10-'
THK OMAHA SUNDAY BEE: APRIL llr 1015.
A Dctcclhre HotcI and a Motion Picture Drama
J
Pretentd by The Omaha Bee in Collaboration with the Famous ?athe
Players and the Zclectio Film Oo.
SSSg, Miss Pearl White,
Arnold Daly and "Craig Kennedy"
Tb Famous flclentiftc Detctl of Fiction.
9 A - Z&tP I a Tl 9
Oil
I'll iw '
v. ,' ' T
, .j. ShJ) ) - , A. visLL' - JA lljsbsr
Written by Arthur B. Reeve
The Well Known Novelist and the
Creator of the "Craitf Kennedy" Stories
Dramatized Into a Photo-Play by Charles Goddard
Author of "The Perils of Pauline"
Cut ct lain Chnroters la tha Motion lctre oyronotUa y the
ramont ratks Flayers
ELAINE DODGE - - Miss Pearl White.
CRAIG KENNEDY - - Mr. Arnold Daly
HARRY DENNETT - Mr, Sheldon Lewis ,
KTorythlng you rrad here today
yon can nr in the fascinating l'atbe
Motion Picture at the Motion Flcl
u Theaters tMs week. Xet Sun.
day another chapter tif "The Exploits
( Elaine" and new I'athe reel.
(Corrrlsht. 191S, hy th Btar Co. Alt For
eign Rlshta Reserved) ,
yooOTla of Fraytons Chapter.
The New York police are my.Uflcd by
erls ot murder, and oliirr '
The principal clue to the criminals a
wafnlns letter which la sent the vt ctlm.
slirnd with a ,,clutchln hand. The
lMt victim of the mysterious ""
Taylor I, the wealthy Insurance
J'rr.lOlUt. 11 la dau.htrr. Klalne. mPloy
Crala Kennedy, the famous ai-lentltit. da
tertlve. to try vto unravel tn "JJm
Vhat Kennedy accomplishes Is told by
hlH friend. Jemeeon, a newspaper man.
Knrased at the determined effort whlcn
Klalne and Craig Kennedy are mafclns to
pit M end to hi. crimes, the Uutciilna
Hand, a thl. stranse criminal la nwn;
renorta to all aorta of the moat diabolical
sohrm-s to put them out of the way.
Kach chapter of the story toll of a now
plot asalnat their live, and of the ay
the great detective uses all hi.
nave this pretty girl and himself from
U 'Anally. Long Bin. a Chinese criminal,
i .... uh vannedv to betray the
(.,... riutchlna Hand. Later the
1-hJtchln Hand luimwni Long Bin Jo
...i.i in a nlot to betray Kennedy. iai
plot falls: Kennedy Beta a new lue.
t.ui.. vlta her lawyer. IWmnelt. Ken
nedv aim visits her lawyer', aecretary
hi. wnnwleriKn. to compare type
written letter. Uennett. on serins Ken
rii. .ii-mn.. to kill Klalne. Kennedy
e.vea her and dlocovera.he la the Clutch
ing Hand. - "
Bennett, found out now, offer Iong
Jn prt of hi. fortune to hide Mm. lxng
Hin po'l,on h,m ln "n atvmit to discover
the hiding place of hla million.. In
ln. to carry out hla plot. ahow Elaine
and Kennedy the body ot Bennett, whom
h declare poisoned hlmaelf. 1 binning
Hennett dead. Kennedy now trie to lo
cate hi wealth.
' CHAPTER XV.
Grip of the Chinese Devil
Rescued by Kenn.dy at tart from the
terrlbl. incubu. et Bennett' a persecution
In ht double life f lawyer and master
:rimlnel. Elaine had. for the f Irat tlms In
many weeks, a feeling of security.
Now that the atrain was off, however,
he felt that he needed rest and a chance
to recover heraelf, and It had occurred to
w h a few aulet daya with "Aunt"
Tablthe. who had been her nurse when
ilie nit a little girl, would, do her a
r.orld of good.
Phe had sent for Aunt Tabby, yet ths
:olnatlon of the experiences through
nhich he had Just gone still hung over
ber. Rue could not resist thinking and
reading about them as he sot ona morn
ing with the faithful Rusty In the con
t.rvetcrr of the Podge house.
I had told the story at length In the
Star, and the heading over It had caught
, her eye.
It read:
Til 13 tXtTCHlSG MASD IS DKAD
Doable l.lle r.o Kennedy
Kennedy ilgned for It and started
unpack It '
I was hard at work whn I came aero.
a large manlla envelope, carefully sealed,
on which were written the figures "7,
000,000." Too excited even' to exclaim, I
tore the envelope open and examined the
contents.
Inside waa another envelope. 1 opend
that. It contained .merely a blank piece
f paper!
With characteristic skill at covering his
tracks, Bennett had also covered his
money. Puxxled, iVfurned the paper ovef
and over. Jooklng at It carefully. It was
ft large Kheet of paper, but It . showed
nothing. I
Kennedy had by this time finished un
packing the box and. was examining a
bottle which he had taken from it.
"Come here, Walter," ha railed ! at
length. "Ever see anything like that?"
"I can't say," I confessed, getting up
to go to him. "What la ItT"
'Brine a niece of paper." ha added.
I went back to the desk where I had
been working and looked about hastily.
My y fdl on the blank sheet of paper
which I had taken from Bennetta en
velope, and I picked It up . from the
basket.
"Here's one," I said, handing It to him.
"What are you doing?"
Kennedy did not answer directly, but
began to treat the paper with the liquid
from the bottle. Then he lighted a Bun-
sen burner and thrust the paper Into ths
flame. The paper did not burn!
"A new system of flreprooflng." laughed
Craig, enjoying my astonishment.
He continued to hold the paper In the
flame. Still It did not turn.
"See," he went on, withdrawing It and
starting to explain the properties of the
new flreproofer.' .
He had scarcely begun when ha stopped
in surprise. He had happened to glance
at tha pape again, bent over to examine
It more Intently and waa now looking at
It In surprise.
I looked also. ' There,' clearly discernible
on tha paper, was a small part of what
looked Ilka an architect's drawing of ft
fireplace.
Craig looked up at me, nonplussed.
"Where did you say rod got that?" 'ha
asked.
"It waa ft blank piece of paper among
Bennett's effects," I returned, aa mystl
ledaa ha, pointing at the Uttered desk
at "which I had been working.
Kennedy said nothing, but- thrust the
paper back again Into the flame. Slowly
the heat of the burner seemed to bring
out tha complete drawing of the fireplace.
We looked at It, even more mystified.
"What Is It. do you suppose?" I querie'd.
"I think." ha replied slowly, "that It
waa drawn with sympathetic Ink. The
heat cf the burner brought It out Into
sight."
What waa It about?
I , : : ,!
;
to
- - .. .-. V' i- . -
i hamfwr i'eil with a Crftnh -
but ' Wu
The Whole Hoof of rho Secret
it on her. "take this keep it near you."
Tha noies ceased ' at length, aa
Perry Beaiwett he Foa Voaag
Lawyer Takea Polies rrslg Ken
' nedy Maw on Trail f Master Crlan
' laal'a Hidden Mllllee.
As Elaine clanced down tta column
Jcnnlng announced that Aunt Tabby, aa
she loved to call, her old friend, had ar
rived and waa nw In the library with
Aunt Josephine.
With an exclamation of delight Fflalne
dropped - tha paper and. followed by
Rusty, almost ran Into tha library.
Aunt Tahhy was ft stout, elderly, Jolly-fa-ed
womV precisely the y sort whom
Klalne needed to WHt-h over her' Juat
new. - ' '
Elaine had gone to bed that night at
Aunt Tabby's in the room which her old
Kjirts had fixed up especially for her. It
was a very attractive little room with
dainty chlnti curtalna and covers and for
the first time in many weeks Elaine slept
soundly and fearlessly. (
Downstairs, In tha living room, Rusty
also was asleep, his nose between his
paws. ' . , . " f
Tha living room waa in keeping with
everything at Aunt Tabby's, plain, neat.
homelike. On one side waa ft large fire
place that gave to it an ftir of quaint
hospitality.
Huddnnly Rusty woke up, hla ears
pointed at thia fireplace. lis stood ft
j moment, listening, then with a bark ot
strangely as they had legun.
Half an hour later they had all gone
back to bed and were asleep. But Elaine's
sleep nojv waa fitful, a 'constant proces
sion of faces flitted before her closed
eyes.
Suddenly she woke with a tnrt and
stared Into the semi-darkness. Wss that
face real,, or a dream face? Was It the
hideous helmeted face that had dragged
her down Into lha sewer pnee? That man
waa dead. Who was this?
She gascd st the bedroom window, hold
ing the lug revolver tightly. There,
vague In the night llgrtt, appeared a. fig
ure. Surely that was no dream face, of
the oxygen helmet, resides, it. was not
the same helmet (
She sat bolt upright and fired, point-
Ma nk, at the- window, shivering the glass.
A socond later she had leaped from the
bed, switched on the llfcht and was run
ning to the sill. '
Downstairs Aunt Tabby and Uncle
Joshua had heard the shot. Joshua was
now ld awake.- He syzed hi old shot
gun and ran out Into the living' room.
Followed by Aunt Tabby, he hurried to
"Wh what was It?" he asked, puffin
at the exertion of running upstairs.
"I saw a face at the - window with
some kind of thing over It!" gasped
Elaine. "It was tike one I saw one be
fore."' .,... v . .
Uncle Joshua did not wait to hear any
more. With tha gun pointed ahead of
him, read foV instant action, ha ran out
of the room and Into the rarden, beneath
Klalne'? wlndcw.'
He happened to look down at - tha
ground. Before, him was ft small box.
He picked It tip. "Here'3 something,
though," he suld. ' . "
Joshua went back Into the house.
"Whut la It?" asked Elaine, as he re
joined the women.
fine took the curious little box and un
fastened the coven As she opened It she
drew back. There In the box was a little
Ivory figure of a man, ait hunched Up and
shrunken, a hideous figure. Bhe recoiled
from it It reminded r-ar too much of the
Chinese devil-trod she had seen and she
droppe,d the box. .
Ktr ft moment all atood looking at it in
horrified amaxement.
He waa working furiously to take advan
tage of the fifteen minutes or so before
the next car would pass. '
The tunnel hod been widened out at this
point Into a ernall subterranean chamber.
It was dug out of the earth and tha roof
was roughly prorped ' up, .most of the
j welifht being borne by one main wooden
. prop which. In the dampness, had now
become old and decayed. l.
. On ono side It wan evident that Long
Sin had already been at work, digging
and drilling through the earth and rock.
He had gone so far now that he had dis
closed what looked like the face of a
small cafe set directly into the rock. .
As he worked, he would stop from time
to timo and consnlt the man. Then he
woull take up drilling igaln.
He had now come to the point on which
Bennett had written his warning. Quickly
he opened the bsg and took the oxygen
helmet, which he adjusted carefully
over hla head. Then he set to work with
redoubled enerry.
It was that drill as well aa his pound
ing on the rock which hadso alarmed
Elaine and Aunt Tabby the night before.
and which now had been the signal for
Kennedy's excursion of discovery,
As I spoke my harfd loosened a piece of
reck that Jutted out and before I knew It
there wss a crash.
"Confound It. Walter,' exclaimed Ken
nedy., ; ' "I
-Down the passageway the figure waa
now thoroughly on the alert, staring with
his goggle-like eyes Into the blackness tn
ourdlrectlon. It waa" not the roof above
him that waa unsafe. He was watched,
and ha did not hesitate ft minute to net
He seized the bag and picked his way
quickly through, the passage If thor
oughly familiar with every turn of the
walla and ronghness of the floor.
We were discovered and if we were to
accomplish anything It was now or never.
Kennedy dashed forward and I followed
close, after him.
We were making much better time than
our strange visitor and were gaining on
him rapidly. Nearer and nearer we came
to. him. for In spite of his farrjlllarlty with
tne cavern he was hampered by the out
landish headgear that he wore.
It was only another Instant when Ken
nedy would have laid his hand on him.
Suddenly he half turned, raised Mb arm
and dashed something to the earth, much
as a child explodea a toy torpedo. I fully
expected that It waa bomb; but. as a
moment lat;r I found that Kennedy and
I were still unharmed, I knew) that It
must be some other product of this devil
ish genius. fc
The thickest and most Impenetrable
smoke seemed to pervade the narrow
cavern. . -.j - ' ! .,
"A Chinese smoke bomb!" sput(red
and coughed Kennedy, aa he retreated ft
minute, then with renewed l'lgor endeav
ored to penetrate the dense and opaque
fumes, . i '
We -managed to go ahead atlll, but the
Intruder had exploded one after another
of his peculiar bombs, always keeping
aneaa ot me smoke which he created, and
Clutching Hand was hidden.
Fan, his master had come. - - 1
Tha night following his arrival Wu
Kang waa reclining on ft divan, when his
servant announced that Long Sin was
at the door.
"Have you brought the map with you?"
asked Wu,' as Long Sin entered. '
Long Sin bowed low again,, and drew
from under his coat the paper which he
had obtained from Bennett. Tor a mo
ment the two, master and slave In guile,
bent over, closely studying; It
At ene point on the map Long .Sin's
bony finger paused over . a note which
Bennett had made:
"Beware poi.ioned gas . upon opening
apartment" ;,"-' .
"And you think you can trace It out?','
asked Wu.
"Without a doubt," bowed Long; Sin.
,Ha went over to a bag near by, which
he had already sent up . by another
servant, and opened It. Inside waa an
oxygen helmet lis replaced it, after
showing it . to Vu.
"With the aid of the science of the
white devil, we shall overcome the science
of the white devil," purred Long Sin
subtly. ' . , '
Outside Wu had already ordered a car
to . wait, and together the two drove off
rapidly.' Into the-country : they . sped,
until, at last they came to a lonely turn
In ft lonely road, somewhat removed
from the section that was. rapidly being
built up a popufatlon reached out from
the city, but on ft single-tracked trolley
line.. . . . : . .
Long Bin alighted and disappeared, with
ft parting-word of instruction from Wu.
who, remained in the car. The Chinaman'. w. fmjn :h, ..I, 'L' f""
carried with, him the heavy bag with tho 'mad4 MonA hU .
- - , jut.. VHVIIllia
revolvers drawn we crept back along the
passage ay until we came again to the
chamoer Itself. There, on tha floor, lay
a bag of tools, opened, as though some
body had been working with them.
"Caught red-handed!" exclaimed Ken
nedy, with great satisfaction.
He looked at. the tools a minute and
then at the electric drill, and finally an
idea accr.ied to strike Mm. He took up
th drill and advanced toward the safe.
Then he turned on the current and ap
plied the drill.
The drill was cf the very latest design
and it went quickly through the steel.
But beyond tht there was another thin
steel partition. This Kennedy tackled
next.
The dilll went through and he with
drew" It.
Instantly the most penetrating and nau
seous odor semed to pervade everything.
Kennedy cried out. But his warning
was too late. - We ataggered back, over
come by the escaping gas, and fell to the
ground.
Long Sin, -with his oxygen helmet on
sgaln, had returned to . the passageway
and was now stealthily creeping back.
He came to the chamber and there dis
covered us lying on the ground overcome,
He bent down, and to his great satisfac
tion, saw that w were really uncon
scious.
Quickly he moved over to the safe and
pried open the last thin steel , plate.
Inside waa a small box. . He picked it
up and tried to open it, but It was locked.
There, waa no time to' work over it here,
and he took it under hla arm and started
to leave.
He paused ft moment to look at us.
then took out a piece of paper and ; a
penql! ftcd on the paper wrote, "Thanks
for your trouble.'
.Beneath It waa algned by his special
stamp tha serpent's head, mouth ' open
and fangs showing. -, -
Long Sin looked at us a moment, then
a subtle smile seemed to spread over hla
face. At last he had us ln hla power.
He drew out a. long, wicked-looking
Chinese knife and stuck It through the
note. ' . ' ' ,
Then he felt the edge of the knife. It
was keen. ,
"Oh, I'm so glad to see. you," cried aut
Klalne. as she literally flung herself into
hr nursea'a arms. "I feel so unstrung,
I thought that If I could Just run
vtl fur a few day with you aud Joshua
in the country, where no one would know,
it might make me feel hotter. You have
always been ? ood to me. Marie! Are
my things parked? Very well; theo get
tny wrap."
Her maid left the room.
"Bless your soul, mothered Aunt Tabby,
stroking her soft, golden hair. "I'm al
ways glad to have you In that fine house
fou bought m. And. faith. Miss Elaine,
the house is a splendid place to rest In.
sut I don't know what's ths matter with
lately. Joshua says it's haunts"
"Haunta?" repeated Klalne, in amused
turprtae. "Why, what do you mean?"
Maria, entered with the wrapa before
Aunt Tabby could reply, and Jennings
"oliowed frith the baggage. J
"Now for a I on rWe in the goodfresh
air." sighed Elaine, as she leaned back
en the cushions of the Dodge llmoualne
tnd patted Rusty, while tha butler stowed
iway the bags.
The air certainly did, If anything.
Jelbten the beauty of Elaine, and at last
:hy arrived at Aunt Tabby's, tired and
hungry.
The car stopped and Elaine, Aunt Tabby
tnd the dog got out There, waiting for
'hem. waa "l.rn-la" -Joshua, as Elaine
playfully called him, a former gardener
t the Dodgee, now a plain, honest coun
tryman on whom the city was fast en-
frochlng. a Jolly old fellow, unharmed
by the world.
Aunt Tabby's waa an attractive, small
bouse, not many miles from New Tork.
ret not tn tha general line of suburban
'j-avei.
Kennedy and I had decided to bring
ftenoctt's papers and docutuenta over to
the laboratory to examlue them. , We
eie now engaged In going over tha
fr-at mafr of material which, h had
colU-eua 1b tbe hope of finding some clue
to tue stolen millions which he mut have
aruusl as ft result of his villainy. The
talle waa stacked high.
a knora at the door told us that the
cMTtaemaa had arrived and a moment
later be enured. (Uitrcrtsg a heavy box.
alarm he sped swiftly from the living
room, up the stairs at ft bound until ha
eftme to Elalne'a room.
Elaine felt his cold nose at her band
and stirred, then awoke.
"What Is it Rusty?" she asked, mind
ful of the former daya when Rusty gave
warning of -the Clutching Hand and his
cmmlssaries.
Rusty wagged hla tall. Something was
wrong.
Elalna followed him down to the living
room. 8ha went over and lighted the elec
tric lamp on tha table, then turned to
Iluaty.
"Well, Rusty f" she repeated almost aa
If he wera human.
She had ne need of repeating the quea
tlon. Rusty was looking straight at tha
fireplace,
Elaine listened. Sure enough, she beard
strange noises. Waa that Aunt Tabby
"Haunt"? Whatever It waa It sounded
a If It came up from the very depths
ef tha earth.
She could not make out Just what It
sounded like. It might have been -some
thing striking a piece of iron, ft bolt,
with ft sledge,.
What waa it?
She continued to listen In wonder, then
ran to her Aunt Tabby's bedroom door,
on the first floor, and knocked.
Aunt Tabby woke up and shook Joshua.
"Aunt Tabby) Aunt Tabby!" called
Elaine.
Tea. my dear." answered the old
nurse, now fully awake and straightening
her Bight cap "Joshua!
Together the old couple came out Into
the living room, still in their nlghtriothea,
Joshua yawning sleepily.
"Uaten!" whispered Elaine.
There was the noise again. This Cime
it waa more aa though some one were
betting a rat-tat-tat with something ea
a rock. It waa weird, uncannyNae all
stood there, none knowing where ths
strange noises came from.
"It's the haunts!" cried Aunt Tabby,
trembling a bit "For three nighta now
we've been hearing these noises.
Finally Joshua went to ft table drawer
and opened it. He took out a hu, mur
dcroua-looklng revolver.
"Here, alias Eialne " ha urged, pielng
It was the afternoon following ths day
cf our strange discovery of the fireplace
done in sympHthetlc Ink on the apparently
blank sheet of paper In Bennett's effects,
when the speaking tube sounded and I
answered It. , ,' . '
'Why-It's Elaine!" I exclaimed.
Kennedy's face showed the keenest
pleasure at the unexpected visit - "Tell
her to come 'right up," he Bald quickly.
I opened tha door for her.
"Why Elaine I'm awfully glad to see
you," he greeted, ''but I thought you were
rusticating." a
"I was; but. Craig, It seems to m that
wherever I go something happens," she
returned. "You know, .Aunt Tabby said
there were haunta. I thought it waa an
old woman's fear but last night I heard
tha atrangest notsea out there, and . I
thought I aaw a face at the window a,
fuce In a helmet And when Joahua went
out, this Is what he found on tha ground
under the window." - ,
She handed Kennedy a box, a peculiar
affair, which ahe touched gingerly and
only with signs of tha greatest aversion.
Kennedy opened it There. In the bot-
torn of the box, waa a little Ivory devil-
god. , He looked at It curiously ft moment '
"bet me see." he ruminated, still 're
garding tha sign. "Tha house you bought
for Aunt Tabby once belonged to Bennett,
didn't It?"
Elaine nodded her head. "Yes, but' I
don't see what that can have to do with
It." she agreed, addinc with shudder.
Bennett is dead."
Kennedy had taken a piece of paper
from the desk where he had put It ftway
carefully. "Have you aver seen anything
mai iooks us mur ne asked, handing
ner me paper.
Elalna looked at the plan carefully, aa
Kennedy and I scanned her face. She
glanced up, her expression showing
plainly the wonder she felt
Why. yes," she answered. t'That looks
like Aunt Tabby's flrepl.ee la the living
room."
Kennedy said nothing for a moment,
Then he seised hla hat and coat.
"If you don't mind," he said, "we'll go
back there with you."
Mlndf' ahe repeated. "Just what
had hoped you would do."
New York did not knew of ths arrival
of Wu Fang, the mysterious, yet . But
down tn the secret recesses of Chinatown,
In the ways that are devious and dark,
lha Oriental crooks knew end trembled.
inus it happened that Uong Ma waa
not permitted to enjoy even the foretaste
of Bennett's .pells, which he had forced
from him after hla weird transformation
into hla real self, the Clutching Hand,
when the Chinaman had given him th.
poisoned draught that had put htm Into
hia long sleep.
He hsd obtained ths paper ahowing
where tha treasure amassed by the
oxygen . helmet . . - ' w- '
Long Sin hurried down the road until
he came to a trolley pole, than looked
hastily at his watch. It was twenty
mtnutee at least before the next car
would pasa.
Quickly, almost monkey-like, he climbed
up the pole, carrying with Mm the end
of a wtra which he had taken frony the
bag. "
Having thrown this over the feed , wire,
he slid quickly - to the . ground again.
Then, carrying the other end of the
wire tn Ma rubber gloved hands, he made
his way through the underbrush. In and
ut, almost like the serpent he was,
until he came to a passage wy In the
rough and 'uncleared hillside a small
opening formed by the rocks. ' .
It waa dark Inside, but he did not hesi
tate to enter, carrying the wire and the
bag with hint.
tho entrance of the cavo- In' the under
brush. . i
M the other end of th. .,S t,wy struggled. As tl
In the llvlna- room f h v-frnt, atrength, he craftily,
draught had carried large quantities of
the smoke. Elaine. ..-Aunt Tabby and
Joshua, coughing and choking, saw ft and
opened ft window, which seemed to eftnse
ft current of air to sweep through the
whole length of the passageway and
neiped to clear away the fumea rapidly.
tong Sin, meanwhile, had started to
work 1.1a way through the bushes to
reach the waiting car, with Wu, then
paused and listened. Hearing no sound,
he replaced the helmet, whloh he had
taken off.
Pursuit was now useless for u. With
In the Bitting room, Elaine, Aunt Tabby
and Joshua had been listening Intently at
the fireplace, but heard nothing.
"I can't stand it any longer," cried
Elalner "I'm going down there to see
what has become of them."
Aunt Tabby and Joshua tried to stop
her, but she broke away from them and
went down the ladder. Rusty leaped
after her.
Joshua tried to follow, but Aunt Tabby
held him back.
Elaine was now making her way as
rapidly aa she could through the tunnel.
with Rusty beside her, ,
It was Just ss Long Bin had raised his
knife that the sound ftf, footsteps alarmed
him.
He paused and. leaped to his feet.
y There wss no time, for either to re
treat. He started toward Elaine and
seised her roughly. -'
Back and forth over . therocky floor
they, struggled. As they fought, she with
he backed
her slowly up against the prop that up
held the roof.
The whole roof of the chamber fell with4
a crash, earth and stone overwhelming
Elaine and her assailant
By this time Joshua had left the house
and had gone out Into the garden to get
something to pry open the fireplace door.
Of a sudden, to his utter amasement ft
few. feet from him. it aeemed as If the
very' earth sank In his garden, leaving a,
yawning chasm.
He looked, unable to make It out
Before his very eyes a strange figure.
th fix u re of Long Sin in his oxygen hel
met. appeared, struggling up aa If by
magic, from the very earth, shaking ins
debris off himself, as a dog would shak
off the water after a plunge In a pond
Bv this time Joshua was digging furi
ously. Rusty, too. seemed to unflerstartd.
Hethrew back the earth with his paws,
helping with every ounce of strength In
his little body.
At last the spade turned up" a- bit of
cloth. 1
"Elaine." Aunt Tabby cried out again.
She was In a sort of little pocket, pro
tected by the fortunate for-natlon ot the)
earth aa It fell, yet almost suffocated;
weak, but conscious.
Aunt Tabby rushed up as Joshua laid
down the spado and lifted out Elaine.
They were about to carry her Into the
house, when she cried weakly, but with
all, her remaining strength:
"No no Dig! Craig-Walter!" she man
aged to gasp.
Rusty, too, was Btill a fit Joshua fell
to again. Man and dog worked with
will.
"There they are!" cried Elaine, as all
three pulled ua out, unconscious, but still
live.
, Though we did not know It, thef carried
us Into the house, while Elaine and Aunt
Tabby hustled about to get something ta
revive us.
Meanwhile Long" Sin had made hla way
to the automobile, where hla master, Wu,
waited Impatiently, .
."Did you get It?" asked Wu eagerly. .
. Long Sin showed hlnv the box.
. "Hurry, master!" he cried breathlessly.
leaping into the car and struggling to
take off he helmet aa they drove away,
"They may be Ijere at any moment'
Tha machine was off like ft shot, and
even If we had been free, we could not
now have 1 caught it
Back In Wu's sumptuous apartment,
later, Wu and his slave, Long Sin," after
their hurried ride, dismissed all the ser
vants and placed the little box on the)
table. Wu rose and looked the door.
Then, together, they took a sharp In
strument and tried to pry off the lid of
the. box. . "
The lid flew off. They gated in eagerly.
Inside waa a smaller box, which Wu
siezed and opened.
There, on the plush cushion, lay merely
a round knobbed ring.
Was this the end of their great ex
pectations? were - Bennett's millions
merely mythical?
The two stared at each other ls chag
rin. ...';'. . . " .
Wu waa the .first to speak.
"Where there should Have been $7,000,
000," he muttered k to himself, why Is
there only a mystic 'ring."
. (To Be Continued.)
r 7
IS I I I I
OsuBcnu F Baiixv; .
Sanatorium
Thia institution Is the only one
ln the central west with separate
buildings situated In their own
ample grounds, yet entirely dis
tinct, and rendering It possible to
classify cases. - The one building
being fitted for and devoted to the
treatment of non-contagious and
non-mentsXHseaseB, no others be
ing admitted; the other Rest Cot
tage being designed tor and de
nted to me exclusive treatment
of select mental cases requiring
for a time watchful care and spe
cial nursing.
It was nightfall before we arrived with
Elaine at Aunt Tabby's We entered the
living room, and Elaine Introduced us
both to Aunt Tabby and her husband.-'
It was difficult to tell whether Elaine's
old nurse was mora glad to aea her than
tha faithful Ruty, who almost over
whelmed her even after so short an
absence. . .
In the midst of tha greetings I took
occasion to look over the living room.
It ' was a very coxy room,- simply and
tastefully furnished, and I fancied that
I could see in the neatness of Aunt
Tabby a touch of Elaine's hand, for she
bad furnished it for her faithful old
friend. "' ' :
. I followed Kennedy's eyes, and aaw
that he was looking at the fireplace.
Sure enough, it was the same In design
as tha flreplsce which the heat had so
unexpectedly brought out tn sympathetic
Ink on the blank sheet of paper.
Kennedy lost no time ln examining It.
and we crowded around him aa he went
over it Inch by Inch, following the direc
tion on tha drawing.
At one point ln the drawing peculiar
protuberance waa marked. Kennedy was
evidently hunting for that He found It
at last and pressed thaaort of lever In
several ways. Nothing seemed to happen.
But finally, almost by chance, he seemed
to discover the secret. ' '
A small section at a aide of the fireplace
opened up, diacloalng an Iron ladder, lead
ing down, into cne of those characteristic j
nidtng pisces in which the liutoung
Hand used to delight
Jl started down the ladder and I fol
lowed closely. Elaine waa about to Join
us when Kennedy paused on the top
most rung and looked at her.
"N no, young lady," he said with
mock severity, "you have been through
enough already you stay where you are."
Elaine argued and begged, but Kennedy
waa obdurate. It was only when Aunt
Tabby and Joshua added their entreaties
that ahe consented reluctantly to. remain.
Together Craig and I descended into the
darkness about eight or ten feet There
we found a passageway, excavated
through the earth and rock, along which
me orert. It was crooked and uneven,
and we stumbled, but kept going slowly
ahead.
Kennedy, who waa a few feet In front
of me, stopped suddenly, and I almost
fell over htm.
"What la It?" 1 whimpered.
Long Pin had made his way from the
opening af tha cave to the point on the
plan which waa marked by a iroe. and
there he had, set. up hla electric drill,
nhlt-h was rorne.-ted to the trolley wire.
-a vs VI-
..with..
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SOOTH Of.lAHA
Every Wednesday
Episode No. IS April 14
Theatre
16th and DInnoy
Every Thursday
Episode No. 14 April 15
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em -Theatre
1528 So. 13th St.
Episcis Ho-U Uiij April 11
Esst Projection in Ths City
PieEiolos Theatre
Council Bluffs, la.
Episode No. 8 April 13
LOTHROP Theatre
3212 ri 24th Street
Ejjiscd Ed. 13 . April 16
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April 16
sasWJ P
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