The room had been fitted up as a medium's seance parlor, with
black hangings on the walls, while at one side there was a square
cabinet of black cloth, with a guitar lying before it.
Two of the Clutching Hand's most trusted confederates and a hard-
faced woman of middle age, dressed in plain black, were putting
the finishing touches to this apartment, when their Chief entered.
Clutching Hand gazed about the room, now and then giving an order
or two to make more effective the setting for the purpose which he
had in mind.
Finally he nodded in approval and stepped over to the fire place
where logs were burning brightly in a grate.
Pressing a spring in the mantelpiece, the master criminal effected
an instant transformation. The logs in the fireplace, still
burning, disappeared immediately through the side of the brick
tiling and a metal sheet covered them. An aperture opened at the
back, as if by magic.
Through this opening Clutching Hand made his way quickly and
disappeared.
Emerging on the other side of the peculiar fireplace, Clutching
Hand pushed aside a curtain which barred the way and looked into
the Chinese temple, taking up a position behind the metallic
figure on the dais.
The Chinamen had by this time finished their devotions, if such
they might be called, and the last one was leaving, while Long Sin
stood alone on the dais.
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