Evening star., 1923-06-03

"YOU ARE STILL
cloak about her shoulders. Pei
ham gently put the maid aside and
fastened the cloak himself. Also,
he furtively embraced the dancers
1.-THE waist The maid saw the caress,
and her white teeth cleaned
y X X 4
DELHAM, for a man who had just
L severed a business relation that
had been extremely profitable,
seemed quite unconcerned. And, for
a man mentioned by rumor as a pos
sible commissioner of police. he
seemed quite careless of public opin-
ion. not that there was anything par
ticularly unconventional in supping
at a fashionable after-theater dane
ing place.
Until a reluctant management dis
missed It's guests, Miss Legendre and
Pelham remained. Then they depart
ed. riding in a taxi to the dancers
home on West 50th street. Pelham
dismissed the chauffeur and accom-
panied the young woman TO her apart
ment. Leaving the elevator at the
fourth floor. the dancer handed Pei
ham a key. He unlocked the door of
her apartment, reached a hand into
the hall. pressed an electric-light
switch, and stepped aside for her to
precede him.
Thus it was that she saw first the
stocky figure of her uncle, standing in
the center of her tiny drawing room.
Uncle jerry" she screamed.
Pelham, closing the door, wheeled
and brushed by her. Ten feet apart.
the two men glared at each other.
II warned you," said Tryon thickly
From her bedroom at the far end of
the hall, the dancers cook. alarmed
by her mistress scream, came run
ming. dressed only in a nightgown
and a blanket thrown across her
shoulders.
Standing in the doorway that led
from the entrance hall to the little
drawing room. her hands gripping the
sides of the door frame. the dancer
glanced over her shoulder at the SER
want. I'm afraid" she whispered.
The buxom cook peered into the
room.
Il know you warned me-" Pelham
was saying, "and l also warned you.
I've had enough of this nonsense"
And I've had enough of your
tricks" growled Tryon. IF my niece
hasn't sense enough to protect her
reputation, I'll protect it for her You
get out of this room. out of this apart
ment. out of this building"
Pelham's thin lips curled in a sneer.
And if I don't?"
I'll throw you out" snarled Tryon.
Pelham looked at the dancer.
think we've stood enough
Don't Jimmy" she pleaded.
Pelham turned 10 Tryon, For your
nieces sake. III treat you better than
you deserve. II you'll leave
You puppy" cried Tryon.
He leaped forward as he spoke. The
dancer screamed; the fat cook drew
the blanket across her eyes. There
as moment of struggle in the draw
ing room; then Pelham went down.
He fired from the floor. For a min
ute Tryon stared stupidity down at bis
former friend; his hand went waver-
ingly to his breast and came away
stained. He looked at the hand for
moment, then slumped to the floor.
Stacy Legendre rushed to his side.
And as Tryon fell, Pelham leaped
to his feet He was through the door
and past the cook before she could
make any effort to stop him. He ran
down four flights of stairs to the
lobby, and thence to the street. :.
THE Tryon-Pelham shooting affair
l. occurred after the editions of the
morning papers had gone to press.
but the evening papers carried the
story. 1t made most sensational
feature.
Probably more than a million people
read the afternoon editions, and prob
ably the most interested reader was
the man to whom reference was made
in every other paragraph of every
story.
Thin almost to the point of emacia-
tion, the Gray Ghost seemed, at first
glance, like one upon the threshold of
death. Gray-skinned, gray-haired,
and even dressed in gray, that i'm
preston of >neutrality, of having no
further concern with life, was ban
ished once one looked fairly into the
smoldering depths of the sunken gray
eyes.
Despite his evident age and his ap-
parent weakness. here was force. un-
limited and unrepressed.
He sat now. on the evening of this
day whose dawn had witnessed the
tragic termination of the long al
lance between Pelham and Tryon,
studying each edition OF the newspa-
pers as they were brought to him.
seeming to read between the lines, to