Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1915-05-15
Seventeenth EPISODE
THE EVE.

iHG INViNO eve.
Not a clue had been left by the kid.
napers when they had so mysterious
ly spirited Elaine away from the
apartment OF WI Fang. She had dis
appeared as completely as IL she had
vanished into thin air.
Kennedy was frantic. WI and Long
Sin themselves seemed to have van
ished. too. Where they held her. what
bad happened to her. was a sealed
book. And yet no move Of ours VAS
made. no matter how secret. that Il
did not seem 10 be known TO them. Ii
vas as though q weird. uncanny eve
glared at us. watching everything.
Craig neglected no possibility In
his age search. lie even visited the
little house In the country which
Elaine had given TO Aunt Tabby. and
spent several hours examining the
collapsed subterranean chamber in
the vain hope that it might yield a
clue. But il had not.
Unescapably. he vas forced to the
conclusion that not only Elaine's
amazing disappearance. but the tragic
succession OF events which had pre-
ceded IL had been caused, in some
way. by the curiously engraved ring
which Aunt Josephine had taken from
her.
Craig had taken possession OF the
mystic ring himself. and now. forced
back on this sole clue. IL had occurred
to hin that IL the ring were so valu-
able. other attempts would. without
doubt. be made 10 get possession OF IL.
] came into the laboratory. one aft
ernoon, TO find Kennedy surrounded
by jewelers. tools. hard al work max
ing an a copy OF the ring.
What do you think OF il. Walter?"
he asked. holding up the replica.
Perfect" replied. admiringly.
What are you going to do with it?"
Il can't say-yet." answered Ken
nedy, forlornly. but IL | understand
these Chinese criminals at all. | know
that the only way We can ever track
them Is through some trick. Perhaps
the replica will suggest something TO
US later"
Let's see II Aunt Josephine has re-
ceived any word" he remarked alb
ruptly. putting on his hat and coat.
and nodding Ia me TO follow.
Kennedy and we're not the only
visitors to the subtcrranean chamber
where II had seemed hat the clue
10 the Clutching Hands millions
might be found.
II was as though that hidden. watch
ing eye followed us. The night after
our own unsuccessful search. WI
Fans. accompanied by Long Sin. made
his way into the cavern.
WI examined the safe which had
been broken into.
Long Sin was now going over the
walls OF the cavern infinitely. his close
set. beady black eyes examining every
square inch OF IL.
A sudden low cultural exclamation
caused WI TO turn TO him quickly
Long Sin had discovered. back OF the
debris a long oblong slot. cut into the
rock. Above IL were some peculiar
marks.
WI HulIitu ONfl y ais HfHfllHtHs
and together they tried 10 decipher
what had been scratched on the rock.
A Long Sins slender ard sinister
f%oreinger traced over the inscription
WI suddenly caught him by the ell
bow.
1.-The ring" he cried. as at last ne in
terpreted the meaning of the cryptic
characters.
But what about the ring For a mo-
ment WI looked at the slot in deep
thought. Then he reached down and
withdrew a ring from his own finger
and dropped IL through the slot.
They listened a moment. They could
hear the ring tinkle as though IL were
running down some sort OF tracklike
declivity inside the rock. Then. faint.
~, they could hear IL drop. IL had
fallen into a little cup of a compart-
ment below at their feet.
Nothing happened. WI recovered
his ring. But he had hit at last upon
the Clutching Hands secret!
Bennett had devised a ring lock
which would open the treasure vault,
No other ring except the one which
he had so carefully hidden Was OF the
size or weight that would move the
lever which would set the machinery
working TO open the treasure house.
Again WI tried another OF his own
rings, and a third time: Long Sin