Evening star., 1924-01-20

connected Win the lnedlSf,
Pelham signed his luncheon check
and started from the dining room.
Maline. the famous producer, waved
hand to the immaculate Pelham.
"Any time that the Gray Ghost dies.
or you give up your battle with him.
laughed the manager, you can have
job with me. Mr.. Pelham
Pelham flushed. His warfare with
the Gray Ghost was Il matter of conf
mon knowledge. Nevertheless. he
was sensitive on the subject. The
criminal had had the better of their
encounter thus far But he shrugged
and laughed.
You look as gloomy as though you
had a private Gray Ghost walking
your own ancestral chambers, Ma
nne." he said
"Some people have got it pretty
soft" declared the manager I'D
trade jobs in a minute. If the Gray
Ghost robs bank it doesn't cost you
Il penny if you can't find him. But
if 1 can't fihd an actor, where the
deuce am To-
Pelham looked down at the fat, red
face of Maline. Usually that face was
wrinkled with mirth; the small brown
eyes twinkled. But today the face
was lugubrious. Pelham glanced
about the crowded dining room.
II see a lot of pretty good actors
here" he declared.
Not the ones 1 want" frowned
Maline.
Sorry. but L can't waste sympathy
on YOU" said Pelham. with five
plays packing New York theaters and
a dozen successes on the road, You
strike me as being one of the filthy
rich. Why do you want actors, any
way? Aren't the ones you have sat
isfactory? I've seen all your current
productions, and they seem well cast
to me-"
Aaline stared at him almost angri-
ly.
which interests you most? What
the Gray Ghost did last year or what
he is going TO do tomorrow? Well, it
is the same way with me. The plays
that I've produced don't interest me.
It's the play that I'm going to pro-
duce that counts. And here I've got
the greatest manuscript l ever read
and nc one ID play it. The Three
Wise Men is the name of it-a mys-
tical melodran1a- And I can't find
three character actors to fill the bill"
y !: :: Y
nEWEESE, who was also a pro-
ducer of note, had stopped at the
table and listened to Maline's plant.
I'm in the same boat" he said. at
h:aa play in the Office which has
" elderly mems parts. Big parts. |
And l can't find anyone to play
them"
What do you nean?" asked Pei
ham. Are character actors as scorce
as that?"
coed actors. like good detectives
Or generals or kings or cooks, are
always scarce" declared Deweese. |
There are, outside of d few recog-
niZed stars, just seven men on the !
American stage capable of playing, |
with distinction, the parts of men |
between fifty-fve and seventy. Il
mean men with some reputation, |
who'd draw a. few dollars into the !,
Dox Office"
We'll. why not engage them?" |
asked Pelham.
Deweese shrugged. Maine spoke !,
"I don't know about Deweese," he |
said, but I've written and tele- |
graphed to every one of those seven |
men. I've sent messages to their ad- |
dresses, only to learn that they're |
all out of town. Minister Septen, |
Rlanford, Kelley Swinburn. Sheldon
and Garceau-every last one of them
disappeared" !
Same here stated Deweese Why,
only last month Septen was in my .
office offering to work for almost |
nothing. And now, when i have a |
fat part for him, at the biggest sal ,
ary he ever received in all his life, |
he's gone out of town and left no |
address" He grinned at Pelham.
"I1ow much would the Tryon Agency
charge for, locating, Septen and the !
others?''
Pelham smiled. I'D do it for moth |
ing, Deweese, if it would make you
offer a decent cast to a long suffer |
ing public T--.-.
Deweese's face resumed its sad ex-
preston. "Sh-sh. 7 think / see the
Gray Ghost" he whispered
- Pelham managed to join in the
laugh against himself and was still
smiling as he stepped out into Broad
way. But once there, the smile left
his lips.
Walking toward his apartment, bis
mind busted Itself with the never
ending problem of the arrest and
conviction of the Gray Ghost.
The battle between them had be-
come more than struggle between ::
the forces OF law and order and the /
forces OF vice.
The fight was personal; their an
1agonism was personal.
Pelham went to the office Of the /,
Tryon Agency, in which he was a !
silent partner But he found Jerry
Tryon awaiting for him now at his
apartment. With Jerry was a choI- |
eric old gentleman Robert Bleakie. !
OF the international banking house !
Of Bleakie & Horton. and 1t was con-
cerning his partner that he had call 1
ed upon Tryon, WHO. in turn, had
brought him here.
And If you were a Dalai lama you |
couldn't be harder to reach" said |
Blake. after tie introductions had |
been performed. 81 had an idea that |
any detective would be glad to be re- |;
aimed by Bleakie s. Horton. But :