Evening Republican, Volume 19, Number 78, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 April 1915 — The Exploits of Elaine [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

The Exploits of Elaine

A Detective Novel and a Motion Picture Drama

By ARTHUR B. REEVE

TheWefi-fCnown Novelist and the Creator of the “CraigKennedy** Stories Prevented in Collaboration With the Pethe Players and tha Eclectic Film Company Copyright. MM, by tbe Ear Comjio All Foreign *nba Kr * rTf<l

SYNOPSIS. The New York police ere mystified by * erlee of murders and other crimes, The principal clue to the criminal Is the warning letter which Is sent the victims, with a "clutching hand.” The latent victim of the mysterious assassin is Taylor Dodge, the - Insurance president. His daughter. Elriine, employs Craig Kennedy, the famous scientific dete<Mtlve. to try to unravel the mystery, \\hat Kennedv 'accomplishes is told "by TT s friend Jameson, a newspaper man. Enraged at the determined effort which Blaine and Craig Kennedy arc making to put an end to his crimes. Iht Clutching Hand, as this strange criminal is known, resorts to all sorts of th most diabolical schemes to put ther out of the way. Bach chapter of th, Etc . tells of a new plot against their live and of the way the great detective uses all hts skill to save this pretty girl and himself from death. SEVENTH EPISODE The Double Trap. Mindful of the sage advice that a time of peace is best employed in preparing for war, I was busily engaged In cleaning my automatic gun one morning as Kennedy and I were seated In our living room. Our door buzzer sounded, and Kennedy, always alert, jumped up, pushing aside a great pile of papers which had accumulated in the Dodge case. Two steps took him to the hail, where the day before he had installed a peculiar box about four by six inches, connected in some way with a lenslike box of similar size above our bell and speaking tube In the hallway below it. He opened It, disclosing an oblong plate of ground glass. “I thought the seismograph arrangement was not quite enough after that spring-gun affair," he remarked, “eo I have put In a sort of teleview of my own invention — so that I can se down into the vestibule downstairs. Well —just look who’s here!” "Some new-fangled periscope arrangement, I suppose?” I queried, ’uoving slowly over toward it However, one look was enough to interest me. I can express It only in slang. There, framed in the little thing, was a vision of as swell a "chicken” as I have ever seen. I whistled under my breath. "Dm!” I exclaimed shamelessly, “A peach! Who’s your friend?” I had never said a truer word than In my description of her, though I did not know it at the time. She was indeed known as “Gertie the Peach” in the select circle where she belonged. Kennedy had opened the lower door and our fair visitor was coming upstairs. "Go in there, Walter.” he said, seizing me quickly and pushing me into my room. “I w&nt you to wait there and watch her carefully.” Kennedy opened the door, disclosing a very excited young woman. "Oh, Professor Kennedy,” she cried, all in one breath, with much emotion, “I’m so glad I found you in. I can t tell you. Oh — my jewels! They have been stolen —and my husband must not know of it. Help me to recover them —please!” “Just & moment, my dear young lady,” interrupted Craig, unding at last a chance to get a word in edgeways. "Do yon see that table — and all those papers? Really, I can’t take your case. I am too busy, as it is, even to take the cases of many of my own clients.” * . “But please, Professor Kennedy — please!” she begged. “Help me. It means—oh, 1 can’t tell you how much it means to me!” She had come close to him and had laid her warm, little soft hand on his, in ardent entreaty. , From my hiding place in my room, I could not help seeirg that she was oslng every charm of her sex and personality to lure him on, as she clung confidingly to him. *. , 1 Gertie had thrown her arms about Kennedy, as if in wildest devotion. I wondered what Elaine would have thought if she had a picture of that! “Oh,” she begged him, please—please help me!”

Still Kennedy seemed utterlj* unaffected by fler passionate embrace. Carefally he loosened her fingers from about neck and removed the plump, enticing arms. Gertie sank into a chair, w eeping, while Kennedy stood before her a moment in deep abstraction. Finally he seemed to make tip his mind to something; His manner toward her changed. He took a step to her side. “I will help you," he said, laying his hand bn her shoulder. “If it is possible I will recover your jewels. Where do yon live?" "At Hazlehnrst,” she replied, gratefully. “Oh, Mr. Kennedy, how can I ever thank you?" She seemed overcome with gratitude, and took his hand, pressed it, even kissed it. “Just a minute," he added, carefully extricating his hand. “I’ll be ready in just a, minute." Kennedy entered the room where I was listening. “What’s it mil about, Craig?” I whispered, mystified. Ftir a moment he stood thinking, apparently reconsidering what he had

jURI UUlie. 1 «l»o DVVOMVI va-w-r, seemed to approve it. "This is a trap of the Clutching Hand, Walter,” he whispered, adding tensely, "and we’re going to walk right into it.” "But, Craig,” 1 demurred, "that’s foolhardy. Have her trailed—anything—but— ** ,—: —-nHe shook his head, and with a mere motion of his hand brushed aside my objections as he went to a cabinet across the room. From one shelf he took out a small S metal box and from another a test tube, placing the test tube in his w'aistcoat pocket and the small box In his coat pocket with excessive care. Then he turned and motioned to me to follow him out into the other room. I did so, stuffing my “gatt” into my I pocket. i “Let me introduce my friend, Mr. Jameson,” said Craig, presenting me to the pretty crook. | Tbe introduction quickly over, we three went out to get Craig's car, which he kept at a nearby garage. • *•***• That forenoon Perry Bennett was reading up a case. In the outer office Milton Schofield, his office boy, was industriously chewing gum and admiring his feet, cocked up on the desk before him. i The door to the waiting room ' opened and an attractive woman of perhaps thirty, dressed in extreme mourning, entered with a boy. Milton cast a glance of scorn at the "little dude." He was in reality about fourteen years old, but was dressed to look much younger. . “Did you wish to see Mr. Bennett?” aßked the precocious Milton, politely, on one hand, while on the other he made a wry grimacS. “Yes —here is my card,” replied the woman. It was deeply bordered in black. Even Milton was startled at reading it: “Mrs. Taylor Dodge.” He looked at the woman in openmouthed astonishment. Even he knew that Elaine's mother had been dead for years. The woman, however, true to her name in the artistic coterie in which she W'as leader, had sunk into a chair and was sobbing convulsively, as only “Weepy Mary” could. It was so effective that even Milton was visibly moved. He took the card in, excitedly, to Bennett. “There’s a woman outside—says she is Mrs. Taylor Dodge!" he cried. If Milton had had an X-ray eye he could have seen her take a cigarette from her handbag and light it nonchalantly the moment he was gone. As for Bennett, Milton, who was watching him closely, thought he was about to discharge him on the spot for bothering him. He took the card, and his face expressed the most extreme surprise, then anger. He thought a moment. “Tell that woman to state her business in writing,” he thundered curtly at Milton. # As the boy turned to go back to the waiting room. Weepy Mary, hearing him coming, hastily shoved the cigarette into her "son's” hand. “Mr. Bennett says for you to write out what it is you w*ant to see him about,” reported Milton, indicating the table before which she was sitting. Mary had automatically taken up sobbing with the release of the cigarette. She looked at the table on which were letter paper, pens and ink. “I may write here?” she asked. “Surely, ma'am,” replied Milton, still very much overwhelmed by her sorrow. * “Weepy Mary" sat there, writing and sobbing. In the midst of his sympathy, howi ever, Milton sniffed. There was an unmistakable odor of tobacco smoke the room. He looked sharply at the “son.” and discovered the still smoking cigarette. i It was too much for Milton’s out-„ raged dignity. Bennett did not allow him that coveted 1 privilege. This upstart could not usurp it. He reached over and seized the boy -by the arm. andr’fiwung him around till he faced a §lgn in the corner on {.he wall. ; “Seb?” he denjanded. The sign read, courteously: “No Smoking in This Office —Please. “PERRY BENNETT." “Leggo my arm,” snarled the “son,” putting the offensive cigarette defiantly into his mouth. There was every element of a gaudy mixup, when the-»outer door of the of* ’ fice suddenly swung open and Elaine Dodge entered. , . Gkllantry was Milton’s middle name, and he sprang forward to hold the,, door, and then opened Bennett’s door, as he ushered in Elaine. As she passed “Weepy Mary,” who was still writing at the table and crying bitterly, Elaine hesitated and looked at bei' curiously. Even after Milton had opened Bennett’s door, she could not resist another glance. Instinctively, Elaine seemed to scent trouble. Bennett was stfll studying the blackbordered card when she greeted him. 1

"Who Is that woman?” she asked, still wondering about the Identity of, tbe niobe outside. At first he said nothing. But finally, seeing that she had noticed it, he banded Elaine the card, reluctantly. Elaine read it with a gasp. The look of surprise that crossed her face was terrible. Before she could say anything, however, Milton had returned with the sheet of paper on which “Weepy Mary” had written and handed it to Bennett. Bennett read it with uncontrolled astonishment. “What is it?" demanded Elaine. He handed it to her, and she read: As the lawful wife and widow of Taylor Dodge I demand my son’s rights and my own. MRS. TAYLOR DODGE. Elaine gasped at it. . “She—my father’s wife!” she exclaimed. “What effrontery! What does she mean?” Bennett hesitated. “Tell me,” Elaine cried. “Is there — can there be anything in it? No —no — there isn’t.” Hennett spoke in a low tone. “I have heard a whisper of some scandal or other connected with your father—but —” He paused. . Elaine was first shocked, then indignant. "Why—such a thing is absurd. Show the woman in!” "So —please—Miss Dodge. Let me deal with her.” By this time Elaine was furious. “Yes —I will see her.” She pressed the button on Bennett’s desk, and Milton responded. "Milton, show the —the woman in,” she ordered, “and that boy, too.” As Milton turned to crook his finger at “Weepy Mary,” she nodded surreptitiously and dug her fingers sharply into “son’s” ribs. “Yell—you little fool—yell,” she whispered. Obedient to his “mother’s” commands, and much to Milton’s disgust, the boy started to cry in close imitation of his elder. Elaine was still holding the paper in her hands when they entered. “What does all this mean?” she demanded. “Weepy Mary,” between sobs, managed to blurt out. “You are Miss Elaine Dodge, aren’t you? Well, it

means that your father married me when I was only seventeen, and this boy is our son —your half-brother.” “No —never,” cried Elaine vehemently, unable to restrain her disgust. “Weepy Mary" smiled cynically. “Come with me and I will show you the church records and the minister who married us.” 1 “You will?” repeated Elaine defiantly. “Well, I’ll just do as you ask. Mr. Bennett shall go with me.” “No, no, Miss Dodge—don’t go. Leave the matter to me,” urged Bennett. “I will take care of her. Besides, I must bje In court in twenty minutes,” ■ Elaine paused, but she was' thoroughly aroused. “Then I will go with her myself,” she cried defiantly. In spite of every objeetidn that Bennett made, “Weepy Mary,” her son an/i Elaine went out to call a taxicab to take them to the railroad station where they could catch a train to the little town where the woman asserted she had been married. Meanwhile, before a little country church in the to*wn, a closed automobile had drawn up. As the door opened a figure, humped bp and masked, alighted. It was the. Clutching Hand. . The car ha<J scarcely pulled away when he gave a long rap, followed by two short taps, at the door of the vestry, a secret code, evidently. Inside the vestry room a man brell dressed, but with a very sinister face, heard the knock and a second later opened the door. , «Wfcat —hot ready yet?” growled the Clutching Hand. “Quick —now —get on those clothes. I heard the train whistle as I came in the car. In closet does the minister keep them?” The crook, without a word, went to a closet and took out a suit of clothes of ministerial cut. Then he hastily put them, on, adding some side-whisk-ers, which he had brought with him. At about the same time Elaine, accompanied by “Weepy Mary” and her

“son” had arrived at the little tumbledown station and had taken the only vehicle id sight, a very ancient carriage. ‘ It ambled along until, at last, it pulled up before the vestry room door of the church, just as the bogus minister was finishing his transformation from a frank crook. Clutching Hand was giving him his final instructions. Elaine and the others alighted and approached the church, while the ancient vehicle rattled away. "They’re coming!” whispered the crook, peering cautiously out of the window. Clutching Hand moved silently and snakelike into the closet and shut the door. “How do you do, Upctor Carton?" greeted “Weepy Mary." I guess you don’t remember me.” The clerical gentleman looked at her fixedly a moment “Remember you?" he repeated. “Of course, my dear. I remember every- —— “And you remember to whom you married me?” “Perfectly. To an older man—a Taylor Dodge.” Elaine was overcome. “Won’t you step in?” he~ said suavely. “Your friend here doesn’t seem well.” They all entered. “And you—you say—you married this —this woman to Taylor Dodge?” queried Elaine, tensely. The bogus minister seemed to be very fatherly. “Yes,” he asserted, “I certainly did so.” “Have you the record?” asked Elaine, fighting to the last. “Why, yes. I can show .you the record,” He moved over to the closet. “Come over here,” he asked. He opened the door. Elaine screamed and drew back. There stood her arch enemy, the Clutching Hand himself. As he stepped forth, she turned wildly, to run —anywhere. But strong arms seized her and forced her into a chair. She looked at the woman and the minister- It was a plot! “A moment Clutching Hand looked Elaine over. “Put the others out,” he ordered the,other crook. “Now, my pretty dear,” began the Clutching Hand as the lock turned in the vestry door, “we shall be joined

shortly by your friend, Craig Kennedy, and,” he added with a leer, “I think your rather insistent search for a certain person will cease.” Elaine drew back in the chair, horrified at the implied threat. 1 Clutching Hand laughed diabolically. While these astounding events were transpiring in “the little church, Kennedy and I had been tearing across the country in his big car, following the directions of our fair friend. We stopped at last before a prosperous, attractive-looking house and entered a very prettily furnished, but small parlor. Heavy portieres hung over the doorway into the hall, oyer another into a back room and over the bay. windows. “Won’t you sit down a moment?” coaxed Gertie. “I’m quite blown to pieces after that ride. My, how you drive!” , v> N 1 As she pulled aside the hall-por-tieres, three men with guns their hands out I turned. Two others had stepped from the back'room and two more from the bay window. We were surrounded. Seven guns were aimed as us with deadly precision. > “Gentlemen,” he said quietly. “I suspected some such thing. “I have here a small box of fulminate of mercury. If I drop it, this building and the entire vicinity will be blown to atoms. Go ahead —shoot! ’ he added, nonchalantly. The seven of them drew back rather hurriedly. -—-• . Kennedy was a dangerous prisoner. He calmly sat down in an arm chair, leaning back as he carefully balanced the deadly little box of fulminate of mercury on his knee. __ Gertie ran from the room. For a moment .they looked at each other, undecided. Then, one by one, they stepped away from Kennedy toward the door. * The leader was the last to go.. He had scarcely taken a step. “Stop! ” ordered Kennedy.’ ' The crook did so. As Craig moved

toward him, be waited, cold sweat breaking out on his face. “Say,” he whined, “you let me be!” It was ineffectual. Kennedy, smiling confidently, came closer, still holding the deadly little box, balanced between two fingers. He took the crook’s gun and dropped it into his pocket. “Sit down!” ordered Craig. Outside, the other six parleyed In hoarse whispers. One raised a gun, but the woman and the others restrained him and fled. “Take me to your master!” demanded Kennedy. The crook remained silent. “Where is he?” repeated Craig. “Tell me!” Still the man remained silent, Craig looked the fellow over again. Then, still with that confident smile, lie reached into his inside pocket and drew forth the tube I had seen him place there. “No matter how much you accuse me,” added Craig casually, “no one will ever take the word of a crook that a reputable scientist like me would do what I am about to do.” He had taken out his penknife and opened it. Then he beckoned to me. “Bare his arm and hold his wrist, Walter,” he said. Craig bent down with the knife and the tube, then paused a moment and turned to tube so that we could see it. On the label were the ominous words: Germ Culture 6248 A Bacillus Leprae (Leprosy) Calmly he took the knife and proceeded to make an incision in the man’s arm. The crook’s feelings underwent a terrific struggle. “No —no —no —don’t,” he implored. “I will take you to the Clutching Hand —even if he kills me!” Kennedy stepped back, replacing the tube in his pocket. “Very well, go ahead!” he agreed. We followed the crook, Craig still holding the ’deadly box- of fulminate of mercury carefully balanced so that if anyone shot him from a hiding place it would drop. No sooner had we gone than Gertie hurried to the nearest telephone to inform the Cluching Hand of our escape. Elaine had sunk back into the chair as the telephone rang. Clutching Hand answered it. A moment later, in uncontrollable fury he hurled the instrument to the floor. “Here —we've got to act quickly—that devil has escaped again,” he hissed. “We must get her away. You keep her here. I’ll be back —right away—with a car.” * He dashed madly from the church, pulling off his mask as he gained the street. Kennedy had forced the crook ahead of us into the car which was waiting, and I followed, taking the wheel this time, “Which way, now—quick!” demanded Craig. “And if you get me in wrong—l’ve got that tube yet—you remember,” -Our crook started off with a whole burst of directions that rivaled the motor guide—“through the town, following trolley tracks, jog right, Jog left under the railroad bridge, leaving trolley tracks; at the cemetery turn left, stopping at the old stone church.” “Is this it?” asked Craig incredulously. “Yes —as I live,” swore the crook in a cowed voice.

He had gone to pieces. Kennedy jumped from the machine. “Here, take this gun, Walter," he said to me. “Don’t take your eyes off the fellow—keep him covered.” Craig walked around the church, out of sight, until he came to a small vestry window and looked in. There was Elaine, sitting in a chair, and near her stood an elderly-looking man in clerical garb, which to Craig’s trained eye was quite evidently a guise. . ‘ . Elaine happened just then to glance at the window and her eyes ‘grew wide with astonishment at the sight of Craig, He made a hasty motion to her to make a dash for the door. She nodded quietly. With a glance at her guardian she suddenly made a rush. He was at her in a moment, pouncing on her, catlike. Kennedy had seized an iron bar that lay beside the window where some workmen had been repairing the stone pavement, and with a blow shattered the glass and the sash. At the sound of the smashing glass the crook turned and with a mighty effort threw Elaine aside, drawing his revolver. As he raised it, Elaine sprang at him and frantically seized his wrist. Utterly merciless the man brought the butt of the gun down with full force on Elaine’s head. Only her hat and hair saved her, but she sank unconscious. Then he turned at Craig and fired twice. - One shot grazed Craig’s hat, but the other struck him in the shoulder and Kennedy reeled. With a desperate effort he pulled himself toward her and leaped'forward again, closing with the fellow and wrenching the gun from .him before he could fire again. Just then the mem .broke fcway and made a dash for the door leading back Into the church itself, with Kennedy after him. „ Up he went into the choir loft and then into the belfry itself. There they came to sheer hand-to-hand struggle. Kennedy tripped on a loose board, and would have fallen backwards if he had not been able to recover himself just in time. The crook, desperate, leaped

for the ladder leading farther up into | the steeple. Kenhedy followed. Elaine had recovered consciousness j almost immediately, and, hearing the commotion, stirred and started to rise and look about Prom the church she could hear sounds of the struggle. She paused just long enough to seize the crook’s revolver lying on the floor. She hurried into the church and up into the belfry, thence up the ladder, whence the sounds came. The crook by this time had gained the outside of the steeple through ah opening. Kennedy was in close pursuit ( On the top of the steeple was a great gilded cross, considerably larger than a man. As the crook clambered outside, he scaled the steeple, using a lightning rod and some projecting points to pull himself up, desperately. Kennedy followed unhesitatingly, — There they were, struggling in deadly combat, clinging to the gilded cross. The first 1 knew of it was a horrified gasp from my own crook. 1 looked up

Just Then I Saw a Woman’s Face Tense With Horror} It Was Elaine. carefully, fearing it was a stall to get me off my guard. There were Kennedy and the other crook, struggling, swaying back and forth, between life and death. There was nothing I could do. Kennedy was clinging to a lightning rod on the cross. It broke. I gasped as Craig reeled back. But he managed to catch hold of the rod farther down and cling to it. The crook began to exult diabolically. Holding with both hands to the cross he let himself out to his full length and stamped on Kennedy’s fingers, trying every way to dislodge him. It was all Kennedy could do to keep his hold. I cried out in agony at the sight, for he had dislodged one of Craig’s hands. The other could not hold much longer. He was about to fall. ° Just then I saw a face at the little window opening out from the ladder to the outside of the steeple—a woman’s face, tense with horror. It was Elaine! , , Quickly a hand followed, and in It was a revolver. Just as the crook was about to dislodge Kennedy’s other hand I saw a flash and puff of smoke, and a second later heard a report —and another—and another. _ Horrors! The crodk who had taken refuge seemed to stagger back, wildly, taking a couple of steps in the thin air. Kennedy regained his hold. With a sickening thud the body of the crook landed on the ground around* the corner of the church from me. “Come —you!” I ground out, covering my own crook with the pistol, “and if you attempt d getaway I’ll kill you, too!” He followed, trembling, unnerved. We bent over the man. It seemed that every bone in his body must be broken. He groaned, and before I could even attempt anything for him, was dead. ' As Kennedy let himself slowly and painfully down the lightning rod, Elaine seized him and, with; all her strength, pulled him through the window. ' • ... He was quite weak now from loss of blood. “Are you—all right?” she gasped, as they reached the foot of the ladder In the belfry. 1 Craig looked* down at his torn and soiled clothes. Then, in spite of the smarting pain of his wounds, he smiled, “Yes —all right!” “Thank Heaven! ” she murmured fervently, trying to stanch the flow of blood. “This time—-it was you—saved me!” he erted, “Elaine!” - Involuntarily his arms sought hers — and he held her a moment, looking deep into her wonderful eyes. Then their faces came slowly together in their first kiss. CTO BE CONTINTTBDJ J •S’ '>> ■** ' . '*• • /

There Stood Her Arch Enemy, the Clutching Hand.