Evening star., 1927-03-22
"Gray Phantom Captured."

THt, question seemed SO ludicrou
3P:. % y. f. E. ra"'~ '.n" saa. 'aa'' ~~ ss.r "a
to meet the Gray Phantom,
pursued the doctor. still sCrOWlinf
darkly, 81 should dislike to think
have been imposed upon But thai
can't be, unlesS"-With another suspi-
Cious looll-''yOu are acting a a fol
for the Phantom. Well. we shall see
presently, l suppose, In the mean
time, YOU may consider yourself at
home under my roof"
Without knowing why. the Phan-
tom heSitated before accepting the in
vitaion. To take advantage of the
doctors hospitality was clearly the
proper thing to do. In a little while
the police would learn they had
blundered and then the man hunt
would be resumed with redoubled
Vigor. To venture forth on the streets
after that would he little short of
madness. The Phantom, Conquering
his misgivinEs-w after all, We're
nothing more than a vague doubt in
regard to the doctor-murmured his
appreciation.
Bimble's manservant a lanky. thin
faced individual with a gloomy ex-
precision and wary eye, entered with
copy of the extras. The Phantom
gave him a quick and keenly search
/. Ing glance, and again he felt strange
ly hewildered. The man looked inno-
cent enough, and 1t was nothing but
an intangible something in his gait
and his manner of carrying himself
that caused the Phantom to look
twice
DIR. Bimble took the damp sheet,
still redolent of ink, and read aloud
the triple-leaded article under the
scare head. During the perusal Helen
/, regarded him with strange. express
sionless eyes, while now and then the
servant shot the Phantom a stealthy
glance which the latter found hard to
interpret
Evidently the extra had been hur-
riedly prepared, for the article con-
tained only a few pithy facts 1t
seemed that the Phantom. with an
eudacity and a recklessness charac-
teristic Of him, had for some unac-
countahle purpose visited the East
Houston street establishment in which
the murder Of Sylvanus Gage had
been perpetrated. Wearing no other
disguise than a black beard. which he
mad evidently grown since his last ap-
pearance IN public, he had approached
the housekeeper introduced himself
as Mr.. Adair of Boston. criminal
investigator. and requested Ia inspect
the scene Of the murder. The un-
euspecting housekeeper had admitted
MIN, little guessing that her visitor
was one of the most celebrated GRIM
inals Of the age.
The Gray Phantom had been in the
room only few minutes when Officer
Joshua Pinto appeared on the scene
With iaudable perSpicacity the Of
ncer recognized the Phantom almost
Immediately, despite the Disgusting
beard, and BY clever maneuvering
managed TO lock him in the room
standing guard outside the door while
the housekeeper telephoned headquar-
ters. In few moments an irnpene-
trable Gordon had been thrown around
the house, and the capture of the
Phantom seemed an absolute GER
talnty. Yet, when the door was bat
tered down, the astonished officers
eaw that the room was empty and
THAT the notorious rogue had achieved
another OF his miraculous escapes.
Apparently, so the article stated
the Phantom had ACCOMPLISHED the
Impossible, but then the Phantorn's
entire career had been a series OF in
credible omplishments How he had
managed to leave the room and elude
the Gordon Of police would probably
remain a mystery forever unless the
criminal himself should divulee the
secret
His capture, which had taken pIace
WINE me police were making svs-
temafic search of the houses in the
block, had been due to one of tho
strange alterations which seize even
the astntest criminals. A brawl had
occurred in blind pig In Bleecker
street. and the Commotion had ar
tracted the attention of a rassiner ser-
Feant. After sending IN a hurry can
Tor help the sergeant had raidad tho
pace, ana among the prisoners taken
was one VINO was almost Instantly
hl|ed as the Gray Phantom The
identification was rendered all the
easier by the fact that he had va
moved his beard after making bis
sensational escape from the Fast
houston street establishment rbe
behef was expressed that the prisoner
"ouid he induced TO make a statement
as soon as he haa recovered from Tho
efects 81 the raw whisky he had con
sumed in the dive. presumably I'm cele-
oFa non of his latest coup.
H"' CALCULATED the doctor. throw
InE ~" paper down with a gesture of
disgust. "A fool would know that a
man Of the Gray Phantom's temnera- :
'meht, whatever other folly he might
commit, would not get intoxicated al
critical moment like this This
proves But what's become OF Miss
Hardwlck >" -'' go
Ihe Phantom looked up with a
start. The girl was gone. Evidently
she had taken advantage Of the others
hns"i Pu"h In the newspaper article 10
Flip ouf unnoticed Jerome a crest
fallen look on his long face. hastily
left the laboratory. returning in q few
moments with the report that Miss
HardUick was nowhere I'm sight Tho
Phantom imagined that there was an
expression Of sharp reproach in the
doctors eyes as they rested on the
servant. but the impression was fleet
ing
"The young lady has probably gone
home, V"ntured the authr0DoInpjst
"She must have been tired KID e. a
measure her task was accomplished
The question *. can you RELY on her
not 10 communicate what she knows
10 the police"
The Phantom looked a trirc douht
Tul Ile had perceived that the inn.
pulses Of her heart had been swonnnd
BY logic. u was possible she had cone
away hating him, firmly convinced
he was a murderer. and In that even,
hss sense ~ duty might easiIv over.
come everything else
'Trankly. J don't know" he de-
clared. AT any rate, am about AS
safe here As anywhere for The present
:~ould like a bath. If / may presume
on your hospitality"
by AL means. And a. soon as you
have rested a bit We shall dine Dear
me. fl is almost O'Clock, Jerome"
lie instructed the servant. ana the
Phantom followed the silent and soft
footed man 10 the bathroom. AZ he
snlashed about i'm the tr!b he tried T.,