Evening star., 1927-04-05
The Gray Phantom's Romance
Astonishing AdventmreS of an Unusual Hero.
Copyright by q smith Corp.

direction and seemed totally unaware
| of his presence. The others, too, ap-
! peared to be ignoring him, but futive
/ glances and an occasional whisper
warned the Phantom that he was
under surveillance.
| He slipped little of the coffee that
| was brought him, showed the cup
aside and strolled across the aisle,
seating himself opposite the man with
the scar.
"Hello, Lunn," he said easily, in1i-
tating Granger's manner Of speech. It
was convenient opening, even If he
should not be able to deceive the man
in regard to his identity.
Slowly the other lifted his f1inty
eyes, fixing a vacuous stare on the
Phantom's face, and pulled hard at
his pipe. "Hullo, yourself" was his
gruR response.
"a bit grouchy tonight, Lunn?' BAN
tered the Phantom, resuming his
study of the man at closer range and
confirming his previous suspicion that
Matt Lunn was q bully with a, cow
ards heart. A craning Of necks and
lowering glances signified that the rest
of the men in the room were following
the conversation.
"You called me a different name
last time you saw me-" grumbled
Lunn, susplciously.
The Phantom masked his momen-
tary confusion behind a grin. After.
all, he had scarcely hoped to fool
Lunn. for the latter and Granger had
been intimately acquainted for some
time, and this WAS putting the rlse
to the acid test.
you've got so many monickeHs,
Lunn, that l. can't remember them all.
Which particular one would you like
to have me use tonight2''
'The same one you always used be-
fore, if you know which one that is"
OF a sudden the Phantom wished
that Granger had given him mere
explicit information regarding Lunn.
The man with the scar was plainly
suspicious and the Phantom was not
yet quite ready for action.
A'Tell me where I can connect with
a.'drinlE." was his jocular evasion, ''or
III can you name you never heard
before"
The other sneered. "There are some
things that hurt a lot worse than
names do. One of them is a knife in
the side, and I've been told a fellow
whose name is Tomnlie Granger is
going to get just that unless he ex-
plains certain things to the big chief"
The Phantoms face sobered. I'm
ready to explain. That's why looked
you up tonight. But we can't talk in
here. Suppose we take walk around
the block?"
Lunn laughed derisively. "I was
referrin' to a guy named Tommie
Granger. lie looks lot like you and
he hands out pretty much the same
kind of spiel, and yet | could tell the
difference almost as soon as 1 put
my lamps on you. Just the same. I'd
as soon walk around the block with
the Gray Phantom as with anybody
else"
lie spoke the last sentence in
whisper, accompanying the words with
a grin that rendered his face all the
more repellent. The Phantom cast
quick glance at the evil-looking faces
at the other tables, wondering wheth-
er Lunn had any confederates in the
room. They were the scum of the
lower levels of the underworld, and
their blotched and hardened features
bespoke lives stepped in loathsome
lniquities, but, unless there were MEM
bers OF the Dukes organization
among them, the Phantom saw no
reason why they should side against
him.
He paid the hunchback and walked
behind Lunn toward the door. Sullen
and covert glances followed him, but
none of the men rose, and he was
permitted to reach the door without
interference. He glanced back as he
stepped out on the sidewalk and made