The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1915-02-12

he ratified some loose change In mis-
pocket. "Here-there goes whole
days tips"
He handed Jens a dollar in small
change
Still grumpy, but Modified by the
silver, Jens let them 60 up and opened
the door to our rooms again. There
stood the cabinet, as outwardly inpo-
cent as when it came in.
Logging and tugging they managed
to get the heavy piece of furniture out
and downstairs again, loading II on
the wagon. Then they drove of with
II, accompanied by a parting volley
from Jensen.
In an unfrequented street, perhaps
half mile away, the wagon stopped.
With keen glance around, the driver
and his helper made sure that no one
was about
Such a shaking up as you've given
mel" growled a voice as the cabinet
door opened. But I've got him this
time!"
1t was the Clutching Hand.
tiously.
Il can't see anything wrong, he said
to me as / stood just beside him. Miss
Dodge" he added will you and the
rest excuse me If I ask you to wait
| just moment longer?'
Elaine watched him, fascinated. He
crossed the room, then went into each
of our other rooms. Apparently moth
ing was wrong and a minute later he
reappeared at the doorway.
II guess it's all right" he said. Per
haps it was only Jensen the janitor."
Elaine Aunt Josephine and Susie
Martin entered. Craig placed chairs
for them, but still could see that he
was uneasy. From time to time, while
j they were admiring one of our treas
ures after another, he glanced about
suspiciously.
! What is the trouble, do you think?"
asked Elaine wonderingly, noticing
his manner.
Il can't just say" answered Craig,
trying to appear easy.
She had risen and with keen inter
est was looking at the books, the pic
lures, the queer collection of weapons
and odds and ends from the under
world that Craig had amassed in his
adventures.
At last her eye wandered across the
room. She caught sight of her own
picture, occupying a place Of honor
but hanging askew.
Isn't that just like a mani" she ex-
claimed. Such housekeepers as you
are-such carelessness!"
She had taken a stop or two across
! the room to straighten the picture.
Miss Dodge" almost shouted Ken
nedy, his face fairly blanched. "Stop!"
She turned, her stunning eyes filed
with amazement at his suddenness.
Nevertheless she moved quickly to one
side, as he waved his arms, unable to
speak quickly enough.
Kennedy stood quite still, gazing at
! the picture, askew, with suspicion.
THAT wasn't that way when we left,
was it, Walter?" he asked.
1T certainly was not" / answered
positively There was more time
spent in getting that picture just
right than ever saw you spend on the
room"
Craig frowned
AS for myself l did not know what
to make of it.
I'm afraid | shall have to ask you
! to step into this back room" said Craig
at length to the ladies. I'm sorry-
but we can't be too careful with this
intruder, whoever he was"
Elaine, however, stopped at the door.
For a moment Kennedy appeared to
be considering. Then his eye fell on
fishing rod that stood in a corner.
He took it and moved toward the pic
ture.
! On his hands and knees, to one
side, down as close as he could get to
the floor, with the rod extended at
arms length, he motioned to me to do
the same, behind him.
Carefully Kennedy reached out with
| the pole and Strengthened the picture.
AS he did so there was a flash, a
! loud, deafening report, and a great
puff of smoke from the fireplace.
The fire screen was riddled and over
turned. A charge of buckshot shat
tered the precious photograph of
| Elaine.
We had dropped fiat on the floor at
the report. / looked about. Kennedy
, was unframed and so were the rest
With a bound he was at the fire.
place, followed by Elaine and the rest
of us. There, in what remained of a
package done up roughly in newspa-
per, was shotgun with its barrel
sawed off about six inches from the
lock, fastened to block of wood, and
connected to a series of springs on
the trigger, released by little electro
magnetic arrangement actuated by
two batteries and leading by wires up
along the molding to the picture where
the slightest touch would complete the
| cirouit