The Climax-Madisonian. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1914-1917, 1915-08-11
TWENTY-FIRsT EPISODE
THE EAR IN THE WALL.

Elaine sat in the library reading one
morning when her maid Marie entered,
carrying long pasteboard box, dain-
tily tied with ribbon.
Some flowers for you, Miss Elaine,
l think" she said handing the box to
her mistress.
Marie left the room, and Elaine, af-
ter contemplating for a moment in
keen anticipation what she thought at
first was a gift from Craig Kennedy,
opened the box. There lay splendid
bunch of long-stemmed red and white
roses.
Nesting in the green leaves was a
little white note. She picked 1t up
expectantly and tore it open.
Instantly, however, her face
blanched. Instead of billet doux, it
was the most fearsome threat yet
which the savage Chinese master Grim
inal, WI Fang, had sent in the venge-
full vendetta which he had sworn on
account of the loss of the Clutching
Hands millions.
Elaine had scarcely time to exclaim
at its dire meaning when Kennedy
himself entered.
Good morning" he greeted cheer
lily, then cut the greeting short as he
caught the Mortified expression on her
pretty face. why, what's the mat
ter?"
Elaine was too terrified even yet to
speak. All she could do was to hand
him the note:
The first victim shall be Craig
Kennedy or your aunt. You may
choose. Place the red roses in
the window for your lover, the
white for the siIVer-haired one.
At the end appeared the mysterious
sign of the serpent, darting from his
fangs a death more than figurative.
''Wh-what shall 1 do?" she ap-
pealed.
Craig did not answer directly. He
could not. Thoughtfully he walked to
the window and gazed out. There was
only dirty, bent cripple standing by
the corner selling papers to pedes-
TRANS.
Kennedy's forehead wrinkIed in
thought. He turned and walked back
from the window. Mechanically he
picked up his hat and cane, then laid
down the cane again.
L
said, lifting the flowers and putting
them back into the box carefully, as
If he expected trouble to come of the
affair.
"You-you1l be very careful,
Craig?" pleaded Elaine, as they left
the library and went into the hall.
Il will be-for you,'' he repeated,
with a reassuring smile. "Oh-I for
got my cane"
Quickly he returned to the library,
leaving her standing in the hallway.
There he had purposely left his stick
on the table beside the flowers. He
selected some from the bunch of red
roses and hastily stuck them in a vase
and placed the vase on the window
sill. Then he picked up the cane and
rejoined Elaine in the hall.
Outside the Dodge house the dirty,
bent cripple looked about cautiously
out of the corner of his eye.
Suddenly he paused as if he had
caught sight of a mendicancy officer
bearing down on him. There on the
window sill of the library was a vase
of red roses. Hastily he shuff1ed OF
on his way.
AS fast as his supposedly bent body
could straighten itself safely out he
hurried downtown with one idea-tc
reach the secret apartment of WI
Fang, the serpent.
WI, Long Sin and several other Chi
namen were gathered about table or
which was long oblong oak box. II
hn xxyhf 70
tened on the inside two fat spools o.
silken-covered wire. At each end o.
the box was placed an ordinary stor
age battery, and in a compartment be
tween, besides switches and connec
lions, were what looked like six set.
of headgear much resembling those
worn by wireless operators.
This" said WI, holding up a little
black disk about as large as a watch
with a dozen or so little perforation
in the face, 'is the white DEVILS littlt
mechanical eavesdropper-the deteC
taphone-the ear in the wall. BY IT.
aid we shall learn all about our enc
mics, where to strike, when to"
He stopped short as a servant en-
tered. Almost automatically, at 4
mere sign from WI, all the rest of the
group disappeared behind screens.
Bring him in" ordered WI as the
servant announced that visitor wa!
outside. Then, as the cripple entered
spryly enough now, he added: "Oh-i
is you. Well-anything to report?"
Red roses" was all that the ex
beggar in his awe at the fierce China
man could find words to blurt out
WI nodded at is well. 1 will cal
you again when need you. You ma.
CO." he instructed.
No sooner had he gone than tn,
others reappeared from behind thei
screens and other hiding places as 81
lently as they had gone.
You will all follow me-" directed
WI, gathering together the parapher
MALTA and shutting the box. Here
Tom Ling, carry that box for me-
carefully, too"
A moment later WI left the secre
apartment, followed by his henchmen
splitting up inconspicuously as the.
made their way uptown.
/ had come into the laboratory and
not finding Kennedy, had decided t
wait there for him.
Perhaps half an hour later he cam
rushing In. his face clouded witt