Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1915-05-23
CHAPTER XXI
Work of the Hidden Wire

Elaine sat in the library reading one
morning. when her maid. Marie. en-
tered. carrying q long Dashboard box.
caintlly tied.
some flowers for you. Miss Elaine.
think" she said. handing the box TO her
mistress.
There was no quicker way to reach
hcltne's heart than through flowers. and
her surprise and pleasure at tho sift
showed quickly In her face as she took
The package.
Marie left the room. aud Elaine. aftsr
contemplating for q moment in keen anti
cipatlon what she though at first was a
gift from Craig Kennedy. opened the box.
There lay a splendid bunch Of lonE-stsm-
med red and white rcseA
Nesting In the green leaves was little
white note. She picked It up expectantly
and tore II open.
Instantly, however, hor face blanohed.
Instead Of n billet douS. It was the most
fearsome threat yet which the savage
Chinese master criminal. WI Fang. had
sent in his vengeful vendetta which he
had sworn on account OF the loss OF the
clutching Hands millions.
Elaine had scarcely timo to exclaim at
its dire meaning. when Kennedy himself
entered.
Good morning." he greeted oheerily,
then cut the greeting short as he caught
the horrofied expression on her pretty
face.
"why-what's the natter
Elaine was too terrified even Yet TO
speak. All she could do was 20 hand him
the note.
The first victim shall be Craig Ken
nedy or your aunt You may choose.
Place the red roses in the window for
your lover. the white for the silver
haired one"
As he finished reading the note, his
face could not conceal the alarm he felt.
not for himself, but for Elaine at whom
the thing intimately pointed
'.wh-what shall / do" size appealed.
Craig did not answer directly. lie
seiected some from the bunch OF red
roses and hastily stuck them In vase
and placed the vase on the window sill.
Don't worry" he. treasured ner. Just
trust me. I'll see this thing through.
Goodbye-and be very, very careful.
Elaine stod gazing AZ him a moment a.
he left the house. then turned ana almost
ran up 10 her room 10 think II all over
outside the Dodge house. the dirty
bent cripple looked about cautiously out
Of the corner Of his eye.
suddenly he paused as II he had caught
sieht Of O mendicancy offtoei
bearing down on him There on th'
window sill Of the library was vase o.
req roses. Hastily he shuffled off OF
his way.
AS fast as his supposedly bent bodl
could straighten itself safely out, h
hurried downtown with one idea-b
reach the secret apartment OF WI Fans
the Serpent
WI, Long Sin. and several other China
men were gathered about table OF
which was a long oblong oak box. Il
the cover which was open were fastenel
on the inside two fiat spOols OF silken
covered wire. At each end OF the boi
was placed an ordinary storage battery
and IN a compartment between. beside
switches and connections, were wha
looked like six sets OF headgsar. muc
resembling those worn by wireless opera
tors
This" said WI. holding up a ittl
black disc about AZ large as a watci
with dozen or 50 little perfOrstions
the face, Is the white devils little me
chanical eayesdrOpper-the detectaph0n
-lhe ear IN the wall by It's aid we sha
learn all about our enemies. where I
strike. when to-"