Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-04-08
Ths Room in the Basement.

The reporters face went white.
With lips gaping, he lay, rigidly
still, staring into the Phantom's hard
| face. There was a look OF great fear
| in his eyes, and for several moments
he seemed incapable Of motion. Then
he began to wriggle. twist and squirm,
but his efforts were rendered futile
by the knee on his chest and the firm
clutch in which his hands were held.
when did you guess it?' he NUT
tered, forcing n sneering grin TO his
face.
Just little while ago. I've acted
the simpleton throughout the whole
affair. / was so sure of Pinto's guilt
that it never occurred to me to sus-
pect any one else. The moment Pinto
| was eliminated, I knew you were the
murderer. / saw then what should
have seen at once-that Gage was
murdered by a man who looked so
much like me that when Gage saw
the face of the scoundrel he was sure
| it was the Gray Phantom. That's
why he told Pinto that was the MUIR
derer."
| Granger drew in his breath and
| opened his mouth as If to shout for
| help, but the knee pressing against
his chest strangled the cry.
ut was all very cleyerly arranged"
| the Phantom went on. II suppose
you were selected for the job because
you happen to resemble me.
"What they told me at Peng Yuen's
was probably a skillful blending of
truth and fiction. How you happened
to Join the Dukes gang and how you
carried out it's orders under cover OF
your profession really make no differ
ence. The only thing that matters is
that you're going to the chair for those
two murders"
The reporter, gathering his wits,
gave a contemptuous laugh. The
.. chair. eh? Not just yet, I guess. Sew
eral things are likely to happen to you
first"
'"That remains to be seen. You are
fairly clever, Granger, but your clever
ness won't help you now. You hood
winked the police very neatly. They
| had the murderer once, but they felt
so sure was the man they wanted
that they let you go as soon as you
had satisfied them you were not the
Gray Phantom. 1t was fairly good
Joke, l perpetrated another good joke
myself when / went to you and bor-
rowed your identity, never guessing
that you were the murderer. You
took it all in good part, because you
couldn't do anything else, but all the
while you were scheming to hand me
over to the Dukes crowd"
at was rich! You were so easily
taken in that I had to laugh when
ever you turned your back"
II admit it. The reason you took
me in so easily was partly because
you were member Of an honorable
profession. and partly because Of the
note handed me by Dan the Dope,
which seemed to prove that you were
on bad terms with the Dukes crowd.
That appeared to confirm your story
that you had Joined the organization
for the sole purpose of obtaining in
side information. The details OF your
relations with the gang are not clear
to me yet, but neither are they impor-
tant. If you don't mind, I'll relieve
you of this handy little implement"
With deft motion he reached into
Changers pocket and extracted the
reporters automatic. Then he re-
moved the knee from the mans chest
and covered him with the weapon.
1.-THE cutest trick of them ALL" he
continued with grim chuckle, was
your crawling in here tonight through
the window and pretending to have
eluded the Dukes sentinels. OF
course, the sole object of your dra-
into revealing the whereabouts of the
place where live. I suppose the
worthy doctor had begun to despair
of his ability to worm the information
out of me by the original plan. It
threatened to take too long and en-
tail too many risks, and so he thought
he would try a short cut. You led up
to the proposition very adroitly, but
I saw through the ruse almost at
once
Granger. having got precarious
grip on his nerves, laughed shakily. |
you're a first-class guesser-but |
guessing won't get you out OF this |
fix. 1t isn't very likely you'll ever see !
daylight again. AS for the dear !
girl
Leave her out of it," commanded |
the Phantom CURLY. He thought it !
unlikely Miss Hardwick would be mo- !
Tested further until Bimble had |
learned the result of Changers mis- |
sion. In the meantime, he told him |
self, he must make the most OF the 1
slight advantage he had gained. He |
studied the reporter keenly. and all at
once an inspiration came to him.
Miss Hardwick," he went on in cas-
ual tones, has an amazing knack of /
taking care of herself. 1t wouldn't |
SuI PRISE AilG eAb GA A. SUE AAO0 GA SesNJ
found way out OF the amiable doc
tors clutches"
Hardly Granger gave another
hoarse, sneering laugh. shes smart,
all right, but the big chief knows it.
and he isn't taking any chances. He
has locked her up in the basement, in
a room barely large enough to turn
around in, with a stout door and no
window"
1.-The basement. eh?" The Phantom
seemed not at all interested. This
room we are in is on the second floor,
isn't it?"
Third" said Granger. after puz-
cling for q moment over the question.
Good The Phantom smiled.
"You have told me exactly what
wanted to know, Granger, and since
you couldn't know the object OF my
questions, I believe that for once you
have spoken the truth. Kindly ele-
vate your hands"
A thrust with the pistol emphasized
the command, and Granger sullenly
Obeyed With his free hand the Phan-
tom explored the reporters pocket
until he found a small silver-handled ,
knife.
MY property, believe" he muir.
INJURED, examining the tool with a criti-
raI eye. Its one Of the things you
acquired when we snapped clothes .
and Identities. very handy article. I
Granger. I've been wishing all night
.or something Of this kind, but the