Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1915-07-02
THIRTEENTH EPISODE
THE DEVIL WoRsHlPERs.

Elaine was seated in the drawing
room with Aunt Josephine one after
noon, when her lawyer Perry Ben
nett, dropped in Unexpectedly.
He had hardly greeted them when
the butler, Jennings, in his usual i'm
passive manner announced that Aunt
Josephine was wanted on the tele-
phone.
No sooner were Elaine and Bennett
alone than Elaine, turning to him, ex-
claimed:
Last night I dreamed that father
came to me and told me that if I
would give up Kennedy and put my
trust in you, would find the Clutch
ing Hand I don't know what to think
of it."
Bennett, who had been listening in
tently, moved over nearer to Elaine
and bent over her
Elaine" he said in a low tone, his
remarkable eyes looking straight into
her own, you must know that love
you. Then give me the right to pro-
tect you. 1t was your fathers dearest
wish, l believe, that we should marry.
Let me share your dangers and !
swear that sooner or later there will
be an end to the Clutching Hand.
Give me your answer, Elaine" he
urged land make me the happiest
man in all the world"
Elaine listened and not unsympa.
thetically, as Bennett continued to
plead for her answer.
"Wait a little while-until tomor.
row. she replied finally.
Let it be as you wish, then
agreed Bennett quietly.
He took her hand and kissed it pas.
sionately.
An instant later Aunt Josephine re-
turned. Elaine, unstrung by what
had happened, excused herself and
went into the library.
Involuntarily, her mind Travelled
back over the rapid succession oil
events of the past few weeks and
the part that she had thought, al
lCdoI, IASAhCuy ndu SOlIc W pay III
her life.
Then she thought of their recent
misunderstanding. Might there not
be some simple explanation of it, aft
er all, which she had missed? What
should she do?
She solved the problem by taking
up the telephone and asking for Ken
nedy's number.
| was chatting with Craig in his
laboratory and, at the same time
was watching him in his experimental
work. Just as a call came on the tele
phone, he was pouring some nitro
hydrochloric acid into test tube tc
complete a reaction.
The telephone tinkled and he laiC
down the bottle of acid on his desk
while he moved few steps to answer
the call
Whoever the speaker was, Craig
seemed deeply interested, and, moi
knowing who was talking on the wire
/ was eager to learn whether it was
anyone connected with the case o.
the Clutching Hand.
Eyes, this is Mr.. Kennedy" I heard
Craig say.
moved over toward him and whis
pered eagerly, rs there anything
new?"
A little impatient at being interrupt
ed, Kennedy waved me off. 1t oc
Cured to me that he might need 6
pad and pencil to make a note O
some information, and l reached ovel
the desk for them.
AS ! did so my arm inadvertently
struck the bottle of acid, knocking i
over on the top of the desk. Its con
tents streamed out saturating the tele
phone wires before / could prevent il
In trying to right the bottle my hant
came in contact with the acid which
burned like liquid fire, and / cried GU
in pain.
Craig hastily laid down the re
ceiver, seized me and rushed me t
the back of the laboratory, where III
drenched my hand with neutraliz
ing liquid.
He pound up the wounds caused b,
the acid, which proved to be slight
after all, and then returned to the tele
phone.
To his evident annoyance, he dis
covered that the acid had burne'
through the wires and cut off all con
nection.
At the other end of the line, Elain'
was listening impatiently for a re
Spouse to her first eager words of in
quiry. She was astouished to find