| Show if p The Exploits of Elaine ElaineA I t A 10 Detective Novel and a Motion Picture Drama t. t t By ARTHUR B. B REEVE J I The Well Known No Novelist and the Creator of the la Craig Kennedy Starlet Storla i jT Presented in Collaboration With the Pathe Paths Players and the Eclectic Film Rim Company tt Copyright 1914 1814 by the Star Company All AM Foreign Rights Reserved r SYNOPSIS a Th The New York police are mystified by a a. ir r series of murders ot of prominent men The principal clue to the murderer Is the warnIng warning warn warn- ing letter which Is sent the victims signed witha with a clutching hand The latest victim vic vic vic- tim ot of the mysterious assassin Is Taylor Dodge the Insurance president His daughter Elaine employs Craig Kennedy KenI Ken Ken- nedy lIedy the famous scientific detective to try to unravel the mystery What Kennedy Ken Ken- nedy accomplishes Is told by his Ills friend Jameson a newspaper man Elaine is kid kid- I t by the Hand Clutching Clutching Hand Hand but Is rescued rescued res res- cued by Kennedy who has discovered her lIer whereabouts through using third degree degroe methods on one of the crooks EIGHTH EPISODE The Hidden Voice 4 Jameson wake up The strain of the Dodge case was beginning to tell on me for It was keeping us at work at all kinds of hours to circumvent the Clutching Hand by far the cleverest criminal with whom Kennedy had ever had anything to do I leaped out of bed still in my pajamas pajamas pajamas pa pa- jamas and stood for a moment staring about Then I ran into the living room I looked about rubbing my eyes startled No one was there Hey wake Hey Jameson wake up It was spooky Where Where the the deuce deuce are are you I de de- Suddenly I heard the voice again again- ho doubt about it either Here I am over am-over over on the couch I scratched my head puzzled There was certainly no one on that couch A laugh greeted me Plainly though It came from the couch I went over overto overto overto to it and ridiculous as it seemed began began began be be- gan to throw aside the pillows There lay nothing but a little oblong oblong ob ob- ob long oaken box perhaps eight or ten inches square at the ends In the face were two peculiar square holes and from the top projected a black disk about the size of a watch fastened on ona i ia a swinging metal arm In the face of the disk were several perforated holes I picked up the strange looking thing in wonder and from that magic oak box actually came a a burst of laughter ter Come over to the laboratory right away pealed forth a merry voi voice e. e Ive e something to s show you Well I gasped what do you know about that Very early that morning Craig had got up up leaving me snoring Cases never wearied him He thrived on excitement ex ex- I He had gone over to the laboratory and set to work in in ina a corner comer over another an an- another other of those peculiar boxes exactly like that which he had had already left in our rooms Half an hour afterward I walked L Into the laboratory feeling a little sheepish over the practical joke but none the l less ss curious to find out all about it What is it I asked indicating the apparatus A t t he replied still laughing the loud speaking telephone the box that hears and talks It t talks right o out t in meeting too too too-no no transmitter to hold to 3 the mouth no no receiver to hold to the ear You see this transmitter transmitter trans trans- mitter is so se sensitive that it picks up even a whisper and the receiver is r placed back of those two megaphone- megaphone like pyramids r He was standing at a table carefully careful careful- ly Iy packing up one of the and ind a lot of wire r I believe the Clutching Hand has been shadowing the Dodge house he continued thoughtfully As long as we watch the place too he will do nothing But nut if we should seem Ostentatiously ostentatiously os Os- not nor to be watching perhaps per per- perhaps haps he may may try something and we wey y may be able to get a clue to his bis identity iden idea City over this v See e I nodded Weve got to run him down somehow I agreed his coat and Yes he said taking hat I am going to conn connect ct up one of Df these things in Miss Mss Dodges Dodge's library libra libra- ry and arrange with the telephone company for a a clear wire so that we e can listen in here where that fellow will never suspect At about the same time that Craig and I sallied f forth rth on this new miston mis- mis elon ton Elaine was arranging some home ome flowers flowers flow flow- ers on a stand a-stand stand near the corner of the 1 Dodge library where the secret panel was in which her father had bad hidden the papers for the possession of which f the Clutching Hand had murdered him She had moved away from the table y but as she did so her dress caught 1 In something in the woodwork She tried to loosen it t and in so doing touched the little metallic spring on which her dress had bad caught Instantly to her utter surprise the panel moved d. d It n slid open disclosing ng nga a strong box Elaine Elane took took it amused looked at Ita it ita ita a moment then carried it to a ta table le and ind opened it Inside were some papers sealed In Inan Inn f Red an n envelope and marked Limpy Correspondence They must moat be the Clutching Hand x papers she exclaimed to herself moment in doubt doub what to tor w a te r f She seized the telephone and eagerly eagerly eagerly eager eager- ly called Kennedys Kennedy's number Hello answered a voice Is that you Craig Crag she asked excitedly ex ex- No this is Mr Jameson Oh Mr Jameson Ive I've discovered the Clutching Hand papers she began began began be be- gan more and more excited Have you read them came back the voice quickly No shall I 11 Then dont don't unseal them cautioned the voice Put them back exactly as you found them and Ill I'll tell Mr Kennedy Kennedy Kennedy Ken Ken- nedy the moment I can get hold of him All do right said Elaine Ill that And please get him as soon as you possibly can I will wll Im going out shopping now she returned suddenly But t tAll ll him Ill I'll be right back right back right away Very well Hanging up the receiver Elaine dutifully replaced the papers in tn the box and returned the box to its ita secret hiding place pressing the spring and sliding the panel shut A few fw minutes later she left the house in the Dodge car Outside our laboratory leaning up against a railing Dan the Dude an emissary of the Clutching Hand whose dress now greatly belied his underworld underworld underworld under under- world had been shadowing shadowing shadow shadow- ing us watching to see when we left left- The moment we disappeared he raised his hand carefully above his head and made the sign of the Clutching Clutching Clutch Clutch- ing Hand Far down the street in a closed car the Clutching Hand himself himself himself him him- self his face masked gave an answering an- an answering answering an an- sign A moment later he left the car gazing gazing gaz gaz- ing about stealthily Not a soul was in sight and he managed to make his way to the door of our laboratory without being observed Probably he thought that the papers papers pa pa- pers might be at the laboratory for he had repeatedly failed to locate them at the Dodge house At any rate he was busily engaged in ransacking drawers and cabinets in the laboratory laboratory laboratory labora labora- tory when the telephone suddenly rang An instant he hesitated Then disguising disguising dis dis- guising his voice as much as he could to imitate mine he took up the receiver re reo Hello he answered His Hs face was a study in all that was dark as he realized that it was Elaine calling He clenched his crooked crook crook- ed hand hind even more viciously Have ave you read them he asked curbing his impatience as she unsuspectingly unsuspectingly poured forth her story sup sup- to me Then dont don't unseal them he h hastened hastened has has- s- s to reply Put them back Then there there ther can be no question about them You can open them before wit wit- nesses For a moment he paused then added added added add add- ed Put them back and tell no noone noone noone one of their discovery I will tell Mr Kennedy the moment I can get him Clutching Hand studied for a moment mo mo- moment ment and then grabbed the telephone again Hello Dan he be called when he g got t this his number Miss Dodge is going shopping I want you and the theother other to follow her her delay delay her all you can Use your own judgment It was what had come to be known in his organization as the Brotherhood Brotherhood Brotherhood Brother hood of There in the back backroom backroom backroom room of a low dive were Dan the Dude the emissary who had bad been loitering loitering loitering loi loi- loi- loi about bout the laboratory a gunman gunman gun gun- man Dago Mike a couple of women slatterns one known as as Kitty the Hawk a and d a boy of eight or ten wh whom m they called Billy Dilly All right Chief shouted back Dan their leader as he hung Up the telephone after noting carefully the hasty instructions Well do it it- it trust us With alacrity the Brotherhood od went their sep separate rate ways way Elaine had not been gone goue long from the house when Craig and and aad I arrived there Too bad greeted Jennings but Miss Mss Elaine has Just gone shopping shell she'll be and I dont don't know when back bacle Aunt Josephine greeted us cordially and Craig set set down the package package fie was carrying Im not going t to let anything happen happen happen hap hap- pen here to Miss Elaine again If I Ican Ican Ican can help it it remarked Craig in a low tone a moment later gazing about the library What are you thinking thinking- of doing asked Aunt Jos Josephine keenly in one Im going to put a he returned unwrapping it that she asked A loud speaking telephone con telephone con connected with m my laboratory be explained explained explained ex ex- ex- ex repeating what he had bad already already al al- al ready told me w ille she she- listened almost almost al al- most struck awe-struck at the latest scientific wonder He was looking about trying to figure figure fig fig- ure out Just where it could be placed to best advantage when he approached the suit of armor T r see you have brou bt it back and had bad it repaired he remarked to Aunt Josephine Josephne Suddenly his face fac lighted up Ah an Ah an idea he exclaimed No one will ever think to look inside that Now Mrs Dodge he be said finally as he had completed installing the thing and hiding the wire under carpets car ear pets and rugs until it ran out to the connection which he made with the telephone dont breathe a a. word of it to to anyone We dont don't know whom to trust or suspect Elaine's car had stopped finally at ata ata ata a shop on Fifth avenue She stepped out and entered leaving her chauffeur to wait walt As she did so Dan and Billy sidled along the crowded sidewalk Dan the Dude left Billy and Billy surreptitiously drew from under his coat coat- coata a half loaf of bread With a glance glanc about he be dropped it into the gutter close to the entrance to Elaine's car Then he withdrew a little little lit lit- littie tle tie distance When Elaine came out and approached approached ap ap- ap her car Billy looking a as cold and forlorn as could be shot for for- ward Pretending to spy spy- the dirty piece of bread in the gutt gutter r he made madea a dive for it just as Elaine was about to step Into the car Elaine surprised drew back Billy picked up the piece of bread and with all the actions of having discovered a treasure began to gnaw at it vora vora- Shocked at the disgusting sight she tried to take the bread away from himI himI him I know its it's dirty miss whimpered Billy but its it's the first lood Ive I've seen for four days Instantly Elaine was full of sym sym- pathy She had taken the food away That would not suffice your name little boy she asked Billy he replied blubbering Where do you live With me mother and father father- they're sick nothing sick nothing to eat to-eat eat He was whimpering an address far over on the East side Get into the car Elaine Elaina directed Gee Gee but but this is swell he cried with no fake this time On they went through the tenement canyons dodging children and pushcarts push carts stopping first at a grocers grocer's then at a butchers butcher's and a delicatessen Finally the car stopped where Billy directed Billy hobbled out followed by Elaine and her chauffeur his arms I piled high with provisions She was was' indeed a lovely Lady Bountiful as a crowd of kids quickly surrounded the the theca ca car I In the meantime Dago Mike and Kitty the Hawk had gone to a wretched wretch wretch- ed flat fiat before which Billy stopped Kitty sat on the bed putting dark I circles under her eyes with a blackened blackened black black- ened cork She was very thin and emaciated but it was dissipation that had done it Dago Mike Mke was correspondingly correspondingly corre corre- p poorly orlY dr dressed He had paused beside the window to look out coming he announced announced announced an an- finally Kitty hastily jumped into the rickety rickety rick rick- ety bed while Mike took up a crutch that was standing idly in a corner She coughed resignedly and he limped about forlorn They had assumed their parts which were almost to the burlesque of poverty when the door was pushed open and Billy burst in followed by Elaine Blaine and the Oh ma oh ma-oh oh pa he cried running forward and kissing his pseudo parents parents parents par par- as Elaine overcome with sympathy sympathy sym sym- pathy directed l the chauffeur to la laythe lay the things on a shaky table Just then the door opened again All were genuinely surprised this time F y tip rf H wi y d t ri By a Sort of Jf Instinct Kennedy Seemed to Recognize the Sounds Elaine Elaine He Exclaimed Turning Pale for a a prim spark and span Middle Middle- aged woman ent redI red I am am m Miss Stat of the organized organized organ organ- charities she announced looking looking looking look look- ing around sharply I saw your car standing outside miss and the children children chil chil- dren bel below w told me you were up here I came up to see see whether you were aiding really deserving poor She laid a marked emphasis on the he word pursing up her lips There was no mistaking the apprehension that these fine birds of prey had of her either Why Why what's wh what's the matter asked Elaine fidgeting uncomfortably This man is a gunman that woman woman wom wom- an is a bad woman the boy is Billy the Bread Snatcher she answered precisely drawing out a card on Which to record something and you I I miss are a fool foo There was no combating U l Mhz Stalls Stalls- 1 i i iby j She overwhelmed all arguments by the very exactness of tier her person person- Elaine departed speechless properly properly properly prop prop- erly squelched followed by her chauffeur Meanwhile a closed car such as ashad ashad ashad had stood across from the laboratory ry had drawn up not far from the Dodge house Near it was a man in rather shabby clothes and a cap on which were the words In dull gold lettering Metropolitan Window Cleaning company He carried a abu bu bucket ket and a small extension ladder In the the darkened darkened recesses of the car was the Clutching Hand himself masked as usual He had his watch In n his hand and was giving most minute minute minute min min- ute instructions to the window cleaner clean clean- le n ner er about something As the latter turned to go a sharp observer would have noted that it was Dan the Dude still further disguised A few moments later Dan appeared at the servants' servants entrance of ot the Dodge house and rang the bell Jennings who happened to be down there came cameto cameto cameto to the doorMan door Man to clean the windows saluted sa en the bogus cleaner to touching ching his hat in a way quietly to call attention to |
