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The Exploits of Elaine A Detective Novel and' a Motion Picture Drama - | By ARTHUR B. REEVE | . I The WcH-Knoan Nootlltt and Ike Q *** I Otokref 0*"QaitKame4," Stehm | Presented in Collaborat-oa With the Paths Plsyen sad the Edeetk Ffcs Coopaa; ! Copyright, Uli. by U>« lur Company. AU Foreign Bight* Pwirt

SYNOPSIS. The New Tork police are myatlfled by a aarles of murders and otber crime*. The principal clue to the criminal la the Warning letter which 1* aeni the victim*, planed with a "clutching hand." The lata*t victim of the myaterloua assassin Is - Taylor Dodge, the Insurance president. ]Ba daughter. Elaine, employs Craig Kenaady. the famous scientific detective, to fay to unravel the mystery- What Kennedy accomplishes Is told by his friend jMmaann. a newspaper man. Enraged at pie determined effort which Elaine and Bralg Kennedy are making to put an end to his crimes, the Clutching Hand, as IMs strange criminal Is known, resorts to all sorts of the most diabolical schemes to put them out of the way. Each chapter Of the story tells of a new plot against their lives and of the way the great deflective uses all his skill to save this pretty girl and himself from death. TENTH EPISODE THE LIFE CURRENT. Assignments were being given ou. on the Star one afternoon, and I was standing talking with several otber reporters, in the busy bum of typewriters and clicking telegraphs. "What do you think of that?" asked _..one of the fellows. "Ton're something Of a scientific detective, aren't you?" Without laving claim to such a distinction, I took the pffper and read: THE P0I80NED KI88 AGAIN. Three More New York Women Report Being Kissed by Mysterious Stranger — Later Fell Into Deep Unconsciousness— What la It? I had scarcely finished when one of *be copy boys, dashing past me. called out: "You're wanted on the wire, Mr. Jameson." I hurried over to the telephone and answered. A musical voice responded to my hurried hello, and I hastened to adopt my most polite tone. "Is this Mr. Jameson?" asked the voice "Yes." I replied, not recognizing It. "Well. Mr. Jameson. I've heard of you on the Star, and Ihre just had a very strange experience. I've had the poisoned kiss." The woman did not pause to catch my exclamation of astonishment, but went on: "It was like this. A man tan up to me on the street and kissed me — and— I don't know how it was — but I became unconscious — and I didn't come to for an hour — In a hospital — fortunately. I don't know what would have happened If It hadn't been that someone came to my assistance and the man fled. I thought the Star j would be Interested." t!We are." I hastened to reply. "Willyou give me your name?" "Why, I am Mrs. Florence Leigh of ' No. 20 Prospect avenue." returned the voice. "Say." I exclaimed hurrying over to the editor's desk, "here's another , woman on the wire who says she has received the poisoned kiss." "Suppose you take that assignment" the editor answered, sensing a possible story. I took It with alacrity, figdrlng out j the quickest way by elevated and surface to reach the address. 1 must say that I could scarcely crlt- [ leize the poisoned kisser's taste, for thfe woman who opened the door certainly was extraordinarily attractive. "And you really were — put out by a kiss?" 1 queried, as she led me Into a neat sitting room "Absolutely— as much as If It had been by one of these poisoned needles you read about." she replied confidently. hastening on to describe the affair volubly. It was beyond me. "May I use your telephone?" 1 askccl "Surely." she answered. 1 called the laboratory. "Is that ^u. Craig?" I Inquired. "Yes. Walter." be answered, recog- , sizing my voice. "Say. Craig," I asked breathlessly, I , "what sort of kiss would suffocate a 1 j person?" I j My only answer was an uproarious , laugh from him at the Idea. "I know," I persisted, "but I've got | , the assignment from the Star — and \ , I'm out here Interviewing a woman i abont it. It's all right to laugh— but j here I am. I've found a case — names, I , dates and places. I wish you'd explain the thing, then." "Oh, all right. Walter." he replied ' indulgently. "Ill meet you as soon as j I can and help you out." We waited patiently. The bell rang and the woman , hastened to the door, admitting Ken- , nedy. "Hello. Walter." he greeted. "This is certainly most remark- J able case, Craig," I said. Introducing , Mm. and telling briefly what I had learned. , "And you actually mean to say that , a kiss bad the effect—" Just then the telephone Interrupted. I ( "Yes," she reasserted quickly. "Ex- , euse me a second." She answered the call. "Oh— why — yes, he's here. Do you want to speak to him? Mr. Jameson, it's the Star." , "Confound It!" I exclaimed. "Isn't t that like the old man — dragging me off this' storv before It's half finished la ' j

order to get another, rn have to go. ^ 111 get this story from you, Craig." » The day before, in the suburban house, the Clutching Hand had been ■ talking to two of his emissaries, an attractive young woman and a man. j They were Flirty Florrie and Dan j the Dude. t "Now. I want you to get Kennedy." I | he said. "The way to do It Is to sep- j ■ arate Kennedy and Elaine — see?" j "All right. Chief, well do It," they r replied. | Clutching. Hand had scarcely left r when Flirty Florrie began by getting ' published in the papers the story , which I had seen. The next day she called me up from the suburban house. Having got me to promise to see her, she had scarce- I ly turned from the telephone when Dan the Dude walked In from the next 1 i room. "He's coming." she said. Dan was carrying a huge stag head with a beautifully branched pair ol antlers. Under bis arm was a coil -ot wire which he had connected to the Inside of the head. "Fine!" he exclaimed. Then, point- ' lng to the head, he added, "It's all ready. See how I fixed It? That ought to please the Chief. Dan moved quickly to the mantel and mounted a stepladder there by which he had taken down the head, and started to replace the head above the mantel. He booked the bead on a nail. "There." he said, unscrewing one ot the beautiful brown glass eyes of the stag. Back ot It could be seen a camera shutter. "One of those new quick shutter cameras," he explained. Then he ran a couple of wires along the molding around the room and into a closet, where be made_the connection with a sort of switchboard on which a button was marked] -"SHUTTER" and the switch. "WIND FILM." , "Now. Flirty." he said, coming out i of the closet and pulling up the shade , which let a flood of sunlight into the , room, "you see, I want you to stand here — then, do your little trick." | Just then the bell rang. "That must be'Jameson," she cried. , "Now — get to your corner." With a last look Dan went Into the , closet and shut the door. Perhaps half an hour later Clutching , | Hand himself called me up on the , j telephone. It was he — not the Star — j as 1 learned only too late. ( | I had scarcely got out of the bouse. ] as Craig told me afterwards, when ] Flirty Florrie told all over again the . embroidered tale that had caught my . ear. , Kennedy said nothing, but llatened , i Intently, perhapa betraying in his face , | the skepticism he felt. , "You see." she said, still voluble and I eager to convince him. "I was only • j walking on the street. Here — let me \ show you. It was just like this." ] She took his arm and. before he • I knew, it, led bim lo the spot on the , i floor near the window which Dan had Indicated. Meanwhile Dan was Us- t tening attentively in his closet. "Now — stand there. You are just as 1 was — only I didn't expect anything." She was pantomiming some one ap ( preaching stealthily while Kennedy , watched her with Interest, tinged with doubt. Behind Craig in bis closet, j Dan was reaching for the switchboard f button. , "You see." she said advancing j quickly and acting her words, "be t placed his hands on my slioulders— so — then threw his arms about my neck — so ! " She said no more, but imprinted a 0 . deep, passionate kiss on Kennedy's j mouth, clinging closely to him. Bej fore Kennedy could draw away, Dan t | in the closet, had pressed the but- ' ton and the switch several times In c i rapid succession. I "Th — that's very realistic," gasped t { Craig, a good deal taken aback by the ' sudden osculatory assault. I He frowned. I "I — 111 look Into the case." he said, t away. "There — there may be c j some scientific explanation — but — t er" — He was plainly embarrassed and n hastened tb make bis adleux. q How little Impression the thing * made on Kennedy can be easily seen p from the fact that on the way down- n town that afternoon he stopped at a Martin's, on Fifth avenue, and bought a ring— a very handsome solitaire, the r finest Martin had In the shop. B It must have been about the time that be decided to atop at Martin's c that the Dodge butler, Jennings, ad- h j mltted a young lady who presented a j, i card on which was engraved the | j y Mlas Florence Leigh, I t] 20 Proepect Avenue. As be handed Elaine the card, she I * up from the book she was read- , u and took It "All right, show her In. Jennings j, ill see her."

Elaine moved Into the drawing room 1 1 Jennings springing forward to part thi : portieres for her and passing throng! I the room quickly where Flirty Florrii sat waiting. Flirty Florrie rose am ; stood gaging at Elaine, apparent!: very much embarrassed, even afte : Jennings had gone. ; ' "it is embarrassing." she said final ly. "but. Miss Dodge, 1 have come U you to beg for my love." Elaine looked at her nonplused. "Yes," she continued, "yon do no know it, but Craig Kennedy Is lnfatu ated with you." She paused again then added, "But he is engaged to me.' Elaine stared at the woman. Shi was dazed. She conld not believe it "There la the ring." Flirty Florrii ■ added. Indicating a very Impresalvi paste diamond. Quickly she reached Into her ba? 1 and drew out two photographs, with ' out a word, handing them to Elaine "There's the proof," Florrie sale simply, choking a sob. 1 -'Elaine looked with a start. Sure . enough, there was the neat living room ! In the house on Prospect avenue. In " I one picture Florrie had her arms ovei I Kennedy's shoulders. In the other ; apparently, they were passionately kissing. ■ | Elaine slowly laid the photographs : ; on the table. j "Please — please. Miss Dodge — give ! me back my lost love. You are rlcb j and beautiful— 1 am poor. 1 have only I 1 j my good looks. But — I — I love him— I | and he— gloves me — and has promised to marry me." ^ Florrie had broken down completely and was weeping softly; Into a lace j 1 handkerchief. She moved toward the door. Elaine followed her. "Jennings — please see the lady to ; the door." m i Back in the drawing-room. Elaine ; seized the photographs and hurried I into the library where she could be ' alone. Just then she heard the bell and Kennedy's voice in the hall. "How are you this afternoon," Ken nedy greeted Elaine gayly. Elaine had been too overcome by what had just happened to throw If off so easily, and received him witb studied coolness. Still, Craig, manlike, did not notice | it at once. In fact, he was too busy gazing about to see that neither Jen j nings. Marie nor the duenna Aunt Jo- j sephlne were visible. They were not ! and he quickly took the ring from , his pocket. Without waiting, he ! showed It to Elaine. Elaine very coolly admired the ring. ! as Craig might have eyed a specimen j on a microscope slide. Still, he did not notice. 1 He took the ring, about to put It ! on her finger. Elaine drew away. Concealment was not In her frank qj,j She picked up the two photographs. ! I "What have you to say about j those?" she asked cuttingly. Kennedy, quite surprised, took them j and looked at them. Then he let them | fall carelessly on the table and dropped into a chair, his head back In j a burst of laughter. "Why — that was what they put over 1 on Walter," he said. "He called me ' . early this afternoon— told me he j had discovered one of these poisoned 1 cases you have read about in the j Think of It — all that to pull i a concealed camera! Such an elabo- j rate business— Just to get me where they could fake this thing, i sup- ' pose they've put someone up to sayshe's engaged?" . Elaine was not so lightly affected I ] "But." she said severely, repressing I her emotion. "I dont understand, Mr. j how scientific inquiry into | ! 'the poisoned kiss' could necessitate ( this sort of thing." I She pointed at the photographs ac- j cusingly. "But." he began, trying to explain. . "No buts." she interrupted. "Then you believe thai I — " "How can you, as a scientist, ask me ; ' doubt the camera?' she insinuated, ' . coldly turning away. Kennedy rapidly began to see that ' was far more serious than he had at first thought. "Very well." he said with a touch of ' "If my word Is not to be . taken— I— I'll — ' - He had seized his hat and stick. I ( Elaine did not deign to answer. ' Then, without a word, he stalked out of the door. a ........ j t Kennedy was moping in the laborathe next day when I came in. E "Say. Craig." I began, trying to over- ' 8 his fit of blues. Kennedy, filled with his own thoughts, paid no attention to me. Then he jumped up. "By George — I will," he mattered. I poked my head out of the door in * time to see him grab up his hat and coat and dash from the room, put- 1 ting his coat on as he went. "He's a nut today." I exclaimed to , myself. j Though I did not know yet of the : a quarrel. Kennedy had really struggled I with himself until he was willing to 1 n put his pride in his pocket and had | made up his mind to call on Elaine P again. As he entered he saw that It was i really of no use. for only Aunt Jo- ' C sephlne was in the library. j . "Oh. Mr. Kennedy." she said inno- j cently enough. "I'm so sorry she Isn't ' There's been something trou- ! L bllng her. and she won't tell me what It la. But she's gone to call on a j woman, a Florence Leigh, I j ° 'Florence Leigh ! " exclaimed Craig with a start and a frown. "Let me j «, use your telephone." u I had turned my attention In the », to a story I was writing. a

As Craig Kennody Turns on the Current Elalne'e Chest Slowly Begins to Rise end FalL

when I heard the telephone ring, it was Craig. Without a word of apology for his rpdeness. which I knew had been purely absent-minded. I heard him say: "Walter, meet me in half an hour outside that Florence Leigh's house." Half an hour later I was waiting near the house In the. suburbs to which I had been directed by the strange telephone call the day before. ' 1 noticed that it was- apparently deserted. The blinds were closed and a "To Let" sign was on the side of the house. ! "Hello, Walter," cried Craig at last, j bustling along. He led the way around the side of . the house to a window, and. with a j powerful grasp, wrenched open the | closed shutters. He had just smashed j the window when a policeman ap- 1 peared. | "Hey, you fellows— what are you I I doing there?" he shouted. | Craig paused a second, then pulled ' j his card from his pocket, j "Just the man 1 want." he parried, much to the policeman's surprisej 'There's something crooked going on j here. Follow us In." | We climbed Into the window. There | was the same living room we had i seen the day before. But It was now bare and deserted. ! "Come on." cried Kennedy, beckon- ■ lng ua on. j Quickly he rushed through the : house. There was not a thing in it to j change the deserted appearance of j : the first floor. At last It occurred to j Craig to grope -his way down cellar. ] There was nothing there. | Kennedy had been carefully going | over the place, and was at the other 1 side of the cellar from ourselves I when 1 saw bim stop and gaze at the | floor. j "Hide." he whlBpered suddenly to : ua- | We waited a moment. Nothing hap- , pened. Had he been seeing things or I hearing things, I wondered? I j From our hidden vantage we could now see a square piece in the floor. I perhaps five feet In diameter, slowly j 1 open up as though on a pivot. I i The weird and sinister figure of a appeared. Over his head he wore J a^eculiar helmet with hideous glass I pieces over the eyes and tubes that connected with a tank which he car I ried buckled to his back, j Quickly he -closed down the cover of i the tube, but not before a vile effluvi- | um seemed to escape, and penetrate I even to us in our biding places. As ! moved forward. Kennedy gave a | flying leap at him. and we followed ! with a regular football Interference. It was the work of only a moment 1 for us to subdue and hold him. while Craig ripped off the helmet. It was Dan the Dude. "What's that thing?" I puffed, as I Craig with the headgear. "An oxygen helmet," he replied. | "There must be air down the tube that i cannot be breathed." 1 ! He went over to the tube. Carefully he opened the top and gazed down, 1 starting back a second later, with his ; face puckered up at the noxious odor I "Sewer gas," he ejaculated, as he slammed the cover down. Then be I added to the policeman: "Where do i you suppose It comes from?" 1 "Why." replied the officer, "the St James viaduct — an old sewer — is some- ' where about these parts " ' Kennedy puckered his face as he < gazed at our prisoner. He reached ' down quickly and lifted something off the man's coat. < "Golden hair." • he muttered. < "Elaine's ! " 1 A moment later he seized the man 1 and shook him roughly "Where Is she — teil me?" he de- •' manded 1 The man snarled some kind of a re- I ply, refusing to say a word about her. "Tell me." repeated Kennedy. Jt "Humph!" snorted the prisoner, more t close-mouthed than ever. I Kennedy was furious. As he sent s the man reeling away from him he « seized the oxygen helmet and 'began e putting it on. There was only one s thing to do — to follow the clue of the s golden strands of hair. f Down Into the pest hole he went, his head protected by the oxygen helmet a Aa he cautiously took one step after a another down a series of Iron rungs Inside the hole, he found that the wawas up to his chest. At the bot- n of the perpendicular pit was a narrow, low passageway leading off. ti

It was just about big enough to get through, but he managed to grope I along 1L The minutes passed as the police-' j man and I watched our prisoner in the . cellar by the tube. I looked anxiously I at my aratch. "Craig!" I shouted at last, unable to control my fears for him. No. answer. By this time Craig had come to a small, open chamber. Into which the viaduct widened On the wall he found another series of Iron rungs, up which he climbed. The gas was terrible. As he neared the top of the ladder . be came to a shelf-like aperture In the j Bewer chamber, and gazed about. It was horribly dark He reached out j and felt a piece of cloth. Anxiously he [ pulled on it. Then he reached further i Into the darkness. | There was Elaine, unconscious, apj parently dead. I In desperation Craig carried her down the ladder. * ! With our prisoner we could only look j helplessly around. "By George, I'm going down after htm," I cried in desperation. "Don't do It," advised the policeman. "You'll never get out" One whiff of the horrible gas told me that he was right "Listen." said the policeman. There was. Indeed, a faint noise from the black depths below us. A ropi alongside the rough ladder began tc move, as though some one was pulling . it taut. He gazed down. "Craig! Craig!" I called. "Is that No answer. But the rope stlU moved. Perhaps the helmet made It impossible for him to hear. He had struggled back In the swirl lng current almost exhausted by his helpless burden. Holding Elalne'e head above the surface of the water and pulling on the rope to attract my attention, he could neither hear nor shout He had taken a turn of the rope about Elaine. I tried pulling on It | There was something heavy on the other end, and 1 kept on pulling. At last I could make out Kennedy - dimly mounting the ladder. The weight was the unconscious body ol Elaine which be steadied aa he mount I ed the ladder. I tugged harder and he ' slowly came up. Together, at last, the policeman and I reached down and pulled them out We placed Elaine on the cellar floor as comlortably as was possible, ano the policeman began his first aid mo Jions for resuscitation "No— no!" cried Kennedy. "Not here — take her up where the air it fresher." With his revolver still drawn tc overawe the prisoner, the policeman forced him to aid us In carrying hei up the rickety flight of cellar steps Kennedy followed quickly, unscrewing the oxygen helmet as he went In the deserted living room we de i posited our senseless i burden, while Kennedy, the helmet ipff now. bent over her. "Quick — quick!" he cried to the officer. "An ambulance!" V "But the prisoner." the policeman "Hurry — hurry: 111 take care of urged Craig, seizing the policeman's pistol and thrusting It into his pocket "Walter, help me." He was trying the ordinary methods of resuscitation. Meanwhile the offl- . , had hurried out. seeklSg the nearest telephone, while we worked madly 1 ■ to bring Elaine back. Again and again Kennedy bent and , outstretched her arms, trying to in- , duce respiration again. So busy was : I that for the moment I forgot our j prisoner. But Dan had seen his chance. Noiselessly he picked up the old chair , . In the room and with It raised was ap- . t proaching Kennedy to knock him out. j j Before I knew It myself Kennedy ; , had heard him. With a half lnstlnc- • tlve motion he drew the revolver from : v pocket and. almost before I conld ; , It. had shot the man. Without a word he returned the gun to his pock- j c et and again bent over Elaine, without - much as a look at the crook, who ^ sank to the floor, dropping the chair 0 hia nerveless hands. Already the policeman had got an a ambulance, which was now tearing t along to us. a Frantically Kennedy was working. e A moment he paused and looked at — hopeless. Just then, outside, we could hoar t ambulance, and a doctor and twg

attendants hurried up to the door. ! Without a word the doctor seemed to I appreciate the gravity of the case. He finished his examination' and J shook his head. I "There is no nope— no hope," ba . said slowly i Kennedy merely stared at him But ) the rest of us instinctively removed ' our hats. I Kennedy gazed at Elaine, overcome. ; Was this the end? Ilt was not many minutes later that Kennedy had Elaine In the little sitting room off the laboratory, having taken her there In the ambulance, with the doctor and two attendants. Elaine's body had been placed on a conch, covered by a blanket, and the shades were drawn. The light fell on her pale face. There was something incongruous about death and the vast collection of scientific apparatus, a ghastly mocking of humanity. How futile was It all in the presence ol the great -destroyer! J Aunt Josephine had arrived, . stunned, and a moment later Perry [ Bennett. As I looked at the sorrowful | party Aunt Josephine rose slowly from her position on her knees, where she had been weeping silently beside | Elaine, and pressed her hands over | her eyes, with every Indication of : falntness. 1 - Before any of ns could do anything, she had staggered into the laboratory - 1 Itself. Bennett and I followed qulck- ■ ly. There I was busy for some time ' getting restoratives. J Meanwhile Kennedy, beside the i couch, with an air of desperate determination. turned away and opened a ! cabinet. From It he took a large coll and attached it to a storage battery, dragging the peculiar apparatus near Elaine's couch. To an electric light socket Craig attached wires. The doctor watched him In silent wonder. "Doctor." he asked slowly as he worked, "do yon know of Professor Leduc of the Nantes School of Medicine?" "Why — yes." answered the doctor, "but what of him?" "Then yon know of bis method of electrical resuscitation." "Yes— but"— he paused, looking apprehensively at Kennedy. Craig paid no attention to his fears, but. approaching the couch on which Elaine lay. applied the electrodes. "You see." he explained, with forced calmness, "1 apply the anode here— the cathode there." The ambulance surgeon looked on excitedly, as Craig turned on the cur rent, applying it to the back of the neck and to the spine^ For some minutes the machine worked. Then the yonng doctor's eyes began to bulge. "My heavens!" he cried under his breath. "Look!" Elaine's chest had slowly risen and fallen. Kennedy, his attention riveted on his work, applied himself with redoubled efforts. The young doctor looked on with Increased wonder. "Look! The color In her face! 8ee her lips!" he cried.At last her eyes slowly fluttered open — then closed. Would the machine succeed? Or was It jnst the galvanic effect of the current? The doctor noticed It and

| Elaine Confronts Kennedy With the "Poisoned Kiss" Photographs.

placed bis ear quickly to ner heart. His face was a study In astonishment, i minutes sped fest. j To us outside, who bad no idea what transpiring in the other k>cm. : the minutes were leaden-footed. Aunt > Josephine, weak but now beraelf again, was sitting mrvously. Just then the door opened I shall never forget the look on the ambulance surgeon's face as he : murmured under his breath. "Coine ' here — the age of miracles is not passed — look!" Raising his finger to indicate that were to make no noise, be led us the other room. Kennedy was bending over thiC couch. Elaine, her eyes open now, was gazup at him, and a wan smile flitted her beautiful face. Kennedy had taken her hand, and he beard us enter, turned half way us, while we stared In blank wonder from Elaine to the weird and complicated electrical apparatus. 'It's the life current," he said aimply. patting the Leduc apparatus with his other hand. CTO BE CONTDfCMX) .