Newspaper Page Text
READ It Here Now—Then SEE It All in Moving Pictures
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duo™; Miss Pearl White,
Arnold Daly and
“Craig Kennedy”
The Famous Scientific Detective of Fiction
Written by Arthur B. Reeve
The Well-Known Novelist, and the
Creator of tlie “( I raig Kennedy” Stories
Dramatized Into Photo-Play byChas.Goddard
Author of "Hie Perils of Pauline”
Synopsis of Previous Chapter.
THE New York police are myatifled by
a aerie* of murders of prominent
men. The principal clue to the mur
derer la the warning letter which la aent
the vlctlma, aigned with a “clutching hand."
The lateat victim of the myaterioua assassin
la Taylor Dodge, the insurance president.
Hia daughter, Elaine, employs Craig Ken
nedy, the famous *clentlflc detective, to try
to unravel the mystery. What Kennedy ac
complishes is told by hla friend Jameson, a
newspaper man.
CHAPTER II
The “Twilight Sleep”
Copyright, 1915, by the '>tar Company.
All Foreign Rights Rererved.
KENNEDY bad thrown himself whole
heartedly Into the solution of the mys
terious L>odit«* t nio
Far Into the night, after the challenge of
the forged finger print, he continued st work,
endeavoring to extract a clue from the mea
gre evidence- the l>lt of cloth and truce of
poison already obtained Iroiei other cases,
and now added the strange Mucceaalon of
events that surrounded the tragedy we had
Just witnessed.
We dropped around at the 1 lodge house the
next morning. Kgrly though It wan, we
found EliUne, it trllle paler, hut more lovely
than ever, and l*ert\ Rennctt, themselves
vainly endeavoring to solve the mystery of
the Clutching Hand.
They were at Hodge s desk, she in the big
desk chair, he standing beside her, looking
over s<»me papers
‘There's nothing there,*’ Dennett wan Buy
ing ns we entered.
1 could not help feeling that he was goring
down at Elaine a bit more tenderly than
mere business warranted.
“Have you found anything?" cjaorled
Klatne anxiously, turning eagerly to Ken
nedy.
"Nothing >et," he answered shaking his
head, hut conveying n quiet Idea of confidence
in hla tone.
Juet then Jennings, the butler, entered,
bringing the morning papers Ellin* seised
the Star and hastily opened It. On the first
page w'as the story 1 had telephoned down
very late In the hope of catching a lust city
edition
We all bent over and Craig read aloud;
CLUTCHING HAND
STILL AT LADGE
1 m
New York's Master Criminal Re
mains Undetected —Perpetrates
New Daring Murder and Rob
bery of Millionaire Dodge.
He had scarcely finiehed reading the brief
hut alarming news story' thst followed and
laid the paper on the desk when a stone name
•mashing through the window from the
•treat
Startled, we all Jumped to our feet- Craig
hurried to the window. Not a aoul was in
alghtt
He atooped and picked up the stone. To It
was attached a piece of paper, Quickly he
unfolded It and read:
••Craig Kennedy will give up his search
tor the Vdutrhlng Hand*-—or die!"
Eater I recalled thst there seemed to he a
•light nolee downstairs, ss If st the cellar
window, through which the masked man had
entered the night before
In point of fact, one who had been outaide
at the time might actually have seen a elnla
tei face at that cellar window, but to aa up
stairs It was Invisible. The face waa thst of
the servant, Michael.
Without another word Kennedy passed Into
the drawing room and took hla hat and coat.
Both Klatne and Hennett followed.
T‘*n afraid 1 must ask you to excuse me— ■
for the present.** Craig apologlted.
Klatne looked at him anxiously.
**You—you will not let that letter Intimi
date you?** she pleaded, laying her soft white
hand on hla arm **Oh, Mr Kennedy,** she
added, bravely keeping back the tears,
••avenge him! AH the cnoney in the world
would be too little to pay—ls only"---
At the mere mention of money Kennedy's
face seemed to cloud, bat only for a moment.
Sie must have felt the confiding pressure of
her hand, for a* she paused, appealingly, be
took her hand in hie, bowing slightly over U
to look into her upturned face.
• "All he said aUuply.
Presented by This Newspaper in Collaboration with the Famous Pathe Players
"Miss Dodge," he went on, his voice steady,
im though he were repressing something, "I
will never take another coao until the ‘Clutch
ing Hand’ la raptured.**
The look of gratitude she gave him would
have been a princely reward fn Itself.
It was some time after those events that
Kennedy, reconstructing what had happened,
ran across, In a strange way what I need not
tire the reader by telling, a Dr. Haynes, head
of the Hillside Hanltarlwm for Women, whose
story 1 shall relate substantially as we re
reived It from his own Ups:
It must have been that same night a dis-
visitor drove up In a cab to our
Hillside Sanitarium, rang the bell and wits
admitted to my office. I might describe hJm
ns a moderately tall, well built man with a
pleasing way about him. Chiefly noticeable,
It seems to me, were his mustache and polnt
• d beard, quite medical and foreign.
I am, by the way, the superintending physi
cian, and that night I wus sitting with l>r.
Thompson, my assistant. In the office dis
cussing a rather interesting case, when an
attendant came In with a card and handed It
to me. It read simply, “Dr, Ludwig Hein
strom, Coblens."
“Here's that Dr. Ilelnstrom, Thompson,
about whom my friend In Germany wrote the
other day," I remarked, nodding to the at
tendant to admit I»r. Itelnstrom.
I might explain that while I was abroad
some time ugo I made a particular study of
the “Daeinmeratdilaf**—otherwise, the “twi
light sleep"— at Freiburg, where It was de
veloped, and at other places In Germany
where the subject had attracted great atten
tion. I was much Impressed and had Im
ported the treatment to Hillside.
While we waited I reached Into my desk
and drew r out the letter to which I referred,
which ended, I recall:
“As Dr. Kelnstrcnn Is In America, he
will probably call on you. lam sure you
will be glad to know him.
“With kindest regards I gin
“Fraternally yours,
“EMIL HCHWARZ, M D.,
"Director, Lelpslc Institute of Medicine.**
“Most happy to meet you, Dr. Kelnstrom,**
l greeted tho new arrival, as he entered our
office.
For several minute* we mat and chatted of
things medical here and abroad.
"What Is It, Doctor," I naked Anally, “that
Interests you most In America?"
“Oh,** he replied quickly with sn expressive
gesture, “It Js the broadmindedness with
which you adopt the best from all over tho
world, regardless of prejudice, For Instance,
I am very much Interested In the new ‘twi
light sleep.* Of course, you have borrowed It
largely from us, but It interests me to see
whether you have modified It with practise.*
In fact, I have com* to th, Hillside Sanitar
ium particularly to ana It used Perhaps wo
»nay laarn aomathinK from you.’
It was moat gra.aloua, and both Dr. Thomp
son and myaolf wars charmed by our visitor.
1 reached over and touched a call button and
our head nurao entered Croon a raar room.
"Arc there any operations going on nowT**
I naked
Shu looked mechanically at her watch.
"Yea, there are two cases, now. I think," aha
answered
“Would you Ilka to follow our technique,"
I asked, turning to Dr. Kalnatrom.
“1 should be delighted." ha acquiesced.
A moment latsr we passed down the corri
dor of the sanitarium, still chatting. At tha
door of a ward I spoke to the attendant, who
indicated that a patient wee about to be
nneethettied, and Dr. Heluatrom and I entered
tha room.
I spoke to tha doctor, Dr. Holmes, by the
way. nho bowed politely to the distinguished
Dr. Kelnstrom, then turned quickly to hts
work
"Mlee Bears," he asked of one of tha nsreas,
"will you bring me that hypodermic needle?
How are you getting on. Mlee .«lern?" to the
other alio waa scrubbing tha patient's arm
with antiseptic soap and water, thoroughly
sterlllilnit the skin.
“Tou will see. Dr. Kelnstrom," 1 Inter
jected In a low tone, “ that we follow In the
main your Freiburg treatment. We use
scopolamln and narkophltv
1 held up the bottle, as 1 said It, a rather
peculiar shaped bottle, too.
"And the pain?" he asked.
"Practically the name as In jrour experi
ence abroad We do not render the patient
unconscious, but prevent her from remember
ing anything that goes on."
Dr. Holmea, the attending ph>alclan, was
Just starting tha treatment Filling hla hy
podermic, he selected a spot on the patient's
arm where It had been scrubbed and steril
ised, and Injected the nereotlo.
"How simply you do It all hers T exclaimed
Kelnstrom In surprise and undlsgstsed ad
miration. 'Tou Americans are wonderful!"
"Com* see a patient who la Just recover
ing," I added, much :l-.Uercd by tha praise.
which, fro-m a German physician, meant
much.
Reinstrom followed me out of the door and
we entered a private room of the hospital
where another woman patient lay In bed
carefully watched by & nurse.
“How do you dor I nodded to the nurse In
a modulated tone. “Everything progressing
favorably?”
"Perfectly,” she returned, aa Reinstrom,
Ilaynes and myself formed a little group
about the bedside of the unconscious woman.
“And you say they have no recollection of
anything that happens?” asked Reinstrom.
“Absolutely none—ls the treatment Is
given properly," 1 replied confidently.
I picked up a piece of bandage which was
the handiest thing about me and tied it quite
tightly about the patient’s arm.
As we waited the patient, who was gradu
ally coming from under the drug, roused
herself.
“What Is that—it hurts!” she said putting
her hand on the bandage I had tied tightly.
“That Is all right. Just a moment. I’ll
take it off. Don't you remember It?” I
asked.
She shook her head. I smiled at Rein
strom.
“You see, she has no recollection of my
tying the bandage on her arm,” I pointed
out.
“Wonderfull” exclaimed Reinstrom as wo
left the room.
Now comes the strange part of my story.
Astor Reinstrom had gone Dr. Holmes, the
attending physician of the woman whom we
had seen anesthetized, missed his syringe
and the bottle of scopolamin.
“Miss Hears,” he asked rather testily, "what
have you done with the hypodermic and the
Hoopolamin?”
"Nothing,” she protested.
“You must have done something.”
Hhe repeated that she had not.
“Well, It 1s very strange then,” he said. “I
am positive I laid the syringe and the bottle
right here on this tray on the table.”
Holmes. Mins Sears and Miss Stern all
hunted, hut It could not be found. Otners
had to be procured.
I thought little of it at the time, but since
then it hag occurred to me that it might In
terest you, Professor Kennedy, and I give it
to you for what it may be worth.
• • • •
It was early the next morning that I
awoke to find Kennedy already up and gone
from our apartment. I knew he must be at
the laboratory, and, gathering the mall,
which the postman had just slipped through
the Utter slot, I went over to the university
to see him. As 1 looked over the letters to
cull out my own one in a woman's handwrit
ing on attractive note paper addressed to him
caught my eye.
As I came up the path to the Chemistry
Rullding I saw through the window that, in
spite of his getting there early, be was find
ing 1t difficult to keep his mind on his work.
It was the first time I had ever known any
thing to Interfere with silence in his lift*.
I thought of the letter again.
Craig had lighted a Riinsen burner under a
large glass retort. Rut he had no sooner
done so than he sat down on a chair and,
picking up a book which I surmised might
be some work on toxicology, started to read.
“Well,” I exclaimed us I entered, “you are
the early bird. Did yoa gny break
fust?”
I tossed down the letters. He did not re
ply. So I became absorbed In the morning
paper. Still, 1 did not neglect to watch him
covertly out of the corner of my ejre. Quickly
he ran over the letters, Instead of taking
them, ons by one, In his usual methodical
way. I quite complimented my auperlor acu
men, lie selected the dainty note.
A moment Craig looked at It In anticipa
tion, then tore It open eagerly. I was still
watching his face over the lop of the paper
and waa surprised to see that It ahowed, first
amusement, then pain, as though something
had hurt him.
He read It again—then looked straight
ahead, as If In a dase.
"Strange, how muoh crime there Is now," I
commented, looking up from the paper I had
pretended reading.
No answer.
"One would think that one maater criminal
was enough." I went on.
Still no anewen
He continued to gaxs straight ahead at
blankness.
"By tloorge," 1 exclaimed finally, banging
my flat on the table and raising my voice to
catch hie attention, "you would think we had
nothtug but criminals nowaday*"
My voice must have startled him. The
usually Imperturbable old fellow actually
Jumped. Then, ns my question did not evi
dently accord with what waa in hi* mind, he
answered at random, ~r*rhap*—l wonder IT'
—— - and then he atopped, noncommltall.v.
Suddenly he Jumped up, bringing his tight
ly clenched fist down with a loud clap Into
the palm of hia hand.
"By heaven!" he exclaimed, "I —I will!"
"Wh-what's the matter, Craig?" 1 blurted
out eagerly.
As ha waited for th* number, he threw the
letter over to me I took It and read:
Professor Craig Kennedy.
Th* University, The Heights. City.
Dsar Str—
I have corns to tha conclusion that
your work Is a hindrance rather than an
aaslstanc* In clearing up my father's
death, and 1 hereby beg to state that
your ssrvlcsa are no longer required
This I* a final decision, and I beg that
you will not try to see me again regard
ing th* matter.
Very truly youre,
PLAIN 1-1 DODOFJ.
If It had been a bomb I could not have
been more »*pprlsed. A moment before I
think I had Just a sneaking suspicion of
Jealousy that a woman—even Ela.ne—should
Interest my old chum. But now all that waa
swept away. How could any woman scorn
him?
I could not make It out.
Kennedy Impatiently worked th* receiver
up snd down, repeating th* number. "Hello
—hello," he repeated. "Tee—hello. Is Miss
—oh—good morning. Miss Dodge."
He was harrying along as if to give her
no chance to cut him off. I have Juet re
ceived a letter, Miss Dodge, telling me that
you don’t want me to continue investigate
your father’s death, and not to try to see
you again about”
“Why—no—Mr. Kennedy, I have written
you no letter.”
The look of mingled relief and surprise
that crossed Craig’s face spoke volumes.
“Miss Dodge,” he almost shouted, “this is
a new trick of the ‘Clutching Hand.’ I —l’ll
be right over.”
Craig hung up the receiver and turned
from the telephone. Evidently he waa think
ing deeply. Suddenly his face seemed to
light up. He made up his mind to something,
and a moment, later he opened his cabinet—
that Inexhaustible storehouse from which he
seemed to draw w'eird and curious Instru
ments that met the ever new problems which
his strange profession brought to him.
I watched curiously. He took out a bottle
and what looked like a little hypodermic
syringe, thrust them into his pocket and,
oblivious to my very existence, deliberately
walked out of the laboratory.
I did not propose to be thus cavalierly dis
missed. I supposed it would have looked
ridioulous to a third party, but I follow'ed
him as hastily as If he had tried to shut the
door on his own shadow.
We arrived at the corner above the Dodge
house just in time to see another visitor—
Rennett —enter. Craig quickened his pace.
Jennings had by this time become quite
reconciled to our presence and a moment
later we were entering the drawing room,
too.
Elaine was there, looking lovelier than ever
in the plain black dress which set off the
rosy freshness of her face.
“And Perry,” we heard her say, as we were
ushered in, "some one has even forged my
name—the handwriting and everything—
telling Mr. Kennedy to drop the case—and I
never knew.”
She stopped as we entered. We bowed and
shook hands with Rennett. Elaine’s Aunt
Josephine was in the room, a perfect duenna.
"That’s the limit!” exclaimed Bennett.
“Miss Dodge has just been telling me”
“Yes,” interrupted Craig. “Look, Miss
Dodge, this is it.”
He handed her the letter. She almost
seized it, examining it carefully, her large
eyes opening wider in wonder.
“This is certainly my writing and my note
paper,” phe murmured, “but I never wtote
the letter!”
Craig looked from the letter to her keenly.
No one said ,a word. For a moment Ken
nedy hesitated, thinking.
"Might I—er —see your room, Miss Dodge,"
he asked at length.
Aunt Josephine frowned. Bennett and I
could not conceal our surprise.
“Why, certainly,” nodded Elaine, as she
led the way upstairs,
It was a dainty little room, breathing the
spirit of its mistress. In fact, it seemed a
sort of profanity as we all followed in after
her. For a moment Kennedy stood still,
then he carefully looked about. At the side
of the bed, near the head, he stooped and
picked up something which he held in the
palm of his hand. I bent over. Something
gleamed In the morning sunshine—some little
thin pieces of glass. As he tried deftly to fit
the tiny little bits together he seemed ab
sorbed in thought. Quickly he raised it to
his nose, as if to smell it.
"Ethyl chloride!" he muttered, wrapping
the pieces carefully In a paper and putting
them into hla pocket.
An Instant later he crossed the room to the
window and examined It.
"Look !" he exclaimed.
There, plainly, were marks of a Jimmy
which had been Inserted near the lock to pry
It open.
"Miss Dodge,” he asked, “might I—might I
trouble you to let one see your arm?"
IVonderlngly Bh* did so, and Kennedy bent
almost reverently over her plump arm, ex
amining it.
On it was a amall dark discoloration,
around which waa a slight redness and ten
derness.
'That," he said slowly, "Is the mark of a
hypodermic needle."
As lie finiehed examining Elaine's arm he
drew the letter from his pocket Still facing
her he said in a low tone, "Miss Dodge—you
did write this letter—but under the Influence
of the new ‘twilight eleep.' *'
We looked at on* another amaxed.
Outside, if w* had been at the door in the
hallway, we might have seen the sinister
faced Michael listening. He turned and
slipped quietly away.
"Why, Craig," I exclaimed excitedly, "what
do you mean?"
"Exactly what I say. With Miss Dodge’
permission I shall show you. By a small ad
ministration of the drug, which will Injure
you In no way, Mies Dodge. I think I can
bring back th# memory of all th..t occurred
to you last night. Will you allow me?"
"Mercy, no!" protested Aunt Josephine.
Craig and Elaine faced each other as they
had *he day before when she had asked him
whether the eudden warning of the "Clutch
ing Hand" would Intimidate him. She ad
vanced a step nearer. Elaine trusted him.
"Elaine!" protested Aunt Josephine again.
"I want th* experiment to be tried,” she
esld quietly.
A moment later Kennedy had placed her
on a couch In a corner of the room.
"Now, Mr*. Dodge," he said, "plea## bring
be a basin and a towel.”
Aunt Josephine, reconciled, brought them.
Kennedy dropped an antiseptic tablet Into
the water and carefully sterilised Elaine's
arm Just above th# spot where the red mark
showed. Then he drew the hypodermic from
hi# pocket—carefully sterilised It—also, and
Hied It with scopolamln from tl>* bot'le.
"Juet a moment. Miss Dodge." he encour
aged. as he Jabtbed the needle Into her arm.
She did not wince.
"Please lie back on th# couch," he directed.
Then turning to ua he added, 'lt takes some
time for this to work. Our criminal got over
that fact and prevented an outcry by using
ethyl chloride first. Let me reconstruct the
scene."
As we watched Elaine going under slowly
Craig talked.
"That night." he said, “warily th# masked
criminal of th* 'Clutching Hand,’ bent over,
A DETECTIVE NOVEL
AND A
MOTION PICTURE DRAMA
his arm crooked, might have been seen down
below us In the alley. Up here, Miss Dodge,
worn out by the strain of her father’s death,
let us say, was nervously trying to read, to
do anything that would take her mind off the
tragedy. Perhaps she fell asleep.
“Just then the "Clutching Hand” appeared.
He came stealthily through that window,
which he had opened. A moment he hesi
tated, seeing Elaine asleep. Then he tiptoed
over to the bed, let us say, and for a moment
looked at her, sleeping.
"A second later he had thrust his hand
Into his pocket and had taken out a small
glass bulb with a long thin neck. That was
ethyl chloride—a drug which produces a
quick anesthesia. But it lasts only a minute
or two. That was enough. As he broke the
glass neck of the bulb—letting the pieces fall
on the floor near the bed—he shoved the
thing under Elaine’s face, turning his own
head away and holding a handkerchief over
his own nose. The mere heat of his hand is
enough to cause the ethyl chloride to spray
out and overcome her instantly. lie steps
away from her a moment and replaces the
now empty vial in his pocket.
"Then he took a box from his pocket and
opened it. There must have been a syringe
and a. bottle of scopolamln. Where they came
from I do not know, but perhaps from some
hospital. I shall have to find that out later.
He went to Elaine, quickly Jabbing the nee
dle, with no resistance from her now. Slowly
he replaced the bottle and the needle in his
pocket. He could not have been in any hurry
now, for it takes time for the drug to work.”
“Our criminal,” resumed Kennedy, thought
fully, “may have shaken Elaine. She did not
answer. Then he may have partly revived
her. She must have been startled. ‘Clutch
ing Hand,’ perhaps, -was half crouching, with
a big ugly blue steel revolver levelled full
in her face.
“‘One word and I shoot!’ he probably
cried. ‘Get up!’
"Trembling, she must have done so. ‘Your
slippers and a kimono,’ he would naturally
have ordered. She put them on mechanically.
Then he must have ordered her to go out of
the door and down the stairs. ‘Clutching
Hand’ must have followed, and as he did so
he would have cautiously put out the lights.”
We were following, spellbound, Kennedy’s
graphic reconstruction of whnt must have
happened. Evidently he had struck close to
the truth. Elaine’s eyes were closed. Gently
Kennedy led her along. "Now, Miss Dodge,”
he encouraged, "try—try hard to recollect
Just what it was that happened last night—
everything.”
As Kennedy paused after his quick recital,
she seemed to tremble all over. Slowly she
began to speak. We stood awestruck. Ken
nedy had been right!
The girl was now living over again those
Craig Kennedy Injects Into Elaine’s Arm the Drug That Produces
the Twilight Sleep.
minutes that had 'been forgotten—blotted out
by the drug.
And It was all real to her. too —terribly
real. She was speaking, plainly In terror.
■*l see a man—oh, such a figure—with a
mask. He holds a gun In my sac threat
ens me. I put on my kimono and slippers, as
he tells me. lam In a dare. I know what I
am doing—and I don't know. I go o*t with
him, downstairs. Into the library."
Elaine shuddered again at the recollection.
‘X T ghl The room Is dark, the room where he
killed my father. Moonlight outside streams
In. This masked man and I come In. He
switches on the lights.
" ’Go to the safe,' he says, and I do It—the
new safe, you know. *Do you know the com
bination T he asks me. 'Yes,' I reply, too
frightened to say no.
‘‘•Open It then,’ he says, waving that awful
revolver closer. I do so. Hastily he rum
mages through It, throwing ispers here and
there. But he seems n>t to find what he Is
after and turns away, swearing fearfully.
“'Hang It!’ he cries at me. ’Where else
did your father keep paper*?’ I point In des
peration at the desk. He takes one last look
at the safe, shoves all >e papers he has
strewn on the floor back again and slams the
safe shat.
‘"Now, come on!* he says. Indicating with
the gun that he wants me to follow him
Away from the safe. At the desk he repeats
the search. But he finds nothing. Almost
1 think he Is about to kill me. ’Where else
did your father keep papers?' he hisses
fiercely, still threatening me with the gun.
"1 am too frightened to speak. But at last
I am able to say. T—l don’t know!’ Again
he threatens me. ’As Ood Is my Judge,' I
cry, T don't know.’ It Is fearful. Will he
shoot me?
"Thank heaven! At last he believes ms
But such a look of foiled fury I have never
seen on any human face before.
“’Sit down!’ he growls, adding, ’at the
desk.’ I do.
“ ‘Take some of your note paper —the best.*
I do that, too.
“ ‘And a pen,* he goes on. My fingers can
hardly hold it.
‘‘‘Now —write!’ he says, and as he dictate
I write”
“This?” Interjected Kennedy, eagerly hotf*
ing up the letter that he had received
her.
Elaine looked it over ■with her drug-laden
eyes. “Yes,” she nodded, then lapsed again
to the scene itself. “He read it over, and as
he does so says, ‘Now, address an envelope.*
Himself he folds the letter, seals the en
velope, stamps It, and drops it into his pocket,
hastily straightening the desk.
“ ‘Now, go ahead of me—again. Leave the
room—no, by the hall door. We are going
back upstairs.’ I obey him, and at the door
he switches off the lights. How I stand it
I don’t know. I go upstairs, mechanically,
into my own room—l and this masked man.
“ ‘Take off the kimono and slippers!’ he
orders. T do that. 'Get into bed!’ he growls.
I crawl in fearfully. For a moment he looks
about—then goes out —with a look back as i
he goes. Oh! Oh! That hand which
raises at me—THAT HAND!
The poor girl was sitting bolt upright,
staring straight at the hall door, aa we
watched and listened, fascinated.
I noticed that Bennett had suddenly moved
a step in the direction of the door at which
she stared.
“By Heaven!” he muttered, staring, too.
“Look!”
We did look. A letter was slowly being *
inserted under the door.
I took a quick step forward. That mement
I felt a rough tug at my arm, and a voice
whispered: "Wait, you chump!”
It was Kennedy, lie had whipped out his
automatic and had carefully levelled it at the
door. Before he could fire, however, Bennett
had rushed ahead.
I followed. We looked down the hall. Sure
enough, the figure of a man could be seen
disappearing around an angle. I followed
Bennett out of the door and down the hall.
Words cannot keep pa-ce with what fol
lowed. Together we rushed to the back
stairs.
“Down there, while I go down the front I"
cried Bennett.
I went down, and he turned and went down
the other flight. As he did so Craig followed *
him.
Suddenly, in the drawing room, I bumped
into a figure on the other side of the por
tieres. I seized him. We struggled. Rip!
The portieres came down, covering me en
tirely. Over and over we went, smashing a
lamp. It was vicious. Another man attacked
me, too.
“I l’ve got him Kennedy!” I heard &
voice pant over me.
A scream followed from Aunt
Suddenly the portieres were pulled off me.
"The deuce!” puffed Kennedy. "It's Jame-1
son!" ’
Bennett had rushed plump Into me, coming
the other way, hidden by the portieres ! k
If we had known at the time, our Michael
of the sinlste.* face had gained the library
and was standing In the centre of the room.
He had heard me coming and had fled to the
drawing room. As we finished our struggle
in the library he use hastily from behind
the divan in the oti.er room, where he had
dropped, and had quietly and hastily dis
appeared through another door.
laughing and breathing hard, they htffiil
me to my feet. It was no Joke to me. I was
sore in every bone.
ell, w here did he go?" Insisted Bennett.
"I don't know—perhaps back there!" I
cried.
Bennett and I argued a moment, then
started and stopped short. Aunt Josephine
had run downstairs and now was shoving the
letter Into Craig's hands.
We gathered about _ him curiously. H*
opened It. On It was that awesome “Clutch
ing Hand” again.
Kennedy read It. For a moment he stood
and studied it, then slowly crushed It In his
hand.
Jsst then Elaine, pale and shaken from the
ordeal she had voluntarily gone through,
burst In upon us from upstairs. Without a
word she advanced to Craig and took the
letter from him.
Inside, as or. the envelope, was thst sa w
signature of the "Clutching Hand" i
__ Elaine gazed at It, wild-eyed, then at Craig.
Craig smilingly reached for the note, took It,
folded It, and unconcernedly thrust It Into
his pocket.
My God!' she cried, clasping her hands
convulsively and repeating the words of tt*
letter, "YOITP LAST WARNING!"
Te He (.outlawed Next Sunday.