Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1915-06-12
TWENTY-FIRST EPISODE
THE EAR IN THE WALL.

thG GAh IN TIE WALL
Elaine sat in the library reading one
morning when her maid Marie entered.
carrying a long p~asteboard box, dain-
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. az
ter contemplating for a moment In
Keen anticipation what she thought at
opened the box. There lay a splendid
bunch of long-stemmed red and white
roses.
Nesting in the green leaves was a
little white note. She picked IL up
expectantly and tore IL open.
Instantly. however. her face
blanched. Instead OF a billet doux. II
was the most fearsome threat vet
which the savage Chinese master Grim
inal, WI Fang. had sent in the venge-
full vendetta which he had sworn on
account OF the loss OF the Clutching
Hands millions.
Elaine had scarcely time to exclaim
al its dire meaning when Kennedy
himself entered
Good morning" he greeted cheer
lily. then cut the greeting short As h.
caught the Mortified expression on her
pretty face Why. what's the mat
ter"
EIafna ms too tarr sad axau xaf ~
speak All she could do VAS 10 hand
him the note:
The first victim shall be Craig
Kennedy or your aunt. You may
ehoose Place the red roses in
the window for our lover. the
white for the siI~ver-haired one.
AT the end appeared the mysterious
sign OF the serpent. darling from his
fangs a death more than fGuratiye.
"Wh-what shall ! do" she ap-
pealed.
Craig did not answer directly. lie
could not ~Thoughtfully he walked ~
the window and sazed out There Nas
only a dirty. bent cripple standing By
the corner selling papers TO pedes-
TRANS.
kennedy's forehead wrinkled ia
thought lie turned and walked back
from the window Mechanically ne
picked w his hat and cane, then laid
down he cane again.
Il must look into this al once he
said. lifting the flowers and putting
them back into the box carefully. "a
n he expected trouble 10 come Of the
affair.
"You-you'll be very careful.
Craig" pleaded Elaine. as they left
the library and went into the hall
II will be-for you.' ne repeated.
with a reassuring smile. OH for
got my cane"
Quickly he returned TO the library.
leaving her standing in the hallway.
There he had %purposely left his stick
or the table beside the flowers. lie
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 MP the cane and
reioined Elaine in the hall.
Outside the Dodge house the dirty.
bent cripple looked about cautiously
out Of the corner Of his eve
Suddenly he paused as II he had
caught sight OF a mendicancy officer
bearing down on him. There on the
window sill OF the library was a vase
Of red roses. Hastily he shufled of
on his way.
As 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
namen were gathered about a table on
which was a long oblong oak box. In
the over. which was open were fas-
tened on the inside two fat spocls Of
silken-covered wire. At each end of
the box was placed an ordinary stor-
age battery. and in a compartment be
tween. besides switches and cornec-
lions. we're what looked like six sets
Of h~eadgear much resembling those
worn by wireless operators.
This" said WI. holding up a little
black disk about as large as a watch.
With a dozen or so little perforations
In the face. lis 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 a servant en-