Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1913-10-08
.TheYelloW
Claw
Was 1t the End
of 1t?
By cLARIssA r1AcKIE

IA rnuTIHurel aposoksdCaAy anu Neut
,wsv as silently as he had come.
yohn Murray stared ut the package
rsth tncredulous eyes. Suddenly his
,sw set frmly and be jumped up and.
yessng the door to the outer office.
wsnt 10 his safe and took from an In
,sr compartment two other packages
n the same size and shape as the one
perkins had Just brought In.
With the three packages ranged be-
,,re him on The desk. John Murray
.,udIed them with knitted brow.
They were exactly alike. He opened
che Of the packages.
Within was a square box OF Chinese
ras lacquer. with powdering OF gold
an the Id. The box was perhaps ten
inches square and three inches deep.
Murray lifted the lid and gnzed long
II the strange contents Of the box.
On bed Of red silk lay banda
tlAeous, claw.llke hand--with long.
transparent nails The thing was made
., yellow wax. but 80 perfect was the
craftsmanship aud so faithfully had the
s4isan carried out his idea that the
ysglew band seemed Ike that Of lly-
hs human hand, ycined and knotted
had with muscied tingers hall curt
ID, as &c Ia malignant desire to clutch.
u strange. to xiii.
There WIS nothing else In the box
mve the yellow. claw.ilke hand.
with sat lips Murray opened the sec
end box AID disclosed a facsimile OF
the waxeu hama and the third box and
aw still another hand but this last
band coaaIHed In the box Just arrived
vas closed. as though 1t held some
,alug ia s. death grip.
Murray shBd,lered a little. for he
knew tbat the throat which the Yellow
chw lonred To grasp was his own
He knew that the death grip was In
tended FOR his own strong. brown
threat
Murray knew that he had received
TIE shfee warnings aud that II he did
uot obey the last oue--weil. he drew 8
sharp breath aud walked to the win
DIV well IL he didn't heed tie third
ysrnigS. why. be would disappear as
mysJerioasty as Henderson had vanish
81 lhree months before or as complete
F as Moore had dropped out of sight
sig months ago.
Il VIII speak 10 Swiunerton, Ito
uHst advise me-" muttercd Murray as
be thfuy; the boxes back into the safe
add ioeGed the door.
AZ he spoke there came rap at the
eslee door.
liz turned the key and admitted
Pertigs. gho darted little. sunky
ganges arOgnd the room IS be dellv.
sfsl his message:
@Ar, swjuueFton to sce you. sir"
Send him In. please" said Murray
saoriIy ani be pushed forward a deep
eAaiT Tor BIS visitor. who entered al
nas, Immediately. Tom Swinnertan
vas tail thin. anxious looking young
naa wiih fair hair tonsled over bis fine
Forehead. Tie sank down in the chair
ssa tossed bis hist on the desk.
Hope don't bore you. Murray. but
I've beard from them" he said with "A
hervoHs laugh.
@ohn Murray uttered faint echo of
the laugh.
Tn In the same box. Tom. i've
heard three tines
Ny God. Murray gasped the other
ioa don't mean-why. what are you
geihs TO do about itr'
Murray shrugged hts shoulders. THE
nlrd call came only half an hour ago"
I've heard twice. came to ask
your advice" shuddered the younger
@an. dHing bis anxious eyes on Muir
fays strong face.
There's only one thing TO do. Tom.
s''eF ail"-and Murray turned sudden
and sat down close TO bis visitor.
ne spoke In a whisper; You know we
'OaF' Moore and Henderson. you and !.
Promised to obey the call OF the Vel
Nv Claw at any time in return for
saich they allowed Henderson to 60
ne after that fiasco Of his up the
H'eF Those were rough days for for
sssners In China. and. well, don't be-
1--WE any .sne of US expected 10 be
aAed upon to do what the Yellow
easw demands. Henderson must have
,e'ased and Moore rs well. for you
NOV they have both disappeared. l."
Wen, shat Is the one thing to do.
'ohhs' asked Tom after awhile
30 down Into Chinatown. find oet
%Sat they want and then decide what
= best TO be done
When shall we goy'
tonight Is best I've had my last
saii. The third hand held garroter's
.S'a. dove. they're an uncanny set.
,ese Chinese" Murray arose and
paced the floor.
Why Chinatown? We don't know
'asfe to CO. objected Tom.
They've come by parcel post. I've
w. and can tell you the very
,auon from which they were mailed
&, ~ I'm pretty sure that when we get
~ chinatown there VIII be some one
v sVslhg ont for US to take US TO the
fellow Claw"