Tensas gazette., 1915-05-14

He handed Jens a dollar in small
change.
Still grumpy. but mollified by the
silver. Jens let them go up and opened
the door to our rooms again. There
stood the cabinet. as outwardly inno-
cent as when it came in.
Lugging and tugging they managed
to get the heavy piece of furniture out
and downstairs again. loading it on
the wagon. Then they drove OF with
it. accompanied by a parting volley
from Jensen
In an unfrequented stree:, perhaps
half mile away. the wagon stopped.
With keen glance around, the driver
and his helper made sure that no one
was about.
Such shaking up as you've given
me-" growled a voice as the cabinet
door orened. But I've got him this
time!"
1t was the Catching Hand.
Craig gazed into our living room eau
tiously.
II can't see anything wrong" he said
to m as I stood just beside iim. Miss
Dodge" he added. will you and the
rest excuse me If I ask you to wait
just a moment longer?"
Elaine watched him. fascinated. He
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 said. 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 admiring one Of our treas
ures after another. he glanced about
suspiciously.
What is the trouble. do you Think"
asked Elaine wonderingly. noticing
his manner
II can't jus: say" answered Craig.
tryin, to appear easy.
She had risen and with keen inter.
est was looking at the hooks, the pic
lures. the queer collection of weapons
and odds and ends from the under
world that Craig had amasse ir his
adventures.
At last her eye wandered across the
roon. She caught sight Of her own
picture. occupying a place Of honor
but hanging askew.
Isn't that just like a mani" she ex.
claimed. Such housekeepers as you
are-sLCh carelessness!"
She had taken a 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.
1T 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 I did not know what
to make of 1t.
I'm afraid shall have to ask you
to step into this back ROOM" said Craig
at length to the ladies. I'm sorry
but we can't be too careful with this
intruder. whoever he was"
Elaine, however, stopped at the door.
For a moment Kennedy appeared to
be considering. Then his eye fell on
q fishing rod that stood in a corner.
He took 1t and moved toward the pic
ture.
On his hands and knees, to one
side, down as close as he could get to
the floor, with the rod extended at
arms length. he motioned to me to do
the same, behind him.
Carefully Kennedy reached out with
the pole and Strengthened the picture.
As he did so there was a fash. a
loud. deafening report, and great
pun of smoke from the fireplace.
The fire screen was riddled and over
turned. A charge Of buckshot shat
tered the precious photograph Of
Elaine.
We had dropped fat on The floor at
the report. l looked about. Kennedy
was unharmed and so were the rest
With a bound he was at the fire.
place, followed by Elaine and the rest
of us. There. in what remained Of a
package done up roughly In newspa-
per, was a shotgun with its barrel
sawed of about six inches from the
lock, fastened to a block of wood, and
connected to a series Of springs on
the trigger, released by little electro
magnetic arrangement actuated by
two batteries and leading by wires up
along the molding to the picture where
the slightest touch would complete the
circuit.
A startled cry from Elaine caused US
to turn.
She was standing directly before her
shattered picture where it hung awry
on the wall. The heavy charge Of
buckshot had knocked away large
pieces of paper and plaster under 1t.
"Craig!" she gasped.
He was at her side in a second.
She laid one hand on his arm, as she
faced him. With the other she traced
an imaginary line in the air from the