The Ordway new era., 1915-07-02
THIRTEENTH EPISODE
THE DEVIL WoRsHiPERs.

sbsI"b .SN w - sSSSe
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 II
would give up Kennedy and put my
trust in you. I 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 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. It was your fathers dearest
wish, 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 Jour answer, Elaine" he
urged, "And make me the happiest
man in I'll the world"
Elstne listened, and not unsympa.
tAslfcally. as Bennett continued to
plsad for her answer.
''Wait q little while-until tomor-
row." she replied finally.
LET 1t be ~ you wish, then. !"
agreed Bennett quietly.
He took her hand and kissed It pas
Z alonately.
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 OF
events of the past few weeks and
the part that she had thought. at
least, Kennedy had come to play In
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 dot
She solved the problem by taking
up the telephone and asking for Ken
nsdy'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 q test tube to
complete a reaction.
The telephone tinkled and he laid
down the bottle OF acid on his desk.
while he moved few steps to answer
the call. .----.2sgs-- -.
Whoever the speaker was. Craig
seemed deeply interested, and. not
knowing who was talking on the wire.
was eager to learn whether 1t was
anyone connected with the case OF
the Clutching Hand.
eyes, this is Mr.. Kennedy" heard
Craig say.
moved over toward him and whis-
pered eagerly, 'Is there anything
newT
A little impatient at being interrupt
cd, kennedy waved me oil. 1t oc'
CURED to me that he might need .
pad and pencil to make note OF
eome information. and reached over
the desk for them.
As I did SO my arm inadvertently
struck the bottle Of acid, knocking 1t
over on the top Of the desk. Its con-
tents streamed out saturating the tele-
phone wires before could prevent 1t.
In trying to right the bottle my mana
came In contact with the acid which
burned like liquid fire, and cried out
IN pain.
Craig hastily laid down. the re-
-eeiver, seized me and rushed me 70
tho back Of the laboratory. where ne
.drenched my hand with . neutraiiz-
ing liquid. n, gras. ..5,.., L.
He pound up the wounds caused BY
the acid, which proved to be shgnt'
:after ali, and then returned to the teie-
phone. - a..
.soyered that the acid had burned
through the wires and cut on si con-
,nection.
Al the other end Of the line, Elaine
ms listening impatiently for . re'
.eponsS to hss first eager words o. IN
euaSy. 0hS vss astonishsd to nnd'