Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-03-31
The Gray Phantom's Romance

the by 4

| hardly get used TO the Hea myself.
Membership in that gang of cut.
Threats and grafters is nothing to be
proud of, exactly. I've always had a
sneaking admiration for the Gray
Phantom, but the Dukes different.
He's smooth and artful enough, but
he's made of coarser- stuff"
yet you are a member of his or
ganization?"
Sounds contradictory, doesn't it?
Well, since I have told you the be-
ginning I'll have to tell you the rest.
The cause of 1t all dates back to my
birth. came into the world with the
face I'm wearing today, though it's
undergone a process Of Identification
| In the intervening years. You see, my
face is the handspring that has deter
| mined most of my actions in recent
years--some of the more important
| ones, anyhow. I wouldn't be g. news
paper man today II had been born
with a different face"
Il don't see the connection"
Let me tell you how it came about.
On seven different occasions, and in
as many different places. I have been
mistaken for the Gray Phantom and
put in durance vile. The clippings in
my scrapbook tell all about it. i was
happened, and after had satisfied the
police dunderheads as to my identity
the editor Of one of the local papers
asked me to write up my impressions
while in Jail and tell how it felt to
| be mistaken for a celebrity like the
Gray Phantom. / did, and that gave
| me taste for newspaper work. The
editor gave me a job on the spot and
I've"
But what has all this to do with
your membership in the Dukes
gang?" interrupted the Phantom i'm
patiently.
Everything. I've been plugging
away at the newspaper game ever
since l got my start in Cheyenne. I
| never stayed long in a place. for
nave something of rowing DISPOSE
ton and like change of scenery now
| and then. My face got me in bad
| almost wherever I went. had no
sooner struck a new town than some
ambitious dick thought he saw a
| chance to get famous by pinching
| the Gray Phantom. OF course, that
always meant a stretch in the lookup
anything from two days to a week.
1 used to lie awake nights imagining
| that I was in reality the Gray Phan-
tom and dreaming of great criminal
exploits. That got me interested in
crime and criminals, and I began
making a study of the subject
Finally l drifted into New York
and landed on the Sphere. One night
while prowling about the Chatham
Square section I dropped into Turk
ish coffee house. 1t was low joint,
hangout for thugs and thieves
While slipping my coffee L made a
study Of the different types around
me. One fellow interested me in par
ticular. File was an evil-looking cuss
but there was something about him
that fascinated me. He looked some
thing like Stevensonian pirate, and
he had a great scar over his left eye.
Presently / began to notice that he
was looking my wsy now and then,
and finally 1 motioned to him to come
and sit beside me. We talked in
whispers. like everybody else in the
joint, and by and by he asked me If
was not the Gray Phantom.
he seemed disappointed when /
told him / was only the Phantom
double. We talked on for while,
and the next night we met again in
the same place. The fellow piqued my
curiosity. and tried to draw him out
whenever / had a chance. / kneW he
would shut up like a clam IL / told
him my profession, so let him think
was crook, though / didn't go into
details. We met night after night,
and each time we were more confiden.
tial. ! could tell he had something ON
his mind that he didn't know lust
how to put into words, and, of course,
l did my best to lead him on. He APP
preached the subject by slow and easy
stages, dropping a cautious hint now
and then. Finally, when he had con
WINGED himself that / was to be trust
ed, he told me he belonged to big
criminal band and asked me if would
like to join
SO that's how you happened to be-
come member of the Dukes organ
ization?'' observed the Phantom.
ITO cut long story short. that was
the way it happened. ] thought
could work the salamander stunt
play with fire without getting burned
The idea Of getting on the inside OF a
big gang of crooks and. studying it's
members at close quarters appealed to
me. Aside from that, / saw a chance
to turn up big story for my paper,
FOR it was my intention to get the
goods on the gang and, eventually
hand 1t over to the police. But'--and
rueful smile wrinkled Changers
FACET soon discovered that one
can't play with fire without getting
scorched"
That explains mumbled the Phan-
tom thoughtfully. at the same time
extending the communication handed
him by the Dukes messenger.
There's message worked into the
design which Is readable only under
the lens. It's a pleasant reminder OF
what happens to traitors
Eyes. I know. / received several
such reminders before you came along
and borrowed my clothes and name
/ wasn't really a traitor, though.
merely refused to obey certain orders
they gave me-"
You might have known that you
would be expected to take part in the
gangs activities. You didn't expect
to be member only in name?"
We'll, I thought could stall for a
while, till l got the dope 1 wanted.
You see I was hoping thew wouldn't