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.
<ennedy.
As Craig moved
“Stop!” 0
| The crook did so.
|
made a dash for the door leading back
into the church itself, with Kennedy
after him.
Up he went into the choir loft and
. the
then into the beliry itself.
! came to sheer hand-to-hand
Kennedy tripped on a loose b
| would have fallen backwards
| not been able
| in time. TI
The crook, desperate,
Yi
vently, trying to stanch the flow of
i blood.
i “This time—it was you—saved me
i he cried, “Elaine!”
Involuntarily his arms sought hers—
he held her a moment, looking
1”