TIIE SUNDAY OREGONIAN, PORTLAND, FEBRUARY 21, 1915.
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EXPLOITS OF ELAIX&"
"The Exploits of Elaine" was
written by Arthur B. Keeve and
dramatized into . motion-picture
plupr by Charles Goddard. Miss
Pearl White. Arnold Daly and
Sheldon Lewis take the principal
parts In the play as produced by
the Pathe Players. One install
ment of the story is appearing
In The Oregonian each Sunday.
S nopals of Previous Chapters.
The "ew Torlc polica are myalified by a
mrrie of murders of prominent men. The
principal cluo to the murderer is the warn
ing letter wriicn w aeni mc vicunu, bibuw
with a "clutchlnr hand." The latest victim
of the mterioua assassin is Taylor Dodge,
Ine insurance prtsoiuwni. mi uautuw,
Klaine. employs Craig Kennedy, the famous
scientific detective, to try to unravel the
mvstery. What Kennedy accomplishes Is
told by his friend, Jameson, a newspap .r
man. The Clotchinc Hand band attempt a dar
Ing robbery of a Jewelry store, but are foiled
by Kennedy. The criminals kidnap Elaine
and leave her to drown inside a steel tanu.
C'rair Kennedy arrives In the men 01 time
to save her.
CHAPTER IV.
THE FROZEN SAFE.
fCopyright. 191S, by the Star Company. All
foreign rignts reservecj
IEXNEDi swung open tne aoor or
our taxicab as we pulled up, safe
at last, before the Dodge mansion,
after the rescue of Elaine from the bra
tal machinations of the Clutching Hand.
Bennett was on the step of the cab
In a moment, and together, one on each
side of Elaine, they assisted her out
of the car and up the eteps to the
house.
AS they mounted the steps. Kennedy
called back to me, "Pay the driver,
Walter. Dlease.
v It was the first time I had thought
of that. As it happened, I had quite
a bankroll with me, and. in my hurry,
1 peeled off a ten-dollar bill and tossed
it to the fellow. Intending to be gen
erous and tell him to keep the change.
"Say!" he exclaimed, pointing at the
clock, "come across twenty-three, six
ty."
Protesting, I peeled off some more
bills.
Having satisfied this veritable ana
conda and gorged his dilating appetite
for banknotes. I turned to follow the
others. Jennings had opened the door
Immediately. Whether it was that be
retained a grudge against me or whe
ther he did not see me, he would have
cloved it before I could get up there.
I called and took the steps two at a
time.
Elaine's Aunt Josephine was waiting
for us in the drawing room, very
much worried. The dear old lady was
quite scandalised as j-.iaine exciieaty
told of the thrilling events that had
just taken place.
"And to think they actually car
ried you. she exclaimed, horrified, ad
ding. "And I not"
"But Mr. Kennedy ramc along and
saved me just in time," interrupted
Elaine with a smile. "I was well chap
Aunt Josephine turned to Craig.
gratefully. "How can I ever thank
you enough, Mr. Kennedy," she said
fervently.
Kennedy was quite embarrassed.
With a smile. Elaine perceived his dis
comfiture, not at all displeased by It.
"Come into the library:" she cried
gayly. taking, his arm. "I've something
to show you.
Where the old safe, which had been
burnt through, bad stood, was now a
brand-new safe of the very latest con
struction and design one of those glo
bular safes that look and are so for
midable.
"Here is the new safe, she pointed
out brightly. "It Is not only proof
az&inst explosives, but between the
plates is a lining that is proof against
thermit and even tnai oxy-acetyiene
blowpipe by which you rescued me from
the old boiler. It has a time lock, too,
that will prevent its being opened at
right, even if any one should learn
th combination.
fl'hcv stood before the safe a moment.
and Kennedy examined it closely with
much interest.
-Wonderful! be admired.
"1 knew you'd approve of it." cried
Elaine, much pleased, -jsow I nave
something else to show you."
She paused at toe desk, and from a
drawer took out a portfolio of large
photographs. They were very hand
some photographs of herself.
"Much more wonderful than the safe,"
remarked Craig earnestly. Then, hesi
tating and a trifle embarrassed, he ad
ded. "May I may I have one?"
"If you care for it," she said, drop
ping her eyes, then glancing up at him
quickly.
"Care for it?" he repeated. "Tt will
be one of the greatest treasures"
She slipped the picture quickly into
an envelope. "Come," she interrupted.
"Aunt Josephine will be wondering
where are are. She she's a demon
chaperone."
Bennett, Aunt Josephine and myself
were talking earnestly as Elaine and
Craig returned.
"Well," said Bennett, glancing at his
watch and rising as he turned to Elaine,
1 m afraid I must go now."
He crossed over to where she stood
and shook hands. There was no doubt
that Bennett was very much smitten
by his fair client.
"Good-bye. Mr. Bennett." she mur
mured, "and I thank you so much for
what you have done for me today.
But there .was something lifeless
about the words. She turned quickly
to Craig, who had remained standing.
"Must you go too, Mr. Kennedy?" she
asked, noticing hie position.
"I'm afraid Mr. Jameson and I must
get back on the job before this Clutch
ing Hand gets busy again, he replied
reluctantly.
"Oh, I hone you we get him soon!"
she exclaimed, and there was nothing
listless about the way she gave Craig
her hand, as Bennett, she and I left a
moment later.
That morning I had noticed Kennedy
fussing some time at the door of our
apartment before we went over to the
laboratory. As nearly as I could make
out he had placed something under the
rug at the door out into the hallway.
When we approached our door, now,
Craig paused. By pressing a little
concealed button he caused a panel in
the wall outside to loosen, disclosing
a small boxlike plate in the wall un
derneath.
It was about a foot long and perhaps
four Inches wide. Through it san a
piece of paper which unrolled from one
con and wound up on anotner, actu
ated by clockwork. Across the blank
white paper ran an ink line traced by
a stylographic pen, such as I had seen
in mechanical pencils used in office.
hotels, banks and such places.
Kennedy examined the thing with
interest.
"What is itr I asked.
"A new seismograph," he replied, still
gazing carefully at the rolled up part
of the paper. "I have installed it be
cause U registers every footstep on the
floor of our apartment. We can't be
too careful with this Clutching Hand.
I want to know whether we have had
any visitors or not in. our absence. This
straight fine indicates that we have
not. Wait a moment."
Craig hastily unlocked the door and
entered, inside I could see him pacing
up and down our modest quarters.
"Do you see anything, Walter?" he
called.
I looked at the seismograph. The
pen had started to trace its line, no
longer even and straight, but zigzag,
at different heights across the paper.
He came to the door. "What do you
think of It?" he Inquired.
'Splendid idea, I answered enthusi
astically.
Our apartment was, as I have said.
modest, consisting . of a large living
room,, two bedrooms and bath an at
tractive, but not ornate, place, which
we found very cozy and comfortable.
On one side of the room was a big
fireplace before which stood a fire
screen. We had collected easy chairs
and capacious tables and desks. Books
were scattered about, literally over
flowing from the crowded shelves. On
the walls were our favorite pictures,
while for ornament I suppose I might
mention my typewriter and now and
then some of Craig's wonderful scien
tific apparatus, as satisfying our lim
ited desire for the purely aesthetic.
We entered and I fell to work at the
aforementioned typewriter on a spe
cial Sunday story that I bad been
forced to neglect. I was not so busy,
however, that I did not notice out of
the corner of my eye that Kennedy
had ' taken from its cover Elaine
Dodge's picture and was gazing at it
ravenously.
I put my hand, surreptitiously over
my mouth and coughed. Kennedy
wheeled on me, and I nastily banked a
sentence out on the machine, making
at least half a dozen mistakes.
I had finished as much of the article
as- I could do then and was smoking
and reading it over. Kennedy was still
gazing at the picture Miss Dodge had
given him, then moving from place to
place about the oom, evidently won
dering where it would look best.
doubt whether he had done another
blessed thing since we returned.
He tried it on the mantel. That
wouldn't do. At last he held it up
Deside a picture of Galton, I think, of
finger print and eugenics tame, who
hung on the wall directly opposite the
fireplace. Hastily he compared the
two. Elaine's picture was precisely
tne same size.
Next he tore out the picture of the
scientist and threw it carelessly into
the fireplace. Then he placed Elaine's
picture in its place and hung it up
again, standing off to admire it.
- I watched him gleefully. Was this
Craig? Purposely I moved my elbow
suddenly and pushed a book with
bang on the floor. Kennedy actually
jumped. I picked up the book with a
muttered apology. No, this was not
the same old Craig.
fernaps naif an hour later I was
still reading. Kennedy was now pac
ing up and down the room, apparently
unable to concentrate his mind on any
out one subject.
He stopped a moment before the
photograph, looked at it fixedly. Then
ne started hie -methodical walk again,
hesitated, and went over to the tele
phone, calling a number which I recognized.
"She must " have been pretty well
done up by her experience," he said
apologetically, catching, my eye.
was wondering if hello! oh. Miss
Dodge I er I er just called up to
see ii you were an right.
Craig was very much embarrassed,
dui aiso very much in earnest.
A musical laugh rippled over the tel
ephone. "Yes. I am all right, thank
you, Mr. Kennedy and I put the pack
age you sent me into the Bate, but '
"Package?" frowned Craig. "Why, I
sent you no pacicage, Miss Dodge. In
tne safer" .
"Why, yes, and the safe is all cov
ered with moisture and so cold."- -
"Moisture cold?" he reneated ha at.
liy.
"Yes. I have been wondering if it
is all right. In fact, I was golnir' to
can you np, only i was afraid you'd
think I was foolish."
"1 shall be right over," he answered
hastily, clapping the receiver back on
its hook. "Walter," he added, seizing
his hat and coat, "come on hurry!"
A few minutes later we drove un In
a taxi before the Dodge house and ranar
the bell.
Jennings admitted us sleepily.
It could not have been long after we
left Miss Dodge, late in the afternoon.
that Susie Martin, who had been quite
worried over our long absence after
the attempt to rob her father, droimed
in on Elaine. Wide-eyed, she had lis
tened to Elaine's story of what had
happened.
"And you think this Clutching-Hand
has never recovered the incriminating
papers that caused him to murder your
father?" asked Susie.
Elaine shook her head. "No. Let
me show you the new safe I've bought.
, Mr. Kennedy thinks it wonderful.
"I should think you'd be proud of it,
admired Susie. "I must tell father to
get one, too."
At that very moment, if they had
known it, the Clutching Hand, with its
sinister, masked face, was peering at
the two girls from the other side of the
portieres.
Susie rose to go and Elaine followed
her to the door. No sooner had she
gone than the Clutching Hand came
out from behind the curtains.- He gazed
about a moment, then, moving over to
the .safe about which the two girls
had been talking, stealthily ex
amined it.
He must have heard someone coming.
for, with a gesture of hate at the safe
itself, as though be personified it, he
slipped back of the curtains again.
Elaine had returned, and as she sat
down at the desk to go- over some
papers which Bennett had left relative
to settling up the estate the masked in
truder steathlly and silently withdrew.
"A package for you. Miss Dodge,
announced Michael later in the evening.
as Elaine, in her dainty evening gown,
was still engaged in going over the
papers. He carried it in bis bands
rather gingerly. .
"Mr. Kennedy sent it, ma'am. He
says it contains clews, and will you
please put it in the new safe for
him." .
Elaine took the package eagerly and
examined it. Then she pulled open the
little round door of the globular safe.
It must be getting cold out, Michael,"
she remarked. "This package is as
cold as Ice."
It is, ma'am," answered Michael,
deferentially, with a sidelong glance
that did not prevent his watching her
intently.
She closed the safe, and, with a
glance at her watch, set the time lock
and went upstairs to her room.
No, sooner had Elaine disappeared
than Michael appeared again, cat-like,
through the curtains from the drawing
room, and, after a glance about the
dimly-lighted lbrary. discovering that
the coast was clear, motioned to a
figure hiding behind the portieres.
A moment and Clutching Hand him
self came out.
He moved over to the safe and
looked it over. Then he put out his
hand and touched It.
"Ijlsten: cautioned juicnaei.
Someone was coming, i and they
hastily slunk behind the protecting
portieres.; It was. Marie, Elaine's
maid.
She turned up the lights and went
over to the desk for a book for which
minln had evidently sent her. She
paused nd appeared to be listening.
Then she went to the door.
"Jennings!" she beckoned.
"What is it, Marie!" he replied.
She said nothing, but as he came up
the hall led him to the center of the
room.
"Listen! I heard signs and groans!"
Jennings looked at her a moment.
puzzled, then laughed. "You girls!" he
exclaimed. "I suppose you'll always
think the library haunted now."
"But, Jennings, listen," she per
sisted. Jennings did listen. Sure enough,
there were sounds, weird, uncanny. He
gazed about the room.. It was eerie.
Then he took a few steps toward th
safe. Marie put out her hand to it
and started back.
"Why, that safe is all covered with
cold sweat!" she cried with bated
breath.
' Sure enough, the face of the safe was
beaded with dampness. Jennings put
hi3 hand on it and quickly drew it
away, leaving a mark 'on the damp
ness.
, "Wh-wbat do you think of that?" he
gasped.
"I'm going to tell Miss Dodge," cried
Marie, genuinely frightened.
A moment later she burst into
Elaine's room.
"What is the matter. Marie?" asked
Elaine, laying down her book. "You
look as if you had seen a ghost."
"Ah. but mademoiselle it ees Jus
like that. The safe ri' mademoiselle
will come down stairs, I will show it
you."
Puzzled, but interested. Elaine fol
lowed her. In the library Jennings
pointed mutely at the new safe. Elaine
approached it. As they stood anout,
new beads of perspiration, as it were,
formed on it. Elaine touched It and
also quickly withdrew her hand.
I can't imagine what s the matter.
she said. "But well Jennings, you
mav co and Marie, also.
When the servants ha gone sne stm
reearded the safe with the same won
dering look, then turning out the light.
he followed.
She had scarcely disappeared when.
from the portlered. doorway near Dy,
the Clutching Hand appeared, and, after
gazing at them, took a quick iook at
the safe.
"Good! he muttered.
Noiselessly Michael of the sinister
face moved in and took a position in
the center of the room, as if on guard,
while Clutching Hand sat before the
aafo. watchlne it intently.
'Someone at the door Jennings is
answering the bell," Michael whispered
hnarsslv.
Confound it!" muttered Clutching
Hand, as both moved again behind the
heavy velour curtains.
. m - -
"I'm so glad to see you, Mr. Ken
nedy," greeted Elaine unaffectedly as
Jennings admitted us.
h had heard the bell and was com
ine- downstairs as we entered. We
three moved toward the library and
someone switched on the lights.
- Craig Strode . over to the safe. The
cold sweat on it had now turned to
icicles. Craigs' f3ce clouded .with
thought as he examined it more closely.
There was actually a groaning sound
from within.
"It can't be opened," he said to himself.-
"The time lock is set for to
morrow morning."
Outside, if we had not . been so ab
sorbed in the present mystery, we
might have seen Michael and the
Clutching Hand listening to lis. Clutch,
ing Hand looked hastily at his watch.
"The deuce!" he muttered under his
breath, stifling his suppressed fury.
We stood looking at the safe. Ken
nedy was deeply interested, Elaine
iS
standing close beside him. Suddenly
he seemed to make up his mind.
"Quick Elaine!" he cried, taking her
arm. "Stand back!" -
We all retreated. The safe door,
Dowerful as it was. had actually be
gun to warp and bend. The plates
were bulKinar. A moment luter, with
loud renort ana concussion the door
blew off.
A blast of cold air and flakes like
snow flew out. Papers were scattered
nn .vprv alrie.
We stood trail ns:. aghast, a second
then ran forward. Kennedy quickly
examined the safe. He bent down and
from the wrock took a package, now
covered with white.
Aa nnlrklv he droDDcd it.
"This is the package that ws sent.'
cried Elaine.
Taking it in a table cover, he laid it
on the table and opened it. Inside was
a peculiar shaped flask, open at the top,
but like a vacuum bottle.
"A Dewar flask!" ejaculated Craig
"What is It?" asked Elaine, appealing
to him.
Liauid air!" he answered. As it
evaporated, the terriflo pressure of ex
nandintr air in the safe increased
blew out the door. That is what caused
the cold sweating and the groans.
We watched him, startled.
On the other side of the portieres
Michael and Clutching Hand waited.
Then, in the general confusion. Clutch
ine Hand slowly disappeared, foiled.
Where did this package come rromr
asked Kennedy of Jennings suspiciously,
Jenninirs looked blank.
"Why." put in Elaine. "Michael
brought it to me."
"Get Michael, ordered Kennedy.
"Yes. sir," nodded Jennings.
A moment later he returned. "I found
him going upstairs," reported Jennings,
leading Michael in.
"Where dil you get this packager
shot out Kennedy.
it was left at tne door, sir, by a ooy,
sir."
Question after question could not
shake that simple, stolid sentence. Ken
nedy frowned.
You may go." he said Anally, as if
reserving something for Michael later.
A sudden exclamation followed from
Elaine as Michael passed down the hall
again. Sne had moved over to the desk
during the questioning, and was lean
ing against it.
Inadvertently she had touched an en
velope. -It was addressed -"Craig Ken
nedy."
Craig tore it open, Elaine bending
anxiously over his shoulder, frightened.
We read:
"You have interfered for the last
time. It is the end."
Beneath It stood the fearsome sign of
the Clutching Hand!
The warning of the Clutching Hand
bad no other -effect on Kennedy than
the redoubling of his precautions for
afety. Nothing further happened that
night, however, and the next morning
found us early at the laboratory.
It was the late forenoon when, after
a hurried trip down to the ofhee. I re-
oined Kennedy at his scientific work
shop.
We walked down the street when a
ig- limousine sum past. Kennedy
stopped In the middle of a remark. Ho
had recognized the car, with a sort of
Instinct.
At the same moment I saw a smiling
face at the window of the car. It fti
Elaine Dodge.
The car stopped In something less
than twice its length and then backed
toward us.
ivennely. hat off, was at the window
in a moment. There were Aunt Jose
phine and Susie Martin also.
"Where are you boys going?" asked
Elaine, with interest, then addd with a
gaiety that ill concealed hrr real
anxiety. "I'm so glnd to see you in
see that or nothing has happened
from tha dreadful C'lutchlnir Hand."
"Why, we were Just going to our
rooms," replied Kennedy.
' Can t we drive you around?"
tVe climbed in and a moment Inter
were off. The ride waa only too short
for Kennedy. We stepped out In front
of our apartment and stood chatting for
a moment.
"Some day I want to show you the
laboratory," Craig was saying.
'It must be so interesting !" ex-
claimed Elaine enthuslastli-jiliy. "Think
of all the bad men you must havo
caught!"
"1 have quite a collection of stuff
hero at our rooms," remarked Craig,
"almost a museum. "Still." he ven
tured. "I can't promise that tha place i.1
in order," he laughed.
Eialno hesitated. "Would you like to
see tt?" she wheedled to Aunt Jose
phine. iunt Josephine nodded acquiescence,
and a moment later we all entend
the building.
"You you are very careful since lhl
ast warning?" asked Elaine as we at,-
proached 'our door.
"More thun ever now." replied
Craig. "I have made up my mind to
win."
She seemed to catch at the words as
though they had a hidden meaning,
looking first at III in and then away,
not displeased.
Kennedy had started to unlock Mi
door, when ho stopped short.
cc, ho said, "this Is a precau
tion I havn Just installed. I almost
forgot In the excitement."
He pressed a panel and disclosed III
box-like apparatus.
"This is my seismograph, which Idln
me whether 1 havo liad any visitor In
my absence. if the pen traces a
straight line, it is sll right: but If
hello Walter, the line Is wavv."
Vl'o exchanged a slgnitcant glance,
"would you nilud er siandine
down the hall Just a bit while I enier?"
asked t'raig. .
"Ho carefui." cautioned Elaine.
Ho unlocked the d"r, Mmxlina off to
one side. Then he extended his hand
across the doorway. Mill nothing hap
pened. There was not a sound. Ho
looked cautiously into the room. Ap
parently there was nothing.
It had been about the middle of t'io
morning that an express wagon had
pulled up sharply before our apait
Mr. Kennedy live here?" asked ono
of the expressmen, descending wltH ha
helper and approaching our Janitor.
Jens Jensen, a typical Swede, who wa
coming up out of the basement.
Jens growled a surly "Yes but Mr.
Kennady, he ban out."
"Too bad we've got this laraa cab
inet he ordered from Grand Itaplds. We
can't cart it around all day. Can't you
let us in so we can leave it?"
Jensen muttered. "Wall I guess It
bane ail right"
They took the cabinet off tho wagon
and carried it upstairs. Jensen opened
our door, still grumbling, and they
placed the heavy cabinet In the living-room.
Sign here."
You fallers bane a nuisance," pro
tested Jens, signing, nevertheless.
Scarcely had the sound of their foot
falls died away in the outside hallway
when the door of the cabinet slowly
opened and a masked face protruded,
gazing about the room.
It was the Clutching Hand!
From the cabinet he took a laran
package wrapped in newspapers. As ha
held It. looking keenly about, his eye
rested on Elaine's picture. A moment
he looked at It, then quickly at the fire
place opposite.
An Idea seemed to occur to him. Ho
took the package to the fireplace, re
moved the screen and laid the package
over the andirons -with one end polnt-
ng out Into tha room.
Next he took from the cabinet a
couple of stoai ge batteries and a cml
of wire. Deftly and quickly he fixed
them on the package.
Meanwhile, before an alleyway across
the street and further down tha long
block the express wagon had stopped.
The driver and his helper cUinbercl
ut and for a moment stood talking in
tonee, with covert srlances at our
apartment. They moved Into tha alley
(Concluded eo Tan .)