The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1915-06-18
SEVENTEENTH EPISODE
TIE WATCHING EYE.


napers when they had so mysterious
ly spirited Elaine away from the
apartment OF Wu Fang. She had dis
appeared as completely as II she had
vanished into thin air
Kennedy was frantic. Wu 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 a 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 1t 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-
eeded it had been caused, in some
way, by the curiously engraved ring
which Aunt Josephine had taken from
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 we're 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?"
ne asked, holding up the replica.
Perfect" replied. admiringly.
what are you going to do with it?"
Il can't say-yet." answered Ken
nedy, forlornly, but if l understand
these Chinese criminals at all, know
shat the only way we can ever track
them is through some trick. Perhaps
the replica will suggest something to
US later"
Lets see If Aunt Josephine has re-
eeived any word" he remarked alb
fuptly, putting on his hat and coat,
and nodding to me to follow.
Kennedy and l were not the only
visitors to the subterranean chamber
where it had seemed that the clue
20 the Clutching Hands millions
might be found.
It was as though that hidden, watch
ing eye followed us. The night after
our own unsuccessful search, Wu
Fang, accompanied by Long Sin, made |
his way into the cavern
Wu examined the safe which had |
been broken into
Long Sin was now going over the |
walls of the cavern minutely, 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 decipher
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 rlng!" he cried, as at last he in
terpreted the meaning of the cryptic
characters.
But what about the ring? For mo-
ment Wu looked at the slot in deep
thought. Then he. reached down and
withdrew ring from his own finger
and dropped it through the slot.
They listened moment They could
hear the ring tinkle as though it we're
running down some sort of tracklike
decliyity inside the rock. Then, faint
", they could hear it drop. 1t had I
fallen into little cup Of compart- ]
inent below at their feet.
Nothing happehed. Wu recovered !
his ring. But he had hit at last upon !
the Clutching HaAds secret! '
Bennett had devised a ring lock {
which would open the treasure vault
No other ring except the one which l
be had so carefully hidden was of the
size or weight that would move the '
ever which would set the machinery q
working to open the treasure house. {
Again Wu tried another Of his own
rings, and a third time; Long Sin
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