PAGE SEVEN GAPE 3f AT .ST AH AX D irjre SATURDAY, MARCH 20; 1915.

The Exploits of Elaine ; j A Detective Novel and a Motion Picture Drama

I

I By ARTHUR B. REEVE I The Well-Knotcn Nocelist and the I Creator of the" Craig Kennedy ' ' Stories I |j

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Presented in Collaboration With the Pithe Players and the Eclectic Film Company Copyright, 1914. by the Star Company All Foreign Blghtu Beaerred ,

SYNOPSIS. The New York police are mystified by a aeries of murders of prominent men. The Kg letter "whl ch iEWnTth^vU-Ums! 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, lo xiedy accomplishes is told by his friend naped by the ciulching Hand, hut is rescued by Kennedy, who has discovered her methods on one of the crooks. EIGHTH EPISODE The Hidd. n Voice. "Jameson, wake up!" The strain of the Dodge ease was beginning to tell on me. for it was keeping us at work at all kinds of hours to circuibvent the Clutching | Hand, by far the cleverest criminal with whom Kennedy had ever had j anything to do. I leaped nut of bed. still in my pa- ! Jamas, and stood for a moment staring i about. Then 1 ran into the living | room. 1 looked about, rubbing my eyes, startled. No one was there. 1 "Hey — Jameson — wake up!" It was spooky. "Where — the deuce— are you?" I demanded. Suddenly I heard the voice again — no doubt about it. either. "Here I am — over on the couch!" j I scratched my head, puzzled. There : was certainly no one on that couch, j A laugh greeted me. Plainly, though, j It came from the couch. 1 went over ; to it and. ridiculous as it seemed, began to throw aside the pillows. There lay nothing but a little oblong oaken box, perhaps eight or ten | Inches square at the ends. In the face were two peculiar square holes, and from the top projected a black disk, about the sjze of a watch, fastened on a swinging w-nl arm. in the face of the disk were several perforated holes. I picked up the strange looking thing in wonder, and from that magic oak box actually came a burst of laughter. "Come over to the laboratory," right away," pealed forth a merry voice. "I've something to show you." "Well," I gasped, "what do you know about that?" Very early that morning Craig had got up. leaving me snoring. Cases never wearied him. He thrived on excitement. He had gone over to the laboratory and set to work in a corner over another of those peculiar boxes, exactly like that which he had already left in our rooms. Half an hour afterward I walked Into the laboratory, feeling a little sheepish over the practical joke, but none the less curious to find out all about it. "What is it?"4 asked, indicating the apparatus. * "A vocaphone." lie "replied. still laughing, "the loud speaking telephone, the little box that hears and talks. It talks right out in meeting, too— no transmitter to hold to the mouth, no receiver to hold to the ear. You see. this transmitter is so sensitive that it picks up even a whisper, and the receiver is placed back of those two megaphone.like pyramids." He was standing at a table, carefully packing up one of the vocaphones and a lot of wire. "I believe the Clutching Hand has been shadowing the Dodge house." he continued thoughtfully. "As long as we watch the place, too. he will do nothing. But if we should seem, ostentatiously. not to be watching, perhaps he may try something, and we may be able to get a clue to his identity over this vocaphone See?" I nodded. "We've got to run him down somehow," 1 agreed. ■""Yes." be said, taking his coat and bat. "1 am going to connect up one of these things in Miss Dodge's library and arrange with the telephone company for a clear wire so that we j can listen In here where that fellowrf" will never suspect." IX. At about the same time that CraiffX. and I sallied forth on this new mission. Elaine was arranging some flowers on a stand near the corner of the Dodge library where the secret panel was in which her father had hidden the papers for the possession of which \ the Clutching Hand had murdered bim. She had moved sway from the table, but. as she did so. her dress caught In something in the woodwork. She tried to loosen it and in so doing , touched the little metallic spring on which her dress had caught. Instantly . to her utter surprise, the panel moved. It slid open, disclosing a strong box. Elaine took it. amused looked at it a moment, then carried It to a table and opened it. ftmide were some papers, sealed in an envelope and marked "Llmpy Red Correspondence." "They must be the Clutching Hand papers!" she exclaimed to herself, hesitating a moment, In doubt what to lo.

She seized the telephone and eager- 1 ly called Kennedy's number. "Hello," answered a voice. "Is that you, Craig?" she asked excitedly. "No, this is Mr. Jameson."/' "Oh. Mr. Jameson, I've discovered the Clutching Hand papers," she began. more and more excited. "Have you read them?" came back the voice quickly. "No: shall I?" "Then don't unseal them." cautioned the voice. "Put them back exactly as you found them and ill tell Mr. Kennedy the moment I can get hold of "All right." said Elaine. "I'll do that. And please/get him as soon as you possibly can.y "I will." / I "I'm going otSts^hopping now." she ■ returned, suddenly /^"Rut. tell him I'll be right back — right \a way." •I "Very well." \ Hanging up the receiver. Elaine j dutifully replaced the papers in the box and returned the box to its secret ) hiding place, pressing the spring and ; sliding the panel shut, j A few minutes later she left the j house in the Dodge car. I Outside our laboratory, leaning up i against a railing. Dan the Dude, an | emissary of the'Clutching Hand, whose i dress now greatly belied his under- ! world "monniker." had been shadowj Ing us. watching to see when we left, j The moment we disappeared, he i raised his hand carefully above his. i liea^ and made the sign of the Clutch- ' ing Hand. Far down the street, in a I closed car. the Clutching Hand himself, his face masked, gave an answering sign. A moment later he left the car. gazing about stealthily. Not a soul was in sight and/le managed to make his way to the do^r of our laboratory vitrcu' being observed. , Probably he thought that the pa- ; pers might be at the laboratory, for ; he had repeatedly failed to locate them at the Dodge house. At any rate he was busliv engaged in ransacking • drawers and cabinets, in the labora- • tory. when the telephone suddenly , rang, ! An instant he hesitated. Then, disguising his voice as much as he could I to imitate mine, he took up the receiver. "Hello!" he answered. ! His face was a study in all that was dark as he -realized that it was Elaine calling. He clenched his crooked hand even more viciously. "Have you read them?" he asked, curbing his impatience as she unsuspectingly poured forth her story, suppossedly to me. "Then don't unseal them." he hastened to reply. "Put them back. , Then there can be no question about : them. You can open them before witFor a moment he paused, then added: "Put them back, and tell no one of their discovery. I will tell Mr. 1 Kennedy the moment I can get him." Clutching Hand studied for a mo ment and then grabbed the teiephont again. "Hello. Dan." he called when he got | hib number. "Miss Dodge is going shopping. 1 want you and the othei Falsers to follow her — delay her all you can. Fse your own judgment.' It was what had come to be known In his organization as the "Brother hood of Falsers." There, in the back room of a low dive, were Dan thf Dude, the emissary who had been iol tering about the laboratory, a gun man. Dago Mike, a couple of women slatterns, one known as Kitty th« Hawk and a boy of i.ght or ten. whom they c. iled Billy. "All right. Chief." shouted back Dan. their leader, as he hung up the I telephone after noting carefully the i hasty instructions. "We'll do It— j trust us." j With alacrity the Brotherhooc i went their separate ways. y Elaine had not been gone long from 2f-the house when Craig and 1 ' arrived i V "Too bad." greeted Jennings, "but ^~"Miss Elaine has just gone shopping 1 and I don't know when she'll be . back." Aunt Josephine greeted us cordially. ! and Craig set down the vocaphone i package he was carrying. | "I'm not going to let anything happen here to Miss Elaine again if I can help it." remarked Craig in a low | tone, a moment later, gazing about the i library. "What are you thinking of doing?" ! asked Aunt Josephine keenly. "I'm going to put in a vocaphone." he returned, unwrapping it. "What's that?" she asked. "A loud speaking telephone— connected with my laboratory," he e.t- , plained, repeating- what he had already told me. while she listened al- i most awe-struck -at the latest scientific ; wonder. He was looking about, trying to "gure out Just where it could be < placed to best advantage, when he appronrhed the cult of armor. "I aee you have brought It back and

i had it repaired," he remarked to Aunt ■ Josephine Suddenly his face lighted i up. "Ah — an idea!" he exclaimed. "No one will ever think to look inside I that." I "Now, Mrs. Dodge," he said finally, i as he had completed installing the thing and hiding the wire under car- 1 pets and rugs until it ran out to the : connection which be made with the telephone, "don't breathe a word of it 1 — to anyone. We don't know whom to trust or suspect." Elaine's car had stopped finally at - a shop on Fifth avenue. She stepped I j out and entered, leaving her chauffeur j : to w ait. j As she did so, Dan and Billy sidled ! along the crowded sidewalk. | Dan the Dude left Billy and Billy | surreptitiously drew from nnder his coat a half loaf of bread. With a , glance about, he dropped It into the ! gutter close to the entrance to Elaine's car. Then he withdrew a little distance. \ When Elaine came out and approached her car, Billy, looking as cold and forlorn as could be. shot forj wartji Pretending to spy the dirty piece of bread in»Jhe gutter, he made a dive for it. just as Elaine waB about to step into the car. Elaine, surprised, drew back. Billy picked up the piece of bread and with ail the actions of having discovered a treasure began to gnaw at it voraShocked at the disgusting sight, she tried to take the bread away from him. "I know it's dirty, miss." whimpered Billy, "but it's the first food I've seen for four days." Instantly Elaine was full of sympathy- She had taken the food | away. That would not suffice. "What's your name, little boy?" she , asked. "Billy." he replied, blubbering. t "Where do you live?" "With me mother and father — , they're sick — nothing to eat — " He was whimpering an address far over on the East side. "Get into the car." Elaine directed. "Gee- -but this is swell." he cried, with no fake, this time. * On they went, through the tenement canyons, dodging children and pushcarts, stopping first at a grocer's, then at a butcher's and a delicatessen. Finally the car stopped where Billy directed. Billy hobbled out, followed by Elaine and her chauffeur, his arms | piled high with provisions. She w-as indeed a lfively Lady Bountiful as a crowd of kids quickly surrounded the In the meantime Dago Mike and Kitty the Hawk had gone to a wretched flat, before which Billy stopped. Kitty sat on the bed^ putting dark circles under her eyes with a blackened cork: She was very thin ..and - emaciated, but It was dissipation that had done ft. Dago Mike was correspondingly poorly dressed. He had paused beside the window to look out. "She's coming," he announced finally. Kitty hastily Jumped into the rickety bed. while Mike took up a crutch that was standing idly in a corner. She coughed resignedly and he limped about, forlorn. They had assumed ' their parts, which were almost to the burlesque of poverty, when the door was pushed open and Billy burst in, followed by Elaine and the cbauf- ■ feur. "Oh, ma — oh. pa," he cried, running forward and kissing his pseudo par- • ents. as Elaine, overcome with sympathy. directed the chauffeur to lay - the things on a shaky table, i Just then the door opened again. All were genuinely surprised this time.

[ for a prim, spick and span, middler aged woman entered, s "I am Miss Stxtistix. of the organized charities." she announced, look- ' ing around sharply. "1 saw your car standing outside miss, and the chil- • dren below told me you were up here. I came up to see whether you were aiding really deserving poor. She laid a marked emphasis on the _ , word, pulsing up her lips. There was . ; no mistaking the apprehension that . j these fine birds of prey had of her, , , either. "Y.'hy — wh — what's the matter?" , ._ asked Elaine, fidgeting uncomfortably. ' j "This man is a gunman, that worn- 1 j an is a bad woman, the boy is Billy i the Bread Snatcher," she answered j precisely, drawing out a card on

which to record something, "-and you, miss, are a fool!" ' There was no combating Miss Statis- i tlx. She overwhelmed all arguments the very exactness of her personality. I Elaine departed, speechless, prop- i erly squelched, followed by her chauffeur. 1 t Meanwhile, a closed car, such as j ■ had stood across from the laboratory, j i had drawn up not far from the Dodge j house. Near it was a man in rather i shabby clothes and a vlsored cap on | ; which were the words in dull gold ; lettering, "Metropolitan Window i Cleaning company." He carried a j bucket and a small extension ladder. ' In the darkened recesses of the car j was the Clutching Hand himself, , masked as usual. He had his watch in bis hand and was giving most minute instructions to the window cleaner about something. As the latter turned to go. a sharp observer would have noted that it was Dan the Dude, still further disguised. A few moments later, Dan appeared at the servants' entrance of the Dodge house and ,rang the bell. Jennings, who -happened to be down there, came to the door. "Man to clean .the windows." saluted the bogus cleaner, touching his hat in a way quietly to cgll attention to the words on it and drawing from his pocket a faked written order. "All right." nodded Jennings, ex-

amining the order ana finding it ap 1 parently all right. Dan followed him in. taking the lad- t der and bucket upstairs, where Aunt Josephine was still reading. i "The man to clean the windows, i ma'am," apologized Jennings. "Oh. very well." she nodded, taking | up her book, to go. Then, recalling the frequent injunctions of Kennedy, , she paused long enough to speak i . quietly to Jennings. "Stay here and watch -him." she . 1 whispered as she went out. I * Jennings nodded, while Dan opened , ■ a window and set to work. Elaine now decided to go home. From his closed car. the Clutching , Hand gazed intently at the Dodge house. He could see Dan on the ladder. now washing the library window, his back toward him. Dan turned slowly and made the sign of the hand. Turning to his chauffeur, the master criminal spoke , a few hurried words in a low tone and the driver hurried off. A few minutes later the driver might have been seen entering a near- ! by drug store and going into the telephone booth. Without a moment's % : hesitation he called upon the Dodge • house, and Marie. Elaine's maid, answered. "Is Jennings there?" he asked. "Tell him a friend wants to speak to him." "Wait a minute." she answered. 'Til j get him." ' Marie went toward the library, leaving the telephone off the hook. Dan was washing the windows, half inside. half outside the house, while Jennings was trying to be very busy, although it was apprrent that he was watching Dan closely. "A friend of yours wants to speak to you over the telephone. Jennings." -said Marie, as she came into the The butler responded slowly, with a covert glance at Dan. No sooner had they gone, however, than Dan climbed a!! the way into the room, ran to the door and looked after ' them. Then he ran to the window. • Across and down the street, the I Clutching Hand was gazing at the house. He had seen Dan disappear and suspected that the time had come. Sure enough, there was the sign of the hand He hastily got out of the car and hurried un the street. All ' this time the chauffeur was keeping Jennings busy over the telephone with some trumped-up story. As the master criminal came in by the ladder through the open window, Dan was on guard, listening down the hallway. A signal from Dan. and t Clutching Hand slid back of the portieres. Jennings w-as returning, j "I've finished these windows." an- , • nounced Dan as the butler reappeared, "Now, I'll clean the hall windows." i Jennings followed like a shadow. ' No sooner had they gone than . Clutching Hand stealthily came from behind the portieres.

One oi the maids was sweeping In i the hail as Dan went toward the win- s dow, about to wash it. "I wonder whfether 1 locked those ' windows?" muttered Jennings, parsin the hallway. "I guess I'd better make sure." He had taken only a step toward i the library again when Dan watchfully t caught sight of him. It would never j do to have Jennings snooping around there now. Quick action was neces- i sary. Dan knocked over a costly Sevres vase. "There— clumsy — see what you've done!" berated Jennings, starting to , I pick up the pieces. ' Dan had acted his part well and ! promptly. In the library Clutching Hand was busily engaged at that moment beside the secret panel searching for the spring that released it. He ran his finger along the woodwork, pausing here and there without succeeding. "Confound it!" he muttered, searching feverishly. Kennedy, having made the arrangements with the telephone company by which he had a clear wire from the Dodge house to his laboratory, had rejoined me there and was putting on the finishing touches on his installation of the vocaphone. Every now and then he would | switch it on. and we would listen in j it as he demonstrated the wonderful | little instrument to me. We had

heard the window cleaner and Jen: nings, but thought nothThg of it at the time. Once, however. Craig paused, aud 1 j him listening more intently than | usual. "They've gone out," he muttered, , "but surely there Is some one in the | Dodge library." "I listened, too. The thing was so sensitive that even a whisper could be magnified, and I certainly did hear ' something. Kennedy frowned. What was that ; scratching noise? Could it be Jen- i nings? Perhaps it was Rusty. Just then we could distinguish a sound as though someone had moved shout. ^ "No — that's not Jennings," cried j Craig. "Fe went oi:U" lle looked at me a moment. The same stealth*' no's® was repeated. "It's the Clutching Hand!" he exclaimed excitedly. A moment later I>an hurried into the Dodge library "For heaven ? sake. Chief hurry!" he whispered hnarselv. "The Kaisers must have fallen down. The girl herself is coming'" Dan hititfelf had no time to waste. He retreated into the hallway just as . Jennings (was opening the door for ' Elaine. [ Marie took her wraps and left her. while Elaine handed her numerous | packages tA Jennings. Dan watched every motion. ' "tit than away, i- tnings." she said softly: ■ Jennires had cb- — -1 a-id gore up- , -t-irs Heine ard :he library. Dan took a oni-t step or two behind her in the ®»nme direction. In th" librnrv diitrhl'ig Hand was now frantically s'.-irhing for the spring. He heard !■"'■ .ne coming and dodged behind the curtains again just as she entered. With a hasty look about, she saw no one. Then she went quickly to the panel, found the spring and pressed !t. So many queer things had happened to her since she went out that she had begun to worry over the safety of the papers. The panel opened. They were there, ail right. She opened the box and took them out. hes'tatine to break the • seal before Kennedy arrived. Stealthy and tigerlike, the Clutching Hand crept up behind her. As he did so. Dan gazed in through the portieres from the hail. With a spring. Clutching Hand !p-..ppj at Elaine, snatching at the papers. Elaine clung to them tenaciously. in spile of the surprise, and they . struggled for them. Clutching Hand hotdieg or® h^nd over her ntcpth to i prevent her screaming. -Instantly Dan was there, aiding his chief. "Choke her! Strangle her! Don't let her scream!" he ground out. They fought viciously. Would she succeed? It was two desperate, unscrupulous men against one frail girl. | Suddenly, from the man In armor

In the corner, as if by a mlracie, came deep, loud voice. "Help! Help! Murder! Pplice! are strangling me!" The effect was terrific. Clutching Hand and Dan, hardened in crime as they were, fell back, dazed, overcome for the moment at the startling effect. They looked about. Not a soul. Then, to their utter consternation, from the helmet again came the deep, vibrant warning. "Help! Murder! Police!" Kennedy and I had been listening over the vocaphone. for the moment nonplused at the fellow's daring. Then we heard from the uncanny instrument: "For Heaven's sake. Chief, hurry. The Falsers have fallen down. The girl herself is coming!" What It meant we did not know. But Craig was almost beside himself, as he ordered me to get the police by telephone. if there was any way to block them. Only instant action would count, however., What to do? We could hear the master criminal plainly fumbling now. "Yes. that's the Clutching hand." he repeated. "Wait," I cautioned, "someone else is coming!" j By a sort of Instinct he seemed to ' recognize the .sounds, i "Elaine!" he exclaimed, paling. Instantly followed, in less than I can tell it, the sounds of a suppressed sh utile. "He has seized her— gagged her," 1 cried in an agony of suspense. We could now hear everything that was going on in the library. Craig was wildly excited. As for me. I was, speechless. Here was the voe.iphona, we had installed. It had Earned ns. But what could we (To? I looked blankly at Kennedy. Ho was equal to the emergency. He calmly turned the switch. Then, at the top of his lungs he shouted: "Help! Help! Police! They are strangling me!" 1 looked at him in amazement. What did he think he^ could do — blocks away? "It works both ways." ne muttered. "Help! vMurder! Police!" We Could hear the astonished cursing of the twe men. Also, down the hall. now. we could hear footsteps approaching in answer to his call for help — Aunt Josephine. Jennings. Marie and others, all shouting out that there were cries in the library. "The deuce! What is it?" muttered a gruff voice. "The man in armor!" hissed Clutching Hand. "Here they come. too. Chief!" There was a parting scuffle. "There — take that!" "A loud metallic ringing came from the vocaphone. Then silence! What had happened? | In the library, recovering from their :rock of surprise. Dan cried out to . the Clutching Hand. "The deuce! J What Is It?" Then looking about, Clutching ' Hand quickly took in the situation, 'j "The man in armor!" he pointed ! out. " , Dan was almost dead with fright I at the weird thing. r 1 "Here they come, too. Chief," he gasped, as. down the hall he could , : bear the family shouting out that [ someone was in the library. I With a parting thrust. Clutching , Hand sent Elaine reeling, j She held on to only a corner of the papers. He had the greater part of j them. They were torn and destroyed, | anyway. , Finally, with all the venomousness : of which he was capable. Clutching . Hand rushed at the armor suit, drew back bis gloved fist, and let it shoot , out squarely in a vicious st.lar plexus blow. "There — take' that!" he roared, j Tite suit rattled furiously. Out of it spilled the vocaphone. with a bang on the floor. An instant later those in the hall . rushed in. But the Clutching Hand r and Dan were go of the window. the rriminal • - -Tv'vp the greater . part of the preciot, papers. < Some ran to El: te. otli'rs to the window. The lath! r had been kicked s Leaping into the waiting car. they uad been whisked away. k "Hello! Hello! Hello!" called a j. voic-. upper-til®- from rowhere. j "What is that?" cried Elaine. She had risen by this time, and was s gazing about wondei ing at the strange b voice. Suddenly Iicr eye fell on the 1 armor scattered al! over the floor, t She spied the little oak box. i- Apparently the voice came from p that Besides it flu 1 a familiar ring J to her ears. "Yes — Craig'" she cried, t "That is mv vrejiiih. -e— the little ■- box that hears and talks " came hack to her. "Are you all right?" "Yis— all right— thanks to ti e vocaj phone" t ; Sit- had nt.de---'oo-i in yn instant ■ She seized the helmet and b-oastplate - to which the vocaphone still was at5 tached and was lioldicg tlieni close to .. herself. Kennedy had been Oilling and lisj toning intently over the machine, won- , dering whether it lind been put out of _ business in some way. , "It works — yet!" he cried excitedly > "Elaine!" i "Yes. Craig." came hack over th® I faithful little instrument, t ' "Are you all right?" : "Yes- all right." s ! "Thank heaven!" breathed Craig,, . ' pushing me aside. . | Literally he kissed that vocaphone r as If it had been human! (TO BE CONTINUED.)

By a Sort of Instinct Kennedy Seemed to Recognize the Sounds. 8 "Elaine!" He Exclaimed, Turning Pale.

1 Kennedy Shows Elaine the Little Instrument That Saved Her Life.