The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1915-02-26

Poisoned Room.
spite of the fact that it was broad
daylight, it was running. His face
puckered.
They are using no current at pres
ent in the house." he ruminated, yet
the meter is running"
He continued to examine the meter
Then he began to follow the electric
wires along. At last he discovered a
place where they had been tempered
with and tapped by other wires.
THE work of the Clutching Hand"
he muttered.
Eagerly he followed the wires to
the furnace and around to the back.
There they led right into a little
water tank Kennedy yanked them
out. AS he did so he pulled some
thing with them.
1.-TWO electrodes the villain placed
there" he exclaimed, holding them up
triumphantly for me to see.
yves" replied, obviously, but
what does it all mean?"
why, don't you see? Under the in
fuence of the electric current the wa
ter was decomposed and gave off oxy-
gen and hydrogen! The free hydrogen
passed up the furnace pipe and COM
bining with the arsenic in the wall
paper formed the deadly aTseniuretted
hydrogen"
He cast the whole improvised cleo
trolysis apparatus on the floor and
dashed up the cellar steps.
i've found it," he criet, hurrying
into Elaine's room. ITS in this room
"a deadly gas-arseniurettef hydro
gen.
He tore open the windows.
Have her moved" he shouted to
Aunt Josephine. Then have a vac
uum cleaner go over every inch OF
wall, carpet and upholstery"
Standing beside her, he breathless-
ly explained his discovery. THAT wall
paper has been loaded down with
arsenic, probably paris green or
Schweinfurth green, which is acetcar-
semitic of copper Every minute you
are here you are breathing arsenluret-
ted hydrogen. This Clutching Hand
is a diabolical genius. Think of it
poisoned wall paper!"
No one said word. Kennedy
reached down and took the two
Clutching Hand messages Elaine had
received. 81 shall want to study
these notes, more, too" he said, hold
ing them up to the wall at the head
of the bed as he flashed his pocket
lens at them. you see, Elaine, may
be able to get something from study
ing the ink, the paper, the hand writ
ing"
Suddenly both leaped back. with a
cry.
Their faces had been several inches
apart Something had whizzed between
them and literally impaled the two
notes on the wall
Down the street, on the roof of a
carriage house, back of a neighbor's.
might have been seen the uneouth fig
ure of the shabby South American In
dian crouching behind a chimney and
gazing intently at the Dodge house.
As Craig had thrown open Elaine's
window and turned to Elaine the figure
had crouched closer to the chimney.
Then with an uncanny determine
ton, he slowly raised the blowgun to-
his lips
jumped forward, followed by Doc
tor Hayward. Aunt Josephine and
Marie. Kennedy had u peculiar look
as he pulled out from the wall blow
gun dart similar in every way to that
which had killed Michael
Craig" gasped Elaine, reaching up
and laying her soft, white hand on his
arm in undisguised fear for him, you
you must give up this chase for the
Clutching Hand"
"Give up the chase for the Clutch
ing Hand?' bearepeated in surprise.
; "Neverl Not until either he or / is
deadv'
!, There was both fear and admiration
mingled in her lock, as he reached
down and patted her dainty shoulder
encouragingly.
GRO DE coNTTNuEns