Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1915-05-24

He handed Jens dollar In small
change.
StlIl grumpy but Modified by the
silver, Jens let them so up and opened
the door to our rooms again. There
stood the cabinet, as outwardly inno-
cent as VIXEN Il came in
Juggling and tugging they managed
TO get the heavy piece OF furniture out
and downstairs again. loading II on
the wagon. Then they drove off with
It, accompanied by a parting yolley
from Jensen.
In an unfrequented street, perhaps
half mile away, the wagon stopped.
With a keen glance around. the driver
and his helper made sure that no one
was about.
Such a shaking up as you've given
me!P growled a voice as the cabinet
door opened But I've got him this
time."
Il was the Clutehing Hand.
Craig gazed into our living room eau.
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 II | ask you TO wait
just a moment longer?"
Elaine watched him, fascinated, he
crossed the room. then went into each
of our other rooms. Apparently moth
ing was wrong and minute later he
reappeared at the doorway.
II guess It's all right" he said Per
haps IL was only Jensen, the janltor."
Elaine. Aunt Josephine and Susie
Martin entered. Craig placed chairs
for them, but still could see that he
was uneasy. From time 70 time. while
they we're admlring one Of our treas
ures after another, he glanced about
susplciously.
What is the trouble. do you Think
asked Elaine wonderingly noticing
his manner
IL can't just say" answered Craig
tryins 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 amassee in his
adventures.
At last her eye wandered across the
room. She caught sight OF her own
picture, occupying place Of honor
but hanging askew.
Isn't that just like a mani" she ex-
claimed. Such housekeepers as you
are-sbth carelessness!
She had taken stop or two across
the room to straighten the picture.
Miss Dodgel" almost shouted Ken.
nedy, his face fairly blanched. Stop
She turned, her stunning eyes filled
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, aslew, with suspicion.
THAT wasn't that way when we left
was 1t, Walter?" he asked.
ut 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 | did not know what
to make Of II.
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
a fishing rod that stood III 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 30 there was a flash, a
loud, deafening report, and a great
puff of smoke from the fireplace.
The fire screen was rddled 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 we're the rest.
With 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 It's barrel
sawed off about six inches from the
lock. fastened to block of wood, and
connected TO series of springs on
the trigger released by little electro
magnetic arrangement actuated by
two batteries and leading by wires up
along the moldng to the picture where
the slightest touch would complete the
circuit.
A startled cry from Elaine caused us
to turn.
She was standing directly before her
shattered picture where it hung awry
on the wall. The heavy charge OF
buckshot had knocked away large
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