Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1915-05-18

| shuttle.
"He has seized her-gagged her."
cried in an agony of suspense.
We could now hear everything that
was going on in the library. Craig
was wildly excited. AS for me. was
| speeches.. Here was the vocaphone
we had installed. 1t had warned us.
But what could we do?
/ looked blankly at Kennedy. He
was equal to the emergency.
He calmly turned the switch.
Then, at the top of his lungs he
shouted: "Helpi Help! Policei They
are strangling me!'
looked at him in amaZement What
did he think he could do-blocks
away?
1T works both ways" ne muttered.
Help! Murder! Police!"
We could hear the astonished ours
ing of the two men. Also. down the
hall, now, we could hear footsteps APP
preaching in answe to his call for
help-Aunt Josephine, Jennings, Marie
and others, all shouting out that there
were cries in the library.
"The deuce! What is it," muttered
a gruff voice.
THE man in armor!" Kissed Clutch
ing Hand
Here they come, too, Chief"
There was parting scuffle.
"There-take that"
"A loud metallic ringing came from
the vocaphone
Then silence,
What had happened?
In the library. recovering from their
crock of surprise, Dan cried out to
the Clutching Hand. 1.-THE deuce!
What is it?''
Then looking about, Clutching
Hand quickly took in the situation.
"The man in armor!" he pointed
out.
Dan was almost dead with fright
at the weird thing.
Here they come, too, Chief" he
gasped, as, down the hall he could
hear the family shouting out that
someone was in the library.
With parting thrust, Clutching
Hand sent Elaine Keeling.
She held On to only a corner of the
papers. He had the greater part of
them. They we're torn and destroyed,
anyway.
Finally, with all the nervousness
of which he was capable. Clutching
Hand rushed at the armor suit, drew
back his gloved fist, and let it shoot
out squarely in vicious solar plexus
blow.
"There-take that" he roared.
The suit ratified furiously. Out of
1t spilled the vocaphone, with a bang
on the floor.
An instant later those in the hall
rushed in. But the Clutching Hand
and Dan were gone out of the win
dow. the criminal carrying the greater
part of the precious papers.
Some ran to Elaine, others to the
window. The ladder had been kicked
away, and the criminals were gone.
Leaping into the waiting car, they had
been whisked away.
Hello: Hello! Hello!" called
voice. apparently from nowhere.
What is that?" cried Elaine.
She had risen by this time, and was
gazing about, wondering at the strange
voice. Suddenly her eye fell on the
armor scattered all over the floor
She spied the little oak box.
"Elaine!"
Apparently the voice came from
that. Besides 1t had a familiar ring
to her ears.
"Yes-Craig!" she cried.
THAT is my vocaphone-the little
box that hears and talks" came back
to her. Are you all right?"
"Yes-all right-thanks to the voca-
phone"
She had understood in an instant.
She seized the helmet and breastplate
to which the vocaphone still was at
tached and was holding them close to
herself.
Kennedy had been calling and lis
tening intently over the machine, won
dering whether it had been put out of
business in some way.
1T works-yet!" he cried excitedly
to me.
"Elainei"
Yes. Craig" came back over the
faithful little instrument.
Are you all right?"
"Yes-all right"
Thank heaven!" breathed Craig,
pushing me aside.
Literally he kissed that vocaphone
as If 1t had been human!