The Ordway new era., 1915-08-27
TWENTY:-FlRsT EPISODE
THE EAR IN THE WALL.

THE EAR IN THE WALL.
Elaine sat in the library reading one
morning when her maid Marie entered.
carrying a long pasteboard box, datn-
tily tied with ribbon.
Some flowers for you, Miss Elaine,
I think" she said handing the box to
her mistress.
Marie left the room. and Elaine. af-
ter contemplating for 4 moment in
keen anticipation what she thought at
drst was q gift from Craig Kennedy.
opened the box. There lay q splendid
bunch of long.stemmed red and white
roses.
Nesting in the green leaves was =
little white note. She picked 1t up
expectantly and tore 1t open.
Instantly, however, her face
blanched. Instead OF billet doux, 1t
was the most fearsome threat yet
which the savage Chinese master Grim
fnal. WI Fang, had sent in the venge-
full vendetta which ne 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
teri"
Elaine was too terrified even yet to
speak. All she could do was to hand
him the note:
The first victim shall be Craig r
Kennedy or your aunt You may
choose. Place the red roses In
the window for your lover, the
white for the siiver.halred one.
At the end appeared the mysterious
sign of the serpent, darting from his
fangs a death more than ngurative.
"Wh-what shall l 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-
trians.
Kennedy's forehead wrinkled in
thought. He turned and walked back
from the window. Mechanically he
picked up his hat and cane, then laid
down the cane again.
II must look into this at once" he
said, lifting the flowers and putting
them back into the box carefully. as
II he expected trouble to come Of the
AFFAIR.
..You-youIl be very careful.
Craig?" pleaded Elaine, as they left
the library and went into the hall.
II 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 q mendicancy ofhcer
bearing down ON him. There on the
window sill of the library was vase
of red roses. Hastily he stunned ON
on his way.
Al fast as his supposedly bent body
could straighten itself safely out he
hurried downtown with one idea-to
reach the secret apartment OF WI
Fang, the serpent.
WI, Long Sin and several other Chi
hamen were gathered about . table on
which was . long oblons oak box. In
the cover, which was open. we're fas-
tened on the inside two hat spools OF
silken-coyered wire. At each end OF
the box was placed an ordinary stor'
age battery, and In compartment be-
tween, besides switches and connec-
tions, were what looked like six sets
of headgear much resembling those
worn by wireless OPERATOR. r.
"This," said WI. holding up little
black disk about as large as watch
with q dozen or 30 little perforattons
in the face. "fs the white devils little
mechanical eavesdropper-the detec-
taphone-the ear in the wall. BY Its
aid we shall learn all about our enc
mics. where to strike. when to"
He stopped short as q servant en-