San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1924-03-09

was from Philadelphia, was signed
with the name of Wade Bonstei, one
OF Pelham's oldest friends, and stated
that the sender would arrive in New
York in the morning. He would pay
Pelham a long-promissd visit. And he
was sending a trunk by express.
Pelham was delighted. He had not
seen Bonstel for two years.
When expressmen arrived with Bon
stel's trunk. stable wardrobe affair,
Pelham directed them to bcstow it il
the guest bed room. The rAen had just
left when the telephone rang. He an
swered il. and recognized the voice
of his feminine companion of the car
lier evening.
"Mr. Pelham she said. Il was SC
ashamed that / didn't tell you that
when l went into the reception room
at Edgemont. it was TO telephone my
friend that l had found the missing
witness. He and some others came TO
my apartment just now. / told them
that you had become suspicious and
left me.
When they left I followed them.
They went to a garage near here, anc
minute later a truck came out OF
that garage. Two of the men who had
come to my apartment rode on the
truck. | followed it IN a taxi. The
men whom j knew got down after g
few blocks, but the truck continued
downtown. 1t stopped before your
house. and two men who still re-
manned on the truck carried trunk
into your apartment building. | don't
know what il means
But / do" cried Pelham, Sand ]
think you've earned the ten thousand
dollars"
He hung up: he turned to Dicker-
son. He led the way INTO the guest
room and drew his revolver. "Slim.'
he cried. Sin just two minutes I'm go
ing to put six bullets through that
trunk"
care you crazy?" demanded Slim.
Pelham laughed. You thought /
was crazy when went out tonight.
But if l hadn't gone out I'd never
have met certain young lady about
whom I've been telling you. She tried
to do little sleuthing on her own
The Gray Ghosts week is almost up.
She stumbled into his last desperate
plan. Slim. in ten seconds more l be
gin to fire"
But in five seconds the trunk swung
omen. and the Gray Ghost. his arms
lifted above his head, stepped out of
the receptacle.
"Luck was with you, Mr.. Pelham"
he said.
The Gray Ghost sat humbled and
shrunken before Eelham. the next
day, in an office in the Criminal
Courts Building. Yet there was no
smile upon Pelham's lips. no twinkle
in his eve.
The Gray Ghost was quitter. Hc
was the last man on earth who should
have went and pleaded for his life.
Pelham burst suddenly into protest.
'For Heavens sake, Ballantyne, be n
man !" he cried.
The Gray Ghost lifted his ashen
face. All the terror that, on other &C.
casions, his gray personality had been
able TO inspire was gone now.
That's all very well for you to
say. Mr.. Pelham" he whined. ''but
YOU aren't looking at the electric
chair. / am. That's why i sent for
YOU. to make deal. if I could. What
good will it do to send me to the
chair"
Pelham's contempt burst the bonds
of courtesy TO defeated foe.
Good? We won't argue the ques-
ton. Rallantvne. You couldn't undo
stand the feeling that the sight Of you
arouses in decent peonle."
'syes. 7 could" replied Ballantyne.
''When I think of the things I've done,
feel ashamed"
Pclham's jaw dropped. The state
ment was chiIdishly weak and futile.
The Gray Ghost seemed 10 have
crumbled into nothingness. There re-
NAMED nothing of the great though
vicious spirit that had laughed at law.