The Climax-Madisonian. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1914-1917, 1915-07-14
SEVENTEENTH EPISODE
The MATCHING EYE.

napers when they had so mysterious
ly spirited Elaine away from the
apartment of WI Fang. She had dis
appeared as completely as if she had
vanished into thin air.
Kennedy was frantic. WI and Long
Sin themselves seemed to have van
ished, too. Where they held her, what
had happened to her, was a sealed
book. And yet no move of ours was
made, no matter how secret, that it
did not seem to be known to them. 1t
was as though weird, uncanny eye
glared at us, watching everything.
Craig neglected no possibility in
his eager search. He even visited the
little house in the country which
Elaine had given to Aunt Tabby, and
spent several hours examining the
collapsed subterranean chamber in
the vain hope that it might Yield a
clue. But it had not.
UnescApably, he was forced to the
conclusion that not only Elaine's
amazing disappearance, but the tragic
succession of events which had pre-
coded 1t had been caused, in some
way, by the curiously engraved ring
which Aunt Josephine had taken from
I her.
Craig had taken possession of the
mystic ring himself, and now, forced
back on this sole clue, it had occurred
to him that If the ring were so valu-
able, other attempts would without
doubt, be made to get possession of it..
/ came into the laboratory, one aft
ernoon, to find Kennedy surrounded
by jewelers. tools, hard at work max
ing an exact copy of the ring.
What do you think of it, Walter?"
he asked. holding up the replica.
Perfect" l replied, admiringly.
What are you going to do with it?"
Il can't sayAyet," answered Ken
nedy, forlornly, but if l understand
these Chinese criminals at all, know
that the only way we can ever track
them Is through some trick. Perhaps
the replica will suggest something to
US later"
Let's see if Aunt Josephine has re-
ceived any word" he remarked alb
ruptly, putting on his hat and coat,
and nodding to me to follow.
Kennedy and / were not the only
visitors to the subterranean chamber
where it had seemed that the clue
to the Clutching Hands millions
might be found.
1t was as though that hidden, watch
ing eye followed US. The night after
our own unsuccessful search, WI
Fang, accompanied by Long Sin, made
his way into the cavern.
WI examined the safe which had
been broken into,
Long Sin was now going over the
walls Of the cavern infinitely, his close
set, beady black eyes examining every
square inch of it.
A sudden low cultural exclamation
caused WI to turn to him quickly
Long Sin had discovered, back of the
debris. long oblong slot, cut into the
rock. Above 1t were some peculiar
marks.
WI hurried over to his henchman
and together they tried to deciphel
what had been scratched on the rock
AS Long Sins slender and sinister
forefnger traced over the Inscription
WI suddenly caught him by the ell
bow.
"The ring!" he cried, as at last he in
terpreted the meaning of the cryptic
characters.
But what about the ring? For a mo
ment WI looked at the slot in deeI
thought. Then he reached down anC
withdrew a ring from his own finger
and dropped it through the slot.
They listened a moment. They coulC
hear the ring tinkle as though it wer'
running down some sort of tracklik
declivity inside the rock. Then, faint
ly, they could hear it drop. 1t hat
fallen into little cup of a compart
ment below at their feet.
Nothing happened. WI recovere,
his ring. But he had hit at last upol
the Clutching Hands secret!
Bennett had devised a ring locl
which would open the treasure vault
No other ring except the one whicl
he had so carefully hidden was of. tn
size or weight that would move tn
lever which would set the machiner
working to open the treasure house.
Again WI tried another of his owl
rings, and a third time; Long 81
dropped in a ring from his finger
Still there was no result.
1.-THE ring which we lost is the Ike!
to the puzzle-the only key!" ex
claimed WI Fang finally. 1--WE mus
recover it at all hazards"
To his subtle mind a plan of actor
seemed to unfold almost instantly
There is no good remaining here" h,
added. "And we have gained nothing
by the capture of the girl, unless W,
can use her to recover the ring"
i Long Sin followed his master witt
sort of intuition. IF we have to stea
it." he suggested deferentially, 1T car
be accomplished best by making us
OF the Chong Wah Tong"
The tong was the criminal ban
which they had offended, which had II
fact stolen the ring from Long Sil
and sold It to Elaine. Yet in gam
such as this enmity could not las
when It was mutually disadvantageouf
WI took the suggestion. He decide
instantly to make peace with his enc
mies-and use them.
Later that night, in his car. W
stopped near the little curio shop KEEP
by the new tong leader.
WI, followed by his slave in crime
entered the curio shop and passe
through with great dignity into tn