The star-independent. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1904-1917, 1915-02-19

cover them with Aim OF natural oils. Then
he deliberately pressed them over the statue
In several places. 1t was q peculiar action,
and he seemed to fairly gloat over It when Il
was done and the bust returned to its place.
covering the hole.
As noiselessly as he had come. he msde his
exit after one last malignant look at Dodge.
) 1t was now but the work of a moment to re-
move the wires he had placed and climb out
OF the window, taking them and destroying
the evidence down In the cellar.
low whistle from the masked crook. now
again in the shadow, brought his pal stealth
lily to his side.
ITS all right" he whispered hoarsely to
the man. Now YOU attend to Limpy Red"
The Sillainous looking pal nodded and.
without another word, the two made their
getaway In opposite directions
When Limpy Red. still trembling. left the
ofice of Dodge earlier in the evening ne had
repaired as fast as lis shambling feet would
take him to his favorite dive No on Park
Row There he might have been seen drink
ing with any one who came along. for Limpy
had money-blood money-and the reeo,iec-
tion OF his treachery and revenge must be
forgotten and celebrated.
Had the Bowery ''sinkers" not got into his
eyes he might have noticed among the late
jewellers a man who spoke to no one. but took
Limpy had long since reached the point of
.ssturation, and lurching forth from his new
found crcnies he sought other helds of ex-
element Likewise did the newcomer. who
bore a strange resemblance to the look -out
who had been stationed outside at the Dodge
house scant half hour before
What happened later was only matter
OF seconds. It came when the hated snitch
Tor gangdom hates the informer worse than
anything -hni
sufficiently dark and deserted corner
A murled thud, a stihed sroan followed as
heavy section OF lead pipe wrapped In a
newspaper descended the Grass skull o.
Lmpy. The wielder OF tho improvised but
fatal weapon permitted himself the luxury
of an instant's cruel smne-then vanished
into the darkness, leaving another complete
Job for the coroner and morgue.
II was the revenge OF the Clutching
Hsnd-swift. sure, remorseless
And yet 1t had not been night OF COM
plete success for the MASTER criminal. as any
one might have seen who could have followed
his si1uous route TO place OF greater safety.
Unable to wait longer. ne pulled the papers
he had taken from the safe from his pocket
His chsgrin at finding most OF them to ne
blank. found only one explanation OF foiled
any OF the men nc had seen-Gross Lacas-
real one.
henneuy h2C turned from MS futile
ination for marks the telephone There
stood the safe. q moderate sized strong box,
but of a modern type. He tried the door. II
was locked. There was not a mark on it,
The combination had not been tsmpered with
Nor had there been any attempt TO "socp"
ths safe.
With quick motion he felt IN his poeke,
a. y looking for gloves. Finding none. he
Elsaeed about and seized two pieces OF paper
frn he 6asi. ;,,
confuse any possible finger prints on the
bust, he lifted it off.
gave e gasp OF surprise
There, in the top OF the SAFE, yswned a
gaping hole. through which ore could havs
thrust his arm
what Is it, asked, crowdiHE a3out
hic,.
'Thern,,t' ne replied laconically.
"Thermit?" I repeated.
"Yes-a compound OF iron oxide and pow
de-ed aluminium, Invented b. cae.lisi at
Essen, Germany. Ii gives s. temners ture o;
over I'VE thousand degrees. 1t will eat its
way through the strongest steel"
Jennings, hts mouth wide open With won
der. advanced TO take the bus; from Ken
nedy.
"No-aon'; touch It." he waved him of. lay
ing tho bust on the desk Il wan; no one to
touch it-don't yoV sse how careful l was to
use the paper, that there might be no ques--
ton about any clue this fellow may have left
on the marble?'
AS he spoke Craig was dasting over the
surface Of the bust with some black powder.
Look" exclaimed Craig suddenly.
We bent over. TIE black powder had. in
fact. brought out strongly some peculiar,
more or less regular. black smudges.
Finger printsr' cried excitedly
Yes" nodded Kennedy, studying them
closely. "A clue. perhaps"
"What-those little msrks-a clus?" asked
a voice behind US.
l turned and saw Elaine looking over our
shoulders, fascinated Il was evidently the
first time she had realized that Kennedy was
in the room.
How can you tell anything by thatr she
asked
Why, easily he answered, picking up a
glass paper weight which lay on the desk
You sec, place my finger on this weight
So / dust the powder Of the mark-so.
You could see 1T even without the powder
on this glass. Do you see those lines? There
are various types OF mark.Rgs-sour general
types-and each persons markings are dir-
ferent. even II o: the same general type
loop. whori. arch composite"
He continued working az he talked
Your thumb marks. for example, Miss
Dodge, are different from mine. Mr. Jame-
sons are different from both OF U.S. And this
ieAo~s nnser prints are still dtnerent 1t
is mathematically impossible to nnd two
alike in every respect"
Kennedy holding the paper weight
near the bust as he talked
1 shall never forget the look OF blank
amazement on hfs face he bent over closer.
Ny God" he exclaimed excitsdly this
fellow is a master criminal He has made
stencils or something OF that sort on which.
by some mechanical process. he has actually
he inf
I. too. bent over and studied the marks on
the bust and those Kennedy had made on the
paper weight to show Elaine
THE FINGER PRINTS ON THE BUST
WERE KENNEDY's OWN.
Ito be continued next week.