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THE EXPLOITS OF ELAINE
A MOTION PICTURE DETECTIVE DRAMA PRE
SENTED BY THE HEARST SUNDAY NEWSPAPERS
IN COLLABORATION WITH MISS PEARL WHITE
AND THE OTHER FAMOUS PATHE PLAYERS
Written by Arthur B. Reeve
Creator of the “CRAIG KENNEDY” Stories
in Collaboration with
CHARLES W. GODDARD Author of 4 ‘The Peril* of Pauline.”
Everything you read here to-day you can see in
fascinating Pathe Motion Pictures this week.
The Tell-Tale Heart.
copyright, 1918, By the Star Company.
All Foreign Rights Reserved.
E IjAINE had dropped In one afternoon to
see Kennedy at the laboratory Craig
was working over a straight-backed
chair which etood close to the wall- On the
arms were short atraps. apparently to fasten
down the arms of the Bitter.
As they chatted. Blaine -watched Craig curl-
mialy. examining the chair and especially the
left arm on which was placed a metal disc
In such a way that the wrist of anyone sitting
In the chair would be strapped in contact with
It Finally Kennedy attached a pair of electric
wires from beneath the chair arm, connecting
with the disc, and running down one of the
legs, thence through a crack In the floor to
the hack room of the laboratory.
"What 1s It?" asked Blaine. "It looks like
a death chair.”
"Scarcely as bad as that," laughed Ken
uedy. taking up a large clockfaced dial which
had a single hand evidently Intended- to be
swung around by some force through the
graduated scale on its face. "This Is the
sphygmograph a scientific ‘third degree.'” he
explained. Indicating both the chair and the
dial. "It reads a person's thoughts and feel
ings through the pressure of the blood. Sit
down In the chair. I’ll show you."
Before she knew It. Craig had lightly
strapped her arms and had picked up the dial
now attached to the wires leading to the disc.
He sat down on the arm of the chair, still
holding the dial in his hand. The pointer
which had been at rest at zero began slowly
to turn through several degrees.
“You have a good, strong, healthy, norma!
fceart,” remarked Craig, assuming a medical
tone facetiously, then adding seriously, "This
dial—well, it registers a current that only that
consummate diagnostician, little Dan Cupid,
can explain."
He held the dial before her with a merry
laugh. Elaine did not know quite what to
make of It Had her scientific lover stolen a
march on her? She blushed and bit her lip.
"Please unfasten the straps. Craig," she said
in pretty confusion.
"Gladly—now." he hinted.
I was on my way up from the Star office
when I happened to spy a face in the crowd
thet seemed familiar. It was of a Chinaman,
and. although 1 could not Just place him, I
knew that I had seen him somewhere before.
I decided to play detective.
Not many minutes before, down In that
secret den In which the serpent Wu con
cocted his villainies, that worthy had been at
work again, tireless.
With subtle satisfaction, he had held In his
hand, which was carefully gloved in rubber, a
small glass tube, perhaps three-quarters of an
inch tong and not over an eighth of an inch in
diameter. He seemed to regard the thing
with respect, if not awe. For. Wu had con
ceived a new attack to put an end to the sue
cess which Craig was having in uncovering his
trail.
In the tube was a minute but almost price
less particle of that strange element, radium.
For a moment Wu regarded It, then took up a
handkerchief that lay before him. Already he
had ripped a stitch or two from the seam In
the hem. He slipped the little radium tube
into the hem of the handkerchief. Then he
tapped a bell on the table and a few seconds
later a Chinese servant entered.
While he had been waiting, Wu had hastily
written a note. Carefully he folded up the
handkerchief and laid it in a small leaden
case. As the servant bowed. Wu finished and
sealed the letter.
“Here," he said gruffly. "Take this letter
and the other thing to Inez. You know the
address."
On uptown he went until he came to a rather
ordinary looking apartment house. He went
In without discovering that 1 was following.
I glanced about. No one was watching me.
Then, to be sure that I would recognize tne
house, I noted it by marking a small cross with
a pencil on the stone work of the stepB.
t did not know at the time, hut I found out
later that upstairs the messenger rapped at a
door which was answered by a maid, a mulatto
with a marked gypsy caste of features
The maid opened the door Into the hallway
and admitted the messenger. Inez took the
note and the lead case, waving to the maid to
leave her. Then she tore open the note and
read:
"Have her bind the enclosed over her
eyes. If In place three minute* bllndneta
will reault In a few days.”
Gingerly Inez opened the leaden case, saw
the handkerchief, and shut it quickly.
"Tell the master 1 shall have It done as he
directs,’' she said to the Chinaman as she fol
lowed him to the door.
Inez turned and went into the back room, her
boudoir, where the maid was waiting. She
brought out from a closet a rather gaudy yellow
dress, a tambourine, a headdress and some
other materials.
"Now, I want you to put this on.” she in
structed the maid. “Here in this box I have a
handkerchief which I want you to use. Tie it
over her eyes and keep it there—three minutes
at least; longer if you can."
As I looked at the house outside it immedi
ately occurred to me to let Craig know what
had happened, and 1 sought the nearest tele
phone booth and called the laboratory. Elaine
had just gone when I called up, and 1 told my
atory of having seen and trailed the messenger
and marked the house.
“Good for you, Walter,” congratulated Craig.
“Get inside and see who is there. I’m glad you
marked the house. I’ll be there right away.”
As I turned away at my end of the line Ken
nedy hastened to join me. I returned to the
apartment, bent on carrying out Craig’s orders.
To my surprise, when I rang the hell, the door
was opened by a colored maid. 1 had not ex
pected to get In at all, but this seemed easy.
Inez had been In her boudoir examining the
gypsy costume and telling Cissy how to put It
on when I rang the hell. As the maid went out
Into the next room Inez moved over to the pc-
tteres and stood there where she could see and
hear without being seen. She gazed through
into the living room There, to her utter sur
prise. she must have seen Cissy ushering me in.
The maid brought me a ebatr, and I took It.
I did not notice, however, that she was careful
to place It tn a particular spot with the back
to the wall. In fact, it seemed safe to me, for
from the chair 1 could see the whole room.
I laid my hat and gloves on the table. As 1
did so, one glove must have dropped on the
floor In an Inconspicuous place by the .’eg of
the table.
1 sat down while the maid left me for a mo
ment to call her mistress. In my heel detec
tive manner 1 gazed about the room, endeavor
ing to extract Borne clue. I was about to ex
amine the room more closely when I heard
some one coming and restrained my interest
in the surroundings. Inez entered, and 1 rose.
“Won’t you sit down?" she asked, with ex
aggerated politeness. "For what am I Indebted
to you for this visit?"
Though 1 knew she knew me, there was not
a shade of confusion In her voice or manner.
T sat down again, my eyes fixed on her hand
some though dissipated face,
"Well,” I replied, "perhaps you recall the
last time we met."
Inez stood by the table, listening to me. I
thought a bit mockingly. As I spoke her hand
moved to the edge of the table. Suddenly, be
fore I knew It, the room swam before my eyes
and all was blackness.
Inez had moved her hand over and had
pressed a secret knob. A bar In the wall just
beside my head had sprung out, striking me a
terrific blow and knocking me out.
The maid, who had run In. and Inez lifted me
up, unconscious, and carried me Into the hack
room. There they dropped me down In a heap
in a corner while the maid finished dressing
In the gypsy costume.
It was scarcely five minutes after that Ken
nedy came to the entranoe to the apartment.
There he noted the mark which I had made.
He had Just decided to go in, when he heard
a noise It. was Cissy, arrayed in all-her glory,
going out, with a parting word of instruction
from Inez. He drew back into an angle of the
hall. He saw what was apparently a gypsy
woman come out of the apartment. He looked
#fter her a moment, then made up his mind to
go on In, and rang the bell.
I was still unconscious, and Inez was stand-
ing over me when she heard the tinkle of the
bell. Hastily she seized u blanket, and threw
It over me. Then she went boldly Into the
living room and opened the door.
Craig unconsciously took the very chair In
which I had been sitting and sat down non
chalantly. As she saw him, she had given a
little gasp. She was plainly dismayed, but such
was her wonderful control that she scarcely
showed It.
As Craig watched her keenly, however, he
was able to discover that, underneath her calm
exterior, she was very nervous and excited.
"Well?” demanded Kennedy with an
enigmatical smile. "You didn't expect to see
me again—so soon, did you?"
Inez seemed to be overcome for the moment.
She rose and moved over to the table
“Wait a minute,” Interrupted Kennedy.
"Come back and sit down. I have something
to say to you."
Nervously her hand gripped the table and
moved along toward the secret knob
Kennedy noticed it, but he had not moved
his chair from the position in which it had been
placed for me. At that moment, though, his
eye fell on my glove, which I had inadvertently
dropped on the floor. He reached down and
picked it up. As he did so the bar in the wall
flew out, Just missing his head as he bent
over.
Seeing that her scheme had failed, Inez made
a dash for the door. Kennedy sprang to his
feet and seized her.
Elaine, on her return from the laboratory,
had gone to the conservatory of the Dodge
house, and there was busying herself pruning
the rose bushes
Once she happened to glance up at the end
nearest the street. She could see a strolling
gyps.v going by, and the gypsy, apparently, had
spied her through the open window.
"Good afternoon, mistress.” greeted the gypsy
coming up to the fence. "Wouldn't you like to
have me read your fortune?”
Elaine whs lonesome. She looked the gypsy
over, and the picturesqueness of the woman ap
pealed to her. laughingly, she consented, and
the gypsy entered.
Aunt Josephine happened to enter the con
servatory Just then and looked Inquiringly at
Elaine as she saw her strange companion
"I'm going to have my fortune read, auntie,”
laughed her niece. "Don’t you want yours?"
"You silly girl,” smiled Aunt Josephine In
dulgently.
You Can See “Elaine”
in fascinating motion pictures at
leading theatres everywhere. If
“The Exploits of Elaine” is not
shown regularly in your neigh
borhood, send the name and ad
dress of the theatre you attend
to this newspaper.
. /
The gyps.v took Elaine's hand and looked at
it carefully. “You are In danger from a power
ful Oriental criminal," announced the gypsy at.
last.
Elaine was, to say the least, impressed.
"He Is a very dangerous man," went on the
gypsy.
She managed to say little that was important,
however, yet what true remarks she did inter
ject soon quite Interested Elaine and Aunt
Josephine. In fact, her first words hinting at
Wu were enough to catch their attention.
Elaine leaned over the table, listening eagerly.
"And that Is not all,” the gypsy hinted. “In
darkness 1 could make you see the vision of
your persecutor and his den.”
She nodded knowingly at Elaine, and at the
same time from a fold of her dress drew out
the lead case, managed to open it and took
out the handkerchief. Above the table she
twisted it Into a flat band.
“Let me show you,’’ she said, handing the
handkerchief to Elaine. "Tie that over your
eyes."
Elaine was sitting with her own handkerchief
in her hand, but she turned quickly. When she
faced the gypsy again she had a bandage flat
over her eyes.
“Now, mistress, try—let yourself go,” urged
the gypsy. “Lot me guide your mind. I will
show you.”
Elaine did try to put herself In the frame of
mind the gypsy wanted. There they sat iji the
conservatory, the gypsy with her own eyes
bound, though in such a way that she could
manage to catch a glimpse of Elaine under her
This la from the Motion Picture ^ilm of “The
own bandage.
"Do "you see anything?" she asked.
"Not yet," returned Elaine.
"Try—let yourself go—forget this room,
forget time.” urged the gypsy.
Craig looked from my glove to the face of
Inez. i
“Where is Mr. Jameson?” he demanded
sternly.
“I don't know," she replied, facing him de
fiantly.
"You do know.” contradicted Craig.’ forcing
her to accompany him and leading her into her
back room.
As they entered her boudoir. Kennedy saw
my foot protruding from the blanket she had
thrown over me. He pulled it ofT.
“Well!” he exclaimed, starting back, “I’ll
be’’-——
His exclamation was cut short by the ringing
of the telephone bell. Inez took a step
toward It.
“None of fhat,", interrupted Kennedy,
stopping her. "You keep quiet. I’ll answer It.
Hello!"
It seemed that, perhaps half an hour after
he had dispatched the messenger to Inez, Wu
decided to call her up to see whether every
thing was going as he had planned. He had
asked for her number. As the operator gave
him the call, he heard a man's voice answering.
Instantly he was all suspicion. He waited
to hear no more, but quickly hung up the re
ceiver. So tt happened that Kennedy got no
answer.
"Y’ou have a remarkable face,” Kennedy re
marked at length. “Your composure is won
derful But. young lady, I believe that was
your Chinese •iend. Wu Fang. At any rate’ I
am going' to try to find out. Do you think you
can locate that call?" he asked when he finally
got the operator.
“No, I can’t locate It exactly,” came back
the reply a minute later from the girl at the
telephone exchange. "But it came from China
town—somewhere on Pell street. I think.”
Kennedy thanked her, hung up the receiver
and faced Inez. He was just In time to pre
vent her destroying Wu's message There w as
the crumpled note. He took it and rewd it.
Kennedy looked up quickly from the ominous
message to the inscrutable face of Inez. As
he considered the note, his mind worked
rapidly. Quite apparently tt was Elaine against
whom the new peril was directed But what
was it that could blind her? He thought a
moment. Could it be radium?
Craig seized the telephone and called the
Dodge house.
Some minutes passed after Elaine had bound
the handkerchief over her eyes. She sat op
posite the gypsy, but. try as she would, she
could see no vision that she did not herself
conjure up.
“Mr. Kennedy on the telephone.” announced
Jennings.
"Will you answer it. Auntie?" asked Elaine?"
"Tell him I’ll call him up in a few minutes.”
Aunt Josephine followed Jennings out and
went down the hall to the library, where she
picked up the receiver which Jennings had
left.
"Ob, Mrs. Dodge, is that you?” Craig asked
anxiously. "Where Is Elaine?”
“She’s in the conservatory. There's a gypsy
here They’re sitting there like a couple of
ninnies waiting for a vision of’
"Good heavens," interrupted Craig, "not with
a handkerchief over her eyes, is she? Yes?
Quick tell her to—rip it off yourself—quick—
quick!”
Aunt Josephine knew Craig too well to stop
to ask why. In great excitement she dropped
the telephone and almost ran from the library.
As she entered the conservatory she could
hear the low droning voice of the gypsy. She
had pulled the bandage from her own eyes and
was watching Elaine keenly.
Without a word, Aunt Josephine tore the
bandage from Elaine.
The gypsy was on her feet In an Instant
with an air of sneering triumph.
Exploits of Elaine" by the Famous Pathe Player*.
"You—you criminal!” cried Aunt Josephine.
“Help! Jennings, help!”
In the apartment of Inez, Kennedy was now
endeavoring to get Aunt Josephine on the tele
phone again. But neither he nor the central
could seem to get any answer from the Dodge
house.
Meanwhile I was slowly recovering conscious
ness and had managed to get on my fpet.
Dazed though 1 was still, I could see that
Kennedy had discovered something terrible,
in order to have had to neglect me so long.
He was working the receiver up and down
frantically now. Finally he hung it up. By
the expression on his face. I gathered that,
whatever it was, be feared the worst. His face
wrinkled in thought, he gazed, perplexed, first
at Inez, cold and defiant, then toward me. He
seemed greatly surprised to see that I was
myself again so soon, after being laid out flat.
“Walter,” he asked earnestly, "do you think
you could watch this girl now?
“Why—yes—I can do it,” I replied reas
suringly.
"Then take this gun,” he directed. ‘‘Don’t let
her touch a thing—and keeq) your eye peeled
all the time. She's a tough customer. I want
you, as soon as you feel able, to take her over
to the laboratory and wait.”
1 nodded and he dashed out.
"Why. auntie, what’s the matter?’’ asked
Elaine, wondering at the suddenness with
which the bandage .had been torn from hsr
eyes. “What does it all mean?”
"You—you criminal!" repeated Aunt Jose
phine accusingly at the gypsy, then turning to
Elaine. "Why, Craig called up and warned me
not to let her put anything over your eyes.
I didn't wait to hear any more. I just ran in
and tore the thing off.”
The fake gypsy was looking eagerly about
the room, apparently for a means of escape.
Just then Jennings hurried in.
“Jennings,” cried Aunt Josephine, "seize that
woman!”
As Jennings approached her the gypsy sud
denly developed a remarkable strength. She
save him a shove that sent him reeling. His
foot caught on the edge of the fountain and he
staggered a minute, unable to recover his bal
ance, then, with a great splash, fell in The
gyps.v turned and fled through the palms, Elaine
and Aunt Josephine following her.
She ran as far as she could, coming up to
the glass wall that formed the inner end of
the conservatory. Further retreat was impos
stble. She seized a little rustic chair and
dashed It through the glass. Cautiously, but
quickly, she managed to make her way through
the opening she had broken.
Jennings had, by this time, picked himself
out of the fountain and, dripping, joined Elaine
and Aunt Josephine in the chase Out in the
garden at last, the gypsy dropped down behind
a thick bush.
At that moment a cab pulled up furiously
before the house, and Kennedy leaped out and
rushed in. The gypsy had gained just time
enough. If she had gone on Kennedy might
have seen her outside.
The others were, apparently, looking for her
in every direction except the right one. She
saw 7 her chance. Stealthily she managed to
slip out of the garden by the back way.
As Kennedy dashed down the hall and Into
the library he met Elaine’s maid, Marie, as
pale as a ghost.
“For heaven's sake, Marie," he panted,
"where are they all?"
“In the conservatory, sir,” she pointed.
"Didn't you hear the glass break?”
“Glass?” he repeated, running ahead of her
now,
Kennedy came upon Elaine, Aunt Josephine
and Jennings still vainly searching about, Just
as they lost track of the gypsy.
"Where did she go—that way?” asked Jen
nings.
“Hang the gypsy," interrupted Craig. "Let
her go—you missed her anyway. But, Elaine—
tell me—w'hat happened?"
Aunt Josephine reached down and picked up
the handkerchief she had torn from Elaine’s
eyes. "She bound it over her eyes,” she ex
plained to Craig.
Kennedy examined the handkerchief closely.
Evidently he was looking for .something con
cealed In It and did not find It. Perplexed, he
looked first from Elaine then to Aunt Jose
phine.
Are you looking for the gypsy’s handker
chief?” Elaine asked finally, seeing his astonish
ment. Then she stooped and picked up another
handkerchief from the floor. “Here it is. It
didn’t look very clean, so when she wasn't
looking I dropped It and used my own.”
Kennedy was speechless with relief. He took
the other handkerchief and rapidly ran his hand
over it. At last he came to a little hard lump
in the hem. He ripped it open. There was
the little tube of radium!
“Y'ou’re lucky,” he exclaimed. “If you had
had that tube over your eyes it would have
done its work in a few minutes. You might
not feel It for some time, but you would have
been blinded at least In a few days, if not
hours.”
Both Elaine and Aunt Josephine were over
come as they thought of the peril from which
Elaine had been so narrowly rescued. Even
Kennedy could not restrain a shudder. For
the moment he forgot even about Inez. Then,
suddenly, he recollected.
“Oh, by the way,” he exclaimed, “I’ve had
Walter take a woman over to the laboratory.
He must be there by this time. I wish that
you would get your things on and go over with
me. I think that you can help me get some
thing out of her. She’s as cool, calm and. cal
culating as a sphinx. But I have a scheme
that may lead us at last up to this devilish
Chinaman.”
Elaine motioned to Marie and, when the
maid returned, hurried into her coat and hat.
It was only a few minutes after Kennedy had
discovered that Elaine was safe that they
started from the Dodge house.
Left alone with Inez, X began to follow out
Kennedy's Instructions.
“Come,” I menaced with the gun. “Get your
hat on. 1 want you to go with me. One word
on the way and I’ll have you arrested on the
spot. Otherwise, you may get a chance."
I did not know it at the time, but just as we
were about to start and were moving toward
the door, the gypsy, breathless and fagged,
reached the hallway of the apartment. She
was about to go in when she heard Inez and
myself going out. She dropped back into the
convenient shelter which Kennedy had used
before, and when we came out we did not see
anyone in the hall. As we disappeared, she
emerged and cautiously followed us.
In spite of my fears, Inez went without a
6cene to the laboratory. We entered, I, at
least, not knowing that a pair of black eyes
watched every movement. The fake gypsy saw
us go in. then hastily came out of a doorway
into which she had slipped and hurried down
town.
It was not long after I arrived, however,
that Kennedy and Elaine Joined me at the
laboratory, Kennedy had evidently carefully
prepared just what he intended to do. Quickly
he forced Inez into the chair which he had
already shown Elaine, and fastened the straps
about her arms.
"Walter, will you and Elaine go into the next
room?” he asked as he finished securing the
woman.
A moment later he followed carrying the dial
of the sphygmograph. He fastened it to thal
concealed wires that connected with the arms
of the chair, describing to us in a whisper the
action of the strange little instrument which
by blood pressure read not only the disease
of the heart, but even the secret emotions.
He had purposely left the door between the
front and back rooms ajar, but he did not In
tend that Inez should hear tils explanation.
"We know that Wu Fang’s headquarters are
on Pell street," he concluded to us in his
muffled tone. “The sphymograph will tell
us the number, if we ask her the right ques
tions. She may keep silent, but she cannot
conceal her fellngs from this instrument.”
Already, although we did not know it, the
gypsy had gone straight to Wu Fang's apart
ment. Wu had been getting anxious about his
scheme when his servant announced that Inez’s
maid was outside.
"Bring her in Immediately," Wu thundered.
The maid came in. frightened, blurting out
what had happened to her and what she had
seen at the apartment of her mlBtress. Wu
Get the “Elaine” Song
<<rt-AINE, My Moving Picture Queen,”
is the title of a rollicking new one*
step song that is being sung all over the
country. It is dedicated to Miss Pearl
White and bears her autographed photo-
graph in colors. You may purchase It at
any music store, or a copy will be mailed
postpaid by aendlng six twft-cent stamp* to
STAR COMPANY,
P. O. Box 1740. NEW YORK.
listened, his face scarcely repressing the ragia.
fury he felt. '
“Quick—my street clothes," he ordered nf
his servant, then, as he threw them on, added
to the gypsy, “Walt here until I return.”
It was only a few minutes after he had been
warned by the gypsy that Wu himself grlideff
In to the hall leading to the main room of the
laboratory. He listened a moment, then, hear-
ing nothing, was about to open the door with
his skeleton key. As he started to do so, his
eyes fell on the fire-escape outside.
He reconsidered. Perhaps It would be heat
to reconnoitre. Snake-like he wormed his way
up the fire-escape which led to the back room.
There, as we grouped ourselves about the
sphygmograph while Kennedy explained his*
plan, Wu's sinister face gazed in at us for a
moment, then withdrew. Silently he made his
way down again to the ground.
In the back room, Kennedy took his place
near the doorway, while Elaine and I bent
over the dial.
“Now, Walter," he began in an assumed
rhetorical tone, “you remember we traced that
fellow, Wu Fang, to Pell street. Ivet me see.
What was that number? One?"
He paused. I saw the needle jump slightly
at the mention of Pell street, then fall back at
the number, “One.”
"Two?" went on Kennedy.
The needle scarcely oscillated.
“Three—four—five,” came slowly.
Inez’s face, though we could not see it, was
tense and set. She seemed determined not to
betray a thing. Yet the harder she tried to
control the outward expression of her feelings
the more she betrayed herself by the inward
blood pressure which the uncanny little instni-j
ment before us recorded. «'
As Kennedy kept on counting, the indicator
slowly, but steadily, rose, registering her sup
pressed emotion. Elaine and I watched the-'
dial, bending over it with intense interest.
Outside in the hall, Wu had again come io
the laboratory door. This time he drew out
his key and softly opened it and entered. For
s moment he stood, confronting Inez, alone in
(he chair. Quickly he raised his finger to his
Ups, indicating silence.
Kennedy kept on counting. As he neared the
right number Wu drew a revolver and raised
It high over his head. Twice he shot into the
air.
Suddenly, just before the shots, the dial had
unaccountably jumped ten or a dozen points
What did it mean? I held it up and Kennedv
looked at it in wonder. He was about to take
a step toward the laboratory when the pistol
shots rang out. The dial hand fell back to
zero!
We rushed into the laboratory. Inez lay
back In the chair, apparently dead. Not a soul
was in sight, but the hall door was open.
“Come on,” shouted Kennedy, hurrying out
into the hall, a»J was about to stop before
Inez. /
I followed and Elaine came along after me,
pausing at the door to watch us run down th«
Slowly a cabinet under the laboratory tabls
back of her, swung open and the evil, mur
derous face of the Chinese master criminal
appeared from the refuge to which he had
dropped after the shots which he had fired to
frighten Inez. Silently he crept toward Elaine,
standing with her back to him.
With one powerful movement he swept
Elaine back Into the laboratory and to the
floor and slammed the door, locking it. Another
Instant and he ran to Inez and unfastened her.
She had merely fainted and was now coming to.
Down tho hall we had discovered no sne
when suddenly we heard the stifled scream of
Elaine. Back we rushed to the door. But it
was locked and jammed.
Wu had finished releasing Inez by this tine
and, with her, rushed into the back room. As
he did so Elaine managed to get to her feet*
and follow in time to see Wu smash the window
to the fire-escape with a chair and half shove
Inez through to safety.
He was about to follow when he spied tie
sphymograph and seized It. That brought hit
face to face with Elaine. She Bnatched tl>
record from him. With an oath he struggled
with her for It.
By this time Kennedy and I had forced the
door and were in the outer laboratory.
Wu had bent Elaine back over the table an«
had drawn a long knife. As he poised it ovet
her he heard us coming. Our shouts seemed to
give Elaine redoubled strength. She broke
away Just as Wu stabbed furiously, and the
knife point was deflected by the sphymograph.
There was not an instant to lose, and Wu
fairly dove out of the window. As we rushed
in Kennedy paused to reassure himself of
Elaine's safety, but I plunged after Wu, my
revolver drawn.
Wildly I shot down from the window at his
retreating form. He had almost reached the
ground when I saw him stagger and fall the
rest of the way. One of my shots had taken
effect, but I had used them all.
I started after him. But as he slid the last*
two or three steps Into a heap on the ground,
Inez caught him In her arms. Half supporting,
half pulling, she managed to assist the dazed
and wounded criminal along. At the curb was
a closed car, with a driver, waiting. She
shoved him in and tumbled in after him herself,
as the car moved swiftly away.
By this time I had reached the ground and
reloaded my gun as I ran along. I fired several
shots. But, though I struck the car, I don't
think I did any damage, for it continued to
gain speed. The chase was hopeless, and I
stopped, disgusted.
Back in the laboratory, as I returned through
the window, I saw that the strain had been too
much for Elaine. Now that It was over, she
had fainted and Kennedy was just bringing her
around.
“Confound him,” I exclaimed, “I wounded
him, but the girl got him away from us again."
“Oh,” murmured Elaine, faintly catching my
words. “I heard the shots. I was hoping you
had ended It all this time.”
For the moment, in his relief at seeing Elaine
still safe, Kennedy seemed to have forgotten
all about Wu. My words recalled him. *
“Never mind.” he reassured, as he tapped
the little sphymograph. “Not counting the
great jump of the indicator when Inez dis-
:overed Wu before her, it registered the highest
tension when I mentioned No. 14 Pell street.
We shall find his den not far from that."
We gathered about Craig while Elaine looked
at him, elated.
"Then you have forged the last link,” she
cried, seizing both his hands in her own.
Kennedy merely smiled and shook his head
gravely.
(To Be Continued Next Sunday.)