Evening star., 1924-03-09
THE CRAY GHOST HURLED HIMSELF soBBc FROM HIS CHAIR

living room, telephoned the Tombs
and verified the statement made to
them by the district attorneys Of
tache. Both of them knew that the
/, attorneys who were responsible for
the person of the Gray Ghost would
| never deliver him to the court. They
would offer a story of violent escape.
and though all the world might sus-
pect no one would be able to disprove
! their tale.
IT'S not hard to have bindsight,"
said Pelham. Here are the facts
Jerry. The Gray Ghost came to my
room prepared to kill me. I got the
jump on him, and he surrendered.
Now, man of his great ability knew
that there was always the chance of
my getting the jump on him. Yet he
took no precaution. He must have
known all along that he would man
! age to get out"
You mean that he. knew Vaddell
would grant a writ of habeas corpus?''
I'm sure of it, asserted Pelham.
oh. We'll never be able to prove COM
plicity between Waddell and the GRAY
Ghost, but we know it just the same .
That's absurd. Mr.. Pelham" said
Jerry. why. if we'd been in town
when that wit was presented we'd
have risked contempt proceedings
rather than surrender Ballantyne"
You've noticed, perhaps" said Pei
ham, sardonically, that we weren't
in town"
What do you mean?" cried Jerry.
Il mean that all this cringing cow
ardice of Ballantyne's was assumed
to quiet any suspicious that we might
/ him a couple of hours in which he
could be certain that we would offer
! no interference to the schemes of his
| lawyers and himself
| But why on earth did he take such
i chance? It sounds as though he
/ actually wanted to spend a night in
JAIL" said Jerry.
Pelham stared at his partner. He
/ leaped to his feet. Jerry" he cried,
| that's exactly it. He did want to
spend night in jail
"Why?" asked Jerry increduously.
Jerry" Pelham said, 'I know that
have my finger within an inch of
the reason, but it might as well be a
| mile. 1 don't know"
!: r x *
NEXT morning the papers contained
long accounts of the release OF
the Gray Ghost on a writ of habeas
corpus issued by Judge Waddell. The
late evening papers were even more
sensational. Phillips and Grathwait.
the attorneys to whom the Gray Ghost
had been turned over, appeared in
court to state that their client had
, escaped. Pelham was not even in
Jerry said two nights later. You
| terested. He merely wanted to know
why the Gray Ghost had submitted to
arrest. For he knew there was a
reason.
There must be money in stealing"
Jerry said two nights later. You
know that gardener who worked for
Mrs. bennington"
THE man that stole her jewel cas-
ket?" asked Pelham, idly.
, That's the man. You know they
got him an hour after he stole the
jewels. And the police know that he
hid the jewels within half n mile of
Mrs. Leamington's house in Great
Neck. He wouldn't know where to
sell them. for he was not a profess
sional crook, Just a tough chap that
went wrong"
well, what about it?" asked Pei
ham.
''The district attorney asked for
heavy bail. A hundred thousand dol
lars. This afternoon lawyers ap-
peared for the gardener, put up a
hundred thousand in cash, and the
man walked out Of the court. Now
where did he get the money to put
up?"
Pelham. groaned, Jerry, now we
know why the Gray Ghost was will
ing to take the chance OF arrest. and
also the chance Of getting away"
Il don't follow you,' said Jerry.
MOP" said Pelham. "a man steals
half a million dollars worth of jew
els, just an amateur. The Gray Ghost
,, is arrested and sent to the same
prison. The prisoners are allowed to
| walk. around; even IL they aren't.
communication is not hard to estab-
lish. The Gray Ghost escapes. Two
| days later your amateur thief puts
up a hundred thousand dollars in
cash for bail. Where did he get it,"
"You mean that the Gray Ghost
! went down to the Tombs to see him,
found out where he'd hidden the jew
/! els, and in return put up the money
for his bail?" demanded Jerry. -
Il mean exactly that" replied Pei
ham.
| And two days later he received in
| the mail a diamond ring. It was ac-
companied by card on which were