SI
refill a W h iTTiii
A Detective Novel and a Motion Picture Drama
Presented by The Omaha Bee in Collaboration with the Famous Fathe
Players and the Eclectic Film Co.
c?n-e Miss Pearl White,
Arnold Daly and "Craig Kennedy"
v The Famous Scientific Detective of Fiction.
.fern
Written by Arthur B. Reeve
The Well-Known Novelist tod the Creator of the "Craitf Kennedy" Stories
Dramatized into a Photo-Play by Charles Goddard
Author of "The Perils of Pauline'
Cast of Leading Characters b tie Motion Picture Reproduction by the Famous Pathe Players
ELAINE DODGE Miss Pearl White
CRAIG KENNEDY . Mr. Arnold Daly
HARRY DENNETT Mr. Sheldon Lewis
Everything you read here today you can
lee in the fascinating Pathe Motion Pic
tures at the Motion Picture Theaters this
week. Next Sunday another chapter of
"The Exploits of Elaine" and new Pathe
reels. 1
Synopsis of Previous Chapter.
The New York police arc mystified by a aerie of
tnunrer of prominent men. The principal rlue to tha
murderer la the warning letter which la aent the vie
tlma. signed with a "clutching hand." The latent vic
tim of the myeterlous ajmaaxln la Taylor Itodge, the
Innuranc president Ilia daughter. Klalne, emplnra
"rale; Kennedy the famoua aclentlflc. detective, to trv
to unravel the myatcry. What Kennedy accomplished
la told by hie friend .lameaon, a newapaper man.
The criminals make many bold attempta to rile
courage Kennedy and Klalne from following their trail,
but all their Ingenlou and crafty echeinea are check
tnated hy the wonderful detective ability and aclentlflc
knowledge of Craig Kennedy. The notorious women
of the underworld are utilised by the maater criminal,
and they employ their feminine biiindlahmenM and wllea
to dcatroy Elaine and Kennedy. One of them poeea a
the aecret wife of Taylor Dodge, and, through thla ruae
entlcea Klalne Into a aearch for proof of the alleged
marriage, finally manoeuvring her Into a dangerous
trap. The oilier adventure leads Kennedy into a
Imllar trap, but hia dlatrust of the woman prompts him
Jo tako peculiar precautions, which finally enable him
to save Klalne and hfmaelf from destructions.
The Hidden Voice.
CHAPTER VIII.
A MESON, wake up!"
I leaped out of bed, still In my pajamas, '
end "food for a moment staring about. Then
ran Into the living room. I looked about,
rubbing my eyes, startled. No one was
T
there.
"Hey Jamesson 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 sur
prise had now thoroughly awakened me.
"Where the deuceare you?" I demanded.
Suddenly I heard the vole again no doubt
about It, either.
."Here I am oyer on the couch!"
I scratched my head, puzzled. There was cer
tainly ho one on that couch.
A laugh greeted me. Plainly, though. It came
from the couch. I jtent 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 perforations.
I picked up the strange looking thing in wonder,
and from that magic 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?"': x '
cry eariy mat morning craig bad got np, leav
ing 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
boles converged inward into the box In tne manner
of a four-sided pyramid, ending at the apex In a
little circle of black, perhaps half an Inch across.
Half an hour afterward I walked into the
laboratory, feeling a little sheepish over the practi
cal Joke, but none the Ices 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, thla transmitter Is so
sensitive that it picks up even a whisper, and the
receiver 1 placed back of those two megaphone
like pyramids."
"J believe the Clutching Hand has been shadow
lag the bodge house," be 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 be may try aomething.
and we may be able to get a clue to his Identity
over this vocaphone. See?"
! nodded. "We've got to run htm down some
Low," I agreed.
"Ves," he said, taking his coat and hat. "I am
toing to connect up one of these things In Miss
Dodge's library and arrange with the telephone
company for a clear wire, to that w can listen
Wre. where that fellow will never suspect."
At about the same time tiiat Craig and I aallied
forth on this new mission, Elaine was arranging
tome flowers on a stand uear the corner of the
Dodge library where the secret panel was In which
her fitter had hidden the papers for the possession
of hlh the Clutching Hand had murdered him.
The did not dtrlo his identity, we knew, but
tbey did give directions to at leant one of hls'hang
vuts and were therefore very important.
f he bad moved away from the table, but, as she
tid fco, her dres caught in aomething in the wood
work. She tried to loosen it and Jn so doing
touched the little metallic spring' on which her
(rtm had taugLt
iLfcUnllv, to her utter surprise, tbs p""-l
moved. It slid open, disclosing a strong box.
Inside were some papers, sealed in an en
velope and marked "Mmpy Red Correspondence."
The fatal documents seemed almost uncanny.
Their very presence frightened her. What should
nhe 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 Clutch
ing Hand papers," she began, more and more ex
cited. "Have you read them?" came back the voice
quickly.
"No; ahall 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 yon 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 re
placed 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 against a rail
ing, Dan the Dude, an emissary of the Clutching
Hand, whose dress now greatly belled his under
world "monniker," had been shadowing us, watch
ing to see when we left. The moment we disap
peared, 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, gaslng about
stealthily. Not a soul was In sight and be 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 of 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 bouse. At any rate he
was busily engaged in ransacking drawers and
cabinets In the laboratory, when the telephone sud
denly rang. He did not want to answer It, but it
It kept on ringing some one outside might come in.
An Instant he hesitated. Then, disguising his
voice at much as he could do Imitate mine, he took
off the receiver.
"Hello!" he answered.
"Have you read them?" be 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."
Clutching Hand lost no further time at the
laboratory. II -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 rea'ly 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 num
ber. "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 waa what had come to-be known in his organ
isation 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 youngsters grumbled over milk.
"All right, Chief." shouted back Dan, their
leader, as be hung up the telephone after noting
carefully the hasty Instructions. "We'll do it'
trust us."
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
fche ll be back."
Shopping being an uncertain element as far as
time waa concerned. Kennedy asked If any one
else waa at home.
"Mrs. Dodge is in the library reading, sir," re
plied Jennings, taking it for granted that we would
see her.
Aunt Josephine greeted us cordially, and Craig
set down the vocapuone package he was carrying.
She nodded to Jennings to leave us, and he
wlthrew.
"I'm not going to let anytblug happen here to
Mina Elaine again If I can help it," remarked Craig
in a low tone, a moment later, gating about the
library.
"What are you thinking of doing?" asked Aunt
Josephine keenly.
"I'm going to put in a vocaphone," be returned,
unwrapping IC
"What's that?" she asked.
"A loud speaking telephone connected with
my laboratory," he explained, repeating what he
had already tild me, while she listened almoet awe
struck at the latest scientific wonder.
We 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 re
paired," he remarked to Aunt Josephine. Sud
denly his face lighted up. "Ah an Idea!" he ex
claimed. "No one will ever think to look inside
that"
"Now, Mrs. Dodge," he said finally, as he had
completed installing the thlng'and hiding the wire
under carpeU and rugs until It ran out to the con
nectlon which he made with the telephone, "don't
breathe a word of It to any one. We don't know
whom to trust or suspect."
"I shall not," she answered, by this time thor
oughly 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, leav
ing her chauffeur to wait.
As she did so, Dan and Billy sidled along the
crowded sidewalk.
Dan the Dude left Billy And Billy surrepti
tiously 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 Elatne'a car.
Then he withdrew av 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. t
Elaine, surprised, drew back. Billy picked up
the piece of bread, and with all the actions of hav
ing discovered a treasure began to knaw 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 'a your name, little boy?' she asked.
"Billy," he replied, blubbering.
"WThere do you live?"
"With me mother and, father they're sick
nothing to eat"
lie was whimpering an address far over on the
East Bide.
'Get Into the car," Elaine directed,
Oee but thla Is swell," he cried, with no fake,
4 "
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 pled high with provisions. She waa In
deed 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
Mnder 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
Mlk took up a crutch that was standing Idle 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 parents, as Elaine, overcome with
sympathy, directed the chauffeur to- lay the things
on a shaky table.
"Ood bless you, lady, for a benevolent angel,"
mattered 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 Statlstlx. of the organized charities,"
she announced, looking around sharply. , " 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.
Miss Statlstlx took a step forward, looking In
a very superior manner from Elaine to the packages
of food and then at these prise members of the
Brotherhood. She snorted contemtuously.
"Why wh what's the matter?" asked Elaine,
fidgeting uncomfortably, as If she were herself
guilty. In the Icy atmosphere that now seemed to
envelop all things.
"This man Is a gunman, that woman Is a bad
woman, the boy is Billy the Bread Snatcher." she
anawered precisely, drawing out a card on which
to record aomething, "and you, miss, are a fool!"
Kitty and Mike, accompanied by Billy, sneaked
out. Elaine, now very much embarrassed, looked
about, wondering at the rapid-fire change. Miss
StaUaflx smiled pityingly.
"Such Innocence!" she murmured, sadly shak
ing her head as she led Elaine to the door. "Don't
you know better than to try to help anybody with
out Investigating?"
Elaine departed, speechless, properly squelched,
followed by her chauffeur.
Meanwhile, a closed car, such as had stood
across the laboratory, had drawn up not far from
the Dodte house. Near It was a man In rather
shabby clothes and a vlsored rap on which were the
words In dull gold lettering, "Metropolitan. Window
Cleaning Company." He carried a bucket and a
small extension ladder.
A few moments later, Dan appeared at the
rervants' 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 In
junctions 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 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 pite
ously. lie 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 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!"
A few minutes later they pulled up before the
ambulance entrance to the hospital.
In the reception room were a couple of nurses
and a young medical student when Johnnie was
carried in and laid on the bed.
At that moment the door opened, and an elder
ly, gray-beared 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 Klalne.
"I will now effect a miraculous cure by the lay
ing on of hands," he announced, adding quickly, '
"and of feet!"
To the utter surprise of all, he seized the boy
hy 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, de
livering one last kick as he went, it was quite evi
dent that he wag no more Injured than the chauf
feur. 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 fakerc in the city."
"Elaine, having had two unfortunate experi
ences 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 crimi
nal spoke a few words in a low tone and the driver
hurrled'off.
A few minutes later the driver might have been
seen entering a nearby drug store and going into
the telephone booth. Without a moment's hesita
tion 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."
"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 win
dow. ' 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.
As the master criminal came in by the ladder
through the open window Dan was on guard listen
ing down the hallway. A signal from Dan. the
Clutching Hand slid back of the portieres. Jen
nings was returning.
"I've finished these windows," announced Dan
as the butler reappeared. "Now, I'll clean the hall
wlndowa."
Jennings followed like shadow, taking the
bucket
No sooner bad 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 tn the hallway. "I
guesa 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 waa necessary,
Dan knocked over a costly Sevres vase.
"There clumsy see what you've done!"
bereted Jennings, atarting 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 aecret panel searching for
the spring that released it He ran hia finger along
the woodwork, pausing here and there without suc
ceeding. '
"Confound It!" he muttered, searching fever
ishly. Kennedy, having made the arrangements with
the telephone company by which he had a clear wire
from the Dodge house to his library, had rejoined
me there and was putting the finishing touches to
his installation of the vocaphone.
every now and then he would switch It on, and
we would llHten in as he demonstrated the won
derful little Instrument to me. We 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, excit
edly. A moment later Dan hurried into the Dodge
library.
"For heaven's sake, Chief, hurry!" he whis
pered hoarsely. "The falsers must have fallen
down. -The girl herself Is coming!"
Dan himself had not time to waste. He re
treated into the hallway Just as Jennings was open
ing 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 fran
tically 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) bo 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 strug
gled for them. Clutching Hand holding one band
over her mouth to prevent her. screaming. In
stantly Dan was there, aiding his chief.
"Choke her I Strangle hert Don't let her
scream!" he growled out.
They fought viciously. Would they succeed?
i It was too 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 terrible.
Clutching Hand and Dan, hardened In crime aa
they were, fell back, dazed, overcome for the mo
ment at the startling effect.
They looked about. Not a soul.
Then, to their utter consternation, from the
visor of the helmet again came the deep, vibrating
warning.
"Help! Murder! Police!"
Kennedy and I bad been listening over the
vocaphone, for the moment, nonplussed at the fel
low'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 fum
bling now.
"Yes, that's the Clutching Hand," he repeated.
"Walt," 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 than I can tell It, the
sounds of a suppressed scuffle.
"He 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. Aa
for me, I waa speechless. Here was the vocaphone
we had Installed. 1 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 worka both ways." he muttered. "Help!
Murder! Police!"
A loud metallic ringing came from the voca
phone. 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 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.
(Continued on Page Eleven, Column Three J
