The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1915-04-04


artificial flowers on a stand. which he
had been using long before in the
study of synthetic colorinE materials:
Before Elaine could recover her.
tongue he seized them and stuck them
into a tall beAker, like vase Then
he deliberately walked to the window
and placed the beaker on the ledge in
"a most prominent position
Elaine and Bennett, to say nothing
OF myself. gazed at him. awe-struck.
Isis there no other way but to
surrender" che asked.
Kennedy mournfully shook hia
head. !.
I'm afraid not" he answered slow
IL. There's no telling how far a fell
low who has this marvellous power
might so. / think I'd better leave, to
save you. He may not content HIM
self with innocent outsiders always
Nothing that any OF us could say.
not even the p1eadtngs OF Elaine her.
self. could move him The thought
That at eleven o'clock third innocent
passer-by might lie stricken on the
street seemed to move him powerfully.
I'm 80 sorry Craig" murmured
Elaine, choking back her emotion and
finding 1t impossible to go on.
$50 am I. Elaine he answered.
tensely. Butperhaps-when this
trouble blows over
He paused. unable to 60 on, turned
and shook his head. Then with a
forced gayety he babe Elaine and
Perry Bennett adieu, saying that per.
no no q fr{T H. dfrn&
They had scarcely gone out, and
Kennedy closed the door carefully.
when he turned and went directly to
the instrument which I had seen him
observing so interestedly.
Plainly could see that 1t was reg
istering something.
He walked fairly close to the win
dow this time, keeping well out OF the
direct line of It, however, and there
stood gazing out into the street.
I'VE are being watched" he said
slowly, turning and looking at me f1.
eddy, but don't dare investigate lest
It cost the lives OF more unfortunates."
He stood for q moment IN deep
thought Then he pulled out suit
case and began silently to pack it.
Although we had not dared to In
vestigate. we knew that from build
ing across the street emissaries Of
the Clutching Hand were watching
for our signal OF surrender.
The fact was, as we found out later.
that in a poorly furnished room. much
after the fashion Of that which. with
the help OF the authorities. we had
once raided in the suburbs. there were
at that moment two crooks.
One OF them was the famous. or
rather infamous. Professor LeCroix.
The other was the young secretary OF
the Clutching Hand
This was tho new headquarters OF
the master criminal. very carefully
guarded.
Look cried LccroiS. very much
excited By the effect that had been
produced by his infra.red rays There
fs the sign-the vase OF flowers. We.
have got him this time"
LeCroix gleefully patted a peculiar
instrument beside him. Apparently
twas combinat ion OF powerful cleo,
trio arcs. the rays Of which we're shot
through a funnel-like arrangement
into a converted or, rather. a sort OF
concentration apparatus from which
the dread power could be released
through tubelike affair at the end
It was his infra-red heat wave. Fray,
engine.
told you It would work." cried
LRCroix.
i did not argue any further with
Craig about his sudden resolution to
so away. Butt is avery solemn pro
8ceeding to pack up and admit defent
after such brilliant succession of
cases as had been his until we met
this master criminal.
He was unsuitable. however. and
the next morning we closed the
laboratory and loaded our baggage
into a taxicab.
Neither OF US said much, but I saw
aquick look OF appreciation on Craig'ei
face as we pulled up at the wharf
and saw that Elaine's car was already
there. He seemed deeply moved that
Elaine should come at such an early
hour to have last word.
Our car stopped. and Kennedy
moved over toward her car. direct
Ing two porters. whom I noticed that
he chose with care, to- wait at one
side. One OF them was an Irishms,u
with a slight limp; the other a wift
Frenchman with pointed beard.
In spite Of her pleadings, however.
Kennedy held to his purpose. and as
we shook hands for the last time
thought that Elaine would almost
break down
Y we finally tore ourselves away.
followed by the porters carrying as
much as they could.
Bon voyages. called Elaine, brave
II keeping back choke in her voice
Near the gangplank, In the crowd. ]
noticed couple OF sinister faces
watching the ships officers and the
passengers going aboard ssKennedy's
quick eye spotted them, too, but he
did not show In any way that he no
ticed anything as. followed by our two