The Exploits of Elaine Page 11

  CHAPTER XI

  THE HOUR OF THREE

  With the ominous forefinger of his Clutching Hand extended, the mastercriminal emphasized his instructions to his minions.

  "Perry Bennett, her lawyer, is in favor again with Elaine Dodge," hewas saying. "She and Kennedy are on the outs even yet. But they maybecome reconciled. Then she'll have that fellow on our trail again.Before that happens, we must 'get' her--see?"

  It was in the latest headquarters to which Craig had chased thecriminal, in one of the toughest parts of the old Greenwich village, onthe west side of New York, not far from the river front.

  They were all seated in a fairly large but dingy old room, in whichwere several chairs, a rickety table and, against the wall, a roll-topdesk on the top of which was a telephone.

  Several crooks of the gang were sitting about, smoking.

  "Now," went on Clutching Hand, "I want you, Spike, to follow them. Seewhat they do--where they go. It's her birthday. Something's bound tooccur that will give you a lead. All you've got to do is to use yourhead. Get me?"

  Spike rose, nodded, picked up his hat and coat and squirmed out on hismission, like the snake that he was.

  . . . . . . . .

  It was, as Clutching Hand had said, Elaine's birthday. She had receivedmany callers and congratulations, innumerable costly and beautifultokens of remembrance from her countless friends and admirers. In theconservatory of the Dodge house Elaine, Aunt Josephine, and SusieMartin were sitting discussing not only the happy occasion, but, more,the many strange events of the past few weeks.

  "Well," cried a familiar voice behind them. "What would a certainblonde young lady accept as a birthday present from her family lawyer?"

  All three turned in surprise.

  "Oh, Mr. Bennett," cried Elaine. "How you startled us!"

  He laughed and repeated his question, adopting the tone that he hadonce used in the days when he had been more in favor with the prettyheiress, before the advent of Kennedy.

  Elaine hesitated. She was thinking not so much of his words as ofKennedy. To them all, however, it seemed that she was unable to make upher mind what, in the wealth of her luxury, she would like.

  Susie Martin had been wondering whether, now that Bennett was here, shewere not de trop, and she looked at her wrist watch mechanically. Asshe did so, an idea occurred to her.

  "Why not one of these?" she cried impulsively, indicating the watch."Father has some beauties at the shop."

  "Oh, good," exclaimed Elaine, "how sweet!"

  She welcomed the suggestion, for she had been thinking that perhapsBennett might be hinting too seriously at a solitaire.

  "So that strikes your fancy?" he asked. "Then let's all go to the shop.Miss Martin will personally conduct the tour, and we shall have ourpick of the finest stock."

  A moment later the three young people went out and were quickly whirledoff down the Avenue in the Dodge town car.

  It was too gay a party to notice a sinister figure following them in acab. But as they entered the fashionable jewelry shop, Spike, who hadalighted, walked slowly down the street.

  Chatting with animation, the three moved over to the watch counter,while the crook, with a determination not to risk missing anything,entered the shop door, too.

  "Mr. Thomas," asked Susie as her father's clerk bowed to them, "pleaseshow Miss Dodge the wrist watches father was telling about."

  With another deferential bow, the clerk hastened to display a case ofwatches and they bent over them. As each new watch was pointed out,Elaine was delighted.

  Unobserved, the crook walked over near enough to hear what was going on.

  At last, with much banter and yet care, Elaine selected one that wasindeed a beauty and was about to snap it on her dainty wrist, when theclerk interrupted.

  "I beg pardon," he suggested, "but I'd advise you to leave it to beregulated, if you please."

  "Yes, indeed," chimed in Susie. "Father always advises that."

  Reluctantly, Elaine handed it over to the clerk.

  "Oh, thank you, ever so much, Mr. Bennett," she said as heunobtrusively paid for the watch and gave the address to which it wasto be sent when ready.

  A moment later they went out and entered the car again.

  As they did so, Spike, who had been looking various things in the nextcase over as if undecided, came up to the watch counter.

  "I'm making a present," he remarked confidentially to the clerk. "Howabout those bracelet watches?"

  The clerk pulled out some of the cheaper ones.

  "No," he said thoughtfully, pointing out a tray in the show case,"something like those."

  He ended by picking out one identically like that which Elaine hadselected, and started to pay for it.

  "Better have it regulated," repeated the clerk.

  "No," he objected hastily, shaking his head and paying the moneyquickly. "It's a present--and I want it tonight."

  He took the watch and left the store hurriedly.

  . . . . . . . .

  In the laboratory, Kennedy was working over an oblong oak box, perhapseighteen inches in length and half as high. In the box I could see,besides other apparatus, two good sized spools of fine wire.

  "What's all that?" I asked inquisitively.

  "Another of the new instruments that scientific detectives use," heresponded, scarcely looking up, "a little magnetic wizard, thetelegraphone."

  "Which is?" I prompted.

  "Something we detectives might use to take down and 'can' telephone andother conversations. When it is attached properly to a telephone, itrecords everything that is said over the wire."

  "How does it work?" I asked, much mystified.

  "Well, it is based on an entirely new principle, in every way differentfrom the phonograph," he explained. "As you can see there are no discsor cylinders, but these spools of extremely fine steel wire. The recordis not made mechanically on a cylinder, but electromagnetically on thiswire."

  "How?" I asked, almost incredulously.

  "To put it briefly," he went on, "small portions of magnetism, as itwere, are imparted to fractions of the steel wire as it passes betweentwo carbon electric magnets. Each impression represents a sound wave.There is no apparent difference in the wire, yet each particle of steelundergoes an electromagnetic transformation by which the sound isindelibly imprinted on it."

  "Then you scrape the wire, just as you shave records to use it overagain?" I suggested.

  "No," he replied. "You pass a magnet over it and the magnetautomatically erases the record. Rust has no effect. The record lastsas long as steel lasts."

  Craig continued to tinker tantalizingly with the machine which had beeninvented by a Dane, Valdemar Poulsen.

  He had scarcely finished testing out the telegraphone, when thelaboratory door opened and a clean-cut young man entered.

  Kennedy, I knew, had found that the routine work of the Clutching Handcase was beyond his limited time and had retained this young man,Raymond Chase, to attend to that.

  Chase was a young detective whom Craig had employed on shadowing jobsand as a stool pigeon on other cases, and we had all the confidence inthe world in him.

  Just now what worried Craig was the situation with Elaine, and Ifancied that he had given Chase some commission in connection with that.

  "I've got it, Mr. Kennedy," greeted Chase with quiet modesty.

  "Good," responded Craig heartily. "I knew you would."

  "Got what?" I asked a moment later.

  Kennedy nodded for Chase to answer.

  "I've located the new residence of Flirty Florrie," he replied.

  I saw what Kennedy was after at once. Flirty Florrie and Dan the Dudehad caused the quarrel between himself and Elaine. Dan the Dude wasdead. But Flirty Florrie might be forced to explain it.

  "That's fine," he added, exultingly. "Now, I'll clear that thing up."

  He took a hasty step to the telephone, put his ha
nd on the receiver andwas about to take it off the hook. Then he paused, and I saw his faceworking. The wound Elaine had given his feelings was deep. It had notyet quite healed.

  Finally, his pride, for Kennedy's was a highly sensitive nature, gotthe better of him.

  "No," he said, half to himself, "not--yet."

  Elaine had returned home.

  Alone, her thoughts naturally went back to what had happened recentlyto interrupt a friendship which had been the sweetest in her life.

  "There MUST be some mistake," she murmured pensively to herself,thinking of the photograph Flirty had given her. "Oh, why did I sendhim away? Why didn't I believe him?"

  Then she thought of what had happened, of how she had been seized byDan the Dude in the deserted house, of how the noxious gas had overcomeher.

  They had told her of how Craig had risked his life to save her, how shehad been brought home, still only half alive, after his almostmiraculous work with the new electric machine.

  There was his picture. She had not taken that away. As she looked atit, a wave of feeling came over her. Mechanically, she put out her handto the telephone.

  She was about to take off the receiver, when something seemed to stayher hand. She wanted him to come to her.

  And, if either of them had called the other just then, they would haveprobably crossed wires.

  Of such stuff are the quarrels of lovers.

  Craig's eye fell on the telegraphone, and an idea seemed to occur tohim.

  "Walter, you and Chase bring that thing along," he said a moment later.

  He paused long enough to take a badge from the drawer of a cabinet, andwent out. We followed him, lugging the telegraphone.

  At last we came to the apartment house at which Chase had located thewoman.

  "There it is," he pointed out, as I gave a groan of relief, for thetelegraphone was getting like lead.

  Kennedy nodded and drew from his pocket the badge I had seen him takefrom the cabinet.

  "Now, Chase," he directed, "you needn't go in with us. Walter and I canmanage this, now. But don't get out of touch with me. I shall need youany moment--certainly tomorrow."

  I saw that the badge read, Telephone Inspector.

  "Walter," he smiled, "you're elected my helper."

  We entered the apartment house hall and found a Negro boy in charge ofthe switchboard. It took Craig only a moment to convince the boy thathe was from the company and that complaints had been made by someanonymous tenant.

  "You look over that switchboard, Kelly," he winked at me, "while I testout the connections back here. There must be something wrong with thewires or there wouldn't be so many complaints."

  He had gone back of the switchboard and the Negro, still unsuspicious,watched without understanding what it was all about.

  "I don't know," Craig muttered finally for the benefit of the boy, "butI think I'll have to leave that tester after all. Say, if I put ithere, you'll have to be careful not to let anyone meddle with it. Ifyou do, there'll be the deuce to pay. See?"

  Kennedy had already started to fasten the telegraphone to the wires hehad selected from the tangle.

  At last he finished and stood up.

  "Don't disturb it and don't let anyone else touch it," he ordered."Better not tell anyone--that's the best way. I'll be back for ittomorrow probably."

  "Yas sah," nodded the boy, with a bow, as we went out.

  We returned to the laboratory, where there seemed to be nothing wecould do now except wait for something to happen.

  Kennedy, however, employed the time by plunging into work, most of thetime experimenting with a peculiar little coil to which ran the wiresof an ordinary electric bell.

  Back in the new hang-out, the Clutching Hand was laying down the law tohis lieutenants and heelers, when Spike at last entered.

  "Huh!" growled the master criminal, covering the fact that he wasconsiderably relieved to see him at last, "where have YOU been? I'vebeen off on a little job myself and got back."

  Spike apologized profusely. He had succeeded so easily that he hadthought to take a little time to meet up with an old pal whom he ranacross, just out of prison.

  "Yes sir," he replied hastily, "well, I went over to the Dodge house,and I saw them finally. Followed them into a jewelry shop. That lawyerbought her a wrist watch. So I bought one just like it. I thoughtperhaps we could--"

  "Give it to me," growled Clutching Hand, seizing it the moment Slimdisplayed it. "And don't butt in--see?"

  From the capacious desk, the master criminal pulled a set of smalldrills, vices, and other jeweler's tools and placed them on the table.

  "All right," he relented. "Now, do you see what I have just thoughtof--no? This is just the chance. Look at me."

  The heelers gathered around him, peering curiously at their master ashe worked at the bracelet watch.

  Carefully he plied his hands to the job, regardless of time.

  "There," he exclaimed at last, holding the watch up where they couldall see it. "See!"

  He pulled out the stem to set the hands and slowly twisted it betweenhis thumb and finger. He turned the hands until they were almost at thepoint of three o'clock.

  Then he held the watch out where all could see it.

  They bent closer and strained their eyes at the little second handticking away merrily.

  As the minute hand touched three, from the back of the case, as if fromthe casing itself, a little needle, perhaps a quarter of an inch,jumped out. It seemed to come from what looked like merely a smallinset in the decorations.

  "You see what will happen at the hour of three?" he asked.

  No one said a word, as he held up a vial which he had drawn from hispocket. On it they could read the label, "Ricinus."

  "One of the most powerful poisons in the world!" he exclaimed. "Enoughhere to kill a regiment!"

  They fairly gasped and looked at it with horror, exchanging glances.Then they looked at him in awe. There was no wonder that Clutching Handkept them in line, once he had a crook in his power.

  Opening the vial carefully, he dipped in a thin piece of glass andplaced a tiny drop in a receptacle back of the needle and on the needleitself.

  Altogether it savored of the ancient days of the Borgias with theirweird poisoned rings.

  Then he dropped the vial back into his pocket, pressed a spring, andthe needle went back into its unsuspected hiding place.

  "I've set my invention to go off at three o'clock," he concluded."Tomorrow forenoon, it will have to be delivered early--and I don'tbelieve we shall be troubled any longer by Miss Elaine Dodge," he addedvenomously.

  Even the crooks, hardened as they were, could only gasp.

  Calmly he wrapped up the apparently innocent engine of destruction andhanded it to Spike.

  "See that she gets it in time," he said merely.

  "I will, sir," answered Spike, taking it gingerly.

  Flirty Florrie had returned that afternoon, late, from some expeditionon which she had been sent.

  Rankling in her heart yet was the death of her lover, Dan the Dude.For, although in her sphere of crookdom they are neither married norgiven in marriage, still there is a brand of loyalty that highercircles might well copy. Sacred to the memory of the dead, however, shehad one desire--revenge.

  Thus when she arrived home, she went to the telephone to report andcalled a number, 4494 Greenwich.

  "Hello, Chief," she repeated. "This is Flirty. Have you done anythingyet in the little matter we talked about?"

  "Say--be careful of names--over the wire," came a growl.

  "You know--what I mean."

  "Yes. The trick will be pulled off at three o'clock."

  "Good!" she exclaimed. "Good-bye and thank you."

  With his well-known caution Clutching Hand did not even betray namesover the telephone if he could help it.

  Flirty hung up the receiver with satisfaction. The manes of thedeparted Dan might soon rest in peace!

  The next day, early in the fo
renoon, a young man with a small packagecarefully done up came to the Dodge house.

  "From Martin's, the jeweler's, for Miss Dodge," he said to Jennings atthe door.

  Elaine and Aunt Josephine were sitting in the library when Jenningsannounced him.

  "Oh, it's my watch," cried Elaine. "Show him in."

  Jennings bowed and did so. Spike entered, and handed the package toElaine, who signed her name excitedly and opened it.

  "Just look, Auntie," she exclaimed. "Isn't it stunning?"

  "Very pretty," commented Aunt Josephine.

  Elaine put the watch on her wrist and admired it.

  "Is it all right?" asked Spike.

  "Yes, yes," answered Elaine. "You may go."

  He went out, while Elaine gazed rapturously at the new trinket while itticked off the minutes--this devilish instrument.

  Early the same morning Kennedy went around again to the apartment houseand, cautious not to be seen by Flirty, recovered the telegraphone.Together we carried it to the laboratory.

  There he set up a little instrument that looked like a wedge sitting upon end, in the face of which was a dial. Through it he began to run thewire from the spools, and, taking an earpiece, put another on my headover my ears.

  "You see," he explained, "the principle on which this is based is thata mass of tempered steel may be impressed with and will retain magneticfluxes varying in density and in sign in adjacent portions ofitself--little deposits of magnetic impulse.

  "When the telegraphone is attached to the telephone wire, the currentsthat affect the receiver also affect the coils of the telegraphone andthe disturbance set up causes a deposit of magnetic impulse on thesteel wire.

  "When the wire is again run past these coils with a receiver such as Ihave here in circuit with the coils, a light vibration is set up in thereceiver diaphragm which reproduces the sound of speech." He turned aswitch and we listened eagerly. There was no grating and thumping, ashe controlled the running off of the wire. We were listening toeverything that had been said over the telephone during the time sincewe left the machine.

  First came several calls from people with bills and she put them offmost adroitly.

  Then we heard a call that caused Kennedy to look at me quickly, stopthe machine and start at that point over again.

  "That's what I wanted," he said as we listened in:

  "Give me 4494 Greenwich."

  "Hello."

  "Hello, Chief. This is Flirty. Have you done anything yet in the littlematter we talked about?

  "Say--be careful of names--over the wire."

  "You know--what I mean."

  "Yes, the trick will be pulled off at three o'clock.

  "Good! Good-bye and thank you!"

  "Good-bye."

  Kennedy stopped the machine and I looked at him blankly.

  "She called Greenwich 4494 and was told that the trick would be pulledoff at three o'clock today," he ruminated.

  "What trick?" I asked.

  He shook his head. "I don't know. That is what we must find out. Ihadn't expected a tip like that. What I wanted was to find out how toget at the Clutching Hand."

  He paused and considered a minute, then moved to the telephone.

  "There's only one thing to do and that's to follow out my originalscheme," he said energetically. "Information, please."

  "Where is Greenwich 4494?" he asked a moment later.

  The minutes passed. "Thank you," he cried, writing down on a pad anaddress over on the west side near the river front. Then turning to mehe explained, "Walter, we've got him at last!"

  Craig rose and put on his hat and coat, thrusting a pair of operaglasses into his pocket, in case we should want to observe the place ata distance. I followed him excitedly. The trail was hot.

  Kennedy and I came at last to the place on the West Side where thecrooked streets curved off.

  Instead of keeping on until he came to the place we sought, he turnedand quickly slipped behind the shelter of a fence. There was a brokenboard in the fence and he bent down, gazing through with the operaglasses.

  Across the lot was the new headquarters, a somewhat dilapidatedold-fashioned brick house of several generations back. Through theglass we could see an evil-countenanced crook slinking along. Hemounted the steps and rang the bell, turning as he waited.

  From a small aperture in the doorway looked out another face, equallyevil. Under cover, the crook made the sign of the clutching hand twiceand was admitted.

  "That's the place, all right," whispered Kennedy with satisfaction.

  He hurried to a telephone booth where he called several numbers. Thenwe returned to the laboratory, while Kennedy quickly figured out a planof action. I knew Chase was expected there soon.

  From the table he picked up the small coil over which I had seen himworking, and attached it to the bell and some batteries. He replaced iton the table, while I watched curiously.

  "A selenium cell," he explained. "Only when light falls on it does itbecome a good conductor of electricity. Then the bell will ring."

  Just before making the connection he placed his hat over the cell. Thenhe lifted the hat. The light fell on it and the bell rang. He replacedthe hat and the bell stopped. It was evidently a very peculiar propertyof the substance, selenium.

  Just then there came a knock at the door. I opened it.

  "Hello, Chase," greeted Kennedy. "Well, I've found the new headquartersall right,--over on the west side."

  Kennedy picked up the selenium cell and a long coil of fine wire whichhe placed in a bag. Then he took another bag already packed and,shifting them between us, we hurried down town.

  Near the vacant lot, back of the new headquarters, was an old brokendown house. Through the rear of it we entered.

  I started back in astonishment as we found eight or ten policemenalready there. Kennedy had ordered them to be ready for a raid and theyhad dropped in one at a time without attracting attention.

  "Well, men," he greeted them, "I see you found the place all right.Now, in a little while Jameson will return with two wires. Attach themto the bell which I will leave here. When it rings, raid the house.Jameson will lead you to it. Come, Walter," he added, picking up thebags.

  Ten minutes later, outside the new headquarters, a crouched up figure,carrying a small package, his face hidden under his soft hat andup-turned collar, could have been seen slinking along until he came tothe steps.

  He went up and peered through the aperture of the doorway. Then he rangthe bell. Twice he raised his hand and clenched it in the now familiarclutch.

  A crook inside saw it through the aperture and opened the door. Thefigure entered and almost before the door was shut tied the maskinghandkerchief over his face, which hid his identity from even the mosttrusted lieutenants. The crook bowed to the chief, who, with a growl asthough of recognition, moved down the hall.

  As he came to the room from which Spike had been sent on his mission,the same group was seated in the thick tobacco smoke.

  "You fellows clear out," he growled. "I want to be alone."

  "The old man is peeved," muttered one, outside, as they left.

  The weird figure gazed about the room to be sure that he was alone.

  When Craig and I left the police he had given me most minuteinstructions which I was now following out to the letter.

  "I want you to hide there," he said, indicating a barrel back of thehouse next to the hang-out. "When you see a wire come down from theheadquarters, take it and carry it across the lot to the old house.Attach it to the bell; then wait. When it rings, raid the ClutchingHand joint."

  I waited what seemed to be an interminable time back of the barrel andit is no joke hiding back of a barrel.

  Finally, however, I saw a coil of fine wire drop rapidly to the groundfrom a window somewhere above. I made a dash for it, as though I weretrying to rush the trenches, seized my prize and without looking backto see where it came from, beat a hasty retreat.

  Around the lot I skirted,
until at last I reached the place where thepolice were waiting. Quickly we fastened the wire to the bell.

  We waited.

  Not a sound from the bell.

  Up in the room in the joint, the hunched up figure stood by the table.He had taken his hat off and placed it carefully on the table, and wasnow waiting.

  Suddenly a noise at the door startled him. He listened. Then he backedaway from the door and drew a revolver.

  As the door slowly opened there entered another figure, hat over hiseyes, collar up, a handkerchief over his face, the exact counterpart ofthe first!

  For a moment each glared at the other.

  "Hands up!" shouted the first figure, hoarsely, moving the gun andclosing the door, with his foot.

  The newcomer slowly raised his crooked hand over his head, as the bluesteel revolver gaped menacingly.

  With a quick movement of the other hand, the first sinister figureremoved the handkerchief from his face and straightened up.

  It was Kennedy!

  "Come over to the center of the room," ordered Kennedy.

  Clutching Hand obeyed, eyeing his captor closely.

  "Now lay your weapons on the table."

  He tossed down a revolver.

  The two still faced each other.

  "Take off that handkerchief!"

  It was a tense moment. Slowly Clutching Hand started to obey. Then hestopped. Kennedy was just about to thunder, "Go on," when the criminalcalmly remarked, "You've got ME all right, Kennedy, but in twentyminutes Elaine Dodge will be dead!"

  He said it with a nonchalance that might have deceived anyone lessastute than Kennedy. Suddenly there flashed over Craig the words: "THETRICK WILL BE PULLED OFF AT THREE O'CLOCK!"

  There was no fake about that. Kennedy frowned. If he killed ClutchingHand, Elaine would die. If he fought, he must either kill or be killed.If he handed Clutching Hand over, all he had to do was to keep quiet.He looked at his watch. It was twenty-five minutes of three.

  What a situation!

  He had caught a prisoner he dared not molest--yet.

  "What do you mean--tell me?" demanded Kennedy with forced calm.

  "Yesterday Mr. Bennett bought a wrist watch for Elaine," the ClutchingHand said quietly. "They left it to be regulated. One of my men boughtone just like it. Mine was delivered to her today."

  "A likely story!" doubted Kennedy.

  For answer, the Clutching Hand pointed to the telephone.

  Kennedy reached for it.

  "One thing," interrupted the Clutching Hand. "You are a man of honor."

  "Yes--yes. Go on."

  "If I tell you what to do, you must promise to give me a fightingchance."

  "Yes, yes."

  "Call up Aunt Josephine, then. Do just as I say."

  Covering Clutching Hand, Kennedy called a number. "This is Mr. Kennedy,Mrs. Dodge. Did Elaine receive a present of a wrist watch from Mr.Bennett?"

  "Yes," she replied, "for her birthday. It came this forenoon."

  Kennedy hung up the receiver and faced Clutching Hand puzzled as thelatter said, "Call up Martin, the jeweler."

  Again Kennedy obeyed.

  "Has the watch purchased for Miss Elaine Dodge been delivered?" heasked the clerk.

  "No," came back the reply, "the watch Mr. Bennett bought is still herebeing regulated."

  Kennedy hung up the receiver. He was stunned.

  "The watch will cause her death at three o'clock," said the ClutchingHand. "Swear to leave here without discovering my identity and I willtell you how. You can save her!"

  A moment Kennedy thought. Here was a quandary.

  "No," he shouted, seizing the telephone.

  Before Kennedy could move, Clutching Hand had pulled the telephonewires with almost superhuman strength from the junction box.

  "In that watch," he hissed, "I have set a poisoned needle in a springthat will be released and will plunge it into her arm at exactly threeo'clock. On the needle is ricinus!"

  Craig advanced, furious. As he did so, Clutching Hand pointed calmly tothe clock. It was twenty minutes of three!

  With a mental struggle, Kennedy controlled his loathing of the creaturebefore him.

  "All right--but you'll hear from me--sooner than you suspect," heshouted, starting for the door.

  Then he came back and lifted his hat, hiding as much as possible theselenium cell, letting the light fall on it.

  "Only Elaine's life has saved you."

  With a last threat he dashed out. He hailed a cab, returning from somesteamship wharves not far away.

  "Quick!" he ordered, giving the Dodge address on Fifth Avenue.

  Minute after minute the police and I waited. Was anything wrong? Wherewas Craig?

  Just then a tremor grew into a tinkle, then came the strong burr of thebell. Kennedy needed us.

  With a shout of encouragement to the men I dashed out and over to theold house.

  Meanwhile Clutching Hand himself had approached the table to recoverhis weapon and had noticed the queer little selenium cell. He picked itup and for the first time saw the wire leading out.

  "The deuce!" he cried. "He's planned to get me anyhow!"

  Clutching Hand rushed to the door--then stopped short. Outside he couldhear the police and myself. We had shot the lock on the outside andwere already inside.

  Clutching Hand slammed shut his door and pulled down over it a heavywooden bar. A few steps took him to the window. There were police inthe back yard, too. He was surrounded.

  But he did not hurry. He knew what to do with every second.

  At the desk he paused and took out a piece of cardboard. Then with aheavy black marking pencil, he calmly printed on it, while we batteredat the barricaded door, a few short feet away.

  He laid the sign on the desk, then on another piece of cardboard, drewcrudely a hand with the index finger, pointing. This he placed on achair, indicating the desk.

  Just as the swaying and bulging door gave way, Clutching Hand gave thedesk a pull. It opened up--his getaway.

  He closed it with a sardonic smile in our direction, just before thedoor crashed in.

  We looked about. There was not a soul in the room, nothing but theselenium cell, the chairs, the desk.

  "Look!" I cried catching sight of the index finger, and going over tothe desk.

  We rolled back the top. There on the flat top was a sign:

  Dear Blockheads:

  Kennedy and I couldn't wait.

  Yours as ever,

  Then came that mysterious sign of the Clutching Hand.

  We hunted over the rooms, but could find nothing that showed a clue.Where was Clutching Hand? Where was Kennedy?

  In the next house Clutching Hand had literally come out of an uprightpiano into the room corresponding to that he had left. Hastily he threwoff his handkerchief, slouch hat, old coat and trousers. A neat stripedpair of trousers replaced the old, frayed and baggy pair. A new shirt,then a sporty vest and a frock coat followed. As he put the finishingtouches on, he looked for all the world like a bewhiskered foreigner.

  With a silk hat and stick, he surveyed himself, straightening his tie.At the door of the new headquarters, a few seconds later, I stood withthe police.

  "Not a sign of him anywhere," growled one of the officers.

  Nor was there. Down the street we could see only a straightwell-dressed, distinguished looking man who had evidently walked downto the docks to see a friend off, perhaps.

  Elaine was sitting in the library reading when Aunt Josephine turned toher.

  "What time is it, dear?" she asked.

  Elaine glanced at her pretty new trinket.

  "Nearly three, Auntie--a couple of minutes," she said.

  Just then there came the sound of feet running madly down the hall way.They jumped up, startled.

  Kennedy, his coat flying, and hat jammed over his eyes, had almostbowled over poor Jennings in his mad race down the hall.

  "Well," demanded Elaine haughtily, "what's--"

&
nbsp; Before she knew what was going on, Craig hurried up to her andliterally ripped the watch off her wrist, breaking the beautifulbracelet.

  He held it up, gingerly. Elaine was speechless. Was this Kennedy? Washe possessed by such an inordinate jealousy of Bennett?

  As he held the watch up, the second hand ticked around and the minutehand passed the meridian of the hour.

  A viciously sharp little needle gleamed out--then sprang back into thefiligree work again.

  "Well," she gasped again, "what's the occasion of THIS?"

  Craig gazed at Elaine in silence.

  Should he defend his rudeness, if she did not understand? She stampedher foot, and repeated the question a third time.

  "What do you mean, sir, by such conduct?"

  Slowly he bowed.

  "I just don't like the kind of birthday presents you receive," he said,turning on his heel. "Good afternoon."