The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1915-08-06

From his hiding place Kennedy
crept stealthily He had scarcely got
within reach OF WI when the alert
Chinaman seemed to sense his pres
ence lie rose swiftly and swung
around.
The two arch-enemies gazed al each
other a moment silently, Each knew
It was the final fatal encounter.
Slowly Wu drew o long knife and
leaped a. Kennedy, who grappled with
him. They struggled mercilessly
In the struggle Craig managed 10
tear the torpedo out OF Wu's hands,
Just as they rolled over. Il fell on A
rock Instantly an explosion tore 2
hole in the sand, scattering the gravel
all about.
Relentlessly the combat ragged out
on the wharf itself they went, right ~
to the edge.
Then both went over into the water.
locked In each others viselike grip.
Even In the water they struggled
franticallly.
My search for the escaped crook
was unsuccessful.
Somehow, however it led me across
country 10 a road. AS approached /
heard a car and looked up There
were the secret service men. I called
them and stepped out OF the bushes
They stepped and jumped out Of the
car, and ran to them
Come back with me-" urged eve
found two of them. One Is dead
| Craig sent me TO trace the other I've
lost the trail. Perhaps you can find II
for me-"
We crashed through the brush
quickly. Suddenly ! heard something
that caused me to start 1t sounded
like an explosion.
There's the place-over there"
pointed pausing and indicating the
direction of the wharf whence had
come the explosion.
What was It? We did not stop a
moment but hurried in that direction.
We reached the shore, where we
saw marks of the explosion and Of a
fight, Out on the pier I ran breath.
lessly. | rushed to the very edge and
gazed over, then climbed down the
slippery piling and peered into the
black water beneath
A few bubbles seemed to ooze up
! from below Was that all?
No, as | gazed down I saw that some
dark object was there. Slowly WI
Fang's body hoated TO the surface and
lay there, rocked nv the waves. Deep
in his breast stuck his own knife with
ITS handle OF the sign OF the serpent!
reached down and seized MIN. as
peered about tor Kennedy.
There was nothing more there.
'Craig called desperately
Craig
There was no answer The silence,
the echo OF the tapping water under
the wharf was appalling. m1chng.
{ managed to cali the secret service
men and they got Wu Fang body up
OF. the Mbagt. -~-aes' .--i-a-.'a..I
Eut / could not leave the spot
Where was Craig There was not a
sign OF MIN I could not realize it.
even when the men brought graphing
irons aud began to search the black
water. - ..-t
It was all a hideous dream I saw
ana heard, in daze.
1t was not until late that night that
{ returned to the Dodge house.
had delayed my return as long as
I could. but 1 knew that l must see
Elaine some time
As 1 entered even Jennings must
nave seen that something was wrong
Elaine who was sitting IN the library
with Aunt Josephine, rose as she saw
me.
Did you get them?" Elaine asked
eagerly.
could not speak She seemed tc
read the tragic look on my haggarc
face, and stopped.
Why, she gasped clutching at the
desk what is the matter?'
AS gently as | could | told her Of
the chase, of leaving Craig, of the eX
plosion, of the marks OF the struggle
and of the finding of WI Fang.
AS | finished | thought she would
faint.
And you-you went over every
thing about the whagf?"
Everything. The men even dragged
for the"
checked myself over the fatefu
word
Elaine looked at me wildly thought
that she would lose her reason. She
did not cry. The shock was too great
for that.
Suddenly I remembered the note
Before / left him--the last time
blurted out "he wrote a note-to you.
l pulled the crumpled paper from
my pocket aud Elaine almost tore it
from me-the last word from him
and read
Dearest may not return until the
case is settled and have found the
stolen torpedo. Matters involving mil
lions Of lives and billions of dollars
hang on the plot back Of it. No mat
ter what happens, nave no fear. Trust
me. Lovingly CRAIG.
She finished reading The note and
slowly laid it down Then she picked
it up and read it again. Slowly she
turned to me.