Evening star., 1924-01-20


with five other character actors
Minister, Blanford, Kelley, Sheldon
and Garceau. They were all more or
less friendly, all about the same age
and all actors. And it looks funny
to us. Last night one Of the commit
tees Of the Wolves had its monthly
meeting. It's a committee that has
broad powers. Talking over those
two deaths and the continued dis
appearance of the five other men, we
decided-well, we didn't decide any
thing except to ask you to look into
the matter. It's hard for US to be-
lieve that even the direst poverty
would drive Septen to suicide, And
it happens to be we'll known to all
of us that Swinburn never rode on
the elevated. He was in an accident
on the elevated ten years ago and
had ever since an obsessing horror Of
those trains. OF course, this isn't
evidence. Neither is our belief that
Septen was normal real evidence.
Nevertheless, here's check for
$4,000 as a retainer. Will you take
the case?''
Pelham looked at the check and
core it up.
II am a Wolf" he said, land the
case interests me. l don't want
money. Now, tell me everything you
know
But beyond. giving Pelham. the ad-
dresses of the two dead men and the
five other missing actors Maline could
add nothing to what he had already
told. Septen, according to the police.
was unquestionably a suicide. Swim
burn had beer accidentally killed.
:: !; :: !:
DELHAM began his investigation
by visiting the last known resi-
dence of Septen. He learned that on
a day about a month ago Septen, a
widower without children, had re-
ceived a letter by messenger. He
had left his modest rooms and never
returned. He had taken with him
no baggage. The same facts fitted
the cases of all the other men. Un-
uniformed messengers Mad braught
them letters. They had gone out
hurriedly and had never returned. In
three cases their rooms had been
rented TO other people and their bag
gage stored in the cellar. The others
happened to have paid in advance,
and their rooms, or apartments, We're
ready for them. And it was not
extraordinary that their landlords
had not reported their disappearance
to the police. Any one OF them
might have obtained a sudden en-
gagement with a road company or
with motion picture concern that
necessitated instant travek
One thing attracted Pelhams at
tention. OF the seven missing men
four had been observed to carry in
their hands as they left their rooms
the letters which had just arrived.
The letters had probably contained
instructions that they should be
of Identification, perhaps. Or else
the address to which these actors
went was unfamiliar to them.
Perhaps the writer Of these letters
had wished no evidence Of the desti-
nation of the letters recipients to be
left in their homes. Pelham found a
thrill\ of excitement as this theory
presented itself to him.
At the last address which he Wis
tied, the room of Minister, he found
among the missing mans effects, to
which he was given ready access on
showing his card, a diary kept by
the actor. The last item on the last
page gave Pelham his first clue:
"Just received letter from Ferry
Theatrical Agency, - Broadway.
asking me to CALL" the diary read.
Pelham arrived at the Broadway
address, to learn that the Ferry
agency had been a brief tenant. It
had rented two rooms about six
weeks ago, and a month ago had
forfeited it's advance rent and closed
its offices. The agency had appar-
emily consisted of one man, Mr.. Ferry
himself. The elevator boys and the
janitor gave Pelham varying descrip-
tions of the agent, by none of which
would he be prepared to identify any
one.
But of one thing Pelham was GER
tain. The seven character actors had
been deliberately lured from their
homes and had been inveigled into
some adventure that had cost the
lives of two Of them. Even as he
sat helplessly at his apartment one