The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1915-06-08
EIGHTH EPISODE
The Hidden Voice.
Jameson, wake up!"

beginning to tell on me, for it wa
keeping us at work at all kinds o
hours to circumvent the Clutchin,
Hand. by far the cleverest crimina
with ,zAhUm Kennedy had ever hat
an Wg to do.
leaped out of bed, still in my pa
1amas. and stood for a moment staring
about. Then l ran into the Twin,
room. I looked about, rubbing m,
eyes. startled. No one was there.
"Hey-Jameson-wake upl"
1t was spooky.
"Where-the deuce-are your" de
manded.
Suddenly heard the voice again
no doubt about 1t, either.
Here l am-over on the couch!"
| scratched my head. puzzled. Their,
was certainly no one on that couch.
A laugh greeted me. Plainly. though
1t came from the couch. l went ovel
to 1t and, ridiculous as it seemed, be
gan to throw aside the pillows.
There lay nothing but a little OBJ
long oaken box. perhaps eight or ter
inches square at the ends. In the face
were two peculiar square holes, ant
from the top projected a black disk
about the size Of watch, fastened or
swinging metal arm. In the face Of
the disk were several perforated holes
picked up the strange looking
thing in wonder, and from that magic
hnw onf h,xxc ~
laughter.
Come over to the laboratory, right
away" pealed forth a merry voice
I've something to show you"
WELL" l gasped. what do you
know about that?"
Very early that morning Craig had
got up, leaving me snoring. Gases
never wearied him. He thrived on ex
element
He had gone over to the laboratory
and set to work in a corner over an
other of those peculiar boxes, exactly
like that which he had already left in
our rooms
Half an hour afterward l walked
into the laboratory, feeling little
sheepish over the practical joke, but
none the less curious to find out al
about It.
What is it?" l asked, indicating the
apparatus.
"A vocaphone." he replied, still
laughing, "the loud speaking telephone
the little box that hears and talks
1t talks right out in meeting
too-no transmitter to hold tc
the mouth, no receiver to hold to
the ear. You see, this trans
mitter is so sensitive that it picks VI
even a whisper, and the receiver il
placed back of those two megaphone
like pyramids
He was standing at a table, careful
ly packing up one of the vocaphone'
and lot of wire.
Il believe the Clutching Hand hal
been shadowing the Dodge house." h
continued thoughtfully. CAS- long al
we watch the place, too, he will d.
nothing. But II we should seem, os
tentatiously, not to be watching, per
haps he may try something, and W.
may be able to get clue to his iden
tity over this vocaphone. See?"
nodded. We've got to run hin
down somehow" ! agreed
"Yes," he said, taking his coat ant
hat. 81 am going to connect up on
of these things in Miss Dodge's libra
ry and arrange with the telephone
company for clear wire so that w
can listen in here, where that fellow
will never suspect"
At about the same time that Grail
and sailed forth on this new mis-
sion, Elaine was arranging some flow
ers on a stand near the corner of tn
Dodge library where the secret pane
was In which her father had bidder
the papers for the possession of whicl
the Clutching Hand had MURDERS
him.
She had moved away from the table
but, as she did so, her dress caugh
in something in the woodwork. Sh
tried to loosen it and in so dom
touched the little metallic spring o.
which her dress had caught.
Instantly, to her utter surprise, tn
panel moved. It slid open, disclosin
a strong box.
Elaine took it, amused, looked at
moment, then carried 1t to tabl
and opened 1t.
Inside were some papers, sealed 1
an envelope and marked "Limpy Re
Correspondence"
They must be the Clutching Han
papersl" she exclaimed to herself
hesitating a moment, In doubt what t
do.
She seized the telephone and cage
ly called Kennedy's number
Hello" answered a voice.
rs that you, Craig?" she asked e,
citedly.
mo, this is Mr.. Jameson"
ooh, Mr.. Jameson, I've discovere
the Clutching Hand papers," she b
gan, more and more excited.
Have you read them?" came bac
the voice quickly.
mo; shall II"
Then don't unseal Them" cautione
the voice. "Put them back exactly &
you found them and I'll tell Mr.. Kel
nedy the moment l can get hold
him."
"All right" said Elaine. I'll q
that. And please get him as soon
you possibly can"
Il will"
I'm going out shopping now" 81
returned, suddenly. But. tell him I
be right back-right away"
very we'll"
Hanging up the receiver, Elair
dutifully replaced the papers in Il
box and returned the box to its seer
hiding place, pressing the spring al
sliding the panel shut.
A few minutes later she left Il
house in the Dodge car.
Outside our laboratory, leaning
against a railing, Dan the Dude,
emissary of the Clutching Hand, who
dress now greatly belied his unde
world "monniker." had been shade
ing us. watching to see when we le
The moment we disappeared.
raised his hand carefully above
head and made the sign Of the Clutc
ing Hand. Far down the street, in
closed car, the Clutching Hand hi
self, his face masked, gave an q
swering sign.