As he came through the window he
dragged the wires with him, and, alter a moment's reconnoitering
attached them to the furnace pipe of the old-fashioned hot-air
heater where the pipe ran up through the floor to the library
above. The other wire was quickly attached to the telephone where
its wires entered.
Upstairs, Dodge, evidently uneasy in his mind about the precious
"Limpy Red" letter, took it from the safe along with most of the
other correspondence and, pressing a hidden spring in the wall,
opened a secret panel, placed most of the important documents in
this hiding place. Then he put some blank sheets of paper in an
envelope and returned it to the safe.
Downstairs the masked master criminal had already attached a
voltmeter to the wires he had installed, waiting.
Just then could be heard the tinkle of Dodge's telephone and the
old man rose to answer it. As he did so he placed his foot on the
iron register, his hand taking the telephone and the receiver. At
that instant came a powerful electric flash. Dodge sank on the
floor grasping the instrument, electrocuted. Below, the master
criminal could scarcely refrain from exclaiming with satisfaction
as his voltmeter registered the powerful current that was passing.
A moment later the criminal slid silently into Dodge's room.
Carefully putting on rubber gloves and avoiding touching the
register, he wrenched the telephone from the grasp of the dead
man, replacing it in its normal position.
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