Essex County herald. [volume], May 14, 1915, Image 6

About Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964

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ESSEX COUNTY " HERALD
The Exploits of Elaine
A Detective Novel and a Motion Picture Drama
" ' I By ARTHUR B. REEVE II "
The Weil-Known Novell, t anJ Ihe
Creator of the "Craig Kennedy" Stories I
Presented in Collaboration With the Pathe Players and the Eclectic Film Company
Copyright, 1014,by the Star Company All Foreign Rights Reserved
SYNOPSIS.
The New York police are mystified by
a series of murders of prominent men.
The principal clue to the murderer is
the warning letter which is sent the vic
tims, signed with a "clutching hand." The
latest victim of the mysterious assassin
Is Taylor Dodge, the insurance president.
His daughter, Klalne, employs Craig Ken
nedy, the famous scientific detective, to
try to unravel the mystery. What Ken
nedy accomplishes is told by his friend
Jameson, a newspaper man. Clutching
Hand tries to kill Elaine by means of a
diabolical device which generates a poison
In the wall paper of her room that is
deadly to breathe for any length of time.
Again Kennedy's scientific knowledge is
brought into play just in season to save
the heroine from death.
SIXTH EPISODE
"The Vampire."
Kennedy went the next day to the
Dodge house, and, as usual, Perry Ben
nett, Elaine's lawyer, was there In the
library with Elaine, still going over
the. Clutching Hand case in their en
deavor to track down the mysterious
master criminal.
Bennett seemed as deeply as ever
In love with Elaine. Still, as Jennings
admitted Craig, it was sufficiently evi
dent by the manner in which Elaine
left Bennett and ran to greet Craig
that she had the highest regard for
him.
"I've brought you a little document
that may interest you," remarked Ken
nedy, reaching into his pocket and
pulling out an envelope.
Elaine tore it open and looked at
the paper within.
"Oh, how thoughtful of you!" she
exclaimed in surprise.
It was a permit from the police made
out in her name allowing her to car
ry a revolver.
A moment later, Kennedy reached
into his coat pocket and produced a
little automatic Which he handed to
her.
"Thank you," she cried, eagerfy.
Elaine examined the gun with inter
est, then, raising it, pointed it play
fully at Bennett.
"Oh, no, no!" exclaimed Kennedy,
taking her arm quickly and gently, de
flecting the weapon away. "You
mustn't think it is a toy. It explodes
at a mere touch of the trigger when
that safety ratchet is turned."
Bennett had realized the danger and
had jumped back, almost mechanical
ly. As he did so, he bumped into a
suit of medieval armor standing by
the wall, knocking it over with a re
sounding crash.
'I beg pardon," he ejaculated, "I'm
very sorry. That was very awkward
of me."
Jennings, who had been busy about
the portieres at the 'doorway, started
to pick up the fallen knight.
"Too bad, too bad," apologized Ben
nett profusely. "I really forgot how
close I was to the thing."
"Oh, never mind," returned Elaine,
a little crestfallen, "it is smashed all
right but it was my fault. Jennings,
send for someone to repair it."
It was late that night that a masked
figure succeeded in raising itself to
the narrow ornamental ledge under
Elaine's bedroom window.
Elaine was a light sleeper, and, be
sides, Rusty, her faithful collie, now
fully recovered from the poison, was
in her room.
Rusty growled and the sudden noise
awakened her.
Startled, Elaine instantly thought of
the automatic. She reached under her
pillow, keeping very quiet, and drew
forth the gun that Craig had given
her. Stealthily concealing her actions
under the covers, she leveled the auto
matic at the figure silhouetted in her
window and fired three times..
The figure fell back.
Down in the street below, the as
sistant of the Clutching 'lland who
had waited while Taylor Dodge was
electrocuted, was waiting as his con
federate, "Pitts Slim" which indicat
ed that he was both wiry in stature
and libelous in delegating his nativity
made ihe attempt.
As Slim came tumbling down, hav
ing fallen back from the window above
mortally wounded, the confederate lift
ed him up and carried him out of sight
hurriedly.
Elaine, by this time, had turned on
the lights and had run to the window
to look out. Rusty was barking loud-
- ly.
In a side street near by stood a wait
ing automobile, at the wheel c : which
sat another of the emissaries of the
Clutching Hand. The driver looked
up, startled, aj he 6aw his fellow
hurry around the corner carrying the
wounded "Pitts Slim." It was the
work of just a moment to drop the
wounded man, as comfortably as pos
sible under the circumstances, in the
rear seat, while his pals started the
car off with a jerk in the hurry of es
cape. Jennings, having hastily slipped his
trousers on over his pajamas, came
running down the hall, while Marie,
frightened, came in the other direc
tion. Aunt Josephine appeared a few
seconds later, adding to the general
excitement.
"What's the matter?" she asked,
anxiously.
"A burglar, I think." exclaimed
Elaine, still holding the gun in her
hand. "Someone tried to get into my
window."
"My gracious!" cried Aunt Joseph
ine, in alarm, "Where will this thing
end?"
"We'll," Elaine laughed, a little nerv
ously, now that it was all over, "I
want you all to go to bed and stop
worrying about me. Don't you see
I'm perfectly able to take tare of my
self? Besides, there Isn't a chance
now of the burglar coming back. Why,
I shot him."
"Yes," put in Aunt Josephine, "but
it
Elaine laughingly interrupted her
and playfully made as though she
were driving them out of her room.
"Rusty!" she called. "Down, there!"
The intelligent collie seemed to un
derstand. He lay down by the door
way, his nose close to the bottom of
the door, and his ears alert.
Finally Elaine, too, retired again.
Meanwhile the wounded man wasJ
being hurried to one of the hangouts of
the mysterious Clutching Hand.
Thi car containing the wounded
"Pitts Slim" drew up, and the other
two men leaped out of it. With a hur
ried glance about they unlocked the
front door with a pass key and en
tered, carrying the man.
Indoors was another emissary of the
Clutching Hand, a rather studious
looking chap.
"Why, what's the matter?" he ex
claimed as the crooks entered his room
supporting their half-fainting, wounded
pal.
"Slim got a couple of pills," they
panted as they laid him on a couch.
"How?" demanded the other.
"Trying to get into the Dodge house.
Elaine did It."
Slim was, quite evidently, badly
wounded and was bleeding profusely.
A glance at him was enough for the
studious-looking chap. He went to a
secret panel and, pressing it down,
took out what was apparently a secret
house telephone.
In another part of this mysterious
house was the secret room of the
Clutching Hand 'himself, where he hid
his identity from even his most trust
ed followers.
His telephone rang and he took
down the receiver.
"Pitts Slim's been wounded, badly,
chief," was all he waited to hear.
With scarcely a word he hung up
the receiver, then opened a table
drawer and took out a full face mask.
Next he went to a nearby bookcase,
preyed another secret spring, and a
panel opened. He passed through, the
mask adjusted.
Across, in the larger outside study,
another panel opened, and the Clutch
ing Hand, all crouched up, trans
formed, appeared. Without a word he
advanced to the couch on which the
wounded crook lay, and examined him.
"How did it happen?" he asked at
length.
"Miss Dodge shot him," answered
the others, "with an automatic."
"That Craig Kennedy must have
given it to her!" he exclaimed with
suppressed fury.
For a moment the Clutching Hand
stopped to consider. Then he seized
the regular telephone.
" Doctor Martin?" he asked, as he got
the number he called.
Late as it was, the doctor, who was
a well-known surgeon In that part of
the country answered from an ex
tension of his telephone near his tad.
The call was urgent, and apparently
from a family which he did not feel
that he could neglect.
Doctor Martin was a middle-aged
man, one of those medical men on
whose judgment one instinctively re
lies. It was only a matter of minutes be
fore the doctor was speeding over the
now deserted suburban roads! appar
ently on an errand of mercy.
At the address that had been
given him he drew up to the side of
the road, got out and ran up the steps
to the door. A ring at the bell
brought a sleepy man to the'door, In
his trousers and nightshirt.
"How's the patient?-' asked Doctor
Martin, eagerly.
"Patient!" repeated the man, rub
bing his eyes. "There's no one sick
here."
Slowly It dawned on the doctor that
it was a false alarm, and that he
must be the victim of some practical
joke.
"Well, that's a great note," he
growled, as the man shut the door.
He descended the steps, muttering
harsh language at some unknown
trickster. As he climbed back Into
his machine' and made ready to start
two men seemed to rise before him
as if from nowhere.
As a matter of fact they had been
sent there by the Clutching Hand, and
were hiding in a nearby cellarway un
til their chance came.
One man stood on the running
board, on either side of him, and two
guns yawned menacingly at him.
"Drive ahead that way!" muttered
one man, seating himself in the run
about with his gun close to the doc
tor's ribs.
The other kept bis place on the run
ning board, and on they drove in the
direction of the mysterious, dafk
house. Half a mile, perhaps, down
the road, they halted and left the car
beside the walk.
Doctor Martin was too surprised to,
marvel at anything now, and he real
ized that he was in the power of two
desperate men. Quickly they blind
folded him.
It seemed an Interminable walk, as
they led him about to confuse him, but
at last he could feel that they had
taken him into a house and along
passageways, which they, were making
unnecessarily long in order to de
stroy all recollection that they could.
Finally ho knew that he was in a
room in which others were present.
A moment later he felt them remove
the bandage from his eyes, and. blink
ing at the light, he could see a hard
faced fellow, pale and weak, on a
blood-stained couch. Over him bent
a masked man and another man stood
near by endeavoring by improvised
bandages to stop the flow of blood.
"What can you do for this fellow?"
asked the masked man.
Doctor Martin, seeing nothing else
to do, for he was more than outnum
bered now, bent down and examined
him.
As he rose, he said, "He will be
dead from loss of blood .by morning,
no matter if he is properly bandaged."
"Is there nothing that can save
him?" whispered the Clutching Hand
hoarsely.
"Blood transfusion might save him,"
replied the doctor. "But so much blood
would be needed that whoever gives
it would be liable to die himself."
Clutching Hand stood silent a mo
ment, thinking, as he gazed -at the
man who had been one of his chief
reliance. Then, with a menacing ges
ture, he spoke in a low, bitter tone:
"She who shot him shall supply the
blood."
A few quick directions followed to
his subordinates, and as he made
ready to go he muttered, "Keep the
doctor here. Don't let him stir from
the room."
It was just before early daybreak
when the Clutching Hand and his con
federate reached the Dodge house in
the city and came up to the back door,
over the fences. As they stood there
the Clutching Hand produced a mas
ter key and started to open the door.
But before he did so he took out his
watch.
"Let me see," he ruminated. "Twen
ty minutes past 4. At exactly half
past I want you to do as I told yqu
see?"
The other crook nodded.
"You may go," ordered the Clutch
ing Hand.
As the crook slunk away Clutching
Hand stealthily let himself into the
house. Noiselessly he prowled through
the halls until he came to Elaine's
doorway.
He gave a hasty look up and down
the hall. There was no sound. Quickly
i
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N i - vfc
Holding his Hand Over Elaine's Mouth to Prevent Her Screaming, He
Snatched the Revolver Away Before She Could Fire It.
he took a syringe from his pocket and
bent down by the door. Inserting the
end under it, he squirted some liquid
through, which vaporized rapidly in a
wide, fine stream of spray. Before he
could give an alarm Rusty was over
come by the noxious fumes, rolled
over on his back and lay still.
Outside, the other crook was wait
ing, looking at his watch. As the hand'
slowly turned the half-hour he
snapped, the watch shut. With a quick
glance up and down the deserted
street, he deftly started up the rain
pipe that passed near Elaine's win
dow. This time there was no faithful
Rusty to give warning, and the second
intruder, after a glance at Elaine, still
sleeping, went quickly to the door,
dragged the Insensible dog out of the
way, turned the key and admitted the
Clutching Hand. As he did so he
closed the door.
Evidently the fumes had not
reached Elaine, or, if they had, the
inrush of fresh air revived her, for
she waked and quickly reached for
the gun. In an Instant the other crook
had leaped at her. Holding his hand
over her mouth to prevent her scream
ing, he snatched the revolver away be
fore 6he could fire it.
In the meantime (he Clutching Hand
had taken out some chloroform, and,
rolling a towel in the form of a cone,
placed it over her face.
When Elaine was completely under
the influence of the drug they lifted
her out of bed, the chloroform cone !
still over her face, and quietly carried
her to the door, which they had opened
stealthily.
Down stairs they carried her until
they came to the library with its new
safe where they placed her on a
couch.
At an early hour an express wagon
stopped before .the Dodge house and"
Jennings, half-dressed, answered the
bell.
"We've come for that broken suit of
armor to be repaired," said a work
man. Jennings let the men in. The armor
was still on the stand and the repair
ers took armor, stand and all, laying
it on the couch, where they wrapped
it in the covers they had brought for
the purpose. They lifted it up and
started to carry it out.
Be careful," cautioned the thrifty
Jennings.
. Rusty, now recovered, was barking
and sniffing at the armor.
"Kick the mutt off," growled one
man.
The other did so, and Rusty snarled
and snapped at him. Jennings took
him by the collar and held him as the
repairers went out, loaded the armor
on the wagon, and drove off.
Scarcely had they gone, while Jen
nings straightened out the disarranged
library, when Rusty began jumping
about, barking furiously. Jennings
looked at him in amazement as the
dog ran to the window and leaped out.
He had' no time to look after the
dog, though, for at that very instant
he heard a voice calling, "Jennings,
Jennings!"
It was Marie, almost speechless. He
followed her as she led the way to
Miss Elaine's room. There Marie
pointed mutely to the bed.
Elaine was not there.
There, too were her clothes, neatly
folded, as Marie had hung them for
her.
"Something must have happened to
her!" wailed Marie.
Jennings was now thoroughly
alarmed.
Meanwhile the express wagon out
side was driving off, with Rjisty tear
ing after it.
"What's the matter?" cried Aunt
Josephine, coming in where the foot
man and the maid were arguing what
was to be done.
She gave one look at her bed, the
clothes, and the servants.
"Call Mr. Kennedy!" she cried in
alarm.
"Elaine is gone no one knows how
or where," announced Craig, after
leaping out of bed that morning to an
swer the furious ringing of our tele
phone bell.
When we arrived at the DodgT house
Aunt Josephine and Marie were fully
dressed. Jennings let us in.
"What has happened?" demanded
Kennedy, breathlessly.
While Aunt Josephine tried to tell
him, Craig was busy examining the
room.
"Let us see the library," he said at
length.
Accordingly down to the library we
went. Kennedy looked about. He
seemed to miss something.
"Where is the armor?" he demand1'
ed.
"Why, the men came for it and took
it away to repair," answered Jen
nings. Kennedy's brow clouded in deep
thought.
Outside we had left, our taxi waiting.
The door was open and a new foot
man, James, was sweeping the rug,
when past him flashed a dishevelled
hairy streak.
We were all standing there still as
Craig questioned Jennings about the
armor. With a yelp Rusty tore fran
tically intc the room. A moment he
stopped and barked. We all looked at
him in surprise. Then, as no one
moved, he seemed to single out Ken
nedy. He seized Craig's coat In his
teeth and tried to drag him out.
"Here, Rusty down, sir. down!"
called Jennings. '
"No; Jennings, no," interposed
Craig. "What's the matter, old fel
low?"
Craig patted Rusty, whose big brown
eyes seemed mutely appealing. Out
of the doorway he went, barking still.
Craig and I followed, while the rest
stood in the vestibule.
. . Tit t v.'. v.-.v.v
Rusty was trying to lead Kennedy
down the street.
"Wait here," called Kennedy to Aunt
Josephine, as he stepped with me on
the running board of the cab. "Qo on.
Rusty; good dog!"
It seemed miles that we went, but
at last we came to a peculiarly de
serted looking house. Here Rusty
turned in and began scratching at the
door. We jumped off the cab and fol
lowed. The door was locked when we tried
it, and from inside' we could get no an
swer. We put our shoulders to it and
burst it in. Rusty gave a leap forward
with ' a joyous bark.
We followed more cautiously. There
were pieces of armor strewn all over
the floor. Rusty sniffed at them and
looked about, disappointed, then
howled.
I looked from the armor to Kennedy
in blank amazement.
"Elaine was kidnapped in, the ar
mor," he cried.
He was right. Meanwhile, the ar
mor repairers had stopped at last at
this, apparently deserted house, a
strange sort of repair shop. Still keep
ing it wrapped in blankets, they had
taken the armor out of the wagon and
had laid it down on an old broken
bed. Then they, had unwrapped it and
taken off the helmet.
There was Elaine!
"Sh! What's that" cautioned pne of
the men. 1
They paused and listened. Sure
enough, there was a sound outside.
They opened the window cautiously.
A dog was scratching on the door, en
deavoring to get in. It was Rusty.
"I think it's her dog," said the man,
turning. "We'd better let him in.
Someone might see him."
The other nodded and a moment
later the door opened and in ran
Rusty. Straight to Elaine he went,
starting to lick her hand.
"Right her dog," exclaimed the oth
er man, drawing a gun and hastily lev
eling' it at Rusty.
"Don't cautioned the first. "It would
make too much noise. You'd better
choke him!'
The fellow grabbed for Rusty. Rusty
was too quick. He jumped. Around
the room they ran. Rusty saw the
wide-open window and his chance.
Out he went and disappeared, leaving
the man swearing at him.
A moment's argument followed, then
they wrapped Elaine in the blankets
alone, still bound and gagged, and car
ried her out.
In the secret den the Clutching Hand
was waiting, gazing now and then at
his watch, and then at the wounded
man before him. In a chair his first
assistant sat, watching Doctor Martin.
A knock at the door caused them to
turn their heads. The crook opened it,
and in walked the other crooks who
had carried off Elaine in the suit of
armor.
Elaine was now almost conscious, as
they sat her down in a chair, and part
ly loosed her bonds and gag. She
gazed about, frightened.
"Oh, help! help!" she screamed, as
she caught sight of the now familiar
mask of the Clutching Hand.
"Call all you want here, young
lady," he laughed unnaturally.
"Now, doc," he added harshly to
Doctor Martin. "It was she who shot
him. Her blood must save him."
Doctor Martin recoiled at the
thought of torturing the beautiful
young girl before him.
"Are you willing to have your
blood transfused?" he parleyed
"No, no, no!" she cried in horror.
Doctor Martin turned to the des
perate criminal. "I cannot do it."
"The deuce you can't."
A cold steel revolver pressed down
on Doctor Martin's stomach.
The other crooks next carried
Elaine, struggling, and threw her
down beside the wounded man.
Doctor Martin, still covered by the
gun, bent over the two, the hardened
criminal and the delicate, beautiful
girl. Clutching Hand glared fiendish
ly, insanely.
From his bag he took a little piece
of something that shone like silver,
A moment later, Doctor Martin
looked up at the Clutching Hand and
nodded, "Well, it's working!"
All were now bending over the two.
Doctor Martin bent closest over
Elaine. He looked at her anxiously,
felt her pulse, watched her breathing,
then pursed up his lips.
"This is dangerous," he ventured,
gazing askance at the grim Clutching
Hand.
"Can't help it," came back laconical
ly, and relentlessly.
The doctor shuddered.
The man was a veritable vampire.
Outside the deserted house, Kennedy
and I were looking helplessly about.
Suddenly Kennedy reached into his
pocket and produced and pulled out a
police whiBtle. He blew three sharp
blasts.
Would It bring help?
While we were thus despairing, the
continued absence of Doctor Martin
from his home had alarmed his fam
ily, and had set In motion another
train of events..
When he did not return, and could
not be located at the place to which
he was supposed to have gone, several
policemen had been summoned to his
house, and they had come, finally, with
real bloodhounds from a suburban sta
tion. It had not been long before the party
came across the deserted runabout be
side the road. There they had stopped
for a moment.
It wbb Just then thai they heard
Kennedy's call, and one of them had
been detailed to answer it.
"Well, what do you want?" asked
the officer, eyeing Kennedy suspi
ciously as be stood thre with the
armor. "What's them pieces of tin
hey?"
Kennedy quickly flashed his owa
special badge. "I want to trail a
girl," he exclaimed hurriedly. "Can I
And a bloodhound about here?"
"A hound? Why, we have a pack
over there."
"Bring them quick!" ordered Craig.
Kennedy held the armor down -o-the
dogs. "Searchlight" gave a low
whine, then, followed by "Bob" and the
others, was off, all with noses close
to the ground. We followed.
In the mysterious haunt of the'
Clutching Hand, all were still stand
ing around Elaine and the wounded
Pitts Slim.
Just then a cry from one of the
group startled the rest. One of them,
less hardened than the Clutching
Hand, had turned away from the
sight, had gone to the window, and
had been attracted by something out
side. "Look!" he cried.
From the absolute stillness of death
there was now wild excitement amon?
the crooks.
'Police! Police!" they shouted to
each other as they fled by a doorway
to a secret passage.
Clutching Hand turned to his first
assistant. -
"You go, too," he ordered."
The dogs had led us to a strange-
looking house, and were now baying;
"Elaine Was Kidnaped in the Armor,"'
Cried Kennedy.
and leaping up against the door. We
did not stop to knock, but began to
break . through, for inside we could
hear faintly sounds of excitement and
cries of "Police! Police!"
The door yielded and we rushed
into a long hallway. Up the passage
we went until we came to another
door.
An instant and we were all against
it. It was stout, but it shook before
us. The panels began to yield.
i On the other side of that door from
us the master crook stood for a mo
ment. Doctor Martin hesitated, not
knowing quite what to do.
Just then the wounded Pitts Slim
lifted his hand feebly. He seemed
vaguely to understand that the game
was up. He touched the Clutching
Hand.
"You did your best, chief," he mur
mured thickly. "Beat it. If you can.
I'm a goner, anyway."
Clutching Hand moved over to a
panel in the wall and pushed a spring.
It slid open and he stepped through.
Then it closed not a second too soon.
At the very moment when we burst
in, Doctor Martin, seeing his chance,
stopped the blood transfusion, work
ing frantically to stay the flow of
blood.
Kennedy sprang to Elaine's side,
horrified by the blood that had spat
tered over everything.
Just then the police burst through
the secret panel and rushed on, leav
ing us alone, with the unconscious,
scarcely breathing Elaine.
From the sounds we could tell that
they had come to the private room of
the Clutching Hand. It was empty.
, A policeman now stood beside
Elaine and the wounded burglar, who
was muttering deliriously to himself.
He was pretty far gone, as the po
liceman knelt down and tried to get a
statement out of him.
"Who was that man who left you
last the Clutching Hand?"
Not a word came from .the crook.
Doctor Martin had paid no atten
tion whatever to him, but was work
ifc desperately now over Elaine, try
ing to bring her back to life.
"Is she going to die?" gasped
Craig frantically.
Every eye was riveted on Doctor
Martin.
"She is all right," he muttered. "But
the man' is going to die."
At the sound of Craig's voice Elaine
had feebly opened her eyes.
"Thank heaven," breathed Craig,
with a sigh of relief, as his hand
gently stroked Elaine's unnaturally
cold forehead.
i (TO BE CONTINUED.)
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