The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1915-04-09

"ndI Is lt! ne asked WIN prOVOl
ing calmness.
Taylor Dodge" I blurted out, cha
the clue. Tomorrow he will track dow
the mani"
Kennedy fairly jumped as repea
ed the news.
How long has he known?" he DE-
manded eagerly.
Perhaps three or four hours" hal
arded.
Kennedy gazed at me fixedly.
Then Taylor Dodge is dead!" b
exclaimed, throwing off his acid-staine'
laboratory jacket, and hurrying int
his street clothes.
"Impossible!" l calculated.
| Kennedy paid no attention to the OF
lection. Come. Walter" he urged
I'VE must hurry before the trail get
cold"
There was something positively un
canny 8bcut Kennedy's assurance.
doubted-yet feared.
1t was well past the middle Of the
night when we pulled up in night
hawk taxicab before the Dodge house
mounted the steps and rang the bell.
Jennings answered sleepily, but moi
SO much so that he did not recognize
me. He was about to bang the dool
shut when Kennedy interposed his
foot.
Where is Mr.. Dodge?" asked Ken
| nadv UTo he oil ~
"Of course he is-in bed" replied
the butler.
Just then we heard faint cry. like
nothing exactly human. Or was It our
heightened imaginations. under the
spell of the darkness?
"Listen!" cautioned Kennedy.
We did. standing there now in the
hall. Kennedy was the only one of US
who was cool. Jennings face blanched
then he turned tremblingly and went
down to the library door, whence the
sounds had seemed to come.
He called, but there was no answer.
He turned the knob and opened the
door. The Dodge library was a large
room. In the center stood big, fiat
topped desk of heavy mahogany. 1t
was brilliantly lighted
At one end of the desk was a tele-
phone. Taylor Dodge was lying on the
floor at that end of the desk-perfect-
ly rigid-his face distorted-a CHASTITY
figure. A pet dog ran over, shifted
frantically at his masters legs and
suddenly began to howl dismally.
Dodge was dead!
"Help!" shouted Jennings.
Others of the servants came rush
ing in. There was, for the moment,
the greatest excitement and confu-
sion.
Suddenly wild figure in flying gar
ments fitted down the stairs and into
the library, dropping beside the dead
man, without seeming to notice us at
all.
"Father!" shrieked a woman's voice,
heart-broken. Father! Oh-my God
-he-he is dead!"
1t was Elaine Dodge.
With a mighty effort, the heroic girl
seemed to pull herself together.
Jennings" she cried. call Mr.. Ben
nett-immediately!"
From the one-sided, excited CONVEX
sation of the butler over the telephone,
1 gathered that Bennett had been in
the process of disrobing in his own
apartment uptown, and would be right
down.
Together, Kennedy, Elaine and N.Y.
self lifted Dodge to sofa and Elaine's
aunt, Josephine, with whom she lived,
appeared on the scene. trying to quiet
the sobbing girl.
Kennedy and withdrew little way,
and he looked about curiously.
What was it?" l whispered. "Was |
1t natural, an accident, or-or muir
der" The word seemed to stick in |
my throat. If it was a murder, what |
was the motive? Could it have been |
to get the evidence which Dodge had |
that would incriminate the master
criminal?
Kennedy moved over quietly and ex.
amined the body of Dodge. When he
rose his face had peculiar look.
"Terrible!" he whispered to me.
Apparently he had been working at
his accustomed place at the desk when
he telephone rang. He rose and
over to it. See! That brought
MS feet on this register let into the
loor. AS he took the telephone re-
,eiver down a fash Of light must have
shot from it to his ear. 1t shows the
electric burn"
"The motive?" l queried.
Evidently his pockets had been
zone through, though none of the valu-
lbles were missing. Things on his
lesk show that hasty search has
,een made"
Just then the door opened and Ben
lett burst in.
AS he stood over the body, gazing
Town at it, depressing the emotions of
! strong man, he turned to Elaine, and
n low voice exclaimed: "The
Ilutched Hand did this / shall conse-
rate my life to bring this man to jus.
ice!"
He spoke tensely, and Elaine, look
ng up into his face, as if imploring his
elp in her hour of need, unable to
peak, merely grasped his hand.
Kennedy, who, in the meantime, had
TODD apart from the rest of us, was
xamining the telephone carefully.
"A clever crook" heard him NUT.
er between his teeth. Gle must have
7orn gloves. Not . finger print-at
east here"
Perhaps I can do no better than to
construct the crime as Kennedy ,
lter pieced these startling events to- :