The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1915-03-05

Just then the Clutching Hand ap.
peared lie came stealthily through
that window. which he had opened, A
moment he hesitated. seeing elaine
asleep. Then he tiptoed over 10 the
bed, let us say, and for a moment
looked at her, sleeping.
A second later he had thrust his
hand into his pocket and had taken out
a small glass bulb with a long thin
neck That was ethyl chloride-a
drug which produces a quick anesthe-
sia. But It lasts only a minute or two.
That was enough As he broke the
glass neck OF the bulb-letting the
! pieces fall on the floor near the bed
he showed the thing under Elaine's
face, turning his own head away and
holding a handkerchief over his own
nose. The mere heat OF his hand is
enough to cause the ethyl chloride TO
spray out aud overcome her instantly,
! He steps away from her a moment ana
replaces the now empty vial In his
pocket
Then he took a box from his pocket,
opened II There must have been a
syringe and a bottle OF scopolamin
Where they came from ] do not know,
but perhaps from some hospital. ]
shall have 10 find that out later. He
went to Elaine, quickly jabbing the
needle, with no resistance from her
now Slowly he replaced the bottle
and the needle In his pocket. He
could not have been ia any hurry now,
for it takes time for the drug TO
work"
Kennedy paused. Had we known at
the time, Michael-he of a sinister
face-must have been IN the hallway
that night, careful that no one saw
him. A tap at the door and the
! "Clutchlng Hand must have beckoned
him. A moments parley and they sep
arated-"Cutching Hand going back
to Elaine, who was now under the in
fluence Of the second drug.
Our criminal" resumed Kennedy
thoughtfully. may have shaken
Elaine She did not answer Then he
may have partly revived her. She
must have been startled 'Clutching
Hand. perhaps, was half crouching.
with a big ugly blue steel revolver
leveled fun in her face.
lone word and ] shoot he prob
ably cried. Get up'
Trembling, she must have done so.
Your slippers and a kimono,' he
would naturally have ordered She
put them on mechanically. Then he
must have ordered her to 90 out of
the door and down the stairs. Clutch
ing Hand must have followed, and as
he did so he would have cautiously put
out the lights
We were following. spellbound, Ken
nedys graphic reconstruction of what
must have happened Evidently he
had struck close to the truth. Elaines
eyes we're closed. Gently Kennedy led
her along Now, Miss Dodge he en-
couraged, "try-try hard to recollect
just what it was that happened last
night-everything."
tAn lAtuHEAJ Baueth al tNl no NAleAA
recital, she seemed TO tremble all over.
Slowly she began to speak. We stood
awestruck. Kennedy had been right!
The girl was now living over again
those minutes that had been forgot
ten blotted out by the drug.
And it was all real to her, too-ter-
| ribly real. She was speaking, plainly
| in terror
81 see a man-oh, such a figure
with a mask He holds a gun in my
/ face--he threatens me 1 put on my
kmono and slippers, as he tells me.
/ am in a daze. | know what ! am
doiug-and / don't know. / 60 out
with him. downstairs, into the library"
Elaine shuddered again at the recol-
lection. Ugh! The room is dark,
the room where he killed my father.
Moonlight outside streams in. This
masked man and come in. He
switches on the lights
Go to the safe, he says, and
do 1.-THE new safe, you know. Do
you know the combination? he asks
me, Yes, I reply, too frightened to
say no.
"'Open it then, he says, waving that
awful revolver closer. / do so. Hast
! lily he rummages through it, throwing
papers here and there. But he seems
not to find what he is after and turns
away, swearing fearfully.
Hang it, he cries at me. Where
else did your father keep papers?
point in desperation at the desk. He
! takes one last look at the safe, shoves
all the papers he has strewn on the
floor back again and slams the safe
| shut.
"'Now, come on, he says, indicating
with the gun that he wants me to fol-
low him away from the safe. At the
desk he repeats the search But he
finds nothing. Almost l think he is
about to kill me. Where else did your
father keep papers? he Kisses fiercely,
still threatening me with the gun.
Il am too frightened to speak But
at last l am able to say, II don't
know! Again he threatens me. AS
God is my Judge, cry, I don't know
1t is fearful Will he shoot me?
THANK heaven At last he believes
me. But such a look Of foiled fury
have never seen on any human face
before
"'Sit down. he growls, adding, at
the desk / do.
"'Take some of your note paper
the best l do that, too.
"'And a pen,' he goes on. My fin
gers can hardly hold it.
'Now-write!' he says, and as he
dictatas I writa"-