Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-03-14
The Gray Phantom's Romance
- Astonishing Adventures of an Unusual Hero
~ by

II guess, though. that he wasn't
very anxious to have the department
butt into his affairs. and maybe he
thought the other fellows bark was
worsen his bite. Well, here goes.
lie stepped back few PAGES,
squared his shoulders for action, then
hurled his massive figure against the
door. The woman stood rigid, strain
ing forward a little, Vet holding her
hands before her face as If dreading
the sight that might meet her eyes
Again and again Pinto flung his BODY
against the door. and finally, with a
crash and a long splintering sound,
1t flew open, precipitating him head-
long into the inner room.
A queer sound rose In the woman's
throat and she lowered her hands.
She made as If to follow the police
man, but something held her back.
From where she stood, staring
through the doorway, she could see
that the inner room was dark, ana
she heard the policemans grunts and
mutterings as he struggled to regain
his feet. Then came an interval or
silence, broken only by cropping foot
falls, and presently a light appeared
in the rear. Pinto had found the
electric switch.
exclamation issued from the other
room. Evidently the officer discov-
cred something Crouching in front
of the counter, she strained her ears,
listening. Pinto was speaking in low,
quick accents, but she could not make
out the words, and she heard no an
swering voice.
Finally Pinto came out His face
was little white and his lips were
set in tight line.
Hes dead" he declared.
The woman shrank back against
the counter "Murdered?"
The officer bawled a command to
the neck-cra ming group at the en-
trance to stand back. Without an
swering the housekeeper's question,
he looked quickly about the store till
he spied a telephone on a shelf be-
hind the counter and faced her.
Your boss is lying on the floor in
there" he announced, jerking his
huge head toward the inner room,
with a knife wound in his chest. He
was breathing his last just as | got
to HIM"
The housekeeper jerked herself up,
look of sullen passion in her
blanched face. Breathing his last,
was he?" Her voice was loud and
shrill Then he wasn't dead yet! If
you'd hurried, as l told you to. we
might have saved his life. III report
you for this, Officer Pinto"
cut that stuff, Nothing could
have saved him. He was too far
gone. Say" and Pinto bored his
sharp eyes into her twitching face.
what name was signed to that let
ter?"
Twice she opened her lips to speak,
but no words came.
out with 1t. You've got to tell me
now"
The woman swallowed. why do
you want to know?" she asked
family
i've got reason. Just as Gage
was drawing his last breath | got
down beside him and asked him If he
could tell me who stabbed him. |
guess he read my lips; anyhow, he
was able to whisper a name. | want
to know If 1t jbes with the name
signed to the letter Gage got yester-
day"
well, then''--she pressed her
hands against her breast--"the name
on the letter was the Gray Phan.
TOMS"
Pinto CALCULATED hoarsely,
1T jibes. all right"' he declared.
CONTINUED Tomorrow
A mattress suited with buffalo hair
Is the priced trophy OF w. II. Ian.
caster of Belle Fourche, S. d.