Evening star., 1927-04-07
Continued from Yesterdays start


The PhantOmS kuSe.
T\HE doctor placidly finished his
cigarette. The sleek, genial
smile had not left his face for
i an instant, and his eye still
held the same twinkle Of Ian
guid amusement.
Miss Hardwick Is a very plucky
young woman" he murmured, but
evidently the spook chamber, as you
so aptly termed it d little while ago,
has proved too much for her nerves.
The cry we just heard seemed to
indicate that she was in great dis
tress. Being alone in a dark room
with nothing but skeletons for COM
pany is not very pleasant expert
ence for woman"
The Phantom's face turned a shade
whittier. For moment he was dazed
by the realization that Helen was
undergoing the same excruciating
ordeal to which he himself had been
subjected. The ghostly spectacle had
caused even his strong nerves to
writhe; and he shuddered at thought
of the effect it must have on her more
delicate organism.
"I gave you little taste of 1t just
to enable you to appreciate Miss
Hardwick's predicament, continued
the doctor in matter-of-fact tones.
THE arrangement is simplicity itself.
My excellent Jerome fixed 1t up. The
scenic effects are so simple that a
child could have handled them. Yet
you will admit, I think, that they
serve their purpose.
II once knew a person-not weak
ling, either-who went mad under
similar pressure. 1t is strange how
Another shrek, not so loud as the
first, but long drawn and hoarse, in
terrupted him. He paused for q mo-
ment, eying the Phantom with level
glance while the scream lasted, then
fell to polishing his lenses.
"As / was about to remark" he
went on. lit is strange how darkness
and a touch of the gruesome affect
ones mind. The soul seems to shrink
from such things. The reason, think,
must be atavistic. The poor wretch l
was telling you about, the one who
lost his mind"
stop it," cried the Phantom. His
voice was husky. "Get her out of that
room Before she goes mad"'
DIR. Binble seemed suddenly inter-
ested. DO / understand that you are
willing to listen TO reason? Are you
ready to reconsider the suggestion I
made while ago and which you so
grandiloquently rejected? In other
words, are you willing to tell me
where your treasures are hidden?"
"Yes-anything! I'll do whatever
you ask. Only stop that internal
hocus-pocus at once"'
"Oh, very we'll" There was a smile
of keen qualification on Bimble's lips
as he got up and left the room.
The Phantom, every limb shaking,
stared at the door through which he
had passed. Suddenly his blood-streak.
ed eyes grew wide. He remembered
something that was almost as terri
flying as the shriekS he had just
heard. His thoughts went back to the
moment when he had awakened in
the dark room. and he recalled the
snatches Of conversation he had over.
heard
One Of the two speakers. he was
now almost certain, had been DR.. Bim-
BILE. The voice had sounded familiar,
and he would probably have recogniz.
ed it but for the dazed condition he
was in. One of the doctors sentences
had burned itself into the Phantoms S
brain:
"The young lady is here to serve
our purpose. After that"
lie saw 1t all in binding flash
that scorched like fire. With their
usual cunning the Dukes men had
perceived that neither by torture nor
by threats of death could the Gray
Phantom be forced to comply with
their desires. They had known that he
held his life lightly and could suffer
personal punishment like an Indian.
And so their diabolically crafty minds
had conceived the idea of letting
Helen Hardwick's agonized cries
pierce his armour of pride and OBJ
duracy, thus accomplishing what
could never have been accomplished
by other means.
They had judged him accurately,
was his grim reflection. Rather than
see a hair Of Helen's head harmed he
would gladly make any sacrifice. But
the sinister significance of the doc
tors words had been plain. The Phan-
tom would not insure Helens safety
by accepting Bimble's terms. Evident.
ly Miss Hardwick had come into pos
session Of information which the gang
GuLHANgGKAEDG