The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1915-04-30
order to get another. I'll have to go.
I'll get this story from you Craig"


The day before, in the suburban
house, the Clutching Hand had been
talking to two Of his emissaries, an at
tractive young woman and man.
They were Flirty Florrie and Dan
the Dude.
Now, | want you to get Kennedy"
he said. "The way to do 1t is to sep
arate Kennedy and Elaine-see?"
"All right. Chief, wen do It," they
replied.
Clutching Hand had scarcely left
when Flirty Florrie began by getting
published in the papers the story
which had seen.
The next day she called me up from
the suburban house Having got me
to promise to see her, she had scarce
/ ly turned from the telephone when
Dan the Dude walked in from the next
room.
/ Hes coming" she said.
Dan was carrying a huge stag head
with a beautifully branched pair Of
antlers. Under his arm was a coil of
wire which he had connected to the
inside of the head
"Fine!" he exclaimed. Then, point,
ing to the head, he added, IT'S all
ready. See how fixed It? That ought
to please the Chief.
Dan moved quickly to the mantel
and mounted a stepladder there by
which he had taken down the head,
and started to replace the head above
the mantel
He hooked the head on nail.
There" he said unscrewing one of
the beautiful brown glass eyes of the
stag.
Back of it could be seen a camera
shutter.
zone of those new quick shutter
cameras" he explained.
Then he ran a couple of wires along
the molding around the room and into
closet, where he made the connec-
ton with sort of switchboard on
which a button was marked, SHUT
TER" and the switch, WIND FILM"
Now, Flirty," he said, coming out
of the closet and pulling ap the shade
which let a flood of sunlight into the
room, you see, / want you to stand
here-then, do your little trick"
Just then the bell rang
"That must be Jameson" she cried.
"Now-get to your corner"
With a last look Dan went into the
!
Perhaps half an hour later Clutching
Hand himself called me up on the
telephone It was he-uot the Star
as / learned only too late,
!
! had scarcely got out OF the house,
as Craig told me afterwards, when
F7irty Florrie told all over again the
embroidered tale that mad caught my
ear.
Kennedy said nothing but listened
intently, perhaps betraying IN his face
the skepticism he felt
you see. she said, still voluble and
eager to convince him, II was only
walking on the street. Here-let me
show you 1t was Just like this"
She took his arm and, before he
knew. it, led him to the spot on the
floor near the window which Dan had
indicated. Meanwhile Dan was lis
tening attentively in his closet
Newsstand there. You are just
as / was-only didn't expect any
thing"
She was pantomiming some one ap-
preaching stealthily while Kennedy
watched her with interest, tinged with
doubt Behind Craig in his closet,
Dan was reaching for the switchboard
button.
You see," she said advancing
! quickly and acting her words, "he
placed his hands on my shoulders
so-then threw his arms about my
neck-so!
She said no more, but imprinted a
deep, passionate kiss on Kennedy's
mouth, clingng closely to him. Be-
fore Kennedy could draw away, Dan
in the closet, had pressed the but
ton and the switch several times in
rapid succession.
"Th-thats very realistic" gasped
Craig, a good deal taken aback by the
sudden osculatory assault
He frowned.
"I-I'll look into the case" he said,
backing away. "There-there may be
some scientific explanation-but-
err
He was plainly embarrassed and
hastened to make his adieux
How little impression the thing
made on Kennedy cGn be easily seen
from the fact that on the way down
! town that afternoon he stopped at
Martins, on Fifth avenue, and bought
a ring-a very handsome solitaire, the
| finest Martin had in the shop.
1t must have been about the time
that he decided to stop at Martins
that the Dodge butler, Jennings, ad-
mitted young lady who presented a
card on which was engraved the
name
Miss Florence Leigh,
20 Prospect Avenue.
AS he handed Elaine the card, she
looked up from the book she was read
ing and took it.
"All right, show her in, Jennings.
I'll see her."