The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1915-08-10
same, including Long Sin, the ag
grieved.

! Peace was restored.
WI had arisen to go, and the tong
men were bowling respectful fare
well. He turned and saw large vase,
| For q moment he paused before it.
It was an enormous affair and was
apparently composed of mosaic OF
rare Chinese enamels, cunningly put
together by the deft and patient fin
gers of the Oriental craftsmen. Elk
tending from the widely curving bowl
below was an extremely long, narrow
tapering neck
WI looked at it intently; then an
idea seemed to strike him He called
the tong leader and the others about
him.
Quickly he outlined the details OF
plan.
Have you received any word YETI"
asked Aunt Josephine, anxiously, when
Jennings had ushered us into the
Dodge library.
Kennedy shook his head sadly
A few minutes later Jennings en-.
tered the room softly again. 1.-THE
expressmen are outside, ma am, with
large package" he said.
Aunt Josephine followed him out In
to the hall.
There, already, the delivery men
had set down a huge Oriental vase
with remarkably long and narrow
neck. It was, as befltted such a really
beautiful object of art, most carefully
Grated. But to Aunt Josephine it
came as a complete surprise, Il can't
imagine who could have sent It," she
temporized. Are you quite sure it is
| for me?"
The expressman, with a book,
looked up from the list of names,
down which he was running his fin
ger. This is Mrs. Dodge. isn't it?
he asked, pointing with his pencil to
the entry with the address following
1t. There seemed to be no name of
a shipper.
YES" she replied, obviously, but
l don't understand 1t. Wait Just a
moment"
She went to the library door. Mr..
Kennedy" she said, may trouble
you and Mr.. Jameson moment7"
1 We followed her into the hall, and
there stood gazing at the mysterious
gift. while she related its recent his.
tory.
why not set 1t up In the library?'
suggested, seeing that the express.
men were getting FESTIVE at the delay.
IF there is any mistake they will send
for 1t soon No one ever gets anything
for nothing"
Aunt Josephine turned to the ex.
pressmen and nodded. With the aid of
Jennings they carried the vase into
the library, and there 1t was uncrated,
Craig walked around the vase, look.
I ing at it critically. / had feeling of
being watched, one Of those sensations
which psychologists tell US are utterly
baseless and unfounded. l was glad
/ had not said anything about 1t when
he tapped the vase with his cane, then
stuck the cane down the long. narrow
neck, working 1t around as well as he
could. The neck was SO long and Sc
narrow, however, that his stick could
not fully explore the inside of the
vase, but 1t seemed to me to be quite
empty.
We'll, there's nothing in it, any
how" ventured
had spoken too soon. Kennedy
withdrew his cane, and on the ferrule,
adhering as though by some sticky
substance, was a note.
We read:
Dear Aunt Josephine
This 10 token that am unf,.:.
Have Mr.. Kennedy give the ~
the man at the corner Of Williams ~.
6rownlee avenues at midnight tonight
and they will surrender me to him.
ELAINE.
p. e.-Have him come alone or my
life Will be In danger.
Il thought something like this would
happen" remarked Craig at length.
"Oh." cried Aunt Josephine, tits
too good to be true"
well do it," exclaimed Kennedy
quickly, only this is the ring that
We'll give them"
He drew from his pocket the replica
of the ring which he had made and
showed 1t to Aunt Josephine. Then
he drew from another pocket the real
ring, replacing the replica.
Here's the real one" he said In a
low tone. Guard It as you would your
life."
Aunt Josephine was worn out with
the sleepless nights Of worry since
Elaine's disappearance. After we had
gone, she tried to eat dinner, but found
that she had no appetite.
Although she had intended to sit up
until she received some word from
! Kennedy that night, the long strain
had told on her, and in spite of her
worry about Elaine, she decided, al
length, to retire.
Aunt Josephine, clasping the Jewel
case tightly, mounted the stairs and
entered her room. She locked the door
carefully and put the 1ewelry case un
der her pillow. Then she switched of
the light.
A moment later a small piece of the
vase seemed to break away from the
rest of the mosaic, as though it were
knocked out from the inside Then
large piece fell out, and another
At last from the strange hiding place
1.-THE figure. as shiny as though
bathed In oil. naked except for loin
cloth, seemed to squirm forth like q
| serpent 1t was WI Fang-the watch
full eye which. literally as we'll as figu
ratively. had been leveled at US IL
one form or another ever since the
kidnapping of Elaine.
Silently he tiptoed to the doorway
and listened. There was not a sound
Just as noiselessly then he went bach
to the library table and, mufiing the
telephone bell, took down the receiver
He whispered number, waited, ther
whispered some directions.
A moment later he wormed his way
out Of the library and into the drawing
room. On he went cautiously, snake
like. up the stairs, until he came to the
door Of Aunt Josephine's room.
He bent down and listened. There
was no sound except Aunt Josephine'l
breathing. Silently he drew from 6
fold in the loin-cloth a screwdriver ant
removed the screws from the hinges O.
the door. Quietly he pushed the bed
room door open, pivoting 1t on the
lock, Just far enough open so that h'
could slip through.
Creeping along the floor. like tn,
reptile whose sign he had assumed
he came nearer and nearer Aunt 10
sephine's bed. AS he paused for {
moment his quick eye seemed to catcl
j sight of the bulging lump under he