Elmore County Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1910-1915, 1915-03-13

pocket "Here-there goes a whole
days tips"
He handed Jens q dollar in small
change.
Still grumpy, but Modified by the
silver Jens let them go up and opened
the door to our rooms again. There
stood the cabinet. as outwardly limo.
cent as when II came in.
Lugging and .tugging they managed
to get the heavN piece of furniture out
and downstairs lagain, loading 1t on
the wagon. TheD they drove of with
it, accompanied by aparting volley
from Jensen
In an unfreqgented street, perhaps
half mile away tie wagon stopped.
With keen glaIhe around, the driver
and his helper made sure that no one
was about Z e.!Ne,i
Such a shaking up as you've given
mel" growled aSvolce as the cabinet
door orened. But I've got him this
time!"
1t was the Clutching Hand.
Craig gazed into our living room eau.
tiously
Il can't see anything wrong. he said
to m as stood just beside aim. Miss
Dodge" he added, will you and the
rest excuse me If ask you to wait
just moment longer?"
| Einina uatnhaJ btp, Fasatnnt1A
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
Il guess it's all right" he saio. 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
they were admring 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,
tryine 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 amasset ir his
adventures
A In OF hnw do hn
room. She caught sight of her own
picture, occupying a place Of honor
but hanging askew.
Isn't that just like mani" she ex-
claimed. Such housekeepers as you
are-sLth carelessness!"
She had taken 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 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, askew, 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 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' 'T'm sorry
but we can't be too careful with this
whoever he was"
Elaine. however, stopped at the door
For moment Kennedy appeared to
De considering. Then his eye fell on
, fishing rod that stood in a corner
He took 1t and moved toward the pic
ure.
On his hands and knees, to one
tide, down as close as he could get to
he floor with the rod extended at
rms length, he motioned to me to do
he same, behind him.
Carefully Kennedy reached out with
he pole and Strengthened the picture.
AS he did so there was fash. a
oud, deafening report, and great
uff of smoke from the fireplace.
The fire screen was riddled and over
urned. A charge of buckshot shat
cred the precious photograph OF
llaine.
We had dropped fat on the floor at
ne report. looked about Kennedy
'as unframed and SO we're the rest
With a bound he was at the fire
lace, followed by Elaine and the rest
I us. There, In what remained of
ackage done up roughly In newspa-
err was a shotgun with Its barrel
awed off about six inches from the
ck, fastened to a block Of wood, and
to a series of springs on
Ie trigger, released by little electro
agnetic arrangement actuated by
70 batteries and leading by wires up
ong the molding to the picture where
e slightest touch would complete the
rcuit