The Springdale news., 1915-04-02
EIGHTH EPISODE
The Hidden Voice

ne stTdiH or the Dodge case was beginning to tell on me. for if was keeping us at work at all kinds of hours to circumvent the Clutehing Hand, by far the cleYerest criminal with whom Kennedy had ever had anything to do.
 leaped out of bed, still in my pa, jamas, and stood for a moment staring about. Then ran into the living room. I looked about, rubbing my eyes, startled. No one was there.
 "Hey-Jameson-wake upie
 It was spooky.
 Where-the deuce-are you?" l de, handed,
 Suddenly I heard the voice again no doubt about it, either.
 Here l am-over on the couch"
 scratched my head, puzzled There was certainly no one on that couch.
 A laugh greeted me Plainly. though. it came from the couch l went over to it and, ridiculous as it seemed. be- gan to throw aside the pillows.
 There lay nothing but little ob. 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 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 oak box actually came burst of laughter.
 Come over to the laboratory, right away, pealed forth merry voice. I've something to show you
 Well" I 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- citement.
 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 all about It.
 What is it?" asked, indicating the apparatus.
 "A vocaphone.' he replied, still laughing, the loud speaking telephone, the little box that hears and talks. It talks right out in meeting, too-no transmitter to hold to the mouth, no receiver to hold to the ear. You see, this trans hitter is so sensitive that it picks up even whisper, and the receiver is placed back of those two megaphone- like pyramids"
 He was standing at table careful Iy packing up one of the voeaphones and a lot of wire.
 'T believe the Clutehing Hand has been shadowing the Dodge house, ne continued thoughtfully. As long as We watch the place, too, he Will do nothing. But if We should seem, os- tentatiously. not to be watching, per haps he may try something, and we may be able to get clue to his ldeh- tity over this vocaphone. See
 I nodded. We've got to run nm down somehow" l agreed.
 Yes" he said, taking his coat anu hat. q am going to connect up one of these things in Miss Dodges nora ry and arrange with the telephohe company for a clear wire so that we can listen in here where that lelIo" will never suspect
 At about the same time that Cralg and I sallied forth on this ne" HIS sion, Elaine was arranging some ho" CTS on stand near the corner of the Dodge library where the secret pa,iei was in which her father had hidden the papers for the possession of which the Clutching Hand had murueieu him.
 She had moved away from the tape, but, as she did so, her dress eausns in something in the woodwork. ohe tried to loosen it and in so ooihs touched the little metallic spring oh which her dress had caught
 Instantly. to her utter surprise, tue panel moved. It slid open, dlsciosihs a strong box.
 Elaine took it, amused, looked al i' a moment, then carried it to taoie and opened it.
 Inside were some papers, sealed Ill an envelope and marked "Limpy heu 
 They must be the Clutehing Hanu papers!" she exclaimed to herself hesitating a moment, in doubt what 'o do.