Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-03-15

TUST then a youngish man with
slouching gait and a DEAD
cigar between his teeth pushed
~ through the little knot OF spec
tators at the entrance and lev
Aled a mildly inquisitive glance at
Pinto and the housekeeper.
The patrolman. after introducing the
new arrival as Lieut.. Culligore of the
Detective Bureau, told briefly what
NE had discovered.
Cunigore DOTTED his dripping rain
beat and banged his soggy SLOUGH hat
against the counter. His dull face
and sluggish manners gave the i'm
preston that he was never quite
awake. but now and then furtive
little CLEAN in his cinnamon-colored
eyes betrayed a saving sense. or
humor. He seemed unimpressed until
Pinto reached that point III his story
where the dying man had toid the
name of his assailant. Then CUM
gore curled UP his lip against the
tip of his nose, as was his habit when
interested in something, and motioned
the patrolman to follow him into the
inner room.
There was an indefinable air about
the chamber that vaguely suggested
the abode of one whose life Is hidden
from the world The ragged carpet
and the ancient wall paper We're OF
neutral tones and the atmosphere was
stale and oppressive, as II seldom
freshened by sun or wind. Lieut..
Culligoress drowsily blinking eyes
travelled over the scene, yet he APP
peared to see nothing. The safe IN a
corner seemed rather too large for
the modest requirements or tooac-
conist. Near by stood an ink stained
& o.ad chair The cloth
ing on the narrow iron cot looked as
though the occupant. suddenly dis
turbed in his sleep, had sprung from
1t in a hurry.
In the center of the room lay a
curiously twisted figure. CARRIED in
pajamas of pink flannel. over the
heart was a dull stain. and the rignt
arm lay across the chest in q manner
limiting that the dead man had used
his last ounce Of strength to ward OH
q blow. One of the legs was drawn
up almost to the abdomen, and the
eyes were fixed on the ceiling in
CLASSY stare.
well. Pinto?" Culligore looked as
though he expected the patrolman to
do the necessary thinking.
THE corpse told me the Gray Phan-
tom did it, said Pinto in tone of
ter start general alarm, sir?"
"Corpses are sometimes mistaken,
Pinto The lieutenant fumbled for
a match and slowly kindled his cigar.
I'll bet a pair of pink socks that the
Phantom had nothing to do with this.
The Phantom always fought clean.
I'd hate like blue blazes to think that
he pulled off this job"
Pinto scowled a little. as If he
IL
gore should reject an easy solution
OF the mystery when 1t came to him
ready-made.
by the way and Culiigore fixed
an indolent eye on the electric fixture
above the desk. was the light on or
off when you broke in?''
1T was off, sir. / turned It on my
self
Culligore thought for a moment.
swell, that doesn't mean much. The
murderer might have switched 1t off
before he made his getaway, or the
room might have been dark all the
time.
I'D give a good smoke to know
whether the murder was done in the
light or the dark"
Pinto's eyes widened inquiringly.
You see, Pinto, If the light was on
we can take 1t for granted Gage saw
the murderer'S face. III the room
was dark, then he was just guessing
when he told you it was the Phantom.
1t would have been natural guess,
too, for he would be very apt to
suppose that the murderer was the
man who had sent him the threaten
ing letter. Since we can't know
whether Gage was stabbed In the light
or the dark. we'd better forget what
he told you and take a fresh START
His eyes fitted about the room, and
a flicker of interest appeared in their
depths. How do you suppose the
murderer got out, Pinto?"
The patrolman looked significantly
at the single window in the room
1.ulligore took a spiral tape measure
from the little black box he always
carried when at work on homicide
case and measured the width of the
narrow sash.
TOO small" he declared. You'd
have to yank in your belt several
notches before you could crawl
through a window of this size, Pinto.
ANYHOW. it's latched from the inside"
A look OF perplexity in his reddish
face, Pinto turned to the door. He
looked a bit dazed as he noticed the
damage he had wrought in forcing it.
one OF the panels was cracked in the
~ 49, T. LII l. k14eN I..~fA