Motography (Jan-Jun 1915)

March 27, 1915. MOTOGRAPHY 473 New Villain Appears in Elaine Serial BY NEIL G. CAWARD A BRAND new villain is introduced into the twelfth episode of the thrilling Pathe serial, "The Exploits of Elaine" so that now the fair heroine is being hounded not alone by the Clutching Hand, but by a Chinese adventurer known as Long Sin. The crafty Chinaman seems capable of as much, or more, fiendishness as the other villain who has hounded her for so long, yet even he finds himself foiled by the keen wits of Craig Kennedy. Those who are interested in the love element in the picture, will note with pleasure that Elaine, in spite of her quarrel with Kennedy finds it wise to appeal to him for assistance when she finds herself in the role of a murderess and Kennedy, though still indignant at her mistrust of him, yields enough to come to her aid and then gracefully bow himself out of her presence, after having saved her from a very real peril. Having noted an item in the paper regarding the fair Elaine Dodge and her fortune, Long Sin, who, early in the picture, shows a greed for gold, plans to recoup his failing fortune by playing on Elaine's credulity. He gets in touch with Mary Carson, a social outcast of a depraved type, and together they hatch up a plan for blackmailing Elaine. The Chinaman explains to Mary how they can induce Elaine to stab him, in a moment of rage, and points out to her that the knife with which the deed will be committed is a trick one, the blade sliding back into the hollow handle and infllicting no real injury. He. also demonstrates the use of a little bag of blood which he will conceal inside his loose blouse and which, on being punctured by the blow of Elaine, will apparently cause his own real blood to flow through his garment. i JUtf-" « Mb 'M ■HP' — J Preparing to use the detectascope fed r i -t •* lift I ! / i >v Mary Carson is arrested. Elaine thinks the Chinaman dead. Their plans arrang-ed, Mary goes to call upon Elaine and induces her to to visit a prominent society woman who is to form a Belgian relief committee. With this as a pretext, Mary leads Elaine to Long Sin's apartment and then makes known to her that they have entered the wrong house by mistake. At that moment the Chinaman enters the room and approaches Mary, who apparently faints with fear and is carried out. Elaine, cornered and completely at the mercy of the Chinaman, in her fear, snatches up a dagger that lies on a table and attacks the celestial, who falls to the floor, and what appears to be blood appears through his beflowered garment just over his heart. Elaine, believing she has killed him, rushes with a shriek into the other room where Mary endeavors to calm her and, finally, with the assistance of the Chinaman's servant, the two escape from the house. The Clutching Hand meanwhile has learned that another is interfering with his plans and pays a visit to Long Sin who explains to him in detail the method he has taken of blackmailing Elaine. Upon agreeing to share the profits of the scheme the master criminal promises his co-operation. Later Mary Carson again visits Elaine and explains to her that Long Sin's servant was a tong man authorized to kill the Chinaman, but had permitted her escape because she had accomplished the deed he was to perform. He requests, through Mary, that Elaine supply him with $10,000 in cash, for which he will agree to dispose of the body and keep Elaine's secret. Realizing that she is being blackmailed. Elaine appeals in her misery to Kennedy, and the latter advises her to appear to fall in with Mary Carson's suggestion and to take the money to the hotel where Mary has told her they are to meet the Chinaman.