Show the exploits of elaine A detective novel and a motion picture IP drama by ARTHUR B REEVE VE va the IV well ell known novelist anil and ibe taj creator of the craig stories presented in collaboration with the pathe players ond and tile lie T krecik I 1 lia company copyright 1914 by the tha star company all foreign lq 18 ean VA 1 Q M SYNOPSIS the now new york police are mystified by a series of murders and other crimes the principal duo clue to the criminal is tile the warning letter which la is sent the victims signed with EL a clutching hand the latest victim ot of the mysterious assassin Is taylor dodge the insurance president his daughter elaine employed craig kennedy the famous ac entina detective to try to unravel the mystery what kennedy kenedy n accomplishes Is tol told 1 l by his friend jameson Jo Jax meson neaon a newspaper mani man enraged at the determined effort which elaine and craig kennedy are malting making to put an end to his crimes the clutching hand as this strange criminal la is known resorts to all sorts forts of the most diabolical schemes them out of th thi themay eway sway each chaar chapi ter othe o the story tells 0 of o aa n ayr oloti kaploe ap ast their lives and 0 or the way the great detective uses all ills his skill to save sav e neat this pretty girt girl and himself from de death ath FOU FOURTEENTH T E E NT H 1 E P THE RECKONING BECKONING pacing up find and down hla his den in the heart ot of chinatown long sin was thinking over hla his bargain with kennedy to betray the clutching hand at length he be seated himself on a teakwood table still deliberating over the promise he bo had been forced to make to kennedy suddenly an idea seemed to strike him lifting a little hammer he struck a chinese gong on the t table able at his side at the same time h he leaned over and turned the knob at the side of a large roll top desk A few seconds later a sort of hatchway wa y covered by a tug rug oz on the floor in one corner comer of the room was slowly lifted and long sins secretary a pale cadaverous chinaman appeared from below he stepped noiselessly lessly into the room and shumei ackois across to long sin and handed him a letter long sin scowled as though something had interfered with his own plans but tore open the envelope without a word spreading out on his lap the sheet of paper it contained the letter was a typewritten message all in capitals which read BE AT headquarters AT 12 DE STROY DESTROY THIS immediately at the bottom of the note appeared the sinister signature of the clutching hand edwing loy apa again in the secret secretary pErY liow rf shuffled across and do down w n again through the hatchway closing the door as he descended long sin read the note once more while his inscrutable face assumed an expression of malicious cunning with an air of deliberation he reached for a match and struck it he had placed the paper in the flame when suddenly he seemed to change his bis mind he hastily blew out the match which had destroyed only a corner of the paper then folded the note carefully and placed it in his pocket A few moments later with a malignant chuckle long sin rose slowly and left the room meanwhile the master criminal was busily engaged in putting the finishing touches to a final scheme of fiendish ingenuity tor for the absolute destruction of craig kennedy he had been at work in a small room fitting up a sort of laboratory in the mysterious house which now served as his headquarters clutching hand at a bench in one corner had just completed an infernal machine of diabolical cunning and was wrapping it carefully in paper to make an innocent package he was interrupted by a knock at the door laying down the bomb he be went to answer the summons with a stealthy movement there stood long sin who had disguised himself as a chinese laundryman on time good growled clutching iland hand as he be closed the door with equal care no time was wasted in useless formalities mali ties les this is a bomb he went afi on pointing inato to the package carry it carefully on no account lit let it slip or vow you are are addad man it must ve be in kennedys Kenn edys laboratory before night understand can you arrange it long sin glanced at the dangerous package trenwith then with an expressive look replied llave have no tear fear I 1 can do it it win will be in the laboratory within an hour trust me in kennedy kennedys Kenn 0 edys laboratory laboratory I 1 was as watching craig make some experiments with a new xray X ray apparatus we were oblivious to the passage of time and only a call over our speaking tube diverted our attention 1 I opened the door and a few seconds later long sin himself entered kennedy looked up inquiringly as the chinaman approached holding out it EL package which he carried A bomb he said in the most mat ter of fact way 1 I promised to have it placed la in your laboratory before night might I 1 kennedy took the bomb and carefully placed it under the wonderful rays mys then with the fluoroscope over his eyes studied the shadow cast by the rays on an its sensitive screen ICs it a bomb sure enough craig cragg exclaimed looking up from it at list last p ana ita umed by an aa and noiseless little piece of clockwork cloch work in there too and its power powerful Zul enough to blow us all the laboratory included to kingdom come As he be spoke and before I 1 could remonstrate with him he took the infernal machine and placed it on a table where he set to work on the most delicate and dangerous piece of dissection of which I 1 have ever heard carefully unwrapping tho the bomb and unscrewing one part while ho he held another firm he finally took out of it a bottle of liquid and some powder then he be placed a tey grains of the powder G on n W n dibi dl shand and dropped on on it a drop or two of the liquid there was abrich abr ieh flash ei as the powder ignited I 1 instantly nit i n ft just what I 1 expected commented kennedy with a nod as he be examined the clever workmanship of the bomb one thing that interested him was that part of the contents had been wrapped in paper to keep them in place this paper he was now carefully examining with a microscope As nearly as I 1 could make it out the paper contained co part of a typewritten cre chemical crem mical leal formula which read TINCTURE OF IODINE THREE PARTS OF ile he looked up from his study ot of the microscope to long sin tell me just how it happened that you got this bomb he asked without hesitation the chinaman recited the circumstances beginning with the note by which he had been summoned A note repeated kennedy eagerly was it typewritten 9 long sin reached into his pocket and produced the note itself which he had not burned As craig studied the typewritten message from the clutching hand I 1 could see that he was growing more and more excited at last he has given us something typewritten he exclaimed to most people I 1 suppose it seems that typewriting is the best way to conceal identity but there are a thousand and one ways of identifying typewriting look walter he remard remarked red at length taking a fine tipped pencil and and pointing nj at at the distinguishing marks as he talked you will notice that all the Ts in this note are battered and faint as well weil as just a trifle out of alignment now I 1 will place the paper from the bomb under the microscope and you will see that the Ts in the scrap of formula have exactly the same appearance I 1 strained my eyes to look sure enough kennedy was right there was that unmistakable identity between the Ts in the formula and the note kennedy had been gazing at the floor his face puckered in thought as I 1 looked suddenly he clapped his hands together as it if he had made a great discovery ive struck it he exclaimed jumping up 1 I was wondering where I 1 had seen typewriting that reminds me of this walter get on your coat and hat we are on the right trail at last with long sin we hurried out of the laboratory leaving him at the nearest taxicab stand where we jumped into a waiting car it is the clue of the battered tsy craig muttered aunt josephine was in the library knitting when the butler jennings announced us where Is miss dodge inquired kennedy with suppressed excitement las as we entered 1 1 I think bink ashes out shopping and I 1 doV dont a know enow just when she will nill be back answered aunt josephine with I 1 some surprise why Is it anything important any news aver very important por tant returned kennedy 1 I think I 1 have the best lue chie yet only it will be necessary to look through some of the household correspond 0 tiace tb seo see whether there th ere are certain aita ln letters ittis I 1 be surprised it if she had some perhaps not very personal but I 1 must see them kennedy lost no time he went to a desk where elaine gene generally raVy sat and quickly took out several typewritten letters one after another he examined them closely rejecting one after another until finally he came to one that seemed to interest him he separated it from the rest and fell to studying it comparing it with the paper from the bomb and tho the note which long sin had bad received from the clutching hand then he folded the letter to so that ther the signature and the address could not be read by us A portion of the letter I 1 recall read something like this this Is his contention whereas TRUTH Is the only goal and MATTER Is non existent 11 look at this walter remarked craig with difficulty restraining himself what do you make of it A glance at tho the typewriting was sut suf fl clent to show me that kennedy had indeed mado made an important discovery we W stared it at each other almost too dazed to speak peala at that moment we were startled by the sudden appearance of 0 maina she entered the room carrying in her arms a huge bingo bunch of roses rosea which she had evidently just received the moment she saw craig how ever she stopped short with a I 1 look it at great surprise her keen eye had not missed the th fact that several of her letters lay scattered over the top of the desk what are you doing with my letters sir mr kennedy she asked in in an astonished tone evidently resenting the 0 with which he had apparently been overhauling her correspondence As guardedly as possible kennedy met her inquiry i which I 1 could not myself blame her for malting making i 1 I beg your pardon miss dodge he said but a matter has just come up which necessitated merely ft a cursory examination of some purely formal letters which might have an important Port bearing on the discovery of the clutch clutching tug hand your aunt had bad etere no idea where you were nor who when n you might return and the absolute necessity for haste in such an important matter la Is my only excuse for examining a few minor letters without first obtaining your permission she sald ki such an explanation would have hav a been instantly accepted now however it wha w aa iffery hi kennedy Y 1 reid read tho the look on her hei face and an instant later turned josephine and myself 1 I would very much appreciate a chance to say a few words to miss dodge alone he intimated 1 I have had no such opportunity for some time it if you would be so kind as to leave us in the library for a few minutes he did not finish the sentence aunt josephine had already begun to withdraw and I 1 followed for a moment or two craig and elaine looked at each other neither saying a word each wondering just what was in the others mind craig cleared his throat the obvious manner of covering up his emotion EI elaine aine he said at length dropping the recent return to miss dodge for the moment elaine El alne Is there any truth in this mornings newspaper report of of you she had dropped her eyes but he persisted taking a newspaper clipping from his pocket and handing it to her her hand trembled as she glanced over the item SOCIETY NOTES dame rumor is connecting the name of miss elaine edaine dodge the heiress with that of perry bennett the famous young lawyer the announcement of an engagement between them at any time would not surprise elaine read no farther she handed back the clipping to kennedy As her eyes met his she noticed his expression of deep concern and hesitated with the reply she had bad evidently been just about to make still as she lowered her head it seemed to give silent confirmation to the truth of them newspaper report kennedy said nothing but his eyes continued to study her face he suppressed his feelings with a I 1 great effort then ive rr without a word bowed t ille room walter he be exclaimed as ho he rejoined us in the drawing room where I 1 was chatting with aunt josephine we must be off again the trail follows still farther an hour or so BO later elaine whose mind was now in a whirl from what had happened decided to make a call on her lawyer and the confidant of her father perry bennett As elaine entered hla his private office bennett rose to greet her effusively and they exchanged a tow few words 1 I forget to thank you for or those lovely roses you sent me she exclaimed at length they were beautiful and I 1 appreciated them ever so much A moment later bennett led the conversation around until he bo found an opportunity to make a tactful allusion to the report of their engagement anga gement in the morning papers ho he had leaned over and now attempted to take her hand she withdrew it however there was something about hla his touch which try as she might she could not like was waa it mere prejudice or was it her keen womans comans intuition bennett looked at her IL ft moment bulpit beilig a momentary flash of an gat that had reddened hla his face and controlled himself as it if by a superhuman 1 I believe you really love that man koh kennedy nedy he exclaimed in a tone that was almost a hiss dut but I 1 tell you elaine he be Is all bluff why he has been after that clutching I land iland now for three months and what has he accomplished nothing he paused through blaines El aines mind there flashed the contrast with yen ken gedys even temper and deferential manner bennett by another e effort seemed to grip his temper again he paced up and down the room then he changed the subject abruptly and the conversation was resumed with some constraint while elaine and bennett were talking kennedy and I 1 had bad entered the office craig stopped the boy who was about to announce us and asked for bennetts secretary instead much to my astonishment the boy merely indicated the door of one of the other private offices and we entered I 1 we found the tha secretary hard at work at tho the typewriter e copying a akal doit tiAn t without abord kennedy if en at once locked the door the secretary rose in surprise but craig paid iio no attention to him instead hw he cali calmly Y walked ovee over to the machine and began to examine it might I 1 ask began the secretary you keep quiet ordered kennedy with a nod to me to watch the fellow 1 I N K x I 1 ak b 1 W A t el kennedy Is about to shoot when he ha discovers that it Is jameson and not the who lies there before him you are under arrest and the less I 1 you say the better tor for you I 1 shall never forge the look that crossed the secre face was it the surprise of an innocent man taking the mans place at the machins machine kennedy removed the legal paper that was in it and put in a new sheet then lie he tapped out as we watched BE AT headquarters AT 12 DESTROY THIS immediately TINCTURE OF IODINE THREE PARTS OF this Is his contention whereas TRUTH is the only goal and MATTER Is nonexistent TT look walter he exclaimed as ho he drew out the paper from the machine I 1 bent over and together we compared the Ts with those in the tha clutching hand letter the paper from the bomb and the letter which crale craig had taken from froin blaines El alnes aines desk As craig pointed out the resemblances with a pencil my amazement gradually changed into to comprehension and comprehension into conviction |