PAGE SEVEN CAP'S MAY STAB AND WAVB SATURDAY MARCH It IMS. ; --i ' ■■ ■- ' . i -ti . , i_. Ml

[The Exploits of Elaine | A Detective Novel and a Motion Picture Drama ~ H By ARTHUR B. REEVE ~ j II The Well-Known Noeelht and the n Creator of the "Craig Kennedy" Stories I Presented in Collaboration With the Pithe Players «nd the Eclectic Film Compssy ; Copyright. 1B1«. by the Star Company All foreign Rights Beierred ,

/: • SYNOPSIS. The New Tork poifce ore myntined by • BorU-a of murder* of prominent men. The principal clue to the murderer li the warning letter which Is sent the victims. signed with a "clutching hand." The latest victim of the mysterious assassin Is Taylor Dodge, the Insurance president. His daughter. Elaine, employs Craig Kennedy. the famous scientific detective; to try to unravel the mystery. What Kennedy accomplishes Is told by his friend Hand tries to kill Elaine by'means of a . diabolical device which generates a poison In the wall paper of her room thai Is deadly to breathe for any length of time Again Kennedy's scientific knowledge Is brought Into play Just In season to save the heroine from death SIXTH EPISODE -fThe Vampire." Kennedy went the next day to the Dodge house, \and. as usual. Perry Bennett, Blaine's lawyer, was there In the library with Blaine, still going ovei the Clutching Hand case in their eti

deavor to track down the nysterious master criminal Bennett seemed as deeply as ever In love with Elaine. Still, as Jennings admitted Craig, it was sufficiently evident by the manner in which Elaine left Bennett and ran to greet Craig that she had the highest regard for him. "I've brought you a little document that may Interest you." remarked Ken nedy, reaching into his pocket and pulling out an envelope. Elaine tore It open and looked at the paper within "Oh, how thoughtful of you!" she exclaimed In surprise. it' was a permit from the police made out in her name allowing her to carry a revolver. A ttoment later. Kennedy reached Into blfr-^oat pocket and produced a little automatic which he handed to her "Thank you." she cried, eagerly. | Elaine examined the gun with inter eat, then, raising it, pointed it play- I fully at Bennett "Oh. no. no!" exclaimed Kennedy. I taking her arm quickly and gently, de- i fleeting the weapon away "You mustn't think it is a toy. It explodes . at a mere touch of the trigger— when | that safety ratchet Is turned." Bennett had realised the danger sad had Jumped back, almost mechanically. As he did so. he bumped into a suit of medieval armor standing by the wall, knocking It over with a resounding crash. "I beg pardon." he ejaculated, "I'm ^Vfry*B0ITy That was very awkward Jennings, who had been busy about the portieres at the doorway, started to pick up the fallen knight. "Too bad. too bad," apologized Ben ■ett profusely. "1 really forgot how •lose I was to the thing." "Oh. never mind," returned Elaine, I a little crestfallen. 'It is smashed all right— but it was my fault. JenningB, send for someone to repair It." It waa late that night that a masked figure succeeded in raising itself to the narrow ornamental ledge undei Elaine's bedroom window. Elaine was a light sleeper, and. be•Idee, Rusty, her faithful collie, now fully recovered from the poison, was' In her room. Rusty growled and the sudden noise awakened her. 8tartled, Elaine instantly thought of the automatic. She reached under bet pillow, keeping very quiet, and drew forth the gun that Craig had given her. Stealthily concealing her actlonf under the covers, she leveled the automatic at the flgure silhouetted 1: her window and fired three times. The flgure fell back. Down in the street below, the as- ' sistant of the Clutching Hand who had waited while Taylor Dodge was electrocuted, was waiting as bis con- 1 federate, "Pitts Slim"— which indicat- 1 ed that he was both wiry in stature and libelous in delegating his nativity 1 -—made the attempt i As 811m came tumbling down, hav- 1 tng fallen back from the window above A mortally wounded, the confederate lift- U ed him up and carried him out of sight hurriedly. 1 Elaine, by this time, had turned on the lighta and had run to the window ' to look out Rusty was barking loud- > iyIn a side street near by stood a wait- 1 tag automobile, at the wheel • which ' sat another of the emissaries of the J Clutching Hand. The driver looked up. startled, as he saw his fellow I hurry around the corner carrying the wounded "Pitts Slim." It was the 1 work of Just a moment to Jrop the t wounded man. as comfortably as pos- 1 sible under the circumstances in the t rear seat, while his part" started the s car off with a jerk In the hurry of es cape. „ Jennings, having nastily slipped hir trousers on over his pajamas, came t running down the hall, while Marie, frightened, came in the other dlrec- t Men. Aunt Josephine appeared a few e seconds later, adding to the general excitement 0 » "What's the matter r she asked, e mm i lously. t "A burglar, 1 think." . Balne. still holding the gun tn her a

hand. "Someone tried to get lntc my "My gracious!" cried Aunt Joseph- , ine. In alarm. "Where will this thing end?" J "Well." Elaine laughed, a little nervously. now that it wa6 ail over, "I want you all to go to bed and stop, worrying about me. Don't you "She I'm perfectly able to take -.are of myself? Besides, there isn't a chance now of the burglar coming back. Why. I shot him." "Yes." put In Aunt Josephine, "but Elaine laughingly interrupted her | and playfully made as though she j were driving them out of- her room. | "Rusty!" she called. "Down, there!" ' The intelligent coIHe seemed to understand. He lay down oy the door- j way. his nose close to the bottom of the door, and his ears alert. Finally Elaine, too. retired again. Meanwhile the wennrieA man was g

being hurried to one of the hangouts of r the mysterious Clutching Hand g Tiu car containing the wonnded "Pitts Slim" drew up. and the other s two men leaped out of it. With a hur- ( ried glance about they unlocked the . front door with a pass key and entered. carrying the man. j Indoors was another emissarj of the Clutching Hand, a rather studiousI looking chap. "Why. what's the matter?" he ext claimed as the crooks entered his room supporting their half-fainting, wounded , Pal"Slim got v couple of pills." they ( panted as they' laid him on a couch. "How?" demanded the other. "Trying to get Into the Dodge house. ! Elaine did it." i Slim was. quite evidently, badly ( wounded and was bleeding profusely. A glance at him was enough for the j studious-looking chap. He went to a 1 ycret "ni"' and. pressing it down, "took out what was apparently a Becret house telephone! j In another part of this.. mysterious 1 j house was the secret room of the j Clutching Hand himself, where he hid ; his identity from even his most trust- ; ed followers. I His telephone rang and he took | | Mown the receiver. "Pitts Slim's been wounded, badly, chief," was ail he waited to hear. I With scarcely a word he hung up the receiver, then opened a tabic drawer and took out a full face mask | Next be went to a nearby bookcase pressed another secret spring, and i panel opened. He passed through, thi mask adjusted. Across, in the larger outside study another panel opened, and the Clutch ing Hand, ail crouched up. trans formed, appeared. Without a word he advanced to the couch on which thi | wounded crook lay, and examined htm "How did it happen?" he aaked ai length. "MIsb Dodge shot him." answeret the others, "with an automatic." "That Craig Kennedy must have given It to her!" he exclaimed will suppressed fury. For a moment the Clutching Hand ■topped to consider. Then he seized | the regular telephone. "Doctor Martin?" he asked, as he gol the number he called. Late as it was. the doctor, who wac a well know n surgeon In that part ol the country, answered from an extension of his telephone near his I yd. The call was urgent, and apparently from a family which he did not feel that he could neglect. Doctor Martin was a middle-aged man. one of those medical mon on whose Judgment one instinctively relies. '"re :1> <t- ctor was speeding over the ' now deserted suburban roads, appar- j ently on an errand of mercy. 'At the address that had been ! < given him he drew up to the side of ; thejroad. got out and ran up the steps tt^the door. A ring at the bell a sleepy man to the door, in and nightshirt. -CHow'a the patient?" asked Doctor Martin, eagerly. "Patient!" repeated the man. rub- i 1 his eyes. "There's no one sick ' J 1 Slowly it dawned on the doctor that I : was a false alarm, and that he 1 must be the victim of some practical J "Well, that's a great note," he 1 growled, as the man shut the door. He descended the steps, muttering 1 language at some unknown trickster. As he climbed back into 1 machine and made ready to start ' two men seemed to rise before him if from nowhere. -< As a matter of fact they had been ! sent there by the Clutching Hand, and 1 -were hiding In a nearby cellarway un- ! til their chance came. One man stood on the running J on either side of him. and two } guns yawned menacingly at him "Drive ahead that way!" muttered . man. seating himself in the runabout with his gun close to the doc- r tor's ribs. 1 j The other kept his place on the running board, and on 'hey drove )g the

direction of the mysterious, oafs bouse. Half a mile, perhaps, down the road, tbfcy halted and left the car beside the walk. Doctor Martin was too surprised to marvel at anything now, and he realized that he was In the power of two desperate men. Quickly they blindfolded h!m. It seemed an interminable walk, as they led him about to confuse him. but at last be could feel that they had taken him into a bouse and along passageways, which they were making unnecessarily long in order to destroy all recollection that they could. Finally h. knew that he was In a room In which others were present. A moment later he felt them remove the bandage from his eyes, and. blinking at the light, he could see a hardfaced fellow, pale and weak, on a blood-stained couch. Over him bent a masked man and another man stood near by endeavoring by improvised bandages to stop the flow of blood 1 ' What can you do for this fellow?" asked the masked man. Doctor Martin, seeing nothing else to do, for he was more than outnumbered now, bent down and examined him | As he rose, he said. "He will be J dead from loss of blood by morning, i no matter if he is properly bandaged." "Is there nothing that can save ;him?" whispered the Clutching Hand hoarsely. "Blood transfusion might save him," replied the doctor. "But so mOch blood ! would be needed that whoever gives j it would be liable to die himself." ' a Clutching Hand stood silent a mo- '

'f ment. thinking, as he gazed at the ' ' ! man who had been one of his chief 1 d ; reliance. Then, with a menacing gesr . ture. he spoke in a low, bitter tone: , j r ! "She who shot hiin shall supply the e blood." A few quick directions followed to | . his subordinates, and as he made ( ready to go he muttered. "Keep the | doctor here. Don't let him stir from the room." 1 , d It was just before early daybreak i ; when the Clutching Hand and his con- i r federate reached the Dodge house in 1 the city and came up to the back door, over the fences. -As they stood there . ^ the Clutching Hand produced a mas- i .ter key and started to open the door. < y But before he did so he took out his , r watch. , e "Let me see." he ruminated. "Twen- j B ty minutes past 4. At exactly half ' i , past 1 want yon to do as I told you — , see?" i The other crook nodded. ! ( s ' "You may go," ordered the Clutch 1 e ing Hand. I i As the crook slunk away Clutching I 1 Hand stealthily let himself Into the house. Noiselessly he prowled through ' i the halls until he came to Elaine's < j doorway. ; He gave a hasty look up and down '<1 i -the hall. There was no sound. Qulckiv

Holding his Hand Over Elaine's Mouth to Prevest Her Screaming, Ho : Snatched the Revolver Away Before She Could Fire It. i .. . . w._ . ... ., _ I I fle took a syringe from his pocket and

| bent down by the door. Inserting the | end under it, he squirted some liquid ' through, which vaporized rapidly in a ! wide, fine stream of spray. Before he ! could give an alarm Rusty was overcome by the noxious fumes, rolled 1 over on his back and lay still. Outside, the other crook was waiting, looking at his watch. As the hand slowly turned the half-how he snapped the watch shut. With a quick glance up and down the deserted j street, he deftly started up the rain j pipe that passed near Elaine's window. This time there waa no faithful I Rusty to give warning, and the second after a glance at Elaine, still sleeping, went quickly to the door, dragged the insensible dog out of the way, turned the key and admitted the Clutching Hand. As he did so be closed the door. Evidently the fumes had not I reached Elaine, or. if they had, the inrush of fresh air revived her, for she waked and quickly reached for the gun. In an instant the other crook had leaped at her. Holding hia hand her mouth to prevent her screaming, he snatched the revolver away before she could fire it In the meantime the Clutching Hand had taken out some chloroform, and. rolling a towel in the form of a cone, placed It 'over hdr face. When Elaine, was completely under the influence of the drug they lifted

i.er out of SSL the chlbrororm cone i still over her face, and quietly carried ■ her to the door, which they bad opened stealthily. , Down stairs they carried her until . they came to the library with Its new i safe where they placed her on a couch. i At an early hour an express wagon stopped before the Dodge houae and Jennings, half-dressed, answered the ; bell. "We've come for that broken suit of armor to be repaired," said a work- , man. Jennings let the men in. 1£e armor was still on the stand and the repairers took armor, stand and laying it on the couch, where they wrapped 1 it in the covers they bad brought for | the purpose. They lifted it up and ] started to carry it out. "Be careful," cautioned the thrifty i Jennings. i Busty, now recovered, was barking i and sniffing at the armor. | "Kick the mutt off," growled one The other did so. and Rusty snarled I and snapped gt him. Jennings took i him by the collar and held him as the i repairers went out. loaded the armor 1 on the wagon, and drove off. 1 Scarcely bad they gone, while Jen- 1 nings straightened out the disarranged '* library, when Rusty began jumping about, barking furiously. Jennings looked at him in amazement as the t dog ran to the window and leaped out. He had no time to look after the « dog. though, for at that very instant 1 ; he heard a voice calling, "Jennings, i ; he heard

Jennings!" It was Marie, almost speechless. He followed her as she led the way to Miss Elaine's room. There Marie pointed mutely to the bed. i Elaine was not there. | There, too were her clothes, neatly folded, as Marie had hung them foi Something must have happened to her!" wailed Marie. I JenningB was now thoroughly alarmed. Meanwhile the express wagon outside was driving off. with Rusty tear after it "What's the matter?" cried Aunt Josephine, coming in where the foot and the maid were arguing what to be done. She gave one look at her bed, the clothes, and the servants. "Call Mr. Kennedy!" she cried la "Elaine is gone — no" bne knows how j where," announced Craig, aftel leaping out of bed that morning to an j swer the furious ringing of our tele i phone belL . When we arrived at the Dodgi house Aunt Josephine and Marie were fully | dressed. Jennings let us in. "What has happened?" demanded breathlessly. While Aunt Josephine tried to tell ; i

i Craig mas examining the j room. I "Let us see the library," be said at i l length. Accordingly down to the library we ; - went. Kennedy looked about. He i.' I 1 seemed to miss something. "Where is the armor?" he demand- : ed. 1 "Why, the men came for it and took 1 It away to repair." answered Jennings. Kennedy's brow clouded In deep : thought Outside we had left our taxi waiting. 1 The door was open and a new foot- ; 1 man, James, mas sweeping- the rug, ' when past him flashed a dishevelled hairy streak. We were all standing there still as ' Craig questioned Jennings about the ' armor. With a yelp Rusty tore fran- ' i tically tntr the room. A moment he j 1 I stopped and barked. We all looked at i 1 I him in surprise. Then, as no one I moved, he seemed to single out Ken- j * nedy. He seized Craig's coat In bis ' * teeth and tried to drag him out ; * "Here. Rusty — down, sir, down!" ' 1 called Jennings. "No; Jennings, no," interposed 1 Craig. "What's the matter, old fel- „ low?" . Craig patted Rusty, whose big brown i eyes seemed mutely appealing. Out of the doorway he went, barking stilL • K •tooJ'to^tb1 esdbuu! wkU*'th* b / '

. Rusty was trying to lead Kennedy down the street. "Walt here," called Kennedy to Aunt Josephine, as be stepped with me on the running board of the cab "Go on. Rusty; good dog!" It seemed miles that we went, but at last we came to a peculiarly deserted looking house Here Rusty turned in and began scratching at the floor We jumped off the cab and followed. The door was locked when we tried It, and from Inside we could get no answer. We put our shoulders to it and burst It in. Rusty gave a leap forward with . a joyous bark. We followed more cautiously. There were pieces of armor strewn all over the floor. Rusty sniffed at them and about, disappointed, then I looked from the armor to Kennedy blank amazement "Elaine waa kidnapped — in the armor," he cried. He was right Meanwhile, the armor repairers had stopped at last at this apparently deserted house, a strange sort of repair shop. Still keepit wrapped in blankets, they had taken the armor out of the wagon and had laid it down on an old broken bed. Then they had unwrapped it and off the helmet There was Elaine! "Sh! What's that" cautioned one of the men. They paused and listened. Sure ' enough, there was a sound outside. They opened the window cautiously. ] A dog was scratching on the door, eni,

deavoring to get in. It was Rusty, a "I think It's her dog." said the man, a turning. "We'd better let him In. b Sofneone might see him." The other nodded and a moment later the door opened and in ran y Rusty. Straight to Elaine lfe went, i starting to lick her hand. ' "Right — her dog." exclaimed the oth0 er man. drawing a gun and hastily levfling it at Rusty. y ' "Don't cautioned the first. "It would make too much noise. You'd better :• choke him!' * The fellow grabbed for Rusty. Rusty was too quick. He jumped. Around t the room they ran. Rusty saw the wide-open window — and his chance. 1 Out he went and disappeared, leaving the man swearing at him. b A moment's argument followed, then I they wrapped Elaine in the blankets i alone, still bound and gagged, and car- , ried her out » I In the secret den the Clutching Hand i waa waiting, gazing now and then at i , his watch, and then at the wounded > ; man before him. In a chair his first assistant sat, watching Doctor Martin. b A knock at the door caused them to i turn their heads. The crook opened it, and in walked the other crooks who 1 had carried off Elaine in the suit of -armor. 1 Salpe was now almost conscious, as they sat her'flown in a chair, and part- ; ly loosed her bonds and gag. She i«, gazed about, frightened. I "Oh, help! help!'-' she screamed, as i -she caught sight of the now familiar 1 | mask of the Clutching Hand. ' • I "Call all, you want — here, , young ( i lady," he laughed unnaturally. "Now, doc," he added harshly to ' Doctor Martin. "It was she who shot , j .-him. Her blood must save him." j I Doctor Martin recoiled at the j I thought of torturing the beautiful j 1 young -girl before him. 1 "Are — you willing — to have your ' ! blood transfused?" he parleyed j "No, no, no!" she cried in horror, i j Doctor Martin turned to the desj JJerate criminal. "I canpot do it" j • "The deuce you can't." | A cold steel revolver pressed down j 1 an Doctor Martin's stomach, j The other crooks next carried 1 | Elaine, struggling, and threw her i j down beside the wounded man. ' j 'Doctor Martin, still covered by the | j Sun. bent over the two, the hardened J | ■criminal and the delicate, beautiful I ■ sglrl. Clutching Hand glared fiendish- ; ily, insanely.

From his bag he took a little piece i of something that shone like silver, j A moment later. Doctor Martin - looked up at the Clutching Rand and | nodded. "Well, it's working!" j All were now bending over the two. i Doctor Martin bent closest over 1 , Elaine. He looked at her anxiously. I felt her pulse, watched her breathing, -then pursed up his lips. "This is — dangerous." he ventured, gazing askance at the grim Clutching ! Hand. i "Can't help, it." came back laconical- < ; and relentlessly. The doctor shuddered. The man was a veritable vampire. Outside the deserted house. Kennedy ! and I were looking helplessly about Suddenly Kennedy reached into his [ pocket and produced and pulled out a | j police whistle. He blew three sharp j ' blasts. Would It bring help? While we were thus despairing, the continued absence of Doctor Martin 1 his borne had alarmed ale famj ily. and had set in motion another j train of events. | When he did not return, and could not be located at the place to which i ! he was supposed to have gone, several 1 policemen had been summoned to his and they had come, finally; with real bloodbencds from a suburban sta- ; 000. It had not b»en long before the party came across the deserted runabout beside the road. There they had stopped ] for a moment It was Just Jien that they heard . Kennedy's call and one of them had , detailed U answer it ' "Well, what <t© yon want?" aaked id

ciously as he ^trod there witlftha t armor "What's them pieces of tin— i hey?" Kennedy qnlckly flashed his own special badge "1 want to trail a I girl." he exclaimed hurriedly. "Can I find a bloodhound about here?" A hound? Why. we have a pack— i over there." "Bring them — quick!" ordered Craig. Kennedy held the armor down x> 1 the dogs "Searchlight" gave a low whine, then, followed by "Bob" and the others, was off. all with noses close to the ground. We followed. i In the my8terions haunt of the ' Clutching Hand, all were still standing around Elaine and the wounded PHts Slim Just then a cry from one of the group startled the 'est One of them, less hardened than the Clutching Hand, had turned away from the sight; bad gone to the window, and had been attracted by something outside. "Look!" he cried. From the absolute stillness of death there was now wild excitement among the crooks. "Police! Police!" they shouted to each other as they fled by a doorway to a secret passage. Clutching Hand turned to his first assistant "You go. too." he ordered." ^ The dogs had led us to a" strange looking house, and were now baying

j "Elaine Was Kidnaped — In the Armor," Cried Kennedy. ' and leaping up against the door. We ' did not stop to knock, but began to freak, through, for inside we could hear faintly sounds of excitement and cries of "Police! Police!" . I The door yielded and we ruahed j Into a long hallway. Dp the passage I we went until we came to another door. . « An Instant/and we were all against | tt It waa stout, but it shook before I as. The panels began to yield. /» On the other side of that door/freSf I us the master crook stood for a moment. Doctor Martin hesitated, not | knowing quite what to do. I Just then the wounded Pitts 811m lifted his hand feebly. He seemed ! vaguely to understand that the game was up. He touched the Clutching Hand. j "Yon did your best, chief." be murmured thickly. "Beat it. if you can. I'm a goner, anyway." i m anyway.

Clutching Hand moved over to a . panel in the wail and pushed a spring £ | It slid open and he stepped through Then it closed — not a second too soon 0 ! At the very momwit when we burst ,r in. Doctor Martin, seeing his cbaiu-e. ' stopped the blood transfusion, work- ' Ing frantically to stay the flow of 5' blood. j Kennedy sprang to Elaine's side. ' horrified by the blood that had spattered over everything, j. | Just then the police burst through the secret panel and rushed on. leav- - ing ns alone, with the unconscious. , scarcelj breathing Elaine. From the sounds we could tell that f \ they had come to the private room of the Clutching Hand It was empty , ; A policeman now stood besid» 1 Elaine and the wounded burglar, who t | was muttering deliriously to himself. I He was pretty far gone, as the policeman knelt down and tried to get a statement out of him. i '-'Who was that man who left you— last — the Clutching Hand?" i Not p word came from the crook. i Doctor Martin had paid no atten- J tlon whatever to him, but was work- m tag desperately now over Elaine, try- m tag to bring her bacfeto life. J| "Is she— going to— die?" gasped A Craig frantically. Every eye was riveted on Doc to ! Martin. "She Is all right." be muttered the man is going to die." At the Bound of Craig's voice Eia^^^| bad feebly opened her eyes. "Thank heaven." breathed with a sigh of relief, an bis gent>y stroked Elaine's unnato^^^^| cold forehead (TO BK rONTtNIIKII.1