8 B
THE OMAHA SUNDAY BEE: FEBRUARY 28, 1915.
A Detective Novel and a Motion Picture Drama
Presented by The Omaha Be in Collaboration with the Famous Fathe
Flayers and the Eclectic Film Co.
S Miss Pearl White,
Arnold Daly and 'Craig Kennedy"
The Famoni Scientific Detective of Fiction.
Written by Arthur B. Reeve
The Well -Known Novelist and the
Creator of the "Craig Kennedy" Stories
Dramatized Into a Photo-Play by Charles Goddard
Author of "The Perils of Pauline"
Cast of Leading Characters In tha Motion Picture Xaproductloa by tha
Famous Fatha Player
ELAINE DODGE - - Mi.s Pearl White
CRAIG KENNEDY - - Mr. Arnold Daly
HARRY DENNETT - Mr. Sheldon Lewis
Everything )oti read ln-rr fnilay
you ran hoc in the farlnatinj I'm lie
Motion Picture at tlie .Motion Pict
ure Theater thin week. Next Sun
day another chapter' of "The Kaplolt
of Klaine" and new I'atho reel.
Synopsis of Previous Cbaptara.
The New York o.id- are nij Milled l y a
series of murders of prominent menl 'i'hn
latest tctlni of tup mysterious atpiKtln
in Tayior I'odge, the Insurant -e president.
Ilia daughter. Kulne. employ I'ralg Ken
nedy, tho famrwa h-ntitlr dde tlve, to
try to unravel the. ni. stery. One of tho
criminal stents Into Klali's room at
nlaht, puts her und'r the Influence, of the
twuiKlit sleep drug hii. I force her to
MH a letter dismissing Kennedy. Thlp
trick lulls. Later Kenmdy learns of a
daring robltery planned hy the conspira
tors. In an ruorl tu trup them Kitilno ta
raptured and sealed up la a tunk, and la
at the. point of ileutli when Kennedy acci
dentally dlwovcra In r plight and saves
her. In retaliation the crlmlnala make a
depprale attempt 10 M.I Kennedy hy
erecting an Ingenious deuth-trup In hi
apartinent. They th'n administer a ecu
Itar poii-on to Klaine, n' onip.la dug thl
hy a remarkahli) utilisation of the wall
pnper In her room. The poison plot mis
carries. Hut tho criinlna la are persistent,
one of them In seriously wounded by
Klaine, and rhe la forced to submit to the
transfusion of blood opeiatlon to save the
erounrlrel a life. Help reaehep her before
thi experiment heeomea dangerous. En
raged at tluir constant deieuta, the con
rplratora employ two notorlnna women of
the underworld to lure Kennedy and
Klnlne to their destruction. Kennedy'p
scientific knowledge proyea too much for
the aaaaaalna. H emplovp a voeophone l.i
a n-eer manner, Ita uncanny work at a
critical moment upaettlng a carefully luhi
plan to abduct Elaine.
CHAPTER IX.
The Death Ray
KENNEDY waa reading a aclentlflo
treat Im one morning, while I waa
banning on the typewriter, when a knock
at the laboratory door disturbed up.
By aome intuition Craig seemed to know
who It was. He aprang to open the do.i,
and there atood Elaine Dodge and her
lawyer. Perry Bennett.
"Why what's the matter T" he asked,
solicitously.
'Aanother letter from the Clutching
Hand!" she exclaimed breathlessly. "Mr.
llennett 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."
t'ralg took the letter and we both read,
with amazement:
"Are you an enemy to society? If not,
order Craig Kennedy to leave the country
'by t o'clock tomorrow morning. Other
wise a pedestrian ul drop dead 0Ut,ld8
hie laboratory every hour until he leaves."
The note was signed by the now fa
mlllsr sinister hand, and had added a
postscript which read:
"As a token of his leaving, hava him
place a vase of flowers on hie laboratory
window today,"
What shall we do?" queried Bennett,
evidently very much alarmed at the
letter. '
"Do?" replied Kennedy, laughing con
temptuously at the apparent futile threat.
"Why nothing. Just wait."
The day proved uneventful and I paid
no further attention to the warning let
ter. It seemed too preposterous to amount
lu anything. t
We. gut til' pa usual tho next day, and
m;lte early went over to the laboratory.
Kennedy, as was lila custom, plunged
lralgatay Into lila work and appeared
absnrled hv It. while f wrote.
"Th'-ro la something queer going on,
W'alltr," he remarked. "Till thing reg
I tera some kind vt wlrileaa ray Infra
rid, I ttilnk-s unetlilng like these that
Dry 'say that Itullun S'lentls1. I'llvl.
claim he I hi dlacucrcd snd called the
'h -rt.vs ' "
"How do ou know?' I aski d. looking
u Iroai riy work. "Whul's the Instru
ment yon aro uin??"
'A holomoti r. ui.eutrd l.y the luto I'rof.
I.n?le." he re;lle1, his intention riv
fiJi on It.
As I moved over to look at the bolo
meter I hut pened to t;lance Into the busy,
boly and aaw that a crowd waa rapidly
colli'i tin j cn the sidewalk.
't.ouk, Craig," t called hastily.
Hj liurrld over to me and lovked. We
couir both rce In the busybody mirror a
Itro'ip of excl'.cd pavsersby bending over
a man lying prcatVate cm the sidewalk.
I!e led evidently been standing on tho
curhmonu outldo the laboratory and hud
suddenly p'H hl.t hand to bin forehead.
Then ha had literally crumpled u. Into a
heap, a he) sank I ) the ground.
The excited crowd lifted him up and
b r i I in aay and I turnrd l surprise
to t'taig. He wa locking at hi Match.
It was now only a few n.luuU past
c'ock.
Koine time later our door waa excitedly
flung open end Klaine and Peiry Ben
nett arrived.
"I've juat heard of the accident." ahe
ci led. tearfully. "Isn't It terrible: What
had wo better do?"
Tor a few momenta no one said a word.
Then Kennedy began carefully exam
ining the bolometer and some other re
cording Instrument he hud. while the
lent of ue watched, fascinated.
Somehow that "bubody' seemed to
attract me. I eould not resist looking
luto it from time to time as Kennedy
worked.
I was scarcely able to control my ex
citement when again I Saw the same
sene enacted on the sidewalk before the
laboratory. Hurriedly I looked at my
watch. Ie waa 10 o'clock!
"Craig!" I cried- "Another!"
We watched, almost stunned by the
suddenness of the thing, until finally
without a word, Kennedy turned away,
hie face set la tense lines.
"It's no use," be muttered, as we gath
ered about him. "We're beaten. I can't
stand thl sort of thing. J will leave to
morrow for Bouts Am rice,"
. t thought Elaine Dodge would faint at
the shock of his word coming so soon
alter the terrible occurrence outside. She
looked at him, apeeciiles.
It happened that Kennedy had aome
artificial flower on the stand, which he
had been using long before In the Mudy
of synthrtle coloring materials. IJefore
Klaine could recover her tongue he seized
them snd stuck them Into s tall beaker,
I ike.' a vase. Then he deliberately walked
to the window and plnced the beaker on
the ledge In a most prominent position.
Klaine and Bennett, to say nothing of
myself, gsxed at him, awe-struck.
"Is Is there no other way but to sur
render?" ahe asked.
Kennedy mournfully shook his head.
Nothing that any of us could pay, not
even the pleadings of Elaine heraelf, could
move him. The thought that at 11 o'clock
a third Innocent passerby might He
stricken on the street scemrd to move 'ilni
powerfully.
When, at 11 o'clock, nothing hsppened,
as It had at the other two hour, he was
even more confirmed In his purpose. En
treaties had no erfect, 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 vlsltora farewell until tho
morrow, when he hnd decided to sail, I
could see that he was eager to be alone.
He had been looking now and then at tho
peculiar Instrument which he had been
studying earlier In the day, and I could
see on his face a sort of subtle Intent
ness, "I'm so sorry Craig," murmured
Elaine, choking back her emotion and
finding It Impossible to go on.
"So am I, Elaine." he anewered, tensely.
"But perhaps-when this) trouble blows
over"
He paused, unable to go on, 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. snd Ken
nedy closed the door carefully, when he
turned and went directly to the instru
ment which I had seen lilm observing so
Interestedly.
Plainly I could see that It waa register
ing something.
"What the matter?" I asked, non
plussed. "Just a moment, Walter." ho replied,
vaslvely. as if not quite sure of himself.
it. -..ikeil futrlv close to the window
this time, keeping well out of the direct
line of It. however, and there siooa iu
Ing 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 street
"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 ft moment In deep thought.
Then he pulled out a suitcase and began
silently to pack It
Although we had not dared to iniveatl
gate. 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 onc
raided in the suburbs; there were at that
moment two crooks.
One of them wss the famous, or rather
infamous. Prof. I- Croix, with whom.
In a disguise as ft doctor, we had al
ready had some experience when he stole
from tho 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 transfuse Elaine Dodge's
blood to save the life of the crook whom
aha had ahot.
Ia Croix gleefully patted a peculiar In.
atrumcnt beside him. ApparenUy it was
a combination of powerful electrlo arcs,
the rsys of which were shot through a
funnel-like arrangement Into a converter
or, rather, a aort of concentration ap
puratua from which the dread power
could be released through a tube-like af
fair at one end. It was his Infra-red heat
wave, F-rsy, engine.
"I told you It would work!" cried Le
t'rolx.
I did not argue any further with Craig
about hi sudden resolution to go away.
But it Is a very solemn proceeding to
puck up and admit defeat after such a
brilliant succession of cases as hsd been
his until we met this master criminal.
Ho was unshakable, however, and the
nixt morning we closed the laboratory
and loaded our baggaue, which was con
siderable, on a laxicah.
Neither of us said much, but I saw a
quick look of appreciation on Craig's face
at. we pulled up at the wharf and saw
that Elaine's car was already there. He
teemed deeply moved that Elaine should
come at such an early hour to have a last
a ord.
Our car stoped and Kennedy moved
over toward her car, directing two por
ter, whom I noticed that he choae with
care, to wait at one aide. Ono of them
was an old Irishman with a limp; the
other a wiry Frenchman with a pointed
beard.
In feltlta of hnr ttlj.,1inva 1... .-r
ntdy held to his purpose, and as we shook
nanaa I or loe lal time 1 thought
Elaine would almost break down.
Near the gangplank. In the crowd. I
noticed a couple of einiater faces watch
ing the ahlp'a offloers and the) passen
gers going aboard. Kenr.edr'a aulck eye
spotted tbem, too, but he did not show
In m m th.l ..1. ..ki..
- - v.wwu Hj.uius mm,
followed by our two porters, we quickly
moment Craig paused by the rail and
! T'VilTirr. U-p;ruv7 it. " " " 'v " V
??m fe ' i YrJ vV
S3if VtA""' "soft, ': '' , I -.? ;'':, -'is
Kennedy Fearing He
waved to Elaine and Bennett, who re
turned the salute feelingly. I paused at
the rail, too, apeculntlng how we were
to get the rest of our baggege aboard
In time, for wo had taken several min
utes saying goodby,
"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.
Outsldo could be seen the two sinister
facea In tho crowd watching Intently,
with eyes fixed on thi stateroom. Fin
ally one of the crooks boarded the ship
hastily, while tho oth3r 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 tho plonk to get the rost
of the luggage. As they approached
the 1'oiIru car, Klalno, Aunt Josephine
and Perry Bennett were straining tholr
eyes to catch a last glimpse of ua
i The porters took a small, but very
heavy box, and, lugging and tugging,
hastened toward the boat with IU But
. they were too late. The gangpfank was
being hauled In.
They shouted, but the ship' officers
waved them back.
"Too late!" one of tVie deckhands
shouted, a little pleased that some one
would be Inconvenienced for tardiness.
The porters argued. But It waa 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 tho Irish porter.
She looked at the rest of the tagged
luggage and the box which waa marked:
: SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS.
: VALUAill.K. :
: HANDL.K Willi CARE! :
,
"Here pile them In there." she said.
Indicating the taxlcab. ' "I'll take care
of thorn."
Meanwhile one of our slnlater-faoed
friends had just had time to regain the
shore after following us aboard ship and
trolling past the window of our state
room He paused long enough to observe
one of the occupants studying a map,
while the other was opening a bag.
"They're gone!" he suld to the other, as
he rejoined him on the dock, giving a
nod of his head and a Jerk of bis thumb
at the ship.
"Yes." added the other crook, "and lost
most of their baggage, too."
Blowiy the car proceeded through the
stroets up from the river front, followed
by the taxlcab, until at last the Dodge
mansion was reachod.
There El nine and Aunt Josephine got
out, and Bennett stood talking with them
a moment. Finally no excused himself
reluctantly, for It was now late, even
lor a lawyer, to get to his offlce.
As he hurried over to the subway,
Elaine nodded to the porters in the taxi
cab, "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 anJ bags.
A moment later Aunt Josephine left her
and Elaine went Into the library and
over to a table. She stood there an in
stant, then sank down into a chair, tak
ing up Kennedy'a picture and gaxlng at
It with eyes filled by tears.
Just then Jennings came Into tha room
ushering the two porter laden with tha
boxes and bags.
"Where shall I have them put these
things, Mlas Elaine?" he Inquired.
"Oh, anywhere," ahe answered hur
riedly replacing the blcture.
Jennings paused. As he did no one of
the porters limped forward.
"I've a message for you, miss," he said
In a rich Irish brogue with ft look at
Jennings, "to be delivered In private."
Elaine glanced at htm surprised. Then
she nodded to Jennings, who disappeared.
As he did so the Irishman limped to tho
door and drew together the poriler.
Then he came back closer to Elaine.
A moment alia looked at him. not quite
knowing from his strange actions whether
to call for help or not.
At ft motion from Kennedy as he pulled
off his wig I pulled off the Utile falso
beard.
Elaine looked at ua transformed
atartled.
"Wh what" aha stammered. "Oh I'm
so glad. How"
Kennedy said nothing. He waa thor
oughly enjoying her face.
"Don't you understand?" I explained,
lauKhlng merrily. "1 admit that I didn't,
until that last minute In the stateroom on
the boat when we didn't coine back to
wave a last good-bye. But all the euro
that Craig took 111 selecting the porters
waa the result of work he did yesterday,
and the insistence with which he chose
our traveling clothe had ft deep-laid pur
pose. "
bhe aaid nothing, and I continued.
"The change waa made quickly In the
stateroom. Kennedy's man threw on the
coat and hat he wore, whllo Craig donned
the rough clothes of the porter and added
ft limp and a wig. The same sort of ex
change of clothes, was mad by me, and
... . . V L..u. -v ...
Will Never Return
Craig clapped a Van Dyck beard on my
chin."
"I I'm so glad," she repeated. "I didn't
think you'd"
8he cut the sentence short, remember
ing her eyes and the photograph as we
entered and a deep blush crimsoned her
face,
"Muni's the word." cautioned Ken
nedy. "You must smuggle ua out of the
house some way."
Kennedy lost no time In confirming the
suspicions of his bolomoter as to the
cause of the death of the two Innocent
victims of the machinations of the Clutch
ing Hand.
Both of them, he had learned, had been
removed to a nearby undertaking shop,
awaiting the verdict of the coroner. We
sought out this shop nnd prevailed on
the undertaker to let us see the bodies.
As Kennedy pulled down the shroud
from the face of the first victim he dis
closed on the forehead a round dark spot
about the size of a small coin. Quickly
he moved to the next coffin and, un
covering the face, disclosed a similar
mark.
"What la It?" I asked awestruck.
"Why," he said, "I've heard of a cer
tain Viennese, one LeCroIx, I believe, who
has discovered, or perfected, an infra
red ray Instrument which shoots Its
power a great dlstanoe with extreme ac
curacy and leaves a mark like these."
"It he in New York?" I Inquired anx
iously. "Yes, I believe he Is."
- Kennedy seemed indisposed to answer
more until he knew more, and I aaw that
he would prefer not being questioned for
the pxeaont
We thanked the undertaker for hi
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.
"I that so?" he returned. "Isn't that
fine? I didn't think be waa the kind to
run away like that. How did It happen T'
Elaine quickly told the story as I had
told her.
Had she known it, 'however, Bennett'
valet, Thomas, was at that very moment
listening at the portiere Intensely Inter
ested. It wa not long afterward that a knock
sounded at the door of the new head
quarter of the Clutching Hand. Le
CroIx and the secretary were there, as
well a a couple of other.
"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 Le Croix.
"Fine."
"And they're gone?"
"Yes. The flowers were In the window
yesterday. Two of our men aw them on
the boat."
There came another knock. Thl time,
a the door opened It wa Thomas, Ben
nett' faithless valot, who entered.
"Say." blurted out the informer, "do
you know Keanedy and Jameson axe
backf
"Back?" cried the crook.
"Yea they didn't go. Changed clothe
with the porter. I Just heard Mis Dodge
telling Mr. Bennett."
Clutching Hand eyed blra keenly, then
be seemed to burst into an ungovernable
fury.
Quickly he began volleying order at
th valet and the other. Then, with the
secretary and two of the other crooks, he
left by another door from that by which
he had aent the valet forth.
Leaving the undertakers, Kennedy and
I made our way, keeping off thorough
fares, to police headquarters, where, after
making ourselves known, Craig made ar
rangements for a raid on the house across
the street from the laboratory, where we
had seen the opera glsss reflection.
Then, a 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
i again.
Kennedy went over to a cabinet, and
from It took out ft notebook and a small
box. Opening the notebook on the labora
tory table he rapidly turned the psges.
"Here. Walter." he remarked. "This
will answer your question about the mys
terious 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 pure infra-red which has been
developed by LeCroIx from the experi
ment of the Italian scientist, I'livl.
causes, when concentrated by an appa
ratus perfected by LeCroIx, an Instan
taneous combustion of nonrefleeting
surface. It is particularly deadly in
Ita effect on the brain center.
It can be diverted, it la aald, how
ever, by a ahieid composed of plati
num backed by asbestos.
' Next Kennedy opened the case which
be had taken out ef th cabinet, and from
It - he took out the platinum-asbestos
mirror, which was something of hi own
Invention. He held It up, and In panto
mime showed me Just how it would cut
the deadly rays.
H had not finished even that when
peculiar noise In th laboratory Itself
disturbed him, and he hastily thrust tho
atbestos-platlnum shield Into his pocket.
Though we had not realized It, our re
turn had been anticipated.
Suddenly, from a closet projected a
magazine gun, and before we could move
the Clutching Hand hhneelf slowly ap
peared behind up.
"Ah."' he exclaimed with mock polite
ness, "so you thought you'd fool me, did
you? Well!"
Juat then two other crooks, who had
let themselves In by the skeleton key
tlrougli the basement, Jumped Into the
ruoni through that door covering us.
We started to our feet, but In an In
stant found ourselves sprawling on the
fk.or.
In the cabinet, beneath the laboratory
table, another crook had been hidden, and
ho tackled us with all the skill of an
old foot ball rlayer, ngalnst whom we
had no defense.
Four of them were upon us instantly.
At the same time Thomaa, the faith
less valet of Bennett, had been dispatched
by Clutching Hand to commandeer his
master's roadster in hi 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."
ne explained. "Mr. Kennedy and Mr.
Bennett have sent me to ask you to com
over to the laboratory."
Unsuspecting, Elaine stepped Into 'h
car and drove off.
Instead, however, of turning and pull
ing up on the laboratory side of the
street, Thomas stopped opposite it He
got out. and Elaine, thinking that per
haps it was to save time that he had not
turned the car around, followed.
But when the valet, instead of crossing
the street, then went up to a door of a
house and rang the bell, she began to
luspect that all was not as it should be.
"What are you going there for,
Thomas?" she asked. "There the labor
atory 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 look
out of the Clutching Hand, and the valet
asked if Craig and Elalnea lawyer were
In. Of course the lookout replied that
they were and beforo Elaine knew It
she waa jostled Into the dark hallway
and the door waa- banged shut
Resistance waa useless now, and she
wa hurled along until another door was
opened.
There she saw LeCroIx and the other
crook.
And, as the door slammed, ahe caught
sight of the fearsome Clutching Hand
himself.
She drew back, but waa too fright
ened even to scream.
With a harsh, cruel laugh the uper
crlmlnal beckoned to her to follow him
and look down through a small trap
door.
Unable now to resist, 'she did so.
There she saw LeCroIx: and the other
had told the truth. Kennedy was stand
ing In deep thought, while I sat on an
old box smoking ft ctgaret very miser
able. Waa thl to be the sole ontcom of
Kennedy's clever ruse, I wa wondering.
Were we only to be shipwrecked in sight
of port?
A the various Ineffectual schemes for
escape surged through my head I hap
pened to look up and caught a glance of
horror on Craig's face. I followed his
eyes. There, above us, waa Elaine!
I saw her look from us to the Clutch
ing Hand In terror. But none of us ut
tered ft word.
"I will now show you, my dear young
!
I
I
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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-ray mechlne was opened and a
beam of light burst through. I knew it
was not that which we had to fear, but
tho Invisible rays that accompanied It,
the rays that had affected the bolometer.
Just then a rpot 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. In
exorably. Clutching Hand was now holding
Elaine near the door where she could not
help seeing, laughing diabolically, while
he directed Le Croix and the rest to work
the Infra-red ray apparatus.
"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!"
At that door a moment before the look
out suddealy 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 strong
arm squad. They had Jumped out, some
carrying sledge-hammers, others axes.
Almost before he could cry out and re
treat to give a warning they had reached
the door and the vast 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 lmpedlent
"Instantly Clutching Hand turned to
Le Croix 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 we
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 the wall a couple of
Inches from us.
I looked. The cement began to crum
ble under the Intense heat.
Meanwhile the police were having great
difficulty with the steel bort-studdel
door. Still, It was yielding a bit.
"Hurry!" shouted Clutching Hand to
Le Croix.
Kennedy had voluntarily placed himself
In front of me In the ell. Carefully to
avoid the ray, he took the asbestos
platinum shield from hi 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 celling In the
corner, which was of wood. Instantly,
before Kennedy could even move the
shield, the wood burst into flames.
Above us now smoke wa pouring Into
the room where the deflected ray struck
the floor and flame broke out.
"Run!" shouted Clutching Hand, as they
opened ft secret gate, disclosing a spiral
flight of Iron steps.
A moment later all had disappeared ex
cept Clutching Hand himself. The last
door would hold only a few seconds, but
Clutching Hand was watting to take ad
vantage of even that. With ft last fran
tlo effort he sought to direct the terrible
ray at ua. Elaine acted Instantly. With
all her strength she rushed forward.
overturning the machine.
Clutching Hand uttered ft growl and
slowly raised his gun, taking aim with
the butt for ft well directed blow at her
bead. 1
Just then the door yielded and a police
..with..
man stuck his head and shoulders,
through. His revolver rang out and
Clutching Hand's automatlo flew out of
his grasp, giving him Just enough tlm
to dodge through and slain 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 fir
had got so far beyond control by this
time that It drove tha police back from
their effort to open tho secret door. Thus
the Clutching Hand had made good his
escape through the passage which led
out, as we later discovered, to the rail
road tracks along the river.
"Down there Mr. Kennedy and Mr.
Jameson," cried Elalno, 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 suffo
cated, we staggered up.
"Are you hurt?" asked Elaine, anx
iously, taking Craig's arm.
"Not a bit thanks to you!" he replied,
forgetting all In meeting the eager ques
tioning of her wonderful eye.
(To be Continued.)
The Oldest Old Oaken Backet.
Gardens In Palestine are found malnl
In the environs of the larger town and
owe their existence to springs and
fountains whose precious waters give life
to the fruits and flowers, orchards, parks
and pleasure grounds which enter Into
the oriental conception of Paradise.
Where no running stream exists they
depend for life upon capacious cisterns
which "drink water from the rain of
heaven." They are always carefully en
closed and protected by hedges, walls and
ditches, and the traveler Is surprised
amid the heat and glare of the Syrian
sun to enter their pleasant pathways and
find retired and shady nooks under em
bowering greenery. Their secluded re
cesses have always been a favorite resort
for purposes of devotion. They are often
the gathering place of families and
friends and the tokens of peace and
security are when a man may Bit In safety
under his own vine and figtree. Tha
Christian Herald.
To CareforYour
MandScalp
The Soap to cleanse and purify.
The Ointment to soothe and heaL
Samples Free by Mall
Ctitlrara Soap and Otntmmt sold everywhere.
Liberal sample of earb nailed free, with 82-p. book.
Aadresi pot-crd "CuUcurs." Dept. 13F. Bostoa.
HAB
Why Not Rely
On Cnticura
MM rain