The Dolores star., 1915-08-27
TwENTY-FIRsT EPISODE
TINE EAR IN THE WALL.

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the EAR IN THE WALL.
Elaine sat in the library reading one
morning when her maid Marie entered
carrying long pasteboard box, dain
lily tied with ribbon.
Some flowers for you, Miss Elaine
think" she said handing the box to
her mistress.
Marie left the room. and Elaine. AZ
ter contemplating for mUment in
keen anticipation what she thought at
Arst was gift from Craig Kennedy.
opened the box. There lay . splendid
bunch Of long-stemmed red and white
roses. :. b..
Nesting in the green leaves was .
little white note. She picked It mp
expectantly and tore 1t open. sii
Instantly. however, her face
blanched. Instead of q billet doux, It
was the most fearsome threat yet
which the savage Chinese master Grim.
inal, WI Fang, had sent in the venge-
ful vendetta which he bad sworn on
Acco9ht Of the loss Of the Clutching
Hands millions.
Elaine had scarcely time to exclaim
at itl dire meaning when Kennedy
himself Entered. s;aps
SSxG2od morning." Re crested cheer.
ny. then cut the greeting short as he
caught the Mortified expression on her
pretty face. why. what's the mat
teri"
Elaine was too terrified even yet to
speak. All she could do was to hand
him the note:
This first Victim shall be Craig
Kennedy Or your aunt Yop may
choose. Place The red roses In
the window for your lover, the
whlts for the silvsr-halred one.
At the end appeared the mystefinhs
aign OF the serpent, darting from his
fanSs . death more than fig1rative.
@wh-what shall l dot" she ap-
pealed.
Craig did not answer directly. He
could not. Thoughtfully he walked TO
the window and gased out. There was
only . dirty. bent cripple standing by
the corner selling papers to pedes-
trians.
Kennedy's forehead wrinkled in
thought He turned and walked back
from the window. Mechanically he
picked up his hat and cane, then laid
down the cane again.
Il must look into this ut once" he
said. lifting the flowers and putting
them back into the bog carefully. rs
y BE- expected trouble to come Of the
A3aar. - -~.-..-.------.-
~Yoq-youll be very careful.
CrAigF pleaded Elaine, % they left
the library and went into the hall.
Il will be-for you" he repeated,
with reassuring smile. "Oh-I for.
got my cane"
Quickly he returned to the library,
leaving her standing in the hallway.
There he had purposely left his stick
ON the table beside the flowers. He
. selected some from the bunch Of red
roses and hastily stuck them In vase
and placed the vase on the window
sill. Then he picked up the cane and
rejoined Elaine in the hall.
.
Outside the Dodge house the dirty,
bent cripple looked about cautiously
out Of the corner Of his eye.
Suddenly he paused as II he had
caught sight Of . mendicancy oflcer
bearing down ON him. There on the
window sill Of the library was q vase
Of red roses. Hastily he shufned 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 table on
which was = long oblong oak boz. In
the cover. which was open. were fas-
tened on the inside two nat spools of
silken-covered wire. At each end Of
the box was placed an ordinary stor.
age battery, and in q compartment be.
tween. besides switches and conpec-
lions, were what looked like six sets
Of headgear much resembling those
worn by wireless operators.
This" said WI, holding up little
black disk about a. large as . watch,
with . dozen or 10 little perforations
in the face. "fs the white devils little
mechanical eavesdropper-the detec.
taphone-the ear in the wall. BY its
~ We shall learn all about our enc.
miss, where to strike, when to-"
Re stopped short ~ . servant en-