Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1915-08-17


car stopped outside the apartment.
@Oh,. she cried with an eager sigh
of relief at seeing Kennedy all right.
as she almost ran toward him. I'm
| so glad you
She stopped short as Craig motioned
to her to be silent She did not under
stand, and for the moment stopped
nonplused, as he picked up a pencil
and began to write on pad instead
of meeting her advance
| An instant later her mobile face
looked up at him in wonder as she
read:
Every word we say is being over
heard through a detectaphone in the
wall. Don't be surprised at anything
l say"
Then he walked deliberately over to
| the wall near which the instrument
was concealed and leaned down to In
sure his words being heard distinctly
| by those listening.
| 81 am going over to the laboratory
for an hour he said in loud. dis
tinct tone. Jameson, will you escort
miss Dodge homer"
why, certainly" ! replied with
alacrity.
A moment later we all left the room,
chatting in forced tones about hun
dred inconsequential things. Craig
banged the door.
| But before we left he reached into
his pocket and took out the flask and
| atomizer which / had seen him place
there. He poured the contents of the
flask on the rug.
accompanied Elaine to her car and
we drove away while Kennedy left
the apartment on foot.
Downstairs, WI Fang had been lis
tening at the other end of the detecta-
| phone.
| Their attention was soon at fever
heat when Elaine entered our rooms.
| WI, Long Sin and the others listened
breathlessly.
The Cinnamon waited until they
board us go out. WI then handed
Long Sin a vial and key. You I'M
derstand?"
yes, master" nodded Long Sin
with an evil leer.
| He hastily climbed the stairs from
| the cellar to our apartment. For a
few seconds he stood on the rug as
| he inserted the skeleton key in the
lock- Then, swinging the door open
cautiously he entered. He looked about
a minute. The apartment was empty.
Slowly Long Sin walked over to the
table and began examining the articles
| on it. Finally he picked up Kennedy's
pipe, and again his inscrutable face
| lighted with diabolical joy.
He. took the vial quickly from his
pocket, and, with small, soft brush
painted the mouthpiece of the pipe
with the liquid from the vial.
He laid the pipe down as he found
it and beat hasty retreat.
We had scarcely time to drive to
Elaine's house when message
reached US from Kennedy directing US
to return and meet him several
squares below our apartment.
We did so Immediately. There was
Kennedy with Chase and three or four
policeman.
in ten minutes / want you to raid
the apartment, he said, looking at his
watch Il am going in there now"
He entered the building and, as he
opened our own door, drew a gun,
kicking the door open and retreating
step. No one was there and he
went in
Craig looked about moment. On
the surface, nothing had been dis
turbed. He went through the bed
rooms Nothing was disturbed there.
Slowly he went back again to the
doorway, all the time careful not to
step on the rug. Starting near it, he
began spraying the floor with the
atomiZer.
It was one of his own inventions,
which he called "photo-mat."
AS the spray fell on the carpet and
hardwood it developed Long Sins foot
prints exactly.
Carefully Kennedy followed them
as the chemicals brought them out
Long Sin had not walked around the
room much, evidently, as Craig ad-
vanced slowly along the floor, still
spraying. AS each step came out it
was apparent that Long Sin had done
little else but go to the table and
then leave.
Craig looked at the table a moment.
There seemed to be nothing on it that
would attract man of Long Sins tai
ents Mechanically, Craig picked up
his pipe lying there and looked at 1t
coutemplatively. He shifted at the
mouthpiece. There was a peachstone
smell.
Cyanide" he muttered to himself
under his breath, laying the pipe down
gingeriy.
For moment he thought. then a
sudden impulse seemed to seize him.
His mind was made up. He moved
closer to the marked Dashboard. Sud
denly he uttered sharp cry.
"Hello-central! Help! Help! I'm
poisoned"
At the same time he struck the wall
blow as though he were falling.
Down in the cellar the six China
men looked at each other in unfeigned
delight as they heard the call for help.
Quickly WI pulled the detectaphone
receiver off his head.
"Here-take this" he ordered Long
Sin, handing him a paper which he
drew from under his blouse.
Long Sin took 1t and looked at it
with smile of satisfaction. He I'M
derstood. On the paper was drawn
Wu's sign of the serpent, with fangs
striking viciously and VIGOROUSLY.
Reckoning to another of the China
=