Elmore County Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1910-1915, 1915-07-10
TWENTY-FIRsT EPISODE
THE EAR IN THE WALL.

Elaine sat In the library reading one
morning when her maid Marie entered
carrying long pasteboard box, dain
lilly tied with ribbon.
Some flowers for you, Miss Elaine
think" she said handing the box to
her mistress
Marie left the room, and Elaine, af
ter contemplating for moment in
keen anticipation what she thought at
first was gift from Craig Kennedy
opened the box. There lay splendid
bunch of long-stemmed red and white
roses
Nesting in the green leaves was a
little white note. She picked 1t up
expectantly and tore 1t open.
Instantly, however, her face
blanched. Instead of billet doux, 1t
was the most fearsome threat yet
which the savage Chinese master GRIM
inal, WI Fang, had sent in the venge-
full vendetta which he had sworn on
account of the loss of the Clutching
Hands millions.
Elaine had scarcely time to exclaim
at its dire meaning when Kennedy
himself entered
Good morning" he greeted cheer
lily 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:
The first Victim shall be Craig
Kennedy or your aunt. You may
choose. Place the red roses In
the window for your lover, the
white for the siIver-haired one.
At the end appeared the mysterious
sign of the serpent, darting from his
fangs death more than fgurative.
"Wh-what shall | do?" she ap-
pealed.
Craig did not answer directly. He
could not. Thoughtfully he walked to
the window and gazed out. There was
only a dirty, bent cripple standing by
the corner selling papers to pedes-
TRANS.
Kennedy's forehead wrinkled in
thought He turned and walked back
from the window. Mechanically he
pickeu up his hat and cane, then laid |
down the cane again.
Il must look into this at once" he
said. lifting the flowers and putting |
them back into the box carefully, as
Ii ne expected trouble to come of the
affair.
"You--you'll be very careful,
Craig?" pleaded Elaine, as they left
the library and went into the hall.
Il will be-for you," he repeated,
with reassuring smile. OH for.
got my cane"
Quickly he returned to the library,
leaving her standing in the hallway.
There he had purposely left his stick
IN the table beside the flowers. He
'elected some from the bunch of red
'oses and hastily stuck them in vase
md placed the vase on the window
I'LL. Then he picked up the cane and
ejoined Elaine in the hall.
Outside the Dodge house the dirty,
'snt cripple looked about cautiously
ut of the corner of his eye.
Suddenly he paused as IL he had
aught sight of mendicancy officer
caring down on him. There on the {
1indow sill of the library was vase '
I red roses. Hastily he shuffied off
n his way.
AS fast as his supposedly bent body I
ould straighten itself safely out he t
L ried downtown with one idea--to (
each the secret apartment of WI l
ang, the serpent.
WI, Long Sin and several other Chi 1
amen were gathered about table OIL @
hich was long oblong oak box. In d
lie cover, which was open, we're fas- c
med on the inside two fiat spools of 9
lken-covered wire. At each end OF b
lie box was placed an ordinary stor. Il
se battery, and in a compartment be.
yeen, besides switches and connec q
ons, were what looked like six set. o
headgear much resembling thosc 4
orn by wireless operators.
"This," said WI, holding up little n
ack disk about as large as a watch h
lth dozen or 30 little perforatione "
the face. lis the white DEVILS littlt Il
echanical eavesdropper-tTle detec
phonetic ear in the wall. By 1t d
d we shall learn all about our enc In
les, where to strike, when to-" n
He stopped short as servant en- 81