The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1915-05-13
EIGHTH EPISODE
The Hidden Voice.

h Hidden Voice.
Jameson. wake up"
The strain OF the Dodge case was
beginning to tell on me. for II was
keeping US At work at all kinds OF
hours to circumvent the Clutching
Hand, by far the cleverest criminal
with whom Kennedy had ever had
anything to do.
leaped out OF bed. still II my pa.
5amas. and stood for a staring
about. Then I ran into the living
room. I looked about, rubbing my
eyes, startled. No one was there.
"Hey-Jameson-wake up"
II was spooky.
"Where-the deuce-are you?" I de-
rnanded.
Suddenly | heard the voice again
no doubt about IL, either.
Here | am-over on the couch"
/ scratched my head. puzzled. There
was certainly no one on that couch.
A laugh greeted me. Plainly. though.
II came from the couch. | went over
20 H. and, ridiculous as II seemed, be-
gan to throw aside the pillows.
There lay nothing but a little oh.
long oaken box, perhaps eight or ten
inches square at the ends. In the face
were two peculiar square holes. and
from the top projected a black disk,
about the size OF a watch. fastened on
n swinging metal arm. in the face OF
the disk we're several perforated holes
picked up the strange looking
thing In wonder. and from that magic
oak box actually came a burst of
laughter.
Come over TO the laboratory, right
away" pealed forth a merry voice.
I've something TO show you"
Well" gasped. what do you
know about that?"
Very early that morning Craig had
got up. leaving me snoring. Cases
never wearied him. He thrived on ex.
element.
He had zone over TO the laboratory
n set TO work In a corner over an
other OF those peculiar boxes. exactly
like that which he had already left in
our rooms.
AAoiA vi hpuE uAAFA "ulu 4 Nulhth
into the laboratory, feeling a little
sheepish owe the practical Joke, but
none the less curious to find out all
about II.
What is IT," I asked, indicating the
apparatus.
"A v~ocaphone,' he replied, still,
laughing. the loud speaking telephone,
thu ifsln hnN ehaV haaH, naA ,otI.,
II talks right out in meeting,
too-no transmitter TO hold TO
the mouth. no receiver TO hold 70
the ear. You see, this trans.
mitter Is so sensitive that II picks up
ever O whisper, and the receiver is
placed back OF those two inegaphone.
like pyramids"
He was standing at a table, careful.
ly packing up one OF the yocaphc les
and a lot OF wire.
II believe the Clutching Hand has
been shadowing the Dodge house" he
continued th%oughtfully. AS long as
we watch the place, too, he will dc
nothing. But II We should seem, os-
tentatiously. not 10 be watching. per.
haps he may try something. and we
may be able to get n clue 10 his iden.
tity over this vocaphone, see?"
| nodded, We've got to run him
down somehow" | agreed.
Yes" he said. taking his coat and
hat. Il am going TO connect up one
OF these things IN Miss Dodge's libra
ry and arrange with the telephone
company for a clear wire so that we
can listen In here, where that fellow
will never suspect"
At about the same time that Craig
and ] sailed forth on this new mis-
sion, Elaine was arranging some flow.
ers on a stand near the corner OF the
Dodge library where the secret panel
was in which her father had hidden
the papers for the possession OF which
the Clutching Hand had murdered
him.
She had moved away from the table.
but. as she did so, her dress caught
In something in the woodwork. She
tried TO loosen Il and In so doing
touched the little metallic spring on
which her dress had caught.
Instantly, to her utter surprise, the
panel moved. II slid open. disclosing
a strong box.
Elaine took II. amused. looked at II
a moment. then carried II 10 a table
and opened II.
Inside were some papers. sealed In
an envelope and marked "Limpy Red
Correspondence"
They must be the Clutching Hand
papers." she exclaimed TO herself.
hesitating q moment. In doubt what to
do