The star-independent. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1904-1917, 1915-03-12

crossed the room. then went into each
of our other rooms. Apparently moth
ing was wrong and a minute later he
reappeared at the doorway.
Il guess It's all right" he said Per
haps 1t was only Jensen. the janitor."
Elaine, Aunt Josephine and Susie
Martin entered. Craig placed chairs
for them. but still l could see that he
was uneasy. From time to time. while
they were admiring one Of our treas
ures after another. he glanced about
suspiciously.
What is the trouble. do you Think"
asked Elaine wonderingly. noticing
his manner
IL can't just say" answered Craig,
trying to appear easy.
She had risen and with keen inter.
est was looking at the books, the pic
lures. the queer collection of weapons
and odds and ends from the under
world that Craig had amassec In his
adventures.
At last her eye wandered across the
room. She caught sight OF her own
picture. occupying place Of honor
but hanging askew.
isn't that just like mani" she ex.
claimed. Such housekeepers as you
are-such carelessness!"
She had taken stop or two across
the room to straighten the picture.
Miss Dodge!" almost shouted Ken
nedy, his face fairly blanched. STOP,
She turned. her stunning eyes filled
with amazement at his suddenness
Nevertheless she moved quickly to one
side, as he waved his arms, unable to
speak quickly enough.
Kennedy stood quite still, gazing at
the picture. askew, with suspicion.
That wasn't that way when we left
was it, Walter?" he asked.
1T certainly was not" l answered
,ely. There was more time
spent in getting that picture just
right than l ever saw you spend on the
room"
Craig frowned.
As for myself / did not know what
to make of it,
I'm afraid ! shall have to ask you
to step inlo this back room" said Craig
at length to the ladies. I'm sorry
but we can't be too careful with this
intruder, whoever he was"
Elaine, how yer. stopped at the door.
For moment Kennedy appeared to
be considering. Then his eye fell on
a fishing rod that stood in a corner
He took it and moved toward the pic,
ture.
On his hands and knees, to one
side, down as close as he could get to
the floor, with the rod extended at
arms length, he motioned to me to do
the same. behind him.
Carefully Kennedy reached out with
tie pole and Strengthened the picture.
AS he did so there was a fash, a
loud, deafening report, and a great
puff of smoke from the fireplace.
The fire screen was riddled and over.
turned A charge of buckshot shat
tered the precious photograph OF
Elaine.
We had dropped fat on the floor at
the report. / looked about. Kennedy
was unharmed and so were rest.
With a bound he was at the fire,
place, followed by Elaine and the rest
of us. There, in what remained of a
package one up roughly in newspa
per, wa a shotgun with its barrel
sawed OF about six inches from the
lock, fastened to a block of wood. and
connected to a series of springs on
the trigger, released by little electro
magnetic arrangement actuated by
two batteries and leading by wires ur
along the molding to the picture where
the slightest touch would complete the
circuit
A startled cry from Elaine caused us
to turn.
She was standing directly before her
shattered picture where 1t hung awry
on the wall. The heavy charge OF
buckshot had knocked away large
pieces of paper and plaster under it.
"Craig." she gasped.
He was at her side in a second.
She laid one hand on his arm, as she
faced him. With the other she traced
an imaginary line in the air from the
level of the buckshot to his head and
then straight to the internal thing that
had lain in the fireplace.
And to think" she shuddered, that
it was through me that he tried to kill
you!"
Never mind" laughed Craig easily
as they gazed into each others eyes
drawn together by their mutual peril
"Clutching Hand will have to be
cleverer than this to get either of US
-Elaine!"
To Be Continued Next Week