak but now +herself again, was sitting nervously. + +Just then the door opened. + +I shall never forget the look on the young ambulance surgeon's +face, as he murmured under his breath, "Come here--the age of +miracles is not passed--look!" + +Raising his finger to indicate that we were to make no noise, he +led us into the other room. + +Kennedy was bending over the couch. + +Elaine, her eyes open, now, was gazing up at him, and a wan smile +flitted over her beautiful face. + +Kennedy had taken her hand, and as he heard us enter, turned half +way to us, while we stared in blank wonder from Elaine to the +weird and complicated electrical apparatus. + +"It is the life-current," he said simply, patting the Leduc +apparatus with his other hand. + + + + +CHAPTER XI + +THE HOUR OF THREE + + +With the ominous forefinger of his Clutching Hand extended, the +master criminal emphasized his instructions to his minions. + +"Perry Bennett, her lawyer, is in favor again with Elaine Dodge," +he was saying. "She and Kennedy are on the outs even yet. But they +may become reconciled. Then she'll have that fellow on our trail +again. Before that happens, we must 'get' her--see?" + +It was in the latest headquarters to which Craig had chased the +criminal, in one of the toughest parts of the old Greenwich +village, on the west side of New York, not far from the river +front. + +They were all seated in a fairly large but dingy old room, in +which were several chairs, a rickety table and, against the wall, +a roll-top desk on the top of which was a telephone. + +Several crooks of the gang were sitting about, smoking. + +"Now," went on Clutching Hand, "I want you, Spike, to follow them. +See what they do--where they go. It's her birthday. Something's +bound to occur that will give you a lead. All you've got to do is +to use your head. Get me?" + +Spike rose, nodded, picked up his hat and coat and squirmed out on +his mission, like the snake that he was. + + . . . . . . . . + +It was, as Clutching Hand had said, Elaine's birthday. She had +received many callers and congratulations, innumerable costly and +beautiful tokens of remembrance from her countless friends and +admirers. In the conservatory of the Dodge house Elaine, Aunt +Josephine, and Susie Martin were sitting discussing not only the +happy occasion, but, more, the many strange events of the past few +weeks. + +"Well," cried a familiar voice behind them. "What would a certain +blonde young lady accept as a birthday present from her family +lawyer?" + +All three turned in surprise. + +"Oh, Mr. Bennett," cried Elaine. "How you startled us!" + +He laughed and repeated his question, adopting the tone that he +had once used in the days when he had been more in favor with the +pretty heiress, before the advent of Kennedy. + +Elaine hesitated. She was thinking not so much of his words as of +Kennedy. To them all, however, it seemed that she was unable to +make up her mind what, in the wealth of her luxury, she would +like. + +Susie Martin had been wondering whether, now that Bennett was +here, she were not de trop, and she looked at her wrist watch +mechanically. As she did so, an idea occurred to her. + +"Why not one of these?" she cried impulsively, indicating the +watch. "Father has some beauties at the shop." + +"Oh, good," exclaimed Elaine, "how sweet!" + +She welcomed the suggestion, for she had been thinking that +perhaps Bennett might be hinting too seriously at a solitaire. + +"So that strikes your fancy?" he asked. "Then let's all go to the +shop. Miss Martin will personally conduct the tour, and we shall +have our pick of the finest stock." + +A moment later the three young people went out and were quickly +whirled off down the Avenue in the Dodge town car. + +It was too gay a party to notice a sinister figure following them +in a cab. But as they entered the fashionable jewelry shop, Spike, +who had alighted, walked slowly down the street. + +Chatting with animation, the three moved over to the watch +counter, while the crook, with a determination not to risk missing +anything, entered the shop door, too. + +"Mr. Thomas," asked Susie as her father's clerk bowed to them, +"please show Miss Dodge the wrist watches father was telling +about." + +With another deferential bow, the clerk hastened to display a case +of watches and they bent over them. As each new watch was pointed +out, Elaine was delighted. + +Unobserved, the crook walked over near enough to hear what was +going on. + +At last, with much banter and yet care, Elaine selected one that +was indeed a beauty and was about to snap it on her dainty wrist, +when the clerk interrupted. + +"I beg pardon," he suggested, "but I'd advise you to leave it to +be regulated, if you please." + +"Yes, indeed," chimed in Susie. "Father always advises that." + +Reluctantly, Elaine handed it over to the clerk. + +"Oh, thank you, ever so much, Mr. Bennett," she said as he +unobtrusively paid for the watch and gave the address to which it +was to be sent when ready. + +A moment later they went out and entered the car again. + +As they did so, Spike, who had been looking various things in the +next case over as if undecided, came up to the watch counter. + +"I'm making a present," he remarked confidentially to the clerk. +"How about those bracelet watches?" + +The clerk pulled out some of the cheaper ones. + +"No," he said thoughtfully, pointing out a tray in the show case, +"something like those." + +He ended by picking out one identically like that which Elaine had +selected, and started to pay for it. + +"Better have it regulated," repeated the clerk. + +"No," he objected hastily, shaking his head and paying the money +quickly. "It's a present--and I want it tonight." + +He took the watch and left the store hurriedly. + + . . . . . . . . + +In the laboratory, Kennedy was working over an oblong oak box, +perhaps eighteen inches in length and half as high. In the box I +could see, besides other apparatus, two good sized spools of fine +wire. + +"What's all that?" I asked inquisitively. + +"Another of the new instruments that scientific detectives use," +he responded, scarcely looking up, "a little magnetic wizard, the +telegraphone." + +"Which is?" I prompted. + +"Something we detectives might use to take down and 'can' +telephone and other conversations. When it is attached properly to +a telephone, it records everything that is said over the wire." + +"How does it work?" I asked, much mystified. + +"Well, it is based on an entirely new principle, in every way +different from the phonograph," he explained. "As you can see +there are no discs or cylinders, but these spools of extremely +fine steel wire. The record is not made mechanically on a +cylinder, but electromagnetically on this wire." + +"How?" I asked, almost incredulously. + +"To put it briefly," he went on, "small portions of magnetism, as +it were, are imparted to fractions of the steel wire as it passes +between two carbon electric magnets. Each impression represents a +sound wave. There is no apparent difference in the wire, yet each +particle of steel undergoes an electromagnetic transformation by +which the sound is indelibly imprinted on it." + +"Then you scrape the wire, just as you shave records to use it +over again?" I suggested. + +"No," he replied. "You pass a magnet over it and the magnet +automatically erases the record. Rust has no effect. The record +lasts as long as steel lasts." + +Craig continued to tinker tantalizingly with the machine which had +been invented by a Dane, Valdemar Poulsen. + +He had scarcely finished testing out the telegraphone, when the +laboratory door opened and a clean-cut young man entered. + +Kennedy, I knew, had found that the routine work of the Clutching +Hand case was beyond his limited time and had retained this young +man, Raymond Chase, to attend to that. + +Chase was a young detective whom Craig had employed on shadowing +jobs and as a stool pigeon on other cases, and we had all the +confidence in the world in him. + +Just now what worried Craig was the situation with Elaine, and I +fancied that he had given Chase some commission in connection with +that. + +"I've got it, Mr. Kennedy," greeted Chase with quiet modesty. + +"Good," responded Craig heartily. "I knew you would." + +"Got what?" I asked a moment later. + +Kennedy nodded for Chase to answer. + +"I've located the new residence of Flirty Florrie," he replied. + +I saw what Kennedy was after at once. Flirty Florrie and Dan the +Dude had caused the quarrel between himself and Elaine. Dan the +Dude was dead. But Flirty Florrie might be forced to explain it. + +"That's fine," he added, exultingly. "Now, I'll clear that thing +up." + +He took a hasty step to the telephone, put his hand on the +receiver and was about to take it off the hook. Then he paused, +and I saw his face working. The wound Elaine had given his +feelings was deep. It had not yet quite healed. + +Finally, his pride, for Kennedy's was a highly sensitive nature, +got the better of him. + +"No," he said, half to himself, "not--yet." + +Elaine had returned home. + +Alone, her thoughts naturally went back to what had happened +recently to interrupt a friendship which had been the sweetest in +her life. + +"There MUST be some mistake," she murmured pensively to herself, +thinking of the photograph Flirty had given her. "Oh, why did I +send him away? Why didn't I believe him?" + +Then she thought of what had happened, of how she had been seized +by Dan the Dude in the deserted house, of how the noxious gas had +overcome her. + +They had told her of how Craig had risked his life to save her, +how she had been brought home, still only half alive, after his +almost miraculous work with the new electric machine. + +There was his picture. She had not taken that away. As she looked +at it, a wave of feeling came over her. Mechanically, she put out +her hand to the telephone. + +She was about to take off the receiver, when something seemed to +stay her hand. She wanted him to come to her. + +And, if either of them had called the other just then, they would +have probably crossed wires. + +Of such stuff are the quarrels of lovers. + +Craig's eye fell on the telegraphone, and an idea seemed to occur +to him. + +"Walter, you and Chase bring that thing along," he said a moment +later. + +He paused long enough to take a badge from the drawer of a +cabinet, and went out. We followed him, lugging the telegraphone. + +At last we came to the apartment house at which Chase had located +the woman. + +"There it is," he pointed out, as I gave a groan of relief, for +the telegraphone was getting like lead. + +Kennedy nodded and drew from his pocket the badge I had seen him +take from the cabinet. + +"Now, Chase," he directed, "you needn't go in with us. Walter and +I can manage this, now. But don't get out of touch with me. I +shall need you any moment--certainly tomorrow." + +I saw that the badge read, Telephone Inspector. + +"Walter," he smiled, "you're elected my helper." + +We entered the apartment house hall and found a Negro boy in +charge of the switchboard. It took Craig only a moment to convince +the boy that he was from the company and that complaints had been +made by some anonymous tenant. + +"You look over that switchboard, Kelly," he winked at me, "while I +test out the connections back here. There must be something wrong +with the wires or there wouldn't be so many complaints." + +He had gone back of the switchboard and the Negro, still +unsuspicious, watched without understanding what it was all about. + +"I don't know," Craig muttered finally for the benefit of the boy, +"but I think I'll have to leave that tester after all. Say, if I +put it here, you'll have to be careful not to let anyone meddle +with it. If you do, there'll be the deuce to pay. See?" + +Kennedy had already started to fasten the telegraphone to the +wires he had selected from the tangle. + +At last he finished and stood up. + +"Don't disturb it and don't let anyone else touch it," he ordered. +"Better not tell anyone--that's the best way. I'll be back for it +tomorrow probably." + +"Yas sah," nodded the boy, with a bow, as we went out. + +We returned to the laboratory, where there seemed to be nothing we +could do now except wait for something to happen. + +Kennedy, however, employed the time by plunging into work, most of +the time experimenting with a peculiar little coil to which ran +the wires of an ordinary electric bell. + +Back in the new hang-out, the Clutching Hand was laying down the +law to his lieutenants and heelers, when Spike at last entered. + +"Huh!" growled the master criminal, covering the fact that he was +considerably relieved to see him at last, "where have YOU been? +I've been off on a little job myself and got back." + +Spike apologized profusely. He had succeeded so easily that he had +thought to take a little time to meet up with an old pal whom he +ran across, just out of prison. + +"Yes sir," he replied hastily, "well, I went over to the Dodge +house, and I saw them finally. Followed them into a jewelry shop. +That lawyer bought her a wrist watch. So I bought one just like +it. I thought perhaps we could--" "Give it to me," growled +Clutching Hand, seizing it the moment Slim displayed it. "And +don't butt in--see?" + +From the capacious desk, the master criminal pulled a set of small +drills, vices, and other jeweler's tools and placed them on the +table. + +"All right," he relented. "Now, do you see what I have just +thought of--no? This is just the chance. Look at me." + +The heelers gathered around him, peering curiously at their master +as he worked at the bracelet watch. + +Carefully he plied his hands to the job, regardless of time. + +"There," he exclaimed at last, holding the watch up where they +could all see it. "See!" + +He pulled out the stem to set the hands and slowly twisted it +between his thumb and finger. He turned the hands until they were +almost at the point of three o'clock. + +Then he held the watch out where all could see it. + +They bent closer and strained their eyes at the little second hand +ticking away merrily. + +As the minute hand touched three, from the back of the case, as if +from the casing itself, a little needle, perhaps a quarter of an +inch, jumped out. It seemed to come from what looked like merely a +small inset in the decorations. + +"You see what will happen at the hour of three?" he asked. + +No one said a word, as he held up a vial which he had drawn from +his pocket. On it they could read the label, "Ricinus." + +"One of the most powerful poisons in the world!" he exclaimed. +"Enough here to kill a regiment!" + +They fairly gasped and looked at it with horror, exchanging +glances. Then they looked at him in awe. There was no wonder that +Clutching Hand kept them in line, once he had a crook in his +power. + +Opening the vial carefully, he dipped in a thin piece of glass and +placed a tiny drop in a receptacle back of the needle and on the +needle itself. + +Altogether it savored of the ancient days of the Borgias with +their weird poisoned rings. + +Then he dropped the vial back into his pocket, pressed a spring, +and the needle went back into its unsuspected hiding place. + +"I've set my invention to go off at three o'clock," he concluded. +"Tomorrow forenoon, it will have to be delivered early--and I +don't believe we shall be troubled any longer by Miss Elaine +Dodge," he added venomously. + +Even the crooks, hardened as they were, could only gasp. + +Calmly he wrapped up the apparently innocent engine of destruction +and handed it to Spike. + +"See that she gets it in time," he said merely. + +"I will, sir," answered Spike, taking it gingerly. + +Flirty Florrie had returned that afternoon, late, from some +expedition on which she had been sent. + +Rankling in her heart yet was the death of her lover, Dan the +Dude. For, although in her sphere of crookdom they are neither +married nor given in marriage, still there is a brand of loyalty +that higher circles might well copy. Sacred to the memory of the +dead, however, she had one desire--revenge. + +Thus when she arrived home, she went to the telephone to report +and called a number, 4494 Greenwich. + +"Hello, Chief," she repeated. "This is Flirty. Have you done +anything yet in the little matter we talked about?" + +"Say--be careful of names--over the wire," came a growl. + +"You know--what I mean." + +"Yes. The trick will be pulled off at three o'clock." "Good!" she +exclaimed. "Good-bye and thank you." + +With his well-known caution Clutching Hand did not even betray +names over the telephone if he could help it. + +Flirty hung up the receiver with satisfaction. The manes of the +departed Dan might soon rest in peace! + +The next day, early in the forenoon, a young man with a small +package carefully done up came to the Dodge house. + +"From Martin's, the jeweler's, for Miss Dodge," he said to +Jennings at the door. + +Elaine and Aunt Josephine were sitting in the library when +Jennings announced him. + +"Oh, it's my watch," cried Elaine. "Show him in." + +Jennings bowed and did so. Spike entered, and handed the package +to Elaine, who signed her name excitedly and opened it. + +"Just look, Auntie," she exclaimed. "Isn't it stunning?" + +"Very pretty," commented Aunt Josephine. + +Elaine put the watch on her wrist and admired it. + +"Is it all right?" asked Spike. + +"Yes, yes," answered Elaine. "You may go." + +He went out, while Elaine gazed rapturously at the new trinket +while it ticked off the minutes--this devilish instrument. + +Early the same morning Kennedy went around again to the apartment +house and, cautious not to be seen by Flirty, recovered the +telegraphone. Together we carried it to the laboratory. + +There he set up a little instrument that looked like a wedge +sitting up on end, in the face of which was a dial. Through it he +began to run the wire from the spools, and, taking an earpiece, +put another on my head over my ears. + +"You see," he explained, "the principle on which this is based is +that a mass of tempered steel may be impressed with and will +retain magnetic fluxes varying in density and in sign in adjacent +portions of itself--little deposits of magnetic impulse. + +"When the telegraphone is attached to the telephone wire, the +currents that affect the receiver also affect the coils of the +telegraphone and the disturbance set up causes a deposit of +magnetic impulse on the steel wire. + +"When the wire is again run past these coils with a receiver such +as I have here in circuit with the coils, a light vibration is set +up in the receiver diaphragm which reproduces the sound of +speech." He turned a switch and we listened eagerly. There was no +grating and thumping, as he controlled the running off of the +wire. We were listening to everything that had been said over the +telephone during the time since we left the machine. + +First came several calls from people with bills and she put them +off most adroitly. + +Then we heard a call that caused Kennedy to look at me quickly, +stop the machine and start at that point over again. + +"That's what I wanted," he said as we listened in: + +"Give me 4494 Greenwich." + +"Hello." + +"Hello, Chief. This is Flirty. Have you done anything yet in the +little matter we talked about? + +"Say--be careful of names--over the wire." + +"You know--what I mean." + +"Yes, the trick will be pulled off at three o'clock. + +"Good! Good-bye and thank you!" + +"Good-bye." + +Kennedy stopped the machine and I looked at him blankly. + +"She called Greenwich 4494 and was told that the trick would be +pulled off at three o'clock today," he ruminated. + +"What trick?" I asked. + +He shook his head. "I don't know. That is what we must find out. I +hadn't expected a tip like that. What I wanted was to find out how +to get at the Clutching Hand." + +He paused and considered a minute, then moved to the telephone. + +"There's only one thing to do and that's to follow out my original +scheme," he said energetically. "Information, please." + +"Where is Greenwich 4494?" he asked a moment later. + +The minutes passed. "Thank you," he cried, writing down on a pad +an address over on the west side near the river front. Then +turning to me he explained, "Walter, we've got him at last!" + +Craig rose and put on his hat and coat, thrusting a pair of opera +glasses into his pocket, in case we should want to observe the +place at a distance. I followed him excitedly. The trail was hot. + +Kennedy and I came at last to the place on the West Side where the +crooked streets curved off. + +Instead of keeping on until he came to the place we sought, he +turned and quickly slipped behind the shelter of a fence. There +was a broken board in the fence and he bent down, gazing through +with the opera glasses. + +Across the lot was the new headquarters, a somewhat dilapidated +old-fashioned brick house of several generations back. Through the +glass we could see an evil-countenanced crook slinking along. He +mounted the steps and rang the bell, turning as he waited. + +From a small aperture in the doorway looked out another face, +equally evil. Under cover, the crook made the sign of the +clutching hand twice and was admitted. + +"That's the place, all right," whispered Kennedy with +satisfaction. + +He hurried to a telephone booth where he called several numbers. +Then we returned to the laboratory, while Kennedy quickly figured +out a plan of action. I knew Chase was expected there soon. + +From the table he picked up the small coil over which I had seen +him working, and attached it to the bell and some batteries. He +replaced it on the table, while I watched curiously. + +"A selenium cell," he explained. "Only when light falls on it does +it become a good conductor of electricity. Then the bell will +ring." + +Just before making the connection he placed his hat over the cell. +Then he lifted the hat. The light fell on it and the bell rang. He +replaced the hat and the bell stopped. It was evidently a very +peculiar property of the substance, selenium. + +Just then there came a knock at the door. I opened it. + +"Hello, Chase," greeted Kennedy. "Well, I've found the new +headquarters all right,--over on the west side." + +Kennedy picked up the selenium cell and a long coil of fine wire +which he placed in a bag. Then he took another bag already packed +and, shifting them between us, we hurried down town. + +Near the vacant lot, back of the new headquarters, was an old +broken down house. Through the rear of it we entered. + +I started back in astonishment as we found eight or ten policemen +already there. Kennedy had ordered them to be ready for a raid and +they had dropped in one at a time without attracting attention. + +"Well, men," he greeted them, "I see you found the place all +right. Now, in a little while Jameson will return with two wires. +Attach them to the bell which I will leave here. When it rings, +raid the house. Jameson will lead you to it. Come, Walter," he +added, picking up the bags. + +Ten minutes later, outside the new headquarters, a crouched up +figure, carrying a small package, his face hidden under his soft +hat and up-turned collar, could have been seen slinking along +until he came to the steps. + +He went up and peered through the aperture of the doorway. Then he +rang the bell. Twice he raised his hand and clenched it in the now +familiar clutch. + +A crook inside saw it through the aperture and opened the door. +The figure entered and almost before the door was shut tied the +masking handkerchief over his face, which hid his identity from +even the most trusted lieutenants. The crook bowed to the chief, +who, with a growl as though of recognition, moved down the hall. + +As he came to the room from which Spike had been sent on his +mission, the same group was seated in the thick tobacco smoke. + +"You fellows clear out," he growled. "I want to be alone." + +"The old man is peeved," muttered one, outside, as they left. + +The weird figure gazed about the room to be sure that he was +alone. + +When Craig and I left the police he had given me most minute +instructions which I was now following out to the letter. + +"I want you to hide there," he said, indicating a barrel back of +the house next to the hang-out. "When you see a wire come down +from the headquarters, take it and carry it across the lot to the +old house. Attach it to the bell; then wait. When it rings, raid +the Clutching Hand joint." + +I waited what seemed to be an interminable time back of the barrel +and it is no joke hiding back of a barrel. + +Finally, however, I saw a coil of fine wire drop rapidly to the +ground from a window somewhere above. I made a dash for it, as +though I were trying to rush the trenches, seized my prize and +without looking back to see where it came from, beat a hasty +retreat. + +Around the lot I skirted, until at last I reached the place where +the police were waiting. Quickly we fastened the wire to the bell. + +We waited. + +Not a sound from the bell. + +Up in the room in the joint, the hunched up figure stood by the +table. He had taken his hat off and placed it carefully on the +table, and was now waiting. + +Suddenly a noise at the door startled him. He listened. Then he +backed away from the door and drew a revolver. + +As the door slowly opened there entered another figure, hat over +his eyes, collar up, a handkerchief over his face, the exact +counterpart of the first! + +For a moment each glared at the other. + +"Hands up!" shouted the first figure, hoarsely, moving the gun and +closing the door, with his foot. + +The newcomer slowly raised his crooked hand over his head, as the +blue steel revolver gaped menacingly. + +With a quick movement of the other hand, the first sinister figure +removed the handkerchief from his face and straightened up. + +It was Kennedy! + +"Come over to the center of the room," ordered Kennedy. + +Clutching Hand obeyed, eyeing his captor closely. + +"Now lay your weapons on the table." + +He tossed down a revolver. + +The two still faced each other. + +"Take off that handkerchief!" + +It was a tense moment. Slowly Clutching Hand started to obey. Then +he stopped. Kennedy was just about to thunder, "Go on," when the +criminal calmly remarked, "You've got ME all right, Kennedy, but +in twenty minutes Elaine Dodge will be dead!" + +He said it with a nonchalance that might have deceived anyone less +astute than Kennedy. Suddenly there flashed over Craig the words: +"THE TRICK WILL BE PULLED OFF AT THREE O'CLOCK!" + +There was no fake about that. Kennedy frowned. If he killed +Clutching Hand, Elaine would die. If he fought, he must either +kill or be killed. If he handed Clutching Hand over, all he had to +do was to keep quiet. He looked at his watch. It was twenty-five +minutes of three. + +What a situation! + +He had caught a prisoner he dared not molest--yet. + +"What do you mean--tell me?" demanded Kennedy with forced calm. + +"Yesterday Mr. Bennett bought a wrist watch for Elaine," the +Clutching Hand said quietly. "They left it to be regulated. One of +my men bought one just like it. Mine was delivered to her today." + +"A likely story!" doubted Kennedy. + +For answer, the Clutching Hand pointed to the telephone. + +Kennedy reached for it. + +"One thing," interrupted the Clutching Hand. "You are a man of +honor." + +"Yes--yes. Go on." + +"If I tell you what to do, you must promise to give me a fighting +chance." + +"Yes, yes." + +"Call up Aunt Josephine, then. Do just as I say." + +Covering Clutching Hand, Kennedy called a number. "This is Mr. +Kennedy, Mrs. Dodge. Did Elaine receive a present of a wrist watch +from Mr. Bennett?" + +"Yes," she replied, "for her birthday. It came this forenoon." + +Kennedy hung up the receiver and faced Clutching Hand puzzled as +the latter said, "Call up Martin, the jeweler." + +Again Kennedy obeyed. + +"Has the watch purchased for Miss Elaine Dodge been delivered?" he +asked the clerk. + +"No," came back the reply, "the watch Mr. Bennett bought is still +here being regulated." + +Kennedy hung up the receiver. He was stunned. + +"The watch will cause her death at three o'clock," said the +Clutching Hand. "Swear to leave here without discovering my +identity and I will tell you how. You can save her!" + +A moment Kennedy thought. Here was a quandary. + +"No," he shouted, seizing the telephone. + +Before Kennedy could move, Clutching Hand had pulled the telephone +wires with almost superhuman strength from the junction box. + +"In that watch," he hissed, "I have set a poisoned needle in a +spring that will be released and will plunge it into her arm at +exactly three o'clock. On the needle is ricinus!" + +Craig advanced, furious. As he did so, Clutching Hand pointed +calmly to the clock. It was twenty minutes of three! + +With a mental struggle, Kennedy controlled his loathing of the +creature before him. + +"All right--but you'll hear from me--sooner than you suspect," he +shouted, starting for the door. + +Then he came back and lifted his hat, hiding as much as possible +the selenium cell, letting the light fall on it. + +"Only Elaine's life has saved you." + +With a last threat he dashed out. He hailed a cab, returning from +some steamship wharves not far away. + +"Quick!" he ordered, giving the Dodge address on Fifth Avenue. + +Minute after minute the police and I waited. Was anything wrong? +Where was Craig? + +Just then a tremor grew into a tinkle, then came the strong burr +of the bell. Kennedy needed us. + +With a shout of encouragement to the men I dashed out and over to +the old house. + +Meanwhile Clutching Hand himself had approached the table to +recover his weapon and had noticed the queer little selenium cell. +He picked it up and for the first time saw the wire leading out. + +"The deuce!" he cried. "He's planned to get me anyhow!" + +Clutching Hand rushed to the door--then stopped short. Outside he +could hear the police and myself. We had shot the lock on the +outside and were already inside. + +Clutching Hand slammed shut his door and pulled down over it a +heavy wooden bar. A few steps took him to the window. There were +police in the back yard, too. He was surrounded. + +But he did not hurry. He knew what to do with every second. + +At the desk he paused and took out a piece of cardboard. Then with +a heavy black marking pencil, he calmly printed on it, while we +battered at the barricaded door, a few short feet away. + +He laid the sign on the desk, then on another piece of cardboard, +drew crudely a hand with the index finger, pointing. This he +placed on a chair, indicating the desk. + +Just as the swaying and bulging door gave way, Clutching Hand gave +the desk a pull. It opened up--his getaway. + +He closed it with a sardonic smile in our direction, just before +the door crashed in. + +We looked about. There was not a soul in the room, nothing but the +selenium cell, the chairs, the desk. + +"Look!" I cried catching sight of the index finger, and going over +to the desk. + +We rolled back the top. There on the flat top was a sign: + +Dear Blockheads: + +Kennedy and I couldn't wait. + +Yours as ever, + +Then came that mysterious sign of the Clutching Hand. + +We hunted over the rooms, but could find nothing that showed a +clue. Where was Clutching Hand? Where was Kennedy? + +In the next house Clutching Hand had literally come out of an +upright piano into the room corresponding to that he had left. +Hastily he threw off his handkerchief, slouch hat, old coat and +trousers. A neat striped pair of trousers replaced the old, frayed +and baggy pair. A new shirt, then a sporty vest and a frock coat +followed. As he put the finishing touches on, he looked for all +the world like a bewhiskered foreigner. + +With a silk hat and stick, he surveyed himself, straightening his +tie. At the door of the new headquarters, a few seconds later, I +stood with the police. + +"Not a sign of him anywhere," growled one of the officers. + +Nor was there. Down the street we could see only a straight well- +dressed, distinguished looking man who had evidently walked down +to the docks to see a friend off, perhaps. + +Elaine was sitting in the library reading when Aunt Josephine +turned to her. + +"What time is it, dear?" she asked. + +Elaine glanced at her pretty new trinket. + +"Nearly three, Auntie--a couple of minutes," she said. + +Just then there came the sound of feet running madly down the hall +way. They jumped up, startled. + +Kennedy, his coat flying, and hat jammed over his eyes, had almost +bowled over poor Jennings in his mad race down the hall. + +"Well," demanded Elaine haughtily, "what's--" + +Before she knew what was going on, Craig hurried up to her and +literally ripped the watch off her wrist, breaking the beautiful +bracelet. + +He held it up, gingerly. Elaine was speechless. Was this Kennedy? +Was he possessed by such an inordinate jealousy of Bennett? + +As he held the watch up, the second hand ticked around and the +minute hand passed the meridian of the hour. + +A viciously sharp little needle gleamed out--then sprang back into +the filigree work again. + +"Well," she gasped again, "what's the occasion of THIS?" + +Craig gazed at Elaine in silence. + +Should he defend his rudeness, if she did not understand? She +stamped her foot, and repeated the question a third time. + +"What do you mean, sir, by such conduct?" + +Slowly he bowed. + +"I just don't like the kind of birthday presents you receive," he +said, turning on his heel. "Good afternoon." + + + + +CHAPTER XII + +THE BLOOD CRYSTALS + + +"On your right is the residence of Miss Elaine Dodge, the heiress, +who is pursuing the famous master criminal known as the Clutching +Hand." + +The barker had been grandiloquently pointing out the residences of +noted New Yorkers as the big sightseeing car lumbered along +through the streets. The car was filled with people and he plied +his megaphone as though he were on intimate terms with all the +city's notables. + +No one paid any attention to the unobtrusive Chinaman who sat +inconspicuously in the middle of the car. He was Mr. Long Sin, but +no one saw anything particularly mysterious about an oriental +visitor more or less viewing New York City. + +Long was of the mandarin type, with drooping mustache, well +dressed in American clothes, and conforming to the new customs of +an occidentalized China. + +Anyone, however, who had been watching Long Sin would have seen +that he showed much interest whenever any of the wealthy residents +of the city were mentioned. The name of Elaine Dodge seemed +particularly to strike him. He listened with subtle interest to +what the barker said and looked keenly at the Dodge house. + +The sight-seeing car had passed the house, when he rose slowly and +motioned that he wanted to be let off. The car stopped, he +alighted and slowly rambled away, evidently marvelling greatly at +the strange customs of these uncouth westerners. + +Elaine was going out, when she met Perry Bennett almost on the +steps of the house. + +"I've brought you the watch," remarked Bennett; "thought I'd like +to give it to you myself." + +He displayed the watch which he himself had bought a couple of +days before for her birthday. He had called for it himself at the +jeweller's where it had now been regulated. + +"Oh, thank you," exclaimed Elaine. "Won't you come in?" + +They had scarcely greeted each other, when Long Sin strolled +along. Neither of them, however, had time to notice the quiet +Chinaman who passed the house, looking at Elaine sharply out of +the corner of his eye. They entered and Long disappeared down the +street. + +"Isn't it a beauty?" cried Elaine, holding it out from her, as +they entered the library and examining it with great appreciation. +"And, oh, do you know, the strangest thing happened yesterday? +Sometimes Mr. Kennedy acts too queerly for anything." + +She related how Craig had burst in on her and Aunt Josephine and +had almost torn the other watch off her wrist. + +"Another watch?" repeated Bennett, amazed. "It must have been a +mistake. Kennedy is crazy." + +"I don't understand it, myself," murmured Elaine. + +Long Sin had continued his placid way, revolving some dark and +devious plan beneath his impassive Oriental countenance. He was no +ordinary personage. In fact he was astute enough to have no +record. He left that to his tools. + +This remarkable criminal had established himself in a hired +apartment downtown. It was furnished in rather elegant American +style, but he had added to it some most valuable Oriental curios +which gave it a fascinating appearance. + +Long Sin, now in rich Oriental costume, was reclining on a divan +smoking a strange looking pipe and playing with two pet white +rats. Each white rat had a gold band around his leg, to which was +connected a gold chain about a foot in length, and the chains +ended in rings which were slipped over Long's little fingers. +Ordinarily, he carried the pets up the capacious sleeve of each +arm. + +A servant, also in native costume, entered and bowed +deferentially. + +"A Miss Mary Carson," she lisped in soft English. + +"Let the lady enter," waved Long Sin, with a smile of subtle +satisfaction. + +The girl bowed again and silently left the room, returning with a +handsome, very well dressed white woman. + +It would be difficult to analyze just what the fascination was +that Long Sin exercised over Mary Carson. But as the servant left +the room, Mary bowed almost as deferentially as the little Chinese +girl. Long merely nodded in reply. + +After a moment, he slowly rose and took from a drawer a newspaper +clipping. Without a word, he handed it to Mary. She looked at it +with interest, as one woman always does at the picture of another +pretty woman. It was a newspaper cut of Elaine, under which was: + +ELAINE DODGE, THE HEIRESS, WHOSE BATTLE WITH THE CLUTCHING HAND IS +CREATING WORLD WIDE INTEREST. + +"Now," he began, at last, breaking the silence, "I'll show you +just what I want you to do." + +He went over to the wall and took down a curious long Chinese +knife from a scabbard which hung there conspicuously. + +"See that?" he added, holding it up. + +Before she could say a word, he had plunged the knife, apparently, +into his own breast. + +"Oh!" cried Mary, startled. + +She expected to see him fall. But nothing happened. Long Sin +laughed. It was an Oriental trick knife in which the blade +telescoped into the handle. + +"Look at it," he added, handing it to her. + +Long Sin took a bladder of water from a table nearby and concealed +it under his coat. "Now, you stab me," he directed. + +Mary hesitated. But he repeated the command and she plunged the +knife gingerly at him. It telescoped. He made her try it over and +she stabbed more resolutely. The water from the bladder poured +out. + +"Good!" cried Long Sin, much pleased. "Now," he added, seating +himself beside her, "I want you to lure Elaine here." + +Mary looked at him inquiringly as he returned the knife to its +scabbard on the wall. "Remember where it is," he continued. "Now, +if you will come into the other room I will show you how to get +her." + +I had been amusing myself by rigging up a contrivance by which I +could make it possible to see through or rather over, a door. The +idea had been suggested to me by the cystoscope which physicians +use in order to look down one's throat, and I had calculated that +by using three mirrors placed at proper angles, I could easily +reflect rays down to the level of my eye. + +Kennedy, who had been busy in the other end of the laboratory, +happened to look over in my direction. "What's the big idea, +Walter?" he asked. + +It was, I admit, a rather cumbersome and clumsy affair. + +"Well, you see, Craig," I explained, "you put the top mirror +through the transom of a door and--" + +Kennedy interrupted with a hearty burst of laughter. "But suppose +the door has no transom?" he asked, pointing to our own door. + +I scratched my head, thoughtfully. I had assumed that the door +would have a transom. A moment later, Craig went to the cabinet +and drew out a tube about as big around as a putty blower and as +long. + +"Now, here's what I call my detectascope," he remarked. "None of +your mirrors for me." + +"I know," I said somewhat nettled, "but what can you see through +that putty blower? A key hole is just as good." + +"Do you realize how little you can really see through a key hole?" +he replied confidently. "Try it over there." + +I did and to tell the truth I could see merely a little part of +the hall. Then Kennedy inserted the detectascope. + +"Look through that," he directed. + +I put my eye to the eye-piece and gazed through the bulging lens +of the other end. I could see almost the whole hall. + +"That," he explained, "is what is known as a fish-eye lens--a lens +that looks through an angle of some 180 degrees, almost twice that +of the widest angle lens I know of." + +I said nothing, but tossed my own crude invention into the corner, +while Craig went back to work. + +Elaine was playing with "Rusty" when Jennings brought in a card on +which was engraved the name, "Miss Mary Carson," and underneath, +in pencil, was written "Belgian Relief Committee." + +"How interesting," commented Elaine, rising and accompanying +Jennings back into the drawing room. "I wonder what she wants. +Very pleased to meet you, Miss Carson," she greeted her visitor. + +"You see, Miss Dodge," began Mary, "we're getting up this movement +to help the Belgians and we have splendid backing. Just let me +show you some of the names on our committee." + +She handed Elaine a list which read: + +BELGIAN RELIEF COMMITTEE + +Mrs. Warburton Fish Mrs. Hamilton Beekman Mrs. C. August Iselm +Mrs. Belmont Rivington Mrs. Rupert Solvay. + +"I've just been sent to see if I cannot persuade you to join the +committee and attend a meeting at Mrs. Rivington's," she went on. + +"Why, er," considered Elaine thoughtfully, "er--yes. It must be +all right with such people in it." + +"Can you go with me now?" + +"Just as well as later," agreed Elaine. + +They went out together, and, as they were leaving the house a man +who had been loitering outside looked at Elaine, then fixedly at +her companion. + +No sooner had they gone than he sped off to a car waiting around +the corner. In the dark depths was a sinister figure, the master +criminal himself. The watcher had been an emissary of the +Clutching Hand. + +"Chief," he whispered eagerly, "You know Adventuress Mary? Well, +she's got Elaine Dodge in tow!" + +"The deuce!" cried Clutching Hand. "Then we must teach Mary +Carson, or whoever she is working for, a lesson. No one shall +interfere with our affairs. Follow them!" + +Elaine and Mary had gone downtown, talking animatedly, and walked +down the avenue toward Mrs. Rivington's apartment. + +Meanwhile, Long Sin, still in his Chinese costume, was explaining +to the servant just what he wished done, pointing out the dagger +on the wall and replacing the bladder under his jacket. A box of +opium was on the table, and he was giving most explicit +directions. It was into such a web that Elaine was being +unwittingly led by Mary. + +Entering the hallway of the apartment, Mary rang the bell. + +Long heard it. "Answer it," he directed the servant who hastened +to do so, while Long glided like a serpent into a back room. + +The servant opened the door and Elaine and Mary entered. He closed +the door and almost before they knew locked it and was gone into +the back room. + +Elaine gazed about in trepidation. But before she could say +anything, Mary, with a great show of surprise, exclaimed, "Why, I +must have made a mistake. This isn't Mrs. Rivington's apartment. +How stupid of me." + +They looked at each other a moment. Then each laughed nervously, +as together they started to go out of the door. It was locked! + +Quickly they ran to another door. It was locked, also. + +Then they went to the windows. Behind the curtains they were +barred and looked out on a blank brick wall in a little court. + +"Oh," cried Mary wringing her hands, stricken in mock panic, "oh, +I'm so frightened. This may be the den of Chinese white slavers!" + +She had picked up some Chinese articles on a table, including the +box that Long had left there. It had a peculiar odor. + +"Opium!" she whispered, showing it to Elaine. + +The two looked at each other, Elaine genuinely worried now. + +Just then, the Chinaman entered and stood a moment gazing at them. +They turned and Elaine recoiled from him. Long bowed. + +"Oh sir," cried Mary, "We've made a mistake. Can't you tell us how +to get out?" + +Long's only answer was to spread out his hands in polite +deprecation and shrug his suave shoulders. + +"No speke Englis," he said, gliding out again from the room and +closing the door. + +Elaine and Mary looked about in despair. + +"What shall we do?" asked Elaine. + +Mary said nothing, but with a hasty glance discovered on the wall +the knife which Long had already told her about. She took it from +its scabbard. As she did so the Chinaman returned with a tray on +which were queer drinks and glasses. + +At the sight of Mary with the knife he scowled blackly, laid the +tray down, and took a few steps in her direction. She brandished +the knife threateningly, then, as if her nerve failed her, fainted +letting the knife fall carefully on the floor so that it struck on +the handle and not on the blade. + +Long quickly caught her as she fainted and carried her out of the +room, banging shut the door. Elaine followed in a moment, loyally, +to protect her supposed friend, but found that the door had a snap +lock on the other side. + +She looked about wildly and in a moment Long reappeared. As he +advanced slowly and insinuatingly, she drew back, pleading. But +her words fell on seemingly deaf ears. + +She had picked up the knife which Mary had dropped and when at +last Long maneuvred to get her cornered and was about to seize +her, she nerved herself up and stabbed him resolutely. + +Long staggered back--and fell. + +As he did so, he pressed the bladder which he had already placed +under his coat. A dark red fluid, like blood, oozed out all over +him and ran in a pool on the floor. + +Elaine, too horror-stricken at what had happened even to scream, +dropped the knife and bent over him. He did not move. She +staggered back and ran through the now open door. As she did so, +Long seemed suddenly to come to life. He raised himself and looked +after her, then with a subtle smile sank back into his former +assumed posture on the floor. + +When Elaine reached the other room, she found Mary there with the +Chinese servant who was giving her a glass of water. At the sight +of her, the servant paused, then withdrew into another room +further back. Mary, now apparently recovering from her faintness, +smiled wanly at Elaine. + +"It's all right," she murmured. "He is a Chinese prince who +thought we were callers." + +At the reassuring nod of Mary toward the front room, Elaine was +overcome. + +"I--I killed him!" she managed to gasp. + +"What?" cried Mary, starting up and trembling violently. "You +killed him?" + +"Yes," sobbed Elaine, "he came at me--I had the knife--I struck at +him--" + +The two girls ran into the other room. There Mary looked at the +motionless body on the floor and recoiled, horrified. + +Elaine noticing some spots on her hands and seeing that they were +stained by the blood of Long Sin, wiped the spots off on her +hankerchief, dropping it on the floor. + +"Ugh!" exclaimed a guttural voice behind them. + +It was the servant who had come in. Even his ordinarily impassive +Oriental face could not conceal the horror and fear at the sight +of his master lying on the floor in a pool of gore. Elaine was now +more frightened than ever, if that were possible. + +"You--kill him--with knife?" insinuated the Chinese. + +Elaine was dumb. The servant did not wait for an answer, but +hastily opened the hall door. + +To Elaine it seemed that something must be done quickly. A moment +and all the house would be in uproar. + +Instead, he placed his finger on his lips. "Quick--no word," he +said, leading the way to the hall door, "and--you must not leave +that--it will be a clue," he added, picking up the bloody +handkerchief and pressing it into Elaine's hand. + +They quickly ran out into the hall. + +"Go--quick!" he urged again, "and hide the handkerchief in the +bag. Let no one see it!" + +He shut the door. As they hurried away, Elaine breathed a sigh of +relief. + +"Why did he let us go, though?" she whispered, her head in a +whirl. + +"I don't know," panted Mary, "but anyhow, thank heaven, we are out +of it. Come," she added, taking Elaine's arm, "not a soul has seen +us except the servant. Let us get away as quietly as we can." + +They had reached the street. Afraid to run, they hurried as fast +as they could until they turned the first corner. + +Elaine looked back. No one was pursuing. + +"We must separate," added Mary. "Let us go different ways. I will +see you later. Perhaps they will think some enemy has murdered +him." + +They pressed each other's hands and parted. + +Meanwhile in the front room, Long Sin was on his feet again +brushing himself off and mopping up the blood. + +"It worked very well, Sam," he said to the servant. + +They were conversing eagerly and laughing and did not hear a noise +in the back room. + +A sinister figure had made its way by means of a fire-escape to a +rear window that was not barred, and silently he had stolen in on +them. + +Cat-like, he advanced, but instead of striking at them, he quietly +took a seat in a chair close behind them, a magazine revolver in +his hand. + +They turned at a slight noise and saw him. Genuine fright was now +on their faces as they looked at him, open mouthed. + +"What's all this?" he growled. "I am known as the Clutching Hand. +I allow no interferences with my affairs. Tell me what you are +doing here with Elaine Dodge." + +Their beady almond eyes flashed fear. Clutching Hand moved +menacingly. There was nothing for the astute Long Sin to do but to +submit. Cowed by the well-known power of the master criminal, he +took Clutching Hand into his confidence. + +With a low bow, Long Sin spread out his hands in surrender and +submission. + +"I will tell you, honorable sir," he said at length. + +"Go on!" growled the criminal. + +Quickly Long rehearsed what had happened, from the moment the idea +of blackmail had entered his head. + +"How about Mary Carson?" asked Clutching Hand. "I saw her here." + +Long gave a glance of almost superstitious dread at the man, as if +he had an evil eye. + +"She will be back--is here now," he added, opening the door at a +knock and admitting her. + +Adventuress Mary had hurried back to see that all was right. This +time Mary was genuinely scared at the forbidding figure of which +she had heard. + +"It is all right," pacified Long. "Henceforth we work with the +honorable Clutching Hand." + +Clutching Hand continued to emphasize his demands on them, +punctuating his sentences by flourishes of the gun as he gave them +the signs and passwords which would enable them to work with his +own emissaries. + +It was a strange initiation. + +At home at last, Elaine sank down into a deep library chair and +stared straight ahead. She saw visions of arrest and trial, of the +terrible electric chair with herself in it, bound, and of the +giving of the fatal signal for turning on the current. + +Were such things as these going to happen to her, without +Kennedy's help? Why had they quarreled? She buried her face in her +hands and wept. + +Then she could stand it no longer. She had not taken off her +street clothes. She rose and almost fled from the house. + +Kennedy and I were still in the laboratory when a knock sounded at +the door. I went to the door and opened it. There stood Elaine +Dodge. + +It was a complete surprise to Craig. There was silence between +them for a moment and they merely looked at each other. Elaine was +pale and woebegone. + +At last Kennedy took a quick step toward her and led her to a +chair. Still he felt a sort of constraint. + +"What IS the matter?" he asked at length. + +She hesitated, then suddenly burst out, "Craig--I--I am--a +murderess!" + +I have never seen such a look on Craig's face. I know he wanted to +laugh and say, "YOU--a murderess?" yet he would not have offended +even her self accusation for the world. He managed to do the right +thing and say nothing. + +Then she poured forth the story substantially as I have set it +down, but without the explanation which at that time was not known +to any of us. + +"Oh," expostulated Craig, "there must be some mistake. It's +impossible--impossible." + +"No," she asserted. "Look--here's my handkerchief all spotted with +blood." + +She opened the bag and displayed the blood-spotted handkerchief. +He took it and examined it carefully. + +"Elaine," he said earnestly, not at all displeased, I could see +that something had come up that might blot out the past +unfortunate misunderstanding, "there simply must be something +wrong here. Leave this handkerchief with me. I'll do my best." + +There was still a little restraint between them. She was almost +ready to beg his pardon, for all the coolness there had been +between them, yet still hesitated. + +"Thank you," she said simply as she left the laboratory. + +Craig went to work abruptly without a word. On the laboratory +table he placed his splendid microscope and several cases of +slides as well as innumerable micro-photographs. He had been +working for some time when he looked up. + +"Ever hear of Dr. Edward Reichert of the University of +Pennsylvania and his wonderful discoveries of how blood crystals +vary in different species?" he asked. + +I had not, but did not admit it. + +"Well," he went on, "there is a blood test so delicate that one +might almost say that he could identify a criminal by the finger +prints, so to speak, of his blood crystals. The hemoglobin or red +coloring matter forms crystals and the variations of these +crystals both in form and molecular construction are such that +they set apart every species of animal from every other, and even +the races of men--perhaps may even set apart individuals. Here, +Walter, we have sample of human blood crystals." + +I looked through the microscope as he directed. There I could see +the crystals sharply defined. + +"And here," he added, "are the crystals of the blood on Elaine's +handkerchief." + +I looked again as he changed the slides. There was a marked +difference and I looked up at him quickly. + +"It is dog's blood--not human blood," he said simply. + +I looked again at the two sets of slides. There could be no doubt +that there was a plain difference. + +"Wonderful!" I exclaimed. + +"Yes--wonderful," he agreed, "but what's the game back of all +this--that's the main question now." + +Long after Clutching Hand had left, Long Sin was giving +instructions to his servant and Adventuress Mary just how he had +had to change his plans as a result of the unexpected visit. + +"Very well," nodded Mary as she left him, "I will do as you say-- +trust me." + +It was not much later, then, that Elaine received a second visit +from Mary. + +"Show her in, Jennings," she said to the butler nervously. + +Indeed, she felt that every eye must be upon her. Even Jennings +would know of her guilt soon. + +Anxiously, therefore, Elaine looked at her visitor. + +"Do you know why the servant allowed us to leave the apartment?" +whispered Mary with a glance about fearfully, as if the walls had +ears. + +"No--why?" inquired Elaine anxiously. + +"He's a tong man who has been chosen to do away with the Prince. +He followed me, and says you have done his work for him. If you +will give him ten thousand dollars for expenses, he will attend to +hiding the body." + +Here at least was a way out. + +"But do you think that is all right? Can he do it?" asked Elaine +eagerly. + +"Do it? Why those tong men can do anything for money. Only one +must be careful not to offend them." + +Mary was very convincing. + +"Yes, I suppose you are right," agreed Elaine, finally. "I had +better do as you say. It is the safest way out of the trouble. +Yes, I'll do it. I'll stop at the bank now and get the money." + +They rose and Mary preceded her, eager to get away from the house. +At the door, however, Elaine asked her to wait while she ran back +on some pretext. In the library she took off the receiver of the +telephone and quickly called a number. + +Our telephone rang in the middle of our conversation on blood +crystals and Kennedy himself answered it. + +It was Elaine asking Craig's advice. + +"They have offered to hush the thing up for ten thousand dollars," +she said, in a muffled voice. + +She seemed bent on doing it and no amount of argument from him +could stop her. She simply refused to accept the evidence of the +blood crystals as better than what her own eyes told her she had +seen and done. + +"Then wait for half an hour," he answered, without arguing +further. "You can do that without exciting suspicion. Go with her +to her hotel and hand her over the money." + +"All right--I'll do it," she agreed. + +"What is the hotel?" + +Craig wrote on a slip of paper what she told him--"Room 509, Hotel +La Coste." + +"Good--I'm glad you called me. Count on me," he finished as he +hung up the receiver. + +Hastily he threw on his street coat. "Go into the back room and +get me that brace and bit, Walter," he asked. + +I did so. When I returned, I saw that he had placed the +detectascope and some other stuff in a bag. He shoved in the brace +and bit also. + +"Come on--hurry!" he urged. + +We must have made record time in getting to the Coste. It was an +ornate place, where merely to breathe was expensive. We entered +and by some excuse Kennedy contrived to get past the vigilant +bellhops. We passed the telephone switchboard and entered the +elevator, getting off at the fifth floor. + +With a hasty glance up and down the corridor, to make sure no one +was about, Kennedy came to room 509, then passed to the next, 511, +opening the door with a skeleton key. We entered and Craig locked +the door behind us. It was an ordinary hotel room, but well- +furnished. Fortunately it was unoccupied. + +Quietly Craig went to the door which led to the next room. It was, +of course, locked also. He listened a moment carefully. Not a +sound. Quickly, with an exclamation of satisfaction, he opened +that door also and went into 509. + +This room was much like that in which we had already been. He +opened the hall door. + +"Watch here, Walter," he directed, "Let me know at the slightest +alarm." + +Craig had already taken the brace and bit from the bag and started +to bore through the wall into room 511, selecting a spot behind a +picture of a Spanish dancer--a spot directly back of her snapping +black eyes. He finished quickly and inserted the detectascope so +that the lens fitted as an eye in the picture. The eye piece was +in Room 511. Then he started to brush up the pieces of plaster on +the floor. + +"Craig," I whispered hastily as I heard an elevator door, +"someone's coming!" + +He hurried to the door and looked. "There they are," he said, as +we saw Elaine and Mary rounding the corner of the hall. + +Across the hall, although we did not know it at the time, in room +540, already, Long Sin had taken up his station, just to be handy. +There he had been with his servant, playing with his two trained +white rats. + +Long placed them up his capacious sleeves and carefully opened the +door to look out. Unfortunately he, was just in time to see the +door of 509 open and disclose us. + +His subtle glance detected our presence without our knowing it. + +Hastily picking up the brace and bit and the rest of the debris, +and with a last look at the detectascope, which was hardly +noticeable, even if one already knew it was there, we hurried into +511 and shut the door. + +Kennedy mounted a chair and applied his eye to the detectascope. +Just then Mary and Elaine entered the next room, Mary opening the +door with a regular key. + +"Won't you step in?" she asked. + +Elaine did so and Mary hesitated in the hall. Long Sin had slipped +out on noiseless feet and taken refuge behind some curtains. As he +saw her alone, he beckoned to Mary. + +"There's a stranger in the next room," he whispered. "I don't like +him. Take the money and as quickly as possible get out and go to +my apartment." + +At the news that there was a suspicious stranger about, Mary +showed great alarm. Everything was so rapid, now, that the +slightest hesitation meant disaster. Perhaps, by quickness, even a +suspicious stranger could be fooled, she reasoned. At any rate, +Long Sin was resourceful. She had better trust him. + +Mary followed Elaine into the room, where she had seated herself +already, and locked the door. + +"Have you the money there?" she asked. + +"Yes," nodded Elaine, taking out the package of bills which she +had got from the bank during the half hour delay. + +All this we could see by gazing alternately through the +detectascope. + +Elaine handed Mary the money. Mary counted it slowly. At last she +looked up. + +"It's all right," she said. "Now, I'll take this to that tong +leader--he's in a room only just across the hall." + +She went out. + +Kennedy at the detectascope was very excited as this went on. He +now jumped off the chair on which he had been standing and rushed +to the door to head her off. + +To our surprise, in spite of the fact that we could turn the key +in the lock, it was impossible to open it! + +It was only a moment that Craig paused at the door. The next +moment he burst into 509, followed closely by me. + +With a scream, Elaine was on her feet in an instant. + +There was no time for explanations, however. + +He rushed to the door to go out, but it was locked--somehow, on +the outside. The skeleton key would not work, at any rate. + +He shot the lock, and dashed out, calling back, "Walter, stay +there--with Elaine." + +Mary had just succeeded in getting on the elevator as Kennedy +hurried down the hall. The door was closed and the car descended. +He rang the push bell furiously, but there was no answer. + +Had he got so far in the chase, only to be outwitted? + +He dashed back to the room, with us, and jerked down the telephone +receiver. + +"Hello--hello--hello!" he called. + +No answer. + +There seemed to be no way to get a connection. What was the +matter? + +He hurried down the hall again. + +No sooner had Elaine and Mary actually gone into the room, than +Long and his servant stole out of 540, across the hall. Somewhere +they had obtained a strong but thin rope. + +Quickly and silently Long tied the handle of the door 511 in which +we were to the handle of 540 which he was vacating. As both doors +opened inward and were opposite, they were virtually locked. + +Then Long and his servant hurried down the hallway to the +elevator. + +Down in the hotel lobby, with his followers, the Chinaman paused +before the telephone switchboard where two girls were at work. + +"You may go," ordered Long, and, as his man left, he moved over +closer to the switchboard. + +He was listening eagerly and also watching an indicator that told +the numbers of the rooms which called, as they flashed into view. + +Just as a call from "509" flashed up, Long slipped the rings off +his little fingers and loosened the white rats on the telephone +switchboard itself. + +With a shriek, the telephone system of the Coste went temporarily +out of business. + +The operators fled to the nearest chairs, drawing their skirts +about them. + +There was the greatest excitement among all the women in the +corridor. Such a display of hosiery was never contemplated by even +the most daring costumers. + +Shouts from the bellboys who sought to catch the rats who +scampered hither and thither in frightened abandon mingled with +the shrieks of the ladies. + +Kennedy had succeeded in finding the alcove of the floor clerk in +charge of the fifth floor. There on his desk was an instrument +having a stylus on the end of two arms, connected to a system of +magnets. It was a telautograph. + +Unceremoniously, Craig pushed the clerk out of his seat and sat +down himself. It was a last chance, now that the telephone was out +of commission. + +Downstairs, in the hotel office, where the excitement had not +spread to everyone, was the other end of the electric long +distance writer. + +It started to write, as Kennedy wrote, upstairs: + +"HOUSE DETECTIVE--QUICK--HOLD WOMAN WITH BLUE CHATELAINE BAG, +GETTING OUT OF ELEVATOR." + +The clerks downstairs saw it and shouted above the din of the rat- +baiting. + +"McCann--McCann!" + +The clerk had torn off the message from the telautograph register, +and handed it to the house man who pushed his way to the desk. + +Quickly the detective called to the bell-hops. Together they +hurried after the well-dressed woman who had just swept out of the +elevator. Mary had already passed through the excited lobby and +out, and was about to cross the street--safe. + +McCann and the bell-hops were now in full cry after her. Flight +was useless. She took refuge in indignation and threats. + +But McCann was obdurate. She passed quickly to tears and +pleadings. It had no effect. They insisted on leading her back. +The game was up. + +Even an offer of money failed to move their adamantine hearts. +Nothing would do but that she must face her accusers. + +In the meantime Long Sin had recovered his precious and useful +pets. Life in the Coste had assumed something of its normal +aspect, and Craig had succeeded in getting an elevator. + +It was just as Mary was led in threatening and pleading by turns +that he stepped off in the lobby. + +There was, however, still just enough excitement to cover a little +pantomime. Long Sin had been about to slip out of a side door, +thinking all was well, when he caught sight of Mary being led +back. She had also seen him, and began to struggle again. + +Quickly he shook his head, indicating for her to stop. Then slowly +he secretly made the sign of the Clutching Hand at her. It meant +that she must not snitch. + +She obeyed instantly, and he quietly disappeared. + +"Here," cried Kennedy, "take her up in the elevator. I'll prove +the case." + +With the house detective and Kennedy, Mary was hustled into the +elevator and whisked back as she had escaped. + +In the meantime I had gathered up what stuff we had in the room we +had entered and had returned with Kennedy's bag. + +"Wh--what's it all about?" inquired Elaine excitedly. + +I tried to explain. + +Just then, out in the hall we could hear loud voices, and that of +Mary above the rest. Kennedy, a man who looked like a detective, +and some bell-boys were leading her toward us. + +"Now--not a word of who she is in the papers, McCann," Kennedy was +saying, evidently about Elaine. "You know it wouldn't sound well +for La Coste. As for that woman--well, I've got the money back. +You can take her off--make the charge." + +As the house man left with Mary, I handed Craig his bag. We moved +toward the door, and as we stood there a moment with Elaine, he +quietly handed over to her the big roll of bills. + +She took it, with surprise still written in her big blue eyes. +"Oh--thank you--I might have known it was only a blackmail +scheme," she cried eagerly. + +Craig held out his hand and she took it quickly, gazing into his +eyes. Craig bowed politely, not quite knowing what to do under the +circumstances. + +If he had been less of a scientist, he might have understood the +look on her face, but, with a nod to me, he turned, and went. + +As she looked first at him, then at the paltry ten thousand in her +hand, Elaine stamped her little foot in vexation. + +"I'm glad I DIDN'T say anything more," she cried. "No--no--he +shall beg my pardon first--there!" + + + + +CHAPTER XIII + +THE DEVIL WORSHIPPERS + + +Elaine was seated in the drawing room with Aunt Josephine one +afternoon, when her lawyer, Perry Bennett, dropped in +unexpectedly. + +He had hardly greeted them when the butler, Jennings, in his usual +impassive manner announced that Aunt Josephine was wanted on the +telephone. + +No sooner were Elaine and Bennett alone, than Elaine, turning to +him, exclaimed impulsively, "I'm so glad you have come. I have +been longing to see you and to tell you about a strange dream I +have had." + +"What was it?" he asked, with instant interest. + +Leaning back in her chair and gazing before her tremulously, +Elaine continued, "Last night, I dreamed that father came to me +and told me that if I would give up Kennedy and put my trust in +you, I would find the Clutching Hand. I don't know what to think +of it." + +Bennett, who had been listening intently, remained silent for a +few moments. Then, putting down his tea cup, he moved over nearer +to Elaine and bent over her. + +"Elaine," he said in a low tone, his remarkable eyes looking +straight into her own, "you must know that I love you. Then give +me the right to protect you. It was your father's dearest wish, I +believe, that we should marry. Let me share your dangers and I +swear that sooner or later there will be an end to the Clutching +Hand. Give me your answer, Elaine," he urged, "and make me the +happiest man in all the world." + +Elaine listened, and not unsympathetically, as Bennett continued +to plead for her answer. + +"Wait a little while--until to-morrow," she replied finally, as if +overcome by the recollections of her weird dream and the +unexpected sequel of his proposal. + +"Let it be as you wish, then," agreed Bennett quietly. + +He took her hand and kissed it passionately. + +An instant later Aunt Josephine returned. Elaine, unstrung by what +had happened, excused herself and went into the library. + +She sank into one of the capacious arm chairs, and passing her +hand wearily over her throbbing forehead, closed her eyes in deep +thought. Involuntarily, her mind travelled back over the rapid +succession of events of the past few weeks and the part that she +had thought, at least, Kennedy had come to play in her life. + +Then she thought of their recent misunderstanding. Might there not +be some simple explanation of it, after all, which she had missed? +What should she do? + +She solved the problem by taking up the telephone and asking for +Kennedy's number. + +I was chatting with Craig in his laboratory, and, at the same +time, was watching him in his experimental work. Just as a call +came on the telephone, he was pouring some nitro-hydrochloric acid +into a test tube to complete a reaction. + +The telephone tinkled and he laid down the bottle of acid on his +desk, while he moved a few steps to answer the call. + +Whoever the speaker was, Craig seemed deeply interested, and, not +knowing who was talking on the wire, I was eager to learn whether +it was anyone connected with the case of the Clutching Hand. + +"Yes, this is Mr. Kennedy," I heard Craig say. + +I moved over toward him and whispered eagerly, "Is there anything +new?" + +A little impatient at being interrupted, Kennedy waved me off. It +occurred to me that he might need a pad and pencil to make a note +of some information and I reached over the desk for them. + +As I did so my arm inadvertently struck the bottle of acid, +knocking it over on the top of the desk. Its contents streamed out +saturating the telephone wires before I could prevent it. In +trying to right the bottle my hand came in contact with the acid +which burned like liquid fire, and I cried out in pain. + +Craig hastily laid down the receiver, seized me and rushed me to +the back of the laboratory where he drenched my hand with a +neutralizing liquid. + +He bound up the wounds caused by the acid, which proved to be +slight, after all, and then returned to the telephone. + +To his evident annoyance, he discovered that the acid had burned +through the wires and cut off all connection. + +Though I did not know it, my hand was, in a sense at least, the +hand of fate. + +At the other end of the line, Elaine was listening impatiently for +a response to her first eager words of inquiry. She was astounded +to find, at last, that Kennedy had apparently left the telephone +without any explanation or apology. + +"Why--he rang off," she exclaimed angrily to herself, as she hung +up the receiver and left the room. + +She rejoined her Aunt Josephine and Bennett who had been chatting +together in the drawing room, still wondering at the queer rebuff +she had, seemingly, experienced. + +Bennett rose to go, and, as he parted from Elaine, found an +opportunity to whisper a few words reminding her of her promised +reply on the morrow. + +Piqued, at Kennedy, she flashed Bennett a meaning glance which +gave him to understand that his suit was not hopeless. + +In the center of a devious and winding way, quite unknown to all +except those who knew the innermost secrets of the Chinese quarter +and even unknown to the police, there was a dingy tenement house, +apparently inhabited by hardworking Chinamen, but in reality the +headquarters of the notorious devil worshippers, a sect of +Satanists, banned even in the Celestial Empire. + +The followers of the cult comprised some of the most dangerous +Chinese criminals, thugs, and assassins, besides a number of +dangerous characters who belonged to various Chinese secret +societies. At the head of this formidable organization was Long +Sin, the high priest of the Devil God, and Long Sin had, as we +knew, already joined forces with the notorious Clutching Hand. + +The room in which the uncanny rites of the devil worshippers were +conducted was a large apartment decorated in Chinese style, with +highly colored portraits of some of the devil deities and costly +silken hangings. Beside a large dais depended a huge Chinese gong. + +On the dais itself stood, or rather sat, an ugly looking figure +covered with some sort of metallic plating. It almost seemed to be +the mummy of a Chinaman covered with gold leaf. It was thin and +shrunken, entirely nude. + +Into this room came Long Sin attired in an elaborate silken robe. +He advanced and kowtowed before the dais with its strange figure, +and laid down an offering before it, consisting of punk sticks, +little dishes of Chinese cakes, rice, a jar of oil, and some +cooked chicken and pork. Then he bowed and kowtowed again. + +This performance was witnessed by twenty or thirty Chinamen who +knelt in the rear of the room. As Long Sin finished his devotions +they filed past the dais, bowing and scraping with every sign of +abject reverence both for the devil deity and his high priest. + +At the same time an aged Chinaman carrying a prayer wheel entered +the place and after prostrating himself devoutedly placed the +machine on a sort of low stool or tabourette and began turning it +slowly, muttering. Each revolution of this curious wheel was +supposed to offer a prayer to the god of the netherworld. + +A few moments later, Long Sin, who had been bowing before the +metallic figure in deepest reverence, suddenly sprang to his feet. +His glazed eye and excited manner indicated that he had received a +message from the lips of the strange idol. + +The worshippers who had prostrated themselves in awe at the sight +of their high priest in the unholy frenzy, all rose to their feet +and crowded forward. At the same time Long Sin advanced a step to +meet them, holding his arms outstretched as if to compel silence +while he delivered his message. + +Long Sin struck several blows on the resounding gong and then +raised his voice in solemn tones. + +"Ksing Chau, the Terrible, demands a consort. She is to be +foreign--fair of face and with golden hair." + +Amazed at this unexpected message, the Chinamen prostrated +themselves again and their unhallowed devotions terminated a few +moments later amid suppressed excitement as they filed out. + +At the same time, in a room of the adjoining house, the Clutching +Hand himself was busily engaged making the most elaborate +preparations for some nefarious scheme which his fertile mind had +evolved. + +The room had been fitted up as a medium's seance parlor, with +black hangings on the walls, while at one side there was a square +cabinet of black cloth, with a guitar lying before it. + +Two of the Clutching Hand's most trusted confederates and a hard- +faced woman of middle age, dressed in plain black, were putting +the finishing touches to this apartment, when their Chief entered. + +Clutching Hand gazed about the room, now and then giving an order +or two to make more effective the setting for the purpose which he +had in mind. + +Finally he nodded in approval and stepped over to the fire place +where logs were burning brightly in a grate. + +Pressing a spring in the mantelpiece, the master criminal effected +an instant transformation. The logs in the fireplace, still +burning, disappeared immediately through the side of the brick +tiling and a metal sheet covered them. An aperture opened at the +back, as if by magic. + +Through this opening Clutching Hand made his way quickly and +disappeared. + +Emerging on the other side of the peculiar fireplace, Clutching +Hand pushed aside a curtain which barred the way and looked into +the Chinese temple, taking up a position behind the metallic +figure on the dais. + +The Chinamen had by this time finished their devotions, if such +they might be called, and the last one was leaving, while Long Sin +stood alone on the dais. + +The noise of the departing Satanists had scarcely died away when +Clutching Hand stepped out. + +"Follow me," he ordered hoarsely seizing Long Sin by the arm and +leading him away. + +They passed through the passageway of the fireplace and, having +entered the seance room, Clutching Hand began briefly explaining +the purpose of the preparations that had been made. Long Sin +wagged his head in voluble approval. + +As Clutching Hand finished, the Chinaman turned to the hard-faced +woman who was to act the part of medium and added some directions +to those Clutching Hand had already given. + +The medium nodded acquiescence, and a moment later, left the room +to carry out some ingenious plot framed by the master mind of the +criminal world. + + . . . . . . . . + +Elaine was standing in the library gazing sadly at Kennedy's +portrait, thinking over recent events and above all the rebuff +over the telephone which she supposed she had received. + +It all seemed so unreal to her. Surely, she felt in her heart, she +could not have been so mistaken in the man. Yet the facts seemed +to speak for themselves. + +In spite of it all, she was almost about to kiss the portrait when +something seemed to stay her hands. Instead she laid the picture +down, with a sigh. + +A moment later, Jennings entered with a card on a salver. Elaine +took it and saw with surprise the name of her caller: + +MADAME SAVETSKY, MEDIUM + +Beneath the engraved name were the words written in ink, "I have a +message from the spirit of your father." + +"Yes, I will see her," cried Elaine eagerly, in response to the +butler's inquiry. + +She followed Jennings into the adjoining room and there found +herself face to face with the hard-featured woman who had only a +few moments before left the Clutching Hand. + +Elaine looked rather than spoke her inquiry. + +"Your father, my dear," purred the medium with a great pretence of +suppressed excitement, "appeared to me, the other night, from the +spirit world. I was in a trance and he asked me to deliver a +message to you." + +"What was the message?" asked Elaine breathlessly, now aroused to +intense interest. + +"I must go into a trance again to get it," replied the insinuating +Savetsky, "and if you like I can try it at once, provided we can +be left alone long enough." + +"Please--don't wait," urged Elaine, pulling the portieres of the +doors closer, as if that might insure privacy. + +Seated in her chair, the medium muttered wildly for a few moments, +rolled her eyes and with some convulsive movements pretended to go +into a trance. + +Savetsky seemed about to speak and Elaine, in the highest state of +nervous tension, listened, trying to make something of the +gibberish mutterings. + +Suddenly the curtains were pushed aside and Aunt Josephine and +Bennett, who had just come in, entered. + +"I can do nothing here," exclaimed Savetsky, starting up and +looking about severely. "You must come to my seance chamber where +we shall not be interrupted." + +"I will," cried Elaine, vexed at the intrusion at that moment. "I +must have that message--I must." + +"What's all this, Elaine?" demanded Aunt Josephine. + +Hurriedly, Elaine poured forth to her aunt and Bennett the story +of the medium's visit and the promised message from her father in +the other world. + +Aunt Josephine, who was not one easily to be imposed on, strongly +objected to Elaine's proposal to accompany Savetsky to the seance +chamber, but Elaine would not be denied. She pleaded with her +aunt, urging that she be allowed to go. + +"It might be safe for Elaine to go," Bennett finally suggested to +Aunt Josephine, "if you and I accompanied her." + +All this time the medium was listening closely to the +conversation. Elaine looked at her inquiringly. With a shrug, she +indicated that she had no objection to having Elaine escorted to +the parlor by her friends. + +At last Aunt Josephine, influenced by Elaine's pleadings and +Bennett's suggestion, gave in and agreed to join in the visit. + +A few moments later, in the Dodge car, Elaine, the medium, and her +two escorts started for the Chinese quarter. + + . . . . . . . . + +At the house, the medium opened the door with her key and ushered +in her three visitors. + +Long Sin who had been watching for their arrival from the window +now hastily withdrew from the seance room and disappeared behind +the black curtains. + +Entering the room the medium at once prepared for the seance by +pulling down the window shades. Then she seated herself in a chair +beside the cabinet, and appeared to fall off slowly into a trance. + +Her strange proceedings were watched with the greatest curiosity +by Elaine as well as Aunt Josephine and Bennett, who had taken +seats placed at one side of the room. + +The room itself was dimly lighted, and the curtains of the cabinet +seemed, in the obscurity, to sway back and forth as if stirred by +some ghostly breeze. + +All of them were now quite on edge with excitement. + +Suddenly an indistinct face was seen to be peering through the +black curtains, as it were. + +The guitar, as if lifted by an invisible hand, left the cabinet, +floated about close to the ceiling, and returned again. It was +eerie. + +At last a voice, deep, sepulchral, was heard in slow and solemn +tones. + +"I am Eeko--the spirit of Taylor Dodge. I will give no message +until one named Josephine leaves the room." + +No sooner had the words been uttered than the medium came writhing +out of her trance. + +"What happened?" she asked, looking at Elaine. + +Elaine reported the spirit's words. + +"We can get nothing if your Aunt stays here," Savetsky added, +insisting that Aunt Josephine must go. "Your father cannot speak +while she is present." + +Aunt Josephine, annoyed by what she had heard, indignantly refused +to go and was deaf to all Elaine's pleadings. + +"I think it will be all right," finally acquiesced Bennett, seeing +how bent Elaine was on securing the message. "I'll stay and +protect her." + +Aunt Josephine finally agreed. "Very well, then," she protested, +marching out of the room in a high state of indignation. + +She had scarcely left the house, however, when she began to +suspect that all was not as it ought to be. In fact, the idea had +no sooner occurred to her than she decided to call on Kennedy and +she ordered the chauffeur to take her as quickly as possible to +the laboratory. + + . . . . . . . . + +Kennedy had not been in the laboratory all the day, after my +experience with the acid and I was impatiently awaiting his +arrival. At last there came a knock at the door and I opened it +hurriedly. There was a messenger boy who handed me a note. I tore +it open. It was from Kennedy and read, "I shall probably be away +for two or three days. Call up Elaine and tell her to beware of a +certain Madame Savetsky." + +I was still puzzling over the note and was just about to call up +Elaine when the speaking tube was blown and to my surprise I found +it was Aunt Josephine who had called. + +"Where is Mr. Kennedy?" she asked, greatly agitated. + +"He has gone away for a few days," I replied blankly. "Is there +anything I can do?" + +She was very excited and hastily related what had happened at the +parlor of the medium. + +"What was her name?" I asked anxiously. + +"Madame Savetsky," she replied, to my surprise. + +Astounded, I picked up Craig's note from the desk and handed it to +her without a word. She read it with breathless eagerness. + +"Come back there with me, please," she begged, almost frantic with +fear now. "Something terrible may have happened." + + . . . . . . . . + +Aunt Josephine had hardly left Savetsky when the trance was +resumed and, in a few minutes, there came all sorts of +supernatural manifestations. The table beside Elaine began to turn +and articles on it dropped to the floor. Violent rappings followed +in various parts of the room. Both Elaine and Bennett who sat +together in silence were much impressed by the marvellous +phenomena--not being able to see, in the darkness, the concealed +wires that made them possible. + +Suddenly, from the mysterious shadows of the cabinet, there +appeared the spirit of Long Sin, whose death Elaine still believed +she had caused when Adventuress Mary had lured her to the +apartment. + +Elaine was trembling with fear at the apparition. + +As before, a strange voice sounded in the depths of the cabinet +and again a message was heard, in low, solemn tones. + +"I am Keka, and I have with me Long Sin. His blood cries for +vengeance." + +Elaine was overcome with horror at the words. + +From the cabinet ran a thick stream of red, like blood, from which +she recoiled, shuddering. + +Then a dim, ghostly figure, apparently that of Long Sin, appeared. +The face was horribly distorted. It seemed to breathe the very +odor of the grave. + +With arms outstretched, the figure glided from the cabinet and +approached Elaine. She shrank back further in fright, too +horrified even to scream. + +At the same moment, the medium drew a vapor pistol from her dress, +and, as the ghost of Long Sin leaped at Elaine, Savetsky darted +forward and shot a stream of vapor full in Bennett's face. + +Bennett dropped unconscious, the lights in the darkened room +flashed up, and several of the men of the Clutching Hand rushed +in. + +Quickly the fireplace was turned on its cleverly constructed +hinges, revealing the hidden passage. + +Before any effective resistance could be made, Elaine and Bennett +were hustled through the passage, securely bound, and placed on a +divan in a curtained chamber back of the altar of the devil +worshippers. + +There they lay when Long Sin, now in his priestly robes, entered. +He looked at them a moment. Then he left the room with a sinister +laugh. + + . . . . . . . . + +It was at that moment that I, little dreaming of what had been +taking place, arrived with Aunt Josephine at the house of the +medium. + +She answered my ring and admitted us. To our surprise, the seance +room was empty. + +"Where is the young lady who was here?" I asked. + +"Miss Dodge and the gentleman just left a few minutes ago," the +medium explained, as we looked about. + +She seemed eager to satisfy us that Elaine was not there. +Apparently there was no excuse for disputing her word, but, as we +turned to leave, I happened to notice a torn handkerchief lying on +the floor near the fireplace. It flashed over me that perhaps it +might afford a clue. + +As I passed it, I purposely dropped my soft hat over it and picked +up the hat, securing the handkerchief without attracting +Savetsky's attention. + +Aunt Josephine was keen now for returning home to find out whether +Elaine was there or not. No sooner had she entered the car and +driven off, than I examined the handkerchief. It was torn, as if +it had been crushed in the hand during a struggle and wrenched +away. I looked closer. In the corner was the initial, "E." + +That was enough. Without losing another precious moment I hurried +around to the nearest police station, where I happened to be +known, having had several assignments for the Star in that part of +the city, and gave an alarm. + +The sergeant detailed several roundsmen, and a man in +plainclothes, and together we returned to the house, laying a +careful plan to surround it secretly, while the plainclothesman +and I obtained admittance. + + . . . . . . . . + +Meanwhile, the Chinese devil worshippers had again gathered in +their cursed temple and Long Sin, in his priestly robe, appeared +on the dais. + +The worshippers kowtowed reverently to him, while at the back +again stood the aged Chinaman patiently turning his prayer wheel. + +Two braziers, or smoke pots, had been placed on the dais, one of +which Long Sin touched with a stick causing it to burst out into +dense fumes. + +Standing before them, he chanted in nasal tones, "The white +consort of the great Ksing Chau has been found. It is his will +that she now be made his." + +As he finished intoning the message, Long Sin signaled to two +young Chinamen to go into the anteroom. A moment later they +returned with Elaine. + +Frightened though she was, Elaine made no attempt to struggle, +even when they had cut her bonds. She was busily engaged in +seeking some method of escape. Her eyes travelled ever the place +quickly. Apparently, there was no means of exit that was not +guarded. Long Sin saw her look, and smiled quietly. + +They had carried her up to the dais, and now Long Sin faced her +and sternly ordered her to kowtow to the gruesome metallic figure. + +She refused, but instantly the Chinamen seized her arm and twisted +it, until they had compelled her to fall to her knees. + +Having forced her to kowtow, Long Sin turned to the assembled +devil dancers. + +"With magic and rare drugs," he chanted, "she shall be made to +pass beyond and her body encased in precious gold shall be the +consort of Ksing Chau--forever and ever." + +He made another sign and several pots and braziers were brought +out and placed on the dais beside Elaine. She was, by this time, +completely overcome by the horror of the situation. There was +apparently no escape. + +With callous deviltry, the oriental satanists had made every +arrangement for embalming and preserving the body of Elaine. Pots +filled with sticky black material were slowly heated, amid weird +incantations, while other Chinamen laid out innumerable sheets of +gold leaf. + +At last all seemed to be in readiness to proceed. + +"Hold her," ordered Long Sin in guttural Chinese to the two +attendants, as he approached her. + +Long Sin held in his hand a small, profusely decorated pot from +which smoke was escaping. As he approached he passed this +receptacle under her nose once, twice, three times. + +Gradually Elaine fell into unconsciousness. + + . . . . . . . . + +While Elaine was facing death in the power of the devil +worshippers, I had reached the house of Savetsky next door with +the police, and the place had been quietly surrounded. + +With the plainclothesman, a daring and intelligent fellow, I went +to the door and rang the bell. + +"What can I do for you?" asked the medium, admitting us. + +"My friend, here," I parleyed, "is in great business trouble. Can +your controlling spirit give him advice?" + +We had managed to gain the interior of the seance room, and I +suppose there was nothing else for her to say, under the +circumstances, but, "Why--yes,--if the conditions are good, the +control can probably tell us just what he wants to know." + +Savetsky set to work preparing the room for a seance. As she moved +over to the window to pull down the shades, she must have caught +sight of one or two of the policemen who had incautiously exposed +themselves from the hiding places in which I had disposed them +before we entered. At any rate, Savetsky did not lose a jot of her +remarkable composure. + +"I'm sorry," she remarked merely, "but I'm afraid my control is +weak and cannot work today." + +She took a step toward the door, motioning us to leave. Neither of +us paid any attention to that hint, but remained seated as we had +been before. + +"Go!" she exclaimed at length, for the first time showing a trace +of nervousness. + +Evidently her suspicions had been fully confirmed by our actions. +We tried to argue with her to gain time. But it was of no use. + +Almost before I knew what she was doing, she made a dash for +something in the corner of the room. It was time for open action, +and I seized her quickly. + +My detective was on his feet in an instant. + +"I'll take care of her," he ground out, seizing her wrists in his +vice-like grasp. "You give the signal." + +I rushed to the window, threw up the shade and opened the sash, +waving our preconcerted sign, turning again toward the room. + +With a sudden accession of desperate strength, Savetsky broke away +from the plainclothesman and again attempted to get at something +concealed on the wall. I had turned just in time to fling myself +between her and whatever object she had in mind. + +As the detective took her again and twisted her arm until she +cried out in pain, I hastily investigated the wall. She had +evidently been attempting to press a button that rang a concealed +bell. + +What did it all mean? + + . . . . . . . . + +Elaine, now completely unconscious, was being held by the +Chinamen, while her arm was smeared with sticky black material +from the cauldron by Long Sin. As the high priest of Satan worked, +the devil worshippers kowtowed obediently. + +Suddenly the aged Chinaman with the prayer wheel stopped his +incessant, impious turning, and rising, held up his hand as if to +command attention. + +Amid a general exclamation of wonder, he walked to the dais and +mounted it, turning and facing the worshippers. + +"This is nonsense," he cried in a loud tone. "Why should our great +Ksing Chau desire a white devil? I, a great grandfather, demand to +know." + +The effect on the worshippers was electric. They paused in their +obeisance and stared at the speaker, then at their high priest. + +Shaking with rage, Long Sin ordered the intruder off the dais. But +the aged devotee refused to go. + +"Throw him out," he ordered his attendants. + +For answer, as the two young Chinamen approached, the old Chinaman +threw them down to the floor with a quick jiu-jitsu movement. His +strength seemed miraculous for so aged a man. + +Furious now beyond expression, Long Sin stepped forward himself. +He seized the beard and queue of the intruder. To his utter +amazement, they came off! + +It was Kennedy! + +With his automatic drawn, before the astounded devil dancers could +recover themselves, Craig stood at bay. + +Long Sin leaped behind the big gong. As the Chinamen rushed +forward to seize him, Kennedy shot the leader of Long Sin's +attendants and struck down the other with a blow. The rush was +checked for the moment. But the odds were fearful. + +Kennedy seized Elaine's yielding body and, pushing back the +curtains to the anteroom, succeeded in gaining it, and locking the +door into the main temple. + +Bennett was still lying on the floor tightly bound. With a few +deft cuts by a Chinese knife which he had picked up, Kennedy +released him. + +At the same time, Chinamen were trying to batter down the door, +Kennedy's last bulwark. It was swaying under their repeated blows. + +Kennedy rushed to the door and fired through it at random to check +the attack for a few moments. + + . . . . . . . . + +While Kennedy was thus besieged by the devil worshippers in the +anteroom, several policemen and detectives gathered in the seance +room with us, next door, where Savetsky was held a defiant and +mute prisoner. + +I had discovered the bell, and, taking that as a guide, I started +to trace the course of a wire which ran alongside the wall, +feeling certain that it would give me a clue to some adjoining +room to which Elaine might possibly have been taken. + +To the fireplace I traced the bell, and, in pulling on the wire, I +luckily pressed a secret spring. To my amazement, the whole +fireplace swung out of sight and disclosed a secret passageway. + +I looked through it. + +It was almost at that precise instant that the door of the +anteroom burst open and the Chinamen swarmed in, urged on by the +insane exhortations of Long Sin. + +To my utter amazement, I recognized Kennedy's voice. + +In the first onslaught, Craig shot one Chinaman dead, then closed +with the others, slashing right and left with the Chinese knife he +had picked up. + +Bennett came to his aid, but was immediately overcome by two +Chinamen, who evidently had been detailed for that purpose. + +Meanwhile, Kennedy and the others were engaged in a terrible life +and death struggle. They fought all over the room, dismantling it, +and even tearing the hangings from the wall. + +It was just as the Chinese was about to overpower him that I led +the police and detectives through the passageway of the fireplace. + +It was a glorious fight that followed. Long Sin and his Chinamen +were no match for the police and were soon completely routed, the +police striking furiously in all directions and clearing the room. + +Instantly, Kennedy thought of the fair object of all this melee. +He rushed to the divan on which he had placed Elaine. + +She was slowly returning to consciousness. + +As she opened her eyes, for an instant, she gazed at Craig, then +at Bennett. Still not comprehending just what had happened, she +gave her hand to Bennett. Bennett lifted her to her feet and +slowly assisted her as she tried to walk away. + +Kennedy watched them, more stupefied than if he had been struck +over the head by Long Sin. + + . . . . . . . . + +Police and detectives were now taking the captured Chinamen away, +as Bennett, his arm about Elaine, led her gently out. + +A young detective had slipped the bracelets over Long Sin's wrist, +and I was standing beside him. + +Kennedy, in a daze at the sight of Elaine and Bennett, passed us, +scarcely noticing who we were. + +As Craig collected his scattered forces, Long Sin motioned to him, +as if he had a message to deliver. + +Kennedy frowned suspiciously. He was about to turn away, when the +Chinaman began pleading earnestly for a chance to say a few words. + +"Step aside for a moment, you fellows, won't you please," Craig +asked. "I will hear what you have to say, Long Sin." + +Long Sin looked about craftily. + +"What is it?" prompted Craig, seeing that at last they were all +alone. + +Long Sin again looked around. + +"Swear that I will go free and not suffer," Long Sin whispered, +"and I will betray the great Clutching Hand." + +Kennedy studied the Chinaman keenly for a moment. Then, seemingly +satisfied with the scrutiny, he nodded slowly assent. + +As Craig did so, I saw Long Sin lean over and whisper into +Kennedy's ear. + +Craig started back in horror and surprise. + + + + +CHAPTER XIV + +THE RECKONING + + +Pacing up and down his den in the heart of Chinatown, Long Sin was +thinking over his bargain with Kennedy to betray the infamous +Clutching Hand. + +It was a small room in a small and unpretentious house, but it +adequately expressed the character of the subtle Oriental. The den +was lavishly furnished, while the guileful Long Sin himself wore a +richly figured lounging gown of the finest and costliest silk, +chosen for the express purpose of harmonizing with the luxurious +Far Eastern hangings and furniture so as to impress his followers +and those whom he might choose as visitors. + +At length he seated himself at a teakwood table, still +deliberating over the promise he had been forced to make to +Kennedy. He sat for some moments, deeply absorbed in thought. + +Suddenly an idea seemed to strike him. Lifting a little hammer, he +struck a Chinese gong on the table at his side. At the same time, +he leaned over and turned a knob at the side of a large roll-top +desk. + +A few seconds later a sort of hatchway, covered by a rug on the +floor, in one corner of the room, was slowly lifted and Long Sin's +secretary, a sallow, cadaverous Chinaman, appeared from below. He +stepped noiselessly into the room and shuffled across to Long Sin. + +Long Sin scowled, as though something had interfered with his own +plans, but tore open the envelope without a word, spreading out on +his lap the sheet of paper it contained. + +The letter bore a typewritten message, all in capitals, which +read: + +"BE AT HEADQUARTERS AT 12. DESTROY THIS IMMEDIATELY." + +At the bottom of the note appeared the sinister signature of the +Clutching Hand. + +As soon as he had finished reading the note, the Chinaman turned +to his obsequious secretary, who stood motionless, with folded +arms and head meekly bent. + +"Very well," he said with an imperious wave of his hand. "You may +go." + +Bowing low again, the secretary shuffled across and down again +through the hatchway, closing the door as he descended. + +Long Sin read the note once more, while his inscrutable face +assumed an expression of malicious cunning. Then he glanced at his +heavy gold watch. + +With an air of deliberation, he reached for a match and struck it. +He had just placed the paper in the flame when suddenly he seemed +to change his mind. He hastily blew out the match which had +destroyed only a corner of the paper, then folded the note +carefully and placed it in his pocket. + +A few moments later, with a malignant chuckle, Long Sin rose +slowly and left the room. + + . . . . . . . . + +Meanwhile, the master criminal was busily engaged in putting the +finishing touches to a final scheme of fiendish ingenuity for the +absolute destruction of Craig Kennedy. + +He had been at work in a small room, fitted up as a sort of +laboratory, in the mysterious house which now served as his +headquarters. + +On all sides were shelves filled with bottles of deadly liquids +and scientific apparatus for crime. Jars of picric acid, nitric +acid, carboys of other chemicals, packages labelled gunpowder, gun +cotton and nitroglycerine, as well as carefully stoppered bottles +of prussic acid, and the cyanides, arsenic and other poisons made +the place bear the look of a veritable devil's workshop. + +Clutching Hand, at a bench in one corner, had just completed an +infernal machine of diabolical cunning, and was wrapping it +carefully in paper to make an innocent package. + +He was interrupted by a knock at the door. Laying down the bomb he +went to answer the summons with a stealthy movement. There stood +Long Sin, who had disguised himself as a Chinese laundryman. + +"On time--good!" growled Clutching Hand surlily as he closed the +door with equal care. + +No time was wasted in useless formalities. + +"This is a bomb," he went on, pointing to the package. "Carry it +carefully. On no account let it slip, or you are a dead man. It +must be in Kennedy's laboratory before night. Understand? Can you +arrange it?" + +Long Sin looked the dangerous package over, then with an impassive +look, replied, "Have no fear. I can do it. It will be in the +laboratory within an hour. Trust me." + +Long Sin nodded sagely, while Clutching Hand growled his approval +as he opened the door and let out the Chinaman. Long Sin departed +as stealthily as he had come, the frightful engine of destruction +hugged up carefully under his wide-sleeved coolie shirt. + +For a moment Clutching Hand gave himself up to the exquisite +contemplation of what he had just done, then turned to clean up +his workshop. + + . . . . . . . . + +In Kennedy's laboratory I was watching Craig make some experiments +with a new X-ray apparatus which had just arrived, occasionally +looking through the fluoroscope when he was examining some +unusually interesting object. + +We were oblivious to the passage of time, and only a call over our +speaking tube diverted our attention. + +I opened the door and a few seconds later Long Sin himself +entered. + +Kennedy looked up inquiringly as the Chinaman approached, holding +out a package which he carried. + +"A bomb," he said, in the most matter of fact way. "I promised to +have it placed in your laboratory before night." + +The placid air with which the grotesque looking Chinaman imparted +this astounding information was in itself preposterous. His +actions and words as he laid the package down gingerly on the +laboratory table indicated that he was telling the truth. + +Kennedy and I stared at each other in blank amazement for a +moment. Then the humor of the thing struck us both and we laughed +outright. + +Clutching Hand had told him to deliver it--and he had done so! + +Hastily I filled a pail with water and brought it to Kennedy. + +"If it is really a bomb," I remarked, "why not put the thing out +of commission?" + +"No, no, Walter," he cried quickly, shaking his head. "If it's a +chemical bomb, the water might be just the thing to make the +chemicals run together and set it off. No, let us see what the new +X-ray machine can tell us, first." + +He took the bomb and carefully placed it under the wonderful rays, +then with the fluoroscope over his eyes studied the shadow cast by +the rays on its sensitive screen. For several minutes he continued +safely studying it from every angle, until he thoroughly +understood it. + +"It's a bomb, sure enough," Craig exclaimed, looking up from it at +last to me. "It's timed by an ingenious and noiseless little piece +of clockwork, in there, too. And it's powerful enough to blow us +all, the laboratory included, to kingdom come." + +As he spoke, and before I could remonstrate with him, he took the +infernal machine and placed it on a table where he set to work on +the most delicate and dangerous piece of dissection of which I +have ever heard. + +Carefully unwrapping the bomb and unscrewing one part while he +held another firm, he finally took out of it a bottle of liquid +and some powder. Then he placed a few grains of the powder on a +dish and dropped on it a drop or two of the liquid. There was a +bright flash, as the powder ignited instantly. + +"Just what I expected," commented Kennedy with a nod, as he +examined the clever workmanship of the bomb. + +One thing that interested him was that part of the contents had +been wrapped in paper to keep them in place. This paper he was now +carefully examining with a hand lens. + +As nearly as I could make it out, the paper contained part of a +typewritten chemical formula, which read: + +TINCTURE OF IODINE + +THREE PARTS OF--- + +He looked up from his study of the microscope to Long Sin. + +"Tell me just how it happened that you got this bomb," he asked. + +Without hesitation, the Chinaman recited the circumstances, +beginning with the note by which he had been summoned. + +"A note?" repeated Kennedy, eagerly. "Was it typewritten?" + +Long Sin reached into his pocket and produced the note itself, +which he had not burned. + +As Craig studied the typewritten message from the Clutching Hand I +could see that he was growing more and more excited. + +"At last he has given us something typewritten," he exclaimed. "To +most people, I suppose, it seems that typewriting is the best way +to conceal identity. But there are a thousand and one ways of +identifying typewriting. Clutching Hand knew that. That was why he +was so careful to order this note destroyed. As for the bomb, he +figured that it would destroy itself." + +He was placing one piece of typewriting after another under the +lens, scrutinizing each letter closely. + +"Look, Walter," he remarked at length, taking a fine tipped pencil +and pointing at the distinguishing marks as he talked, "You will +notice that all the 'T's' in this note are battered and faint as +well as just a trifle out of alignment. Now I will place the paper +from the bomb under the lens and you will also see that the 'T's' +in the scrap of formula have exactly the same appearance. That +indicated, without the possibility of a doubt, taken in connection +with a score of other peculiarities in the letters which I could +pick out that both were written on the same typewriter. I have +selected the 'T' because it is the most marked." + +I strained my eyes to look. Sure enough, Kennedy was right. There +was that unmistakable identity between the T's in the formula and +the note. + +Kennedy had been gazing at the floor, his face puckered in thought +as I looked. Suddenly he slapped his hands together, as if he had +made a great discovery. + +"I've struck it!" he exclaimed, jumping up. "I was wondering where +I had seen typewriting that reminds me of this. Walter, get on +your coat and hat. We are on the right trail at last." + +With Long Sin we hurried out of the laboratory, leaving him at the +nearest taxicab stand, where we jumped into a waiting car. + +"It is the clue of the battered 'T's,'" Craig muttered. + + . . . . . . . . + +Aunt Josephine was in the library knitting when the butler, +Jennings, announced us. We were admitted at once, for Aunt +Josephine had never quite understood what was the trouble between +Elaine and Craig, and had a high regard for him. + +"Where is--Miss Dodge?" inquired Kennedy, with suppressed +excitement as we entered. + +"I think she's out shopping and I don't know just when she will be +back," answered Aunt Josephine, with some surprise. "Why? Is it +anything important--any news?" + +"Very important," returned Kennedy excitedly. "I think I have the +best clue yet. Only--it will be necessary to look through some of +the household correspondence immediately to see whether there are +certain letters. I wouldn't be surprised if she had some--perhaps +not very personal--but I MUST see them." + +Aunt Josephine seemed nonplussed at first. I thought she was going +to refuse to allow Craig to proceed. But finally she assented. + +Kennedy lost no time. He went to a desk where Elaine generally +sat, and quickly took out several typewritten letters. He examined +them closely, rejecting one after another, until finally he came +to one that seemed to interest him. + +He separated it from the rest and fell to studying it, comparing +it with the paper from the bomb and the note which Long Sin had +received from the Clutching Hand. Then he folded the letter so +that both the signature and the address could not be read by us. + +A portion of the letter, I recall, read something like this: + +"This is his contention: whereas TRUTH is the only goal and MATTER +is non-existent-- + +"Look at this, Walter," remarked Craig, with difficulty +restraining himself, "What do you make of it?" + +A glance at the typewriting was sufficient to show me that Kennedy +had indeed made an important discovery. The writing of the letter +which he had just found in Elaine's desk corresponded in every +respect with that in the Clutching Hand note and that on the bomb +formula. In each instance there were the same faintness, the same +crooked alignment, the same battered appearance of all the letter +T's. + +We stared at each other almost too dazed to speak. + + . . . . . . . . + +At that moment we were startled by the sudden appearance of Elaine +herself, who had come in unexpectedly from her shopping +expedition. + +She entered the room carrying in her arms a huge bunch of roses +which she had evidently just received. Her face was half buried in +the fragrant blossoms, but was fairer than even they in their +selected elegance. + +The moment she saw Craig, however, she stopped short with a look +of great surprise. Kennedy, on his part, who was seated at the +desk still tracing out the similarities of the letters, stood up, +half hesitating what to say. He bowed and she returned his +salutation with a very cool nod. + +Her keen eye had not missed the fact that several of her letters +lay scattered over the top of the desk. + +"What are you doing with my letters, Mr. Kennedy?" she asked, in +an astonished tone, evidently resenting the unceremoniousness with +which he had apparently been overhauling her correspondence. + +As guardedly as possible, Kennedy met her inquiry, which I could +not myself blame her for making. + +"I beg pardon, Miss Dodge," he said, "but a matter has just come +up which necessitated merely a cursory examination of some purely +formal letters which might have an important bearing on the +discovery of the Clutching Hand. Your Aunt had no idea where you +were, nor of when you might return, and the absolute necessity for +haste in such an important matter is my only excuse for examining +a few minor letters without first obtaining your permission." + +She said nothing. At another time, such an explanation would have +been instantly accepted. Now, however, it was different. + +Kennedy read the look on her face, and an instant later turned to +Aunt Josephine and myself. + +"I would very much appreciate a chance to say a few words to Miss +Dodge alone," he intimated. "I have had no such opportunity for +some time. If you would be so kind as to leave us in the library-- +for a few minutes--" + +He did not finish the sentence. Aunt Josephine had already begun +to withdraw and I followed. + + . . . . . . . . + +For a moment or two, Craig and Elaine looked at each other, +neither saying a word, each wondering just what was in the other's +mind. Kennedy was wondering if there was any X-ray that might read +a woman's heart, as he was accustomed to read others of nature's +secrets. + +He cleared his throat, the obvious manner of covering up his +emotion. + +"Elaine," he said at length, dropping the recent return to "Miss +Dodge," for the moment, "Elaine, is there any truth in this +morning's newspaper report of--of you?" + +She had dropped her eyes. But he persisted, taking a newspaper +clipping from his pocket and handing it to her. + +Her hand trembled as she glanced over the item: + +SOCIETY NOTES + +Dame Rumor is connecting the name of Miss Elaine Dodge, the +heiress, with that of Perry Bennett, the famous young lawyer. The +announcement of an engagement between them at any time would not +surprise-- + +Elaine read no further. She handed back the clipping to Kennedy. +As her eyes met his, she noticed his expression of deep concern, +and hesitated with the reply she had evidently been just about to +make. + +Still, as she lowered her head, it seemed to give silent +confirmation to the truth of the newspaper report. + +Kennedy said nothing. But his eyes continued to study her face, +even when it was averted. + +He suppressed his feelings with a great effort, then, without a +word, bowed and left the room. + +"Walter," he exclaimed as he rejoined us in the drawing room, +where I was chatting with Aunt Josephine, "we must be off again. +The trail follows still further." + +I rose and much to the increased mystification of Aunt Josephine, +left the house. + + An hour or so later, Elaine, whose mind was now in a whirl from +what had happened, decided to call on Perry Bennett. + +Two or three clerks were in the outer office when she arrived, but +the office boy, laying down a dime novel, rose to meet her and +informed her that Mr. Bennett was alone. + +As Elaine entered his private office, Bennett rose to greet her +effusively and they exchanged a few words. + +"I mustn't forget to thank you for those lovely roses you sent +me," she exclaimed at length. "They were beautiful and I +appreciated them ever so much." + +Bennett acknowledged her thanks with a smile, she sat down +familiarly on his desk, and they plunged into a vein of social +gossip. + +A moment later, Bennett led the conversation around until he found +an opportunity to make a tactful allusion to the report of their +engagement in the morning papers. + +He had leaned over and now attempted to take her hand. She +withdrew it, however. There was something about his touch which, +try as she might, she could not like. Was it mere prejudice, or +was it her keen woman's intuition? + +Bennett looked at her a moment, suppressing a momentary flash of +anger that had reddened his face, and controlled himself as if by +a superhuman effort. + +"I believe you really love that man Kennedy," he exclaimed, in a +tone that was almost a hiss. "But I tell you, Elaine, he is all +bluff. Why, he has been after that Clutching Hand now for three +months--and what has he accomplished? Nothing!" + +He paused. Through Elaine's mind there flashed the contrast with +Kennedy's even temper and deferential manner. In spite of their +quarrel and the coolness, she found herself resenting the remark. +Still she said nothing, though her expressive face showed much. + +Bennett, by another effort, seemed to grip his temper again. He +paced up and down the room. Then he changed the subject abruptly, +and the conversation was resumed with some constraint. + + . . . . . . . . + +While Elaine and Bennett were talking, Kennedy and I had entered +the office. + +Craig stopped the boy who was about to announce us and asked for +Bennett's secretary instead, much to my astonishment. + +The boy merely indicated the door of one of the other private +offices, and we entered. + +We found the secretary, hard at work at the typewriter, copying a +legal document. Without a word, Kennedy at once locked the door. + +The secretary rose in surprise, but Craig paid no attention to +him. Instead he calmly walked over to the machine and began to +examine it. + +"Might I ask--" began the secretary. + +"You keep quiet," ordered Kennedy, with a nod to me to watch the +fellow. "You are under arrest--and the less you say, the better +for you." + +I shall never forget the look that crossed the secretary's face. +Was it the surprise of an innocent man? + +Taking the man's place at the machine, Kennedy removed the legal +paper that was in it and put in a new sheet. Then he tapped out, +as we watched: + +BE AT HEADQUARTERS AT 12. DESTROY THIS IMMEDIATELY + +TINCTURE OF IODINE + +THREE PARTS OF--- + +This is his contention:--whereas TRUTH is the only goal and MATTER +is non-existent-- + +T T T T + +"Look, Walter," he exclaimed as he drew out the paper from the +machine. + +I bent over and together we compared the T's with those in the +Clutching Hand letter, the paper from the bomb and the letter +which Craig had taken from Elaine's desk. + +As Craig pointed out the resemblances with a pencil, my amazement +gradually changed into comprehension and comprehension into +conviction. The meaning of it all began to dawn on me. + +The writing was identical. There were no differences! + + . . . . . . . . + +While we were locked in the secretary's office, Bennett and Elaine +were continuing their chat on various social topics. Suddenly, +however, with a glance at the clock, Bennett told Elaine that he +had an important letter to dictate, and that it must go off at +once. + +She said that she would excuse him a few minutes and he pressed a +button to call his secretary. + +Of course the secretary did not appear. Bennett left his office, +with some annoyance, and went into the adjoining room the door to +which Kennedy had not locked. + +He hesitated a moment, then opened the door quietly. To his +astonishment, he saw Kennedy, the secretary, and myself apparently +making a close examination of the typewriter. + +Gliding rather than walking back into his own office, he closed +the door and locked it. Almost instantly, fear and fury at the +presence of his hated rival, Kennedy, turned Bennett, as it were, +from the Jekyll of a polished lawyer and lover of Elaine into an +insanely jealous and revengeful Mr. Hyde. The strain was more than +his warped mind could bear. + +With a look of intense horror and loathing, Elaine watched him +slowly change from the composed, calm, intellectual Bennett she +knew and respected into a repulsive, mad figure of a man. + +His stature even seemed to be altered. He seemed to shrivel up and +become deformed. His face was terribly distorted. + +And his long, sinewy hand slowly twisted and bent until he became +the personal embodiment of the Clutching Hand. + +As Elaine, transfixed with terror, watched Bennett's astounding +metamorphosis, he ran to the door leading to the outer office and +hastily locked that, also. + +Then, with his eyes gleaming with rage and his hands working in +murderous frenzy, he crouched, nearer and nearer, towards Elaine. + +She shrank back, screaming again and again in terror. + +He WAS the Clutching Hand! + + . . . . . . . . + +In spite of closed doors, we could now plainly hear Elaine's +shrieks. Craig, the secretary and myself made a rush for the door +to Bennett's private office. Finding it locked, we began to batter +it. + +By this time, however, Bennett had hurled himself upon Elaine and +was slowly choking her. + +Kennedy quickly found that it was impossible to batter down the +door in time by any ordinary means. Quickly he seized the +typewriter and hurled it through the panels. Then he thrust his +hand through the opening and turned the catch. + +As we flung ourselves into the room, Bennett rushed into a closet +in a corner, slamming the door behind him. It was composed of +sheet iron and effectually prevented anyone from breaking through. +Kennedy and I tried vainly, however, to pry it open. + +While we were thus endeavoring to force an entrance, Bennett, in a +sort of closet, had put on the coat, hat and mask which he +invariably wore in the character of the Clutching Hand. Then he +cautiously opened a secret door in the back of the closet and +slowly made an exit. + + . . . . . . . . + +Meanwhile, the secretary had been doing his best to revive Elaine, +who was lying in a chair, hysterical and half unconscious from the +terrible shock she had experienced. + +Intent on discovering Bennett's whereabouts, Kennedy and I +examined the wall of the office, thinking there might possibly be +some button or secret spring which would open the closet door. + +While we were doing so, the door of a large safe in the +secretary's office gradually opened and the Clutching Hand emerged +from it, stepping carefully towards the door leading to the outer +office, intent on escaping in that direction. + +At that moment, I caught sight of him, and leaping into the +secretary's office, I drew my revolver and ordered him to throw up +his hands. He obeyed. Holding up both hands, he slowly drew near +the door to his private office. + +Suddenly he dropped one hand and pressed a hidden spring in the +wall. + +Instantly a heavy iron door shot out and closed over the wooden +door. Entrance to the private office was absolutely cut off. + +With an angry snarl, the Clutching Hand leaped at me. + +As he did so, I fired twice. + +He staggered back. + + . . . . . . . . + +The shots were heard by Kennedy and Elaine, as well as the +secretary, and at the same instant they discovered the iron door +which barred the entrance to the secretary's office. + +Rushing into the outer office, they found the clerks excitedly +attempting to open the door of the secretary's office which was +locked. Kennedy drew a revolver and shot through the lock, +bursting open the door. + +They rushed into the room. + +Clutching Hand was apparently seated in a chair at a desk, his +face buried in his arms, while I was apparently disappearing +through the door. + +Kennedy and the clerks pounced upon the figure in the chair and +tore off his mask. To their astonishment, they discovered that it +was myself! + +My shots had missed and Clutching Hand had leaped on me with +maddened fury. + +Dressed in my coat and hat, which he had deftly removed after +overpowering me and substituting his own clothes, Clutching Hand +had by this time climbed through the window of the outer office +and was making his way down the fire escape to the street. He +reached the foot of the iron steps leaped off and ran quickly +away. + +Shouting a few directions to the secretary, the clerks and Elaine, +Kennedy climbed through the window and darted down the fire escape +in swift pursuit. + +The Clutching Hand, however, managed to elude capture again. +Turning the street corner he leaped into a taxi which happened to +be standing there, and, hastily giving the driver directions, was +driven rapidly away. By the time Kennedy reached the street +Clutching Hand had disappeared. + + . . . . . . . . + +While these exciting events were occurring in Bennett's office +some queer doings were in progress in the heart of Chinatown. + +Deep underground, in one of the catacombs known only to the +innermost members of the Chinese secret societies, was Long Sin's +servant, Tong Wah, popularly known as "the hider," engaged in some +mysterious work. + +A sinister-looking Chinaman, dressed in coolie costume, he was +standing at a table in a dim and musty, high-ceilinged chamber, +faced with stone and brick. Before him were several odd shaped +Chinese vials, and from these he was carefully measuring certain +proportions, as if concocting some powerful potion. + +He stepped back and looked around suspiciously as he suddenly +heard footsteps above. The next moment Long Sin, who had entered +through a trap door, climbed down a long ladder and walked into +the room. + +Approaching Tong Wah, he asked: "When will the death-drink be +ready?" + +"It is now prepared," was the reply. + +Long Sin took the bowl in which the liquor had been mixed, and, +having examined it, he gave a nod and a grunt of satisfaction. +Then he mounted the ladder again and disappeared. + +As soon as he had gone Tong Wah, picking up several of the vials, +went out through an iron door at the end of the room. + +A few minutes later the Clutching Hand drove up to Long Sin's +house in the taxicab and, after paying the chauffeur, went to the +door and knocked sharply. + +In response to his knocking Long Sin appeared on the threshold and +motioned to Bennett to come in, evidently astonished to see him. + +As he entered, Bennett made a secret sign and said: "I am the +Clutching Hand. Kennedy is close on my trail, and I have come to +be hidden." + +In a tone which betrayed alarm and fear the Chinaman intimated +that he had no place in which Bennett could be concealed with any +degree of safety. + +For a moment Bennett glared savagely at Long Sin. + +"I possess hidden plunder worth seven million dollars," he pleaded +quickly, "and if by your aid I can make a getaway, a seventh is +yours." + +The Chinaman's cupidity was clearly excited by Bennett's offer, +while the bare mention of the amount at stake was sufficient to +overcome all his scruples. + +After exchanging a few words he finally agreed to all the +Clutching Hand said. Opening a trap door in the floor of the room +in which they were standing, he led Bennett down a step-ladder +into the subterranean chamber in which Tong Wah had so recently +been preparing his mysterious potion. As Bennett sank into a chair +and passed his hands over his brow in utter weariness, Long Sin +poured into a cup some of the liquor of death which Tong Wah had +mixed. He handed it to Bennett, who drank it eagerly. + +"How do you propose to help me to escape?" asked Bennett huskily. + +Without a word Long Sin went to the wall, and, grasping one of the +stones, pressed it back, opening a large receptacle, in which +there were two glass coffins apparently containing two dead +Chinamen. Pulling out the coffins, he pushed them before Bennett, +who rose to his feet and gazed upon them with wonder. + +Long Sin broke the silence: "These men," he said, "are not dead; +but they have been in this condition for many months. It is what +is called in your language suspended animation." + +"Is that what you intend to do with me?" asked Bennett, shrinking +back in terror. + +The Chinaman nodded in affirmation as he pushed back the coffins. + +Overcome by the horror of the idea Bennett, with a groan, sank +back into the chair, shaking his head as if to indicate that the +plan was far too terrible to carry out. + +With a sinister smile and a shrug of his shoulders Long Sin +pointed to the cup from which Bennett had drunk. + +"But, dear master," he remarked suavely, "you have already drunk a +full dose of the potion which causes insensibility, and it is +overcoming you. Even now," he added, "you are too weak to rise." + +Bennett made frantic efforts to move from his seat, but the potion +was already taking effect, and through sheer weakness he found he +was unable to get on his feet in spite of all his struggles. + +With a malicious chuckle Long Sin moved closer to his victim and +spoke again. + +"Divulge where your seven million dollars are hidden," he +suggested craftily, "and I will give you an antidote." + +By this time Bennett, who was becoming more rigid each moment, was +unable to speak, but by a movement of his head and an expression +in his eyes he indicated that he was ready to agree to the +Chinaman's proposal. + +"Where have you hidden the seven million dollars?" repeated Long +Sin. + +Slowly, and after a desperate struggle, Bennett managed to raise +one hand and pointed to his breast pocket. The Chinaman instantly +thrust in his hand and drew out a map. + +For some moments Long Sin examined the map intently, and, with a +grin of satisfaction, he placed it in his own pocket. Then he +mixed what he declared was a sure antidote, and, pouring some of +the liquor into a cup, he held it to Bennett's lips. + +As Bennett opened his mouth to drink it, Long Sin with a laugh +slowly pulled the cup away and poured its contents on the floor. + +Bennett's body had now become still more rigid. Every sign of +intelligence had left his face, and although his eyes did not +close, a blank stare came over his countenance, indicating plainly +that the drug had destroyed all consciousness. + + . . . . . . . . + +By this time, I was slowly recovering my senses in the secretary's +office, where Bennett had left me in the disguise of the Clutching +Hand. Elaine, the secretary, and the clerks were gathered round +me, doing all they could to revive me. + +Meanwhile, Kennedy had enlisted the aid of two detectives and was +scouring the city for a trace of Bennett or the taxicab in which +he had fled. + +Somehow, Kennedy suspected, instinctively, that Long Sin might +give a clue to Bennett's whereabouts, and a few moments later, we +were all on our way in a car to Long Sin's house. + +Though we did not know it, Long Sin, at the moment when Kennedy +knocked at his door, was feeling in his inside pocket to see that +the map he had taken from Bennett was perfectly safe. Finding that +he had it, he smiled with his peculiar oriental guile. Then he +opened the door, and stood for a moment, silent. + +"Where is Bennett?" demanded Kennedy. + +Long Sin eyed us all, then with a placid smile, said, "Follow me. +I will show you." + +He opened a trap door, and we climbed down after Craig, entering a +subterranean chamber, led by Long Sin. + +There was Bennett seated rigidly in the chair beside the table +from which the vials and cups, about which we then knew nothing, +had been removed. + +"How did it happen?" asked Kennedy. + +"He came here," replied Long Sin, with a wave of his hand, "and +before I could stop him he did away with himself." + +In dumb show, the Chinaman indicated that Bennett had taken +poison. + +"Well, we've got him," mused Kennedy, shaking his head sadly, +adding, after a pause, "but he is dead." + +Elaine, who had followed us down, covered her eyes with her hands, +and was sobbing convulsively. I thought she would faint, but +Kennedy led her gently away into an upper room. + +As he placed her in an easy chair, he bent over her, soothingly. + +"Did you--did you--really--love him?" he asked in a low tone, +nodding in the direction from which he had led her. + +Still shuddering, and with an eager look at Kennedy, Elaine shook +her beautiful head. + +Then, slowly rising to her feet, she looked at Craig appealingly. +For a moment he looked down into her two great lakes of eyes. + +"Forgive me," murmured Elaine, holding out her hand. Then she +added in a voice tense with emotion, "Thank you for saving me." + +Kennedy took her hand. For a moment he held it. Then he drew her +towards him, unresisting. + +THE END + + + + +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK, THE EXPLOITS OF ELAINE *** + +This file should be named eelai10.txt or eelai10.zip +Corrected EDITIONS of our eBooks get a new NUMBER, eelai11.txt +VERSIONS based on separate sources get new LETTER, eelai10a.txt + +Project Gutenberg eBooks are often created from several printed +editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the US +unless a copyright notice is included. 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