Evening star., 1924-03-09
A Writ Of Habeas Corpus
BY ARTHUR soN1ERs ROCHE
of
mandT dTryon

the guest bedroom. The men had just
left when the telephone rang. He an
swered 1t. and recognised tho voice Of
evening.
"Mr. Pelham" she said. Il was SO
ashamed that didn't tell you that when
went into the reception room at Edge
mont, 1t was to telephone my friend that
I had found the missing witness. He
and some others came to my apartment
Just now. told them that you had be-
come suspicious and left me.
when they left followed them. They
went to q garage near here, and a min
ute later a truck cane out Of that ga
rage. Two OF the men who had come to
my apartment rode on the truck. fol-
lowed 1t in a taxi. The men whom
knew got down after a few blocks. but
the truck continued downtown. 1t
stopped before your house. and two men
who still remained on the truck carried
q trunk into your apartment building. L
don't know what it means"
But do" cried Pelham. And think
you've earned the $4,000"
He hung up; he turned to Dickenson
He led the way into the guestroom and
drew his revolver. "Slim." he cried. in
just two minutes I'm going to put six
bullets through that trunk"
Are you crazy?" demanded Slim.
Pelham laughed. You thought i
was crazy when i went out tonight.
But IL I hadn't gone out I'd never
have met a certain young lady about
whom I've been telling you. She tried
to do a little sleuthing on her own.
The Gray Ghosts week Is almost up.
She stumbled into his last desperate
plan. Slim, in ten seconds more I
begin to fire."
But in five seconds the trunk
open. 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 Pelham the next
day in an office in the criminal courts
building. Yet there was no smile
upon Pelham's lips, mo twinkle in
his eye.
The Gray Ghost was a gutter! He
was the last man on earth who should
have wept and pleaded for his life.
Pelham burst suddenly into protest.
For heavens sake, Ballantyne, be a
man. he cried.
The Gray Ghost lifted his ashen
face. All the terror that, on other
occasions, his gray personality had
been able to inspire was now gone.
That's all very we'll 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 a deal, if could. What
good will it do to send me to the
chair?"
Pelham's contempt burst the bonds
of courtesy to a defeated foe.
Good? We won't argue the ques-
tion, Ballantyne. You couldn't un-
derstand the feeling that the sight
of you arouses in decent people"
"Yes, i could" replied Ballantyne.
done. 1 feel ashamed"
Pelham's jaw dropped. The state
ment was childishly weak and futile.
The Gray Ghost seemed to have crum-
bled into nothingness. There remain
ed nothing Of the great though vicious
spirit that had laughed at law.
What do you expect me to reply?"
demanded Pelham. That as long as
you're ashamed and sorry it will be
all right, eh?"
II want to make a DEAL" said the
Gray Ghost. You may be able to try
me for murder. I'm not saying that
you can't get a conviction. But I'm
offering five million dollars for my
life"
"a shade more than it's worth"
srunted Jerry Tryon.
STILL" argued Ballantyne, there 8
a lot of people would be glad to get
their money back. I'll plead guilty to
and the district attorney will accept
that plea, I'll give you, this minute.
the exact location Of everything that
I've stolen in the last year. It's all
in one place. easy to get at. What's
the use of killing a poor old man like
me? 1 am all through: ] never can
get away"
For q moment Pelham thought that
In the prisoners eyes cleaned an odd
light. light OF eager watchfulness.
Then, as the thin shoulders sagged. he
decided that he had been mistaken.
He looked at Jerry. They both looked
at the district attorney. The latter
gentleman smiled Seprecatingly. He
glanced casually at his copy of the
indictment and cleared his throat por-
tentiously.
After all, Mr.. Pelham he said,
"the ends of Justice will be as we'll
served by the imprisonment Of this
man as by infiicting upon him the ul-