San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-09-23
BY ARTHUR SOMERS ROCHE
ILLUSTRATED BY w. B. KING

| The officer shook his head. 1 got
those numbers right" he declared.
Catch me making a mistake when
person like Mr.. CORVALLIS is injured.
Say" he added, "that ambulance sur
geon dropped something out of his
pocket. Sc long as you are working
for Mr.. CORVALLIS or his wife, you
probably will see the doct) before I'll
find time to get cund to his place.
Would you give him this:"
He handed Pelham a small leather
case. Pelham took it and thrust 1t
carelessly into his pocket.
"Of course 1 will," he promised.
I'D say that old boy CORVALLIS
must have a terrible cas- of heanr
trouble to be unconscious this long
declared the policeman. "He wasn't
even touched"
We'll, he's an old man. said Pei
ham.
Dickinson returned to Pelhams
apartment that afternoon with re-
port of his experiences.
"There's a bunch of workmen in
the offices of Simmons & Leidy.
Maxim alterations. Busy here all the
time. tearing down partitions and
building new ones Well, took look
around They have a couple OF safes.
hut. believe ne, l wouldn't trust
nickel of mine in one of them. Old
fashioned affairs that any yegs could
blow.
And vet Simmons & Leidy are
bringing about millio; dollars a
day in cash to their offices.
But they don't trust hose safes.
lie paused dramatically.
Pelham paid him the compliment OF
Excitement. Go on. Slim"
"The workmen all qTlt at noon;
they all had lunch boxes with them
You'd have thought they eat in the
hall or on the stairs. w l., sir, they
all went downstairs. carrying their
lunch boxes. l followed them; sort
of thought 1 might mix in and get ac-
quain:ed.
81 did not" answered Slim with
emphasis. why? Listen. One OF
those carpenters tripped on a stair;
his lunch box fell and the lid flew
omen. Do you know y at kind OF
sandwiches those workm'n eat: Vel
low ones."
Get TO il. Slirl.' ordered Pelham.
big yellow bills, Tn, lunch box
was damned with money. That's where
thc cash goes! WI. 1 telephoned
4 Mr.. Trvon; he rushed a couple of
men right over. They followed the
workmen into cheap restaurant. Just
n coffee place. They all ordered cof-
fee. and the walters there. when they
brought them tue coffee, managed 10
ret the money out of Their boxes and
! substitute .uod. Oh. according to Mr..
| Tryon's men. every last one of them
was sleight-of-hand artist"
"Pickpockets arc" commented Pei
ham.
You're getting it, cried Slim.
We'll. / watched the walters. Least
wise. | watched a couple Of them. The
operathes tipped me off as they came
ont. They were carrying suitcases.
and they took them, ridi' 9 in taxi,
i 70 n house on Twenty-third street.
None of those houses set way bacS
from he street, with a yard and fence.
They went in, and they're there yet,
so far rs l know"
For q long time after Slim had fin
ished. Pelham was silent. How could
the Gray Ghost have 70. oseen; with
certainty, that the finaneier would be
Immediately rendered unconscious By
the accident. and that Re would re-
main SO fer the better part of two
weeks?
He damned his hands into his
rockets; the fingers of one hand
touched something. And he knew!
He could not act with ut further
evidence: but that came to him at
o o'clock that night. For { that hour
DR.. Leclerc alighted from taxicab
before the shabby house on Twenty
third street, looked furtively about
him. and swiftly went through the
gate ana up the walk. A. he was adj
mitted 10 the house whittier the walt
ers OF the lunchroom mad carried the
money, Tryon and Pelham, leading
score of the bravest of tIei operatives.
smashed down the door, and entered
the building. =.
when" asked Jerry Tryon. late
that night. did you beS:n TO agree
with me that the Gray GlOst was in
this matter?"
"When discovered this said Pei
ham. He held out lie little leather
case that had been given him by the
policeman. Know what it is!"
Jerry wrinkled his Il head. 1T
might hold fountain PEN" he said.
Pelham laughed grimly. at might.
but it didn't. 1t held hy9odermic
needle. The policeman said that DIR.
Leclezc had dropped it. Brt il I.e-
clerc hadn't dropped it, ana il the
chauffeur of CORVALLIS had dropped
it. it explained everything
"Of course" cried Jerry. The miss
ing ink in the plot. TIE chauffeIr
leaned through the limousine door and
iabbel the old man"
Exactly" said Pelham. Il had to
find connection between Leclerc and
the spectators. And when Leclerc
| showed un-well. we know the rest.
He's confessed and so las Madison. to
being bribed to keep COr,'waliis drug
ged. But if we could only find the
man who b-ibed thtm-~
~Who is the Gray Ghost, declared
Tryon.
@Or an agent Vt $" ameLccd Pei
ham. He sighed. If Only he'd bring
suit to recover the millions in cash
we found in that TWENTY : ;ird street
housel'
WELL" said Jerry, this IS one time
the Gray Ghost loses.
relham'S face grew grave. Think