Omaha daily bee., 1915-05-16
CHAPTER Xxx.
The Test of Fire

Wn Fang eat at table in his apart
ment. hidden behind tho s1uaiid and ball
ccnied exterior Of 3 Chinatown tenement.
Before him were q glass dish ana
bottle which contained several sticks of
phosphorus immersed In water. and a
small capillary glass tube
For a moment, however. no had laid
aside the strange paraphernaiia and was
writing a note. As he finished he tapped
a bell ana silently Chinese servant APP
peared IN answer
take this letter 20 that white woman,
mex" directed WI. adding Give Il TO
her yourself-and n she IL there. return
with hsr1
The servant bowed ana WI returned 70
work on the curious machine he was de-
vising.
lie had completed his laboors. when his
trusted liutonant. Long Sin. enterted.
For what did the master summon nnof
asked Long Sin. deforentially.
Come here" beckoned WI. Behold
thiA"
with pair Of tweeEers. he seized a
small stick Of tho phosphorus under
water and slowly brought Il 70 the sur
face. Almost instandtiy the dangerous
element burst into flame. giving OFT a
dense white smoke.
Here / have a capillary tube. as the
white devils cali It In their science.
went on WI, pointing out the glass tube.
by carefully bending Il and arranging
tho outlet OF the water. can set fire
anywhere az any time I choose"
For a moment he let the water drip off
slowly, drop by drop. 10 show how he
could commit scientific arson by means
OF spontaneous combustion.
Even while he was showing the devilish
invention 70 Long Sin. his servant had
sought the deliberately furnished apart
ment OF the white woman 10 whom tts
note had been addressed.
She was an attractive young woman
known ia the demi-monde as Innocent
Inex. Except for q certain eoarseness
sho strongly resembled Elaine both IL
features and figure.
Inez turned languidly as her colorec
maid ushered In the servant OF WI. tool
the note, and read u with interest. Any
thing that broke the ennui OF exiStenc'
appealed TO her just now.
wait" shs said with a sudden aeees
sion OF energy. nodding az the same tint
20 her negro maid TO bring her hat sn'
coat. IT win so with YOU"
Thus a few minutes later. Ines entere.
the secret Den OF WI Fang.
~Ah--this Il the young woman" intro
duced WI 10 Long sin tr
Long Sin looked her over critically and
nodded approval while wa with Al
American tape measure carefully meas
ured Inez. talking now In English TO her
now In Chinese 10 Long sin.
Carefully planning each detail down 4
the smallest possibility OF error. WI FAM
and Long Sin completed their arrange
InentB and finally. with IneE left thu
apartment. on, the street an automobile
was waiting al the curb. while not "a
AWAY two toughs from the neighborhoo'
stood.
As the Cinnamon and the deprave'
woman came out WI beckoned 10 TN
waiting rOughnecks. "Come-get In
lively ne ordered
They climbed into the car and the fiy
criminals whirled rapidly uptown.
kennedy had often been amused at m.
never having a match when needed /
and a had occurred 70 him 10 devise
very novel cigarstte lighter for my bene
at.
II was simple enough. consisting OF
small battery connected BY small wire
10 one Of a pair o. cnff linkA One lin
had in its face a very fine wire. only
fraction OF an inch long. TO The lin
Craig had soldered the wires from n
battery and arranged them 20 that the
ran uD under his coat sleeve through IA
armhole o. he vest 10 the battery whic
he carried IN his vent pocket
he had just completed his work whe