The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1915-06-15
NINTH EPISODE
THE DEATH RAY.

treatise one morning, while was
banging on the typewriter, when 9
knock at the laboratory door disturbed
US.
By some intuition Craig seemed tc
know who 1t was. He sprang to open
the door, and there stood Elaine
Dodge and her lawyer, Perry Bennett
Instantly Craig read from the
startled look on Elaine's face thai
something dreadful had happened.
why - what's the natter" he
asked, solicitously.
\ "A-another letter-from the Clutch
\ ing Handi" she exclaimed breath
| lessly.
Craig took the letter and we botf
read, with amazement:
| Are you an enemy of society? If not
| order Craig Kennedy to leave the countr.
/ by nine o'clock tomorrow morning. 9th
1 erwise a pedestrian will drop dead outsid
his laboratory every hour until he leaves
The note was signed by the now ia
miliar sinister hand, and had adde'
to 1t postscript which read:
i AS a token of his leaving, have hir
i place a vase of flowers In his laborator
window today.
what shall we do?" queried Der
nett, evidently very much alarme
at the letter.
| "Do?" replied Kennedy, laughin
CONTEMPORARY at the apparently y
'--- why, uotnlng. just
wait"
We got up as usual the next day,
and quite early went over to the labo-
ratory. Kennedy. as was his custom,
plunged straightway into his work
and appeared absorbed by it, while
wrote
There is something queer going
on, Walter" he remarked. "This
thing registers some kind of wireless
rays-infra-red. ! think-something
like those that they say that Italian
scientist, Ulivi, claims he has discov-
cred and called the Trays"
'How do you known" I asked, look
ing up from my work. Whats that
instrument you are using?"
"a bolometer, invented by the late
Professor Langley" he replied, his
attention riveted on it.
Some time previously Kennedy had
had installed on the window ledge one
of those mirrorlike arrangements
known as a "busybody," which show
those in a room what is going on in
the street.
AS / moved over to look at the
bolometer l happened to glance into
the "busybody" and saw that crowd
was rapidly collecting on the side
walk.
Look, Craigi" l called hastily.
He hurried over to me and looked
We could both see In the busybody
mirror a group of excited passers-by
bending over man lying PROSTATE on
the sidewalk.
The excited crowd lifted him up and
bore him away, and / turned in sur
prise to Craig. He was looking at his
watch.
1t was now only few moments past
nine o'clock!
Some time later our door was ex
citedly flung open and Elaine ant
Perry Bennett arrived.
1--WE Just heard of the accident
she cried. fearfully isn't it terrible'
What had we better do?"
For few moments no one said 8
word Then Kennedy began carefully
examining the bolometer and some
other recording instruments he had
while the rest Of US watched, fasci
mated.
Somehow that "busybody" seemed
to attract me. / could not resist look
ing into 1t from time to time as Ken
nedy worked.
/ was scarcely able to control m.
excitement when again I saw the SAM
| scene enacted on the sidewalk befor'
the laboratory. Hurriedly / looked a
my watch. 1t was ten o'clock!
"Craig!" l cried Another"
Instantly he was at my side. gazing
eagerly There was second innocen
pedestrian lying on the sidewalk Will
a crowd, almost panic-stricken. gath
cred about him.
Its no use," he muttered, as W
gathered about him. Were beaten
1 can't stand this sort of thing. l viii
leave tomorrow for South America"
/ thought Elaine Dodge would fain
at the shock of his words coming 8
soon after the terrible occurrence out
side. She looked at him speechless.
It happened that Kennedy had SOM
artificial flowers on a stand, which b.
had been using long before in tn
study of synthetic coloring materials
Before Elaine could recover he
tongue he seized them and stuck then
Unto a tall beaker, like a vase. The
he deliberately walked to the windoy
and placed the beaker on the ledge Il
liza most prominent position.
t Elaine and Bennett, to say nothin
of myself, gazed at him, awe-struch
"Is-is there no other way but t
surrender she asked.
| Kennedy mournfully shook hi
head
I'm afraid not" he answered SLOW
lily. There's no telling how far fe
flow who has this marvellous powe
might CO. think I'd better leave. t
save you. He may not content hin
self with innocent outsiders always.
Nothing that any Of US could sa!
not even the pleadings Of Elaine he
self, could move him. The though
that at eleven o'clock third innocer
passer-by might lie stricken on tn
street seemed to move him powerful.
I'm so sorry-Craig," murmure
Elaine, choking back her emotion an
finding 1t impossible to go on.
80 am /, Elaine" he answered
tensely. "But-perhaps-when thi
trouble blows over
He paused, unable to go on, turne
and shook his head Then with
forced gayety he babe Elaine an
Perry Bennett adieu, saying that pc
haps trip might do him good.
They had scarcely gone out. an
Kennedy closed the door CAREFUL,
when he turned and went directly
the instrument which / had seen hi
observing 30 interestedly.
| Plainly I could see that 1t was re