The Dickinson press., 1915-05-29
order to get another. Ill have to 60
I'll get this story from you, Craig."~


house, the Clutching Hand had been
talking to two of his emissaries, an at
tractive young woman and man.
They were Flirty Florrie and Dan
the Dude.
Nov, I want you to get Kennedy"
he said. "The way to do it is to sep
arate Kennedy and Elaine-see?"
"All right, Chief, we'll do it," they
replied.
Clutching Hand had scarcely left
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
ly turned from the telephone when
Dan the Dude walked in from the next
room.
Hes coming" she said.
Dan was carrying huge stag head
with beautifully branched pair Of
antlers. Under his arm was a coil Of
wire which he had connected to the
inside of the head.
"Fine!" he exclaimed. Then, point
ing to the head, he added, It's all
ready. See how fixed it? That ought
to please the Chief
Dan moved quickly to the mantel
and mounted stepladder there by
which he had taken down the head,
and started to replace the head above
the mantel.
He hooked the head on nail.
There" he said, unscrewing one of
the beautiful brown glass eyes of the
stag.
Back of it could be seen a camera
shutter.
"One of those new quick shutter
cameras he explained.
Then he ran couple of wires along
the molding around the room and into
a closet, where he made the connec.
ton with sort of switchboard on
which a button was marked, SHUT.
TER" and the switch, WIND FILM" :"
"Now, Flirty," he said, coming out
of the closet and pulling up the shade
which let 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 last look Dan went into the
closet and shut the door.
Perhaps half an hour later Clutching
Hand himself called me up on the
telephone. 1t was he-not the Star
as l learned only too late.
+
had scarcely got out of the house.
as Craig told me afterwards, when
Flirty Florrie told all over again the
embroidered tale that had caught my
ear
Kennedy said nothing, but listened
intently, perhaps betraying in his face
the skepticism he felt.
"You see," she said, still voluble and
eager to convince him, "I was only
walking on the street. Here-let me
show you. 1t was just like this
She took his arm and, before he
knew, it, led him to the spot on the
floor near the window which Dan had
indicated. Meanwhile Dan was lis.
tening attentively in his closet
"Now-stand there. You are just
as l was-only l didn't expect any.
thing"
She was pantomiming some one ap.
preaching stealthily while Kennedy
watched her with interest, tinged with
doubt. Behind Craig in his closet,
Dan was reaching for the switchboard
button.
"You see," she said advancing
quickly and acting her words, che
placed his hands on my shoulders
so-then threw his arms about my
neck-so!"
She said no more, but imprinted a
deep, passionate kiss on Kennedy's
mouth, clinging closely to him. Be-
fore Kennedy could draw away, Dan
in the closet, had pressed the but
ton and the switch several times in
rapid succession.
"Th-that's very realistic" gasped
Craig, good deal taken aback by the
sudden osculatory assault.
He frowned.
"I-1'll look into the case," he said,
backing away. There may be
some scientific xplanation-but- -
err
He was plainly embarrassed and
fastened to make his adieux.
q = p
How little impression the thing
made on Kennedy can be easily seen
| from the fact that on the way down
town that afternoon he stopped at
| Martins, on Fifth avenue, and bought
ring-a very handsome solitaire, the
| finest Martin had in the shop.
It must have been about the time
that he decided to stop at Martins
that the Dodge butler, Jennings, ad'
mitted a young lady who presented a
card on which was engraved the
name
Miss Florence Leigh,
20 Prospect Avenue.
AS he handed Elaine the card, she