NN’A five able, TS TH CED. h. tant nd! Or lace alls in cleaning my automatic gun one " morning as Kennedy and I were seat- "7 and speaking tube.in the hallway be- low it. He opened it; disclosing an ob- interest me. door and our fair visitor was coming WANING, PRETO ov SYNOPSIS. emmeen York police are mystified by ‘murders and other crimes. The Blue to the criminal is the warn- ® which is sent the victims, ih a ‘clutching hand.” The lat- of the mysterious assassin is Dodge, the insurance president. ghter, Elaine, employs Craig , the famous scientific detective, o unravel the mystery. What v accomplishes is told by his Jameson, a newspaper man. En- t the determined effort which nd Craig Kennedy are making to end to his crimes, the Clutching as this strange criminai Is known, rts to all sorts of th most diabolical mes tc put ther out of the way. 'h chapter of th. sto., tells of a new )t against their live and of the way reat detective uses all his skill to ive this pretty girl and himself from ath. 1 SEVENTH EPISODE The Double Trap. Mindful of the sage advice that a time of peace is best employed in pre- paring for war, I was busily engaged ed in our living room. iQur door buzzer sounded, and Ken- nedy, always alert, jumped up, push- ing aside a great pile of papers which had accumulated in the Dodge case. Two ‘steps took him ‘to the ‘hall, here the day beforé he had installed ‘peculiar box about four by six inches, Shnected in some way with a lens- te box of similar size above our bell long plate of ground glass. “I thought the seismograph ar- rangement was not, quite enough after that spring-gun affair,” he remarked, “go. I have put in a sort of teleview of my own invention—so that I can se down into the vestibule downstairs. Well—just look who’s here!” “Some new-fangled periscope ar- rangement, I suppose?’ I queried, 1ov- ing slowly over toward it. However, one look was enough to 1 can express it only in slang. There, framed in the little thing, was a vision of as swell a “chicken” as I have ever seen. 1 whistled under my breath. “Um!” 1 exclaimed shamelessly, “A peach! Who's your friend?” 1 had never said a truer word than in my description of her, though I did not know it at the time. She was in- deed known as “Gertie the Peach” in the select circle where she belonged. Kennedy had opened the lower upstairs. “Go in there, Walter,” he said. seiz- ing me quickly and pushing me into my room. “I want you to walt there and watch her carefully.” Kennedy opened the door, disclos- ing a very excited young woman, “Oh, Professor Kennedy,” she cried, all in one breath, with much emotion, “I'm go glad I found you in. I can’t tell you. Oh—my jewels! They have been stolen—and my husband must not mow of it. 'Help me to recover them—please!” ; “Just a moment, my dear young lady,” interrupted Craig, finding at last a chance to get a word in edge- ways. “Do you see that table—and all those papers? Really, I can’t take your case. I am too busy, as it is, even to. take the cases of many of my own clients.” : “But please, Professor Kennedy— please!” she begged. “Help me. It means—oh, I can’t tell you how much it means to me!’ She had come close to him and had laid her warm, little soft hand on his, in ardent entreaty. From my hiding place in my room, I could not help seeing that she was using every charm of her sex and per- sonality to lure him on, as she clung confidingly to him. Gertie had thrown her arms about Kennedy, as if in wildest devotion. I wondered what Elaine would have thought if she had a picture of that! “Qh,” she begged him, “please— please help me!” Still Kennedy seemed utterly unaf- fected by her passionate embrace. Carefully he loosened her fingers from about his neck and removed the “plump, enticing arms. Gertie sank into a chair, weeping, while Kennedy stood before her a mo- ment in deep abstraction. Finally he seemed to make up his mind to something. His manner toward her changed. IIe took a step to her side. «1 will help you,” he said, laying his hand on her shoulder. “If it is pos sible I will recaver your jewels. Where do you live?” «At Hazlehhbrst,” she replied, grate fully. “Oh, Mr. Kennedy, how can 1 ever thank you?” She seemed overcome with grati tude, and took his hand, pressed it, even kissed it. “Just a minute,” he added, carefully extricating his hand. “I'll be ready in By ARTHUR B. REEVE nown Novelist and the Creator of the “Craig Kennedy” Stories d in Collaboration With the Pathe Players and the Eclectic Film Company ! Copyright, 1914, by the Star Company All Foreign Rights Reservea d S———— 5 5 8 Bs Fo RCTS SE St Sn just done. Then his second thought ‘seemed to approve it. “This is a trap of the Clutching! Hand, Walter,” he whispered, adding tensely, “and we're going to walk right into it.” “But, Craig,” I demurred, “that’s foolhardy. Have her trailed—any- thing—but—" He shook his head, and with a mere motion of his hand brushed aside my objections as he went to a cabinet across the room. From one shelf he took out a small met: box and from another a test tube, placing the test tube -in his waistcoat pocket and the small box in his coat pocket with excessive care. Then he turned and motioned to me to follow him out into the other room. 1 did so, stuffing my “gatt” into my pocket. “Tet me introduce my friend, Mr. Jameson,” said Craig, presenting me to the pretty crook. The introduction quickly over, we three’ went out to get Craig's car, which he kept at a nearby garage. * *® * * * * * That forenoon Perry Bennett was reading up a case. In the outer of- fice Milton Schofield, his office boy, was industriously chewing gum and admiring his feet, cocked up on the desk before him. The door to the waiting room opened and an attractive woman of perhaps thirty, dressed in extreme mourning, entered with a boy. Milton cast a glance of scorn at the “little dude.” He was in reality about fourteen years old, but was dressed to look much younger. “Did you wish to see Mr. Bennett?” asked the precocious Milton, politely, on one hand, while on the other he made a wry grimace. ; “Yes—here is my card,” replied the woman. It was deeply bordered in black. Even Milton was startled at reading it: “Mrs. Taylor Dodge.” He looked at the woman in open- mouthed astonishment. Even he knew that Elaine’s mother had been dead for years. The woman, however, true to her name in the artistic coterie in which she was leader, had sunk into a chair and was "sobbing convulsively, as only “Weepy Mary” could. It was so effective that even Milton was visibly moved. He took the card in, excitedly, to Bennett. “There’s a woman outside—says she is Mrs. Taylor Dodge!” he cried. ‘If Milton had had an X-ray eye he could have seen her take a cigarette from her handbag and light it non- chalantly the moment he was gone. As for Bennett, Milton, who was watching him closely, thought he was about ‘to discharge him on the spot for bothering him. He took the card, and his face expressed the most ex- ‘treme surprise, then anger. He thought a moment. “Tell that woman to state her busi- ness in writing,” he thundered curtly at Milten. As the boy turned to go back to the waiting room, Weepy Mary, hear- ing him coming, hastily shoved the r arette into her “son’s” hand. “Mr. Bennett says for you to write out what it is you want to see him about,” reported Milton, indicating the table before — hich she was sitting. Mary had automatically taken up sobbing with the release of the ciga- rette. She locked at the table on which were letter paper, pens and ink. “1 may write here?’ she asked. “Surely, ma'am,” replied Milton, still very much overwhelmed by her SOTTOW. “Weepy Mary” sat there, writing and sobbing. In the midst of his sympathy, how- ever, Milton sniffed. There was an unmistakable odor ‘of tobacco smoke about the room. He looked sharply at the “son,” and discovered tke still smoking cigarette. It was too much for Milton’s out- him that coveted privilege. This up- start could not usurp it. He reached over and seized the boy by the arm, and swung him around till he faced a sign in the corner on the wall. “See?” he demanded. The sign read, courteously: “No Smoking in This Office—Please. “PERRY BENNETT.” “Leggo my arm,” snarled the #gon,” putting the offensive cigarette defi- antly into his mouth. There was every element of a gaudy mixup, when the outer door of the of- fice suddenly swung open and Elaine Dodge entered. Gallantry was Milton’s middle name, and he sprang forward to hold. the door, and then .opened Bennett's door, as he ushered in Elaine. As she passed “Weepy Mary,” who was still writing at the table and cry- ing bitterly, Elaine hesitated and just a minute.” Kennedy entered the room where 1 was listening “What's it 11 about, Craig?” I whis | he stood thinking, ap | in what he } |? looked at her curiously. Hven after | Milton had opened Bennett's door, she raged dignity. Bennett did not allow | RUNNING IN THE AUDITORIUM. MEYERSDALE, EACH THURSDAY EVENING. “Who is that woman?” she asked, still wondering about the identity of the niobe outside. At first he sald nothing. But finally, seeing that she had noticed it, he handed Elaine the card, reluctantly. © Elaine read it with a gasp. The look of surprise that crossed her face was terrible. ! Before she could say anything, how: ever, Milton had returned with the sheet of paper on which “WeeDy Mary” had written and handed it to Bennett. Bennett read it with uncontrolled astonishment. “What is it?” demanded Elaine. He handed it to her, and she read: As the lawful wife and widow of Taylor Dodge | demand my son’s rights and my own. MRS. TAYLOR DODGE. Elaine gasped at it. “She—my father’s wife!” she ex- claimed. “What effrontery! What does she mean?” Bennett hesitated. “Tell me,” Elaine cried. “Is there— can there be anything in it? No—no— there isn’t.” Bennett spoke in a low tone. “I have heard a whisper of some scan- dal or other connected with your fath- er—but—" He paused. Elaine was first shocked, then indig- nant. “Why—such a thing is absurd. Show the woman in!” “No—please—Miss Dodge. Let me deal with her.” By this time Elaine was furious. “Yes—I will see her.” She pressed the button on Bennett's desk, and Milton responded. “Milton, show the—the woman in,” she ordered, “and that boy, too.” As Milton turned to crook his finger at “Weepy Mary,” she nodded surrep- titiously and dug her fingers sharply | into “son’s” ribs. | “Yell—you little 'fool—yell,” she | whispered. : | Obedient to his “mother’s” com- | the boy started to cry in close imita- tion of his elder. Elaine was still holding the paper in | her hands when they entered. “What does all this mean?” she de- | manded. i “Weepy Mary,” between sobs, ma aged to blurt out, “You are Miss Flaine Dodge, aren’t you? Well, it | mands, and much to Milton’s disgust, | | | means that your father married ite when I was only seventeen and this boy is our son—your half-brother.” “No—never,” cried Elaine vehem- ently, unable to restrain her disgust. “Weepy Mary” smiled cynically. “Come with me and I will show you the church records and the minister who married us.” “You will?” repeated Elaine defiant: ly. “Well, I'll just do as you ask. Mr. Bennett shall go with me.” “No, no, Miss Dodge—don’t go. Leave the matter to me,” urged Ben- nett. “I will take care of her. Be- sides, I must be in court in twenty minutes.” Elaine paused, but she was thor- oughly aroused. “Then I will go with her myself,” she cried defiantly. In spite of every objection that Ben- and Elaine went out to call a taxicab to take them to the railroad station where they could catch a train to the little town where the woman asserted she had been married. Meanwhile, before a little country church in the town, a closed automo- bile had drawn up. As the door opened a figure, humped up and masked, alighted. It was the Clutching Hand. The car had scarcely pulled away when he gave a long rap, followed by two short taps, at the door of the vestry, a secret code, evidently. Inside the vestry room a man well dressed, but with a very sinister face, heard the knock and a second later opened the door. “What—not ready yet?” growled the Clutching Hand. “Quick—now—get on those clothes. I heard the train whis. could not re t another glance. In- | stinctively, EI studving the black- i | | ~ che ereeted him seemed to scent | | of minis | put them on, adding gide-whisk- 1t with him. y Elaine, ac- fary” and her some { ers, which he had brot !” Av avout There Steod Her Arch Enemy, the Clutching Hand. shortly by your friend, Cag Kennedy.) and,” he added with a leer, “I think | nett made, “Weepy Mary,” her son | re eines ei tle as I came in the car. In which closet does the minister keep them?” | The crook, without a word, went to| a closet and took out a suit of clothes | erial cut. Then he hastily | “son,” had arrived at the little, € down station and had taken the only vehicle in sight, a very ancient car riage. It ambled along until, at last, it pulled up before the vestry room door of the church, just as the bogus min- ister was finishing his transformation from a frank crook. Clutching Hand was giving, him his final instructions. Elaine and the others alighted and | approached the church, while the an-, cient vehicle rattled away. “They're coming!” whispered the crook, peering cautiously out of the window. Clutching Hand moved silently and snakelike into the closet and shut the door. “How do you do, Doctor Carton?” greeted “Weepy Mary.” I guess you don’t remember me.” The clerical gentleman looked at her fixedly a moment. “Remember you?” he repeated. “Of course, my dear. I remember every- one I marry.” “And you remember to whom you married me?” “Perfectly. To an older man—a Tay- lor Dodge.” { Elaine was overcome. “Won't you step in?’ he said suavely. “Your friend here doesn’t seem well.” They all entered. “And you—you say—you married this—this woman to Taylor Dodge?” queried Elaine, tensely. The bogus minister seemed to be very fatherly. “Yes,” he asserted, “I certainly did so.” “Have you the record?” Elaine, fighting to the last. “Why, yes. I can show you the record.” He moved over to the closet. “Come over here,” he asked. He opened the door. Elaine screamed and drew back. There stood her arch enemy, the Clutching Hand himself. As he stepped forth, she turned wild- ly, to run—anywhere. But strong arms seized her and forced her into a chair. She looked at the woman and the minister. It was a plot! “A moment Clutching Hand looked Blaine over. “Put the others out,” he ordered the other crook. “Now, my pretty dear,” began the Clutching Hand as the lock turned in the vestry door, “we shall be joined BE EA ie he Sows asked READ THE STORY AND SEE THE | of us into the car which was waiting, PICTURES. TT Eo i TT RET TAT TT TT wre TT toward him, he waited, cold sweat breaking out on his face. “Say,” he whined, “you let me be!” It was inefféctual. Kennedy, smil- ing confidently, came closer, still hold- ing the deadly little box. balanced be- tween two fingers. He took the crook’s gun and dropped it into his pocket. “Sit down!” ordered Craig. Outside, the other six parleyed in hoarse whispers. One raised a gun, but the woman and tbe others re strained him and fled. “Take me to your master!” de: manded Kennedy. The crook remained silent. “Where is he?” repeated Craig. “Tell me!” Still the man remained silent. Craig looked the fellow over again. Then, still with that confident smile, he reached into his inside pocket and drew forth the tube I had seen him place there. “No matter how much you accuse me,” added Craig casually, “no one will ever take the word of a crook that a reputable scientist like me would do what I am about to do.” He had taken out his penknife and opened it. Then he beckoned to me. “Bare his arm and hold his wrist, Walter,” he said. Craig bent down with the knife and the tube, then paused a moment and turned to tube so that we could see it. On the label were the ominous words: Germ Culture 6248A Bacillus Leprae (Leprosy) Calmly he took the knife and pro ceeded to make an incision in the maf’s arm. The crook’s feelings un- derwent a terrific struggle. “No—no—no—don’t,” he implored. “] will take you to the Clutchipg Hand—even if he kills me!” Kennedy stepped back, replacing the tube in his pocket. “Very well, go ahead!” he agreed. We followed the. crook, Craig still |: holding the deadly box of fulminate of mercury carefully. balanced so that if anyone shot him from a hiding place it would drop. No sooner had we gone than Gertie hurried to the nearest telephone to inform the Cluching Hand of our escape. Elaine had sunk back into the chair as the telephone rang. Clutching Hand answered it. A moment later, in uncontrollable fury he hurled the instrument to the floor, “Here—we’ve got to act quickly— that devil has escaped again,” he hissed. “We must get her away. You keep her here. I'll be back—right away—with a car.” : He dashed madly from the church, pulling off his mask as he gained the street. ; Kennedy had forced the crook ahead and I followed, taking the wheel this time. 1 “Which way, now—quick!” demand- | ed Craig. “And if you get me in | wrong—TI’ve got that tube yet—you re- member.” iis Our crook started off with a whole burst of directions .that rivaled the motor guide—“through the town, fol- lowing trolley tracks, jog right, jog left under the railroad bridge, leaving trolley tracks; at the cemetery turn left, stopping at the old stone church.” “Is this it?’ asked Craig incredu- lously. “Yes—as I live,” swore the crook {In a cowed voice. He had gone to pieces. jumped from the machine. “Here, take this gun, Walter,” he said to me. “Don’t take your eyes off Kennedy your rather insistent search for a certain person will cease.” Elaine drew back in the chair, horri- fied at the implied threat. Clutching Hand laughed diabolically. While these astounding events were transpiring ‘in the little church, Ken- pnedy and I had been tearing across the country in his big car, following the directions of our fair friend. We stopped at last before a pros perous, attractive-looking house and entered a very prettily furnished, but small parlor. Heavy portieres hung over the doorway into the hall, over another into a back roem and over the bay windows. “Won’t you sit down a moment?” coaxed Gertie. “I'm quite blown to pieces after that ride. My, how you drive!” As she -pulled aside the hall por tieres, three men with guns thrust their hands out. I turned. Two oth- ers had stepped from the back room and two more from the bay window. We were surrounded. Seven guns were aimed as us with deadly preci sion. “Gentlemen,” he said quietly. “1 suspected some such thing. “I have here a small box of fulminate of mer- cury. If I drop it, this building and the entire vicinity will be blown to atoms. Go ahead—shoot!” he added, nonchalantly. The seven of them drew back rath- the fellow—keep him covered.” Craig walked around the church, out of sight, until he came to a small vestry window and looked in. There was Elaine, sitting in a chair, and near her stood an elderly-looking man in clerical garb, which to Craig's trained eye was quite evidently a dis- guise. Elaine happened just then to glance at the window and her eyes grew wide with astonishment at the sight of Craig. He made a hasty motion to her to make a dash for the door. She nodded quietly. suddenly made a rush. . ” He was at ber .in a moment, pounc- ing on her, catlike. Kennedy had seized an iron bar that lay beside the window where some workmen had been repairing the stone pavement, and with a blow shattered the glass and the sash. rg At the sound of thé smashing glass the crook ‘turned and with a mighty effort threw Elaine aside, drawing his revolver. As he raised it, Elaine sprang at him and frantically seized his wrist. : Utterly merciless the man brought the butt of the gun down with full force on Elaine's head. Only her hat and hair saved her, but she sank un- conscious. Then he turned at Craig and fired twice. One shot grazed Craig’s hat, but the other struck him in the shoulder and Kennedy reeled. With a desperate effort he pulled er hurriedly. Kennedy was a dangerous prisoner. He calmly sat down in an arm | chair, leaning back as he carefully | balanced the deadly little box of ful- | | minate of mercury on his knee. himself toward her and leaped forward again, closing with the fellow and wrenching the gun from him before he could fire again. Just then the man broke away and With a glance at her guardian She for the ladder leading farther up into the steeple. Kennedy followed. Elaine had recovered consciousness ' almost immediately, and, hearing the commotion, stirred and started to rise and look about. From the church she could hear sounds of the struggle. She paused fst lene snout ic seize the crook’s ravolve: ying on the floor. Sie hurried nig the church and ap inte the peliry, thence up the ladder, whence the sounds came. The crook by this time had gained the outside of the steeple through ap opening. Kennedy was in. close pur- suit. On the top of the steeple was a& great gilded cross, considerably larger than a man, As the crook clambered outside, he scaled the steeple, using a lightning rod and some projecting points to pull himself up, desperately. Kennedy followed unhesitatingly. There they were, struggling in dead- ly combat, clinging to the gilded cross. The first I knew of it was a horrified gasp from my own crook. I looked up Just Then | Saw a Woman's Face Tense With Horror; It Was Elaine. carefully, fearing it was a stall to geb me off my guard. ¢ There were Kennedy and the othe crook, struggling, swaying back and forth, between life and death. There was nothing I could do. Kennedy was clinging to a lights ning rod on the cross. It broke. 1 gasped as Craig reeled back. But he managed to catch hold of the rod farther down and cling to it. The crook began to exult diaboli- cally. Holding with both hands to the cross he let himself out to his full length and stamped on Kennedy's fin. gers, trying every way to dislodge him. It was all Kennedy could do to keep his hold. { cried out in agony at the sight, for he had dislodged one of Craig's hands. The other could not hold much longer. He was about to fall. Just then I saw a face at the little window opening out from the ladder to the outside of the steeple—a wom- an’s face, tense with horror. It was Elaine! . ; Quickly a hand followed, and in it -was a revolver. Just as the crook was about to dis. lodge Kennedy's other hand I saw a flash and puff of smoke, and a second later heard a report—and another— and another. : Horrors! = The crook who had taken refuge Liseemed to stagger back, wildly, taking a couple of steps in the thin air. Kennedy ‘regained his hold. With a sickening thud the body ot the crook landed on the ground around the corner of the church from me. “Come—you!” 1 ground out, cover ing my own crook with the pistol, “and if you attempt a getaway I'll kill you, too!” He followed, trembling, unnerved® We bent over the man. It seemed that every bone in his body must be broken. He groaned, and before I could even attempt anything for him, was dead. : As Kennedy let himself slowly and painfully down the lightning rod, Elaine seized him and, with all her strength, pulled him through the win dow. : He was quite weak now from loss ot blood. “Are you—all right?” she gasped, as they reached the foot of the ladder in the belfry. Craig looked down at his torn and soiled clothes. Then, in spite of the smarting pain of his wounds, he smiled, “Yes—all right!” “Thank Heaven!” she murmured fer- Gertie ran from the room. For a moment they looked at each other, undecided. Then, one by one, they stepped away from Kennedy to- ward the door. The leader was the last to go. He n a step.