Evening star., 1924-01-20

or more of the five men might Be in
the process of being killed.
Why? The imagination failed to
supply any motive whatsoever.
All of these seven vanished men
were poor These men, though sue
cessful as artists, had had no finan-
cial success. Robbery could not be
the motive.
Behind the most unreasoping oc-
currence lies a reason. If one actor
had disappeared, the problem might
be insurmountable, but where seven
had vanished the problem should be-
come easier. Parallel trails, amazing
condolences, should offer themselves
to his observation. Only they didn't.
Robbery he discarded Why, then,
should any one interest himself in
the disappearance of seven old ac-
tors? II not for what they had, could
1t be for what they were? He seemed
to feel something at his mental fin
ger tips, something elusive yet tangf-
BILE. But it slipped from his clutches
Never had the Gray Ghost proposed a
puzzle so unsolvable as this. Indeed,
1t seemed like a feat of the Gray
Ghost. 1t took organization to kid
nap seven men, to kill two of them,
and leave no traces of murder. Only
the Gray Ghost would not waste his
time with poverty-stricken actors.
X X x y
pELHAM laughed at himself;
wherever he turned he saw the
mocking countenance Of the Gray
Ghost And 1t was while he sneered
at himself that slim Dickinson, his
friend and man of all work, ushered
into his living room one of the eIe-
vator boys whom Pelham had inter-
viewed earlier in the day.
The boy, an understood gamin of
the streets, with hard mouth and
bold eyes, was in a fever Of excite
ment.
THAT guy Ferry the agent, I
seen him half an hour ago, Mr.. Pei
nam. In taxi, shootin' across 42nd
street. 1 got another taxi / fol-
lowed him until he stopped in front
OF a house on East list street. 1 got
out of my car half a block down the
street. i told my taxi man to keep
an eye on the other machine, that
was still standing in front of a house
L ducked into drug store on the
corner and telephoned me brother. I
: tells him not to care about expense
In five minutes he drives UP in an
other taxi. I describes Ferry to him,
gives him all me loose change. and
tells him if Ferry come out to follow
him TO Chicago if he has to. Then I
beats it down here to you"
Pelham eyes the youngster "How
much are you paid as elevator boy?"
Eighteen berries a week" replied
the boy.
"And what's your Nance" asked
Pelham.
Daniel Boyd answered the boy. .
Twice eighteen is thirty six.
You're working for me. That's your
weekly salary to start" said Pelham.
Young Boyd grinned impudently at
him. It'll be getting seventy-two this
time next month. if you know a good
man when you see him." he said
Pelham smiled; then his eyes grew
eager. whats the address of the
house that Ferry entered?" he asked.
The boy told him. Bewilderment
appeared in Pelham's eyes. Then,
bidding young Boyd follow. he raced
downstairs, out of the building and
into the taxi waiting for Boyd. He
ordered the man to drive to the cor
ner of fist street and Madison ave.
nue.. There he alighted, but there
was no trace of Boyd's brother or Of
the taxicab which had brought Ferry
to this neighborhood. So Pelham,
bidding his new employe to wait
there until his brother returned, and
commanding him then to come at
once to his apartment, returned there
himself One hour later Boyd and a
small edition of himself came to Pei
ham. The younger boy, whose name
was George, burst into his story.
THE guy Dan told me to lay for
came out about three minutes after
Dan left. I followed him to No. -
Madison avenue. From there I fol-
lowed him to No. East 39th street.
Then he went to two houses on 5th
avenue, one on Grammercy Park and
another on Washington Square. He
stayed a few minutes at this house
and then came out. Last he drove to
the corner Of 10th street and 3rd ave-
nue.. He got out of his taxi, paid