The Dermott news., 1915-07-01
Thirteenth EPISODE
THE DEVIL WoRsHIPERs.

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 Inn
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 | dreamed that father
came to me and told me that II
would give up Kennedy and put my
trust In you. would find the Clutch
ting Hand. | 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 a 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. II was your fathers dearest
wish. | believe. that we should marry.
Let mo. share your dangers and I
swear that sooner or later there VIII
DO an end to the Clutching Hand.
Give me your answer. Elaine" he
urged. and make me the happiest
man In all the world"
Elaine listened. and not unsympa-
Not oil fnp ~
plead for her answer.
Wait a little while-until tomor-
row." she replied finally
Let II be as you wish. then"
agreed Bennett quietly.
He took her hand and kissed 1t pas
sionately.
. 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 tho past few weeks and
tho 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 1t, aft
or all. which she had missed? What
should she do7
She solved the problem by taking
up the telephone and asking for Ken
nedy's number.
was chatting with Craig in his
laboratory, and. at the same time,
was watching him in his experimental
work Just as q call came on the tele-
phone. he was pouring some nitro
hydrochloric acid into 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.
Whoever the speaker was, Craig
seemed deeply interested. and. not
knowing who was talking on the wire.
was eager to learn whether II was
anyone connected with the case of
the Clutching Hand.
yes. this is Mr.. Kennedy" heard
Craig say.
moved over toward him and whis-
pered eagerly. rs there anything
new"
A little impatient at being interrupt
:, Kennedy waved me off. 1t oc.
CURED to me that he might need n
pad and pencil to make note OF
some Information. and reached over
the desk for them.
As | did so my arm inadvertently
struck the bottle of acid. knocking it
over on the top of the desk. Its con-
tents streamed out saturating the tele-
phone wires before could prevent it.
In trying 10 right the bottle my hand
came In contact with tho acid which
burned like liquid fire, and cried out
In pain.
.1ig hastily laid down the re
ceiver. seized me aud rushed ME to
the back >of the laboratory. where he
drenched my hand with neutraliz-
ing liquid.
He pound up the wounds caused by
the acid. which proved to be slight,
fter all. and then returned 20 the tele-
ne
40 his eyident annoyance. he dis
covered that the acid had. burned
through the wires and cut OF all con-
nection.
Al the other end OF the line. Elaine
was listening impatlently for a re-
spouse to her first eager words OF I'm
oBy. phe was astonishsd to find.