Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-04-10
The GRAY Phantom's Romance
Astonishing Adventures of an Unusual Hero.
Copyright by Smith Corp.

, Passing swiftly down the hall, they
) opened one door after another
CHANGING quickly into each room be
/ fore proceeding to the next
Finally, on the floor above, they
reached a door through which faint
sounds came. For an instant the
Phantom listened, then jerked the
door open and entered. Taking in the
scene at a glance, he drew his pistol.
Hands up, Granger" he COM
manded.
The Outlaw.
THE reporters flushed face and the
bottle at his elbow showed that he
had been drinking. AS the Phantom s
sharp command rang out, his nervous
fingers dropped the revolver which he
had been pointing at a lanky. dull
faced figure standing against the wall.
! "Culligore"' exclaimed the Phan.
tom. How did you get here?"
The lieutenant smiled. "Oh, I've
! been in this house for some little time
ever since that COMPOUNDED doc shot
me in the leg. He put me to bed and
| tied some ropes around me. How l got
loose is a long story. l guess the
| doc would have taken a little more
| pains with the ropes if he had known
| that the wound in my leg wasn't so
around bit and finally l bumped into
our friend Granger here. He's real
| hospitable guy. Handed me drink
with one hand and flashed a gat on
me with the other"
Granger, blinking his heavy eyes
and staring blankly at the two in
| truders, leaned back against his chair.
/ Evidently the weapon in the Phan-
| TOMS hand convinced him that the
game was up, for he made no move
| to recover the pistol he had dropped.
''IIe felt so sure that | wouldn't get
away from him alive that he told me
| the whole story" Culligore went on.
"Of course, l had pieced together
most of it already from the scraps of
| fact | had. I've had my suspicious
about Granger ever since the depart
ment turned him loose. thought that
was a big mistake, but I didn't have
any evidence until just the other day.
| Then / searched his room, and what
| do you suppose | found?"
WHAT" asked the Phantom and
Helen in unison.
| Culligore laughed softly. ITS queer
! how clever rascals like Granger al.
ways make some childish blunder. He
didn't have sense enough to throw
away the Maltese cross-that bit of
| phony jade that the murderer took
| from Cages desk-but hid it in the
| false bottom of his trunk. Well,
guess that alone will give him start
| toward the electric chair. though it
isn't the only piece of evidence l Nave
| against him.
Then, Culligore," asked the Phan.
| tom, II suppose you're convinced /
had nothing to do with the murder"
The lieutenant grinned. well, you
sized me up about right while we were
stalling each other in the basement
! From the first Il didn't want to be-
| lieve you were mixed up in the dirty
deal. had sort of bet with myself
| that the Gray Phantom would always
play the game according to the code.
| Anyhow, it wasn't long before began
| to suspect that the whole thing was
| frame-up. Granger has just told me
all about it. Seemed proud of his
achievement. The duke had mapped
out a nifty plan for Bimble to work
on. None of the fiossy details were
| omitted. Gage was to be murdered
and you were to be the goat. If pos.
sible, the man put on the job was to
| be some one resembling you, so that
IL he were seen on or near the scene
of the crime the evidence against the
| Gray Phantom would be strength
ened
| Il guess you know what a thorough
going bunch the Dukes men are.
| They combed the country till they
found man looking like you, Gran.
| ger seemed TO fit the specifications
and they offered him a big bunch of
money IL he would do their dirty
work. Granger tells me he has al.
ways had his eye on the main chance
that he was sick and tired of the
newspaper grind and was ready to
do almost anything to get out of it,
suppose his conscience troubled him
a bit. but the Dukes gang gave him
all the whisky he wanted, for they
knew he had the knack of keeping
his mouth shut even when he was
drunk, and liquor is a pretty good
antidote for troublesome conscience.
The threatening letter was forged,
Of course. The job was done by one
OF the cleverest forgers in the world,
a member of the Dukes organization.
After the murder
Not quite SO fast" interrupted the
Phantom. How did Granger get into
Cages BEDROOM"
Through the tunnel connecting
with Bimble's residence"
The Phantom looked puzzled But
satisfied myself that the revolving
frame could not be manipulated from
the outside"
1T wasn't" said Culligore. Gage
himself admitted his murderer. 1t
wasn't the first time that he had re.
ceived a visit from one of the gang
that way, and he did not know that
the organization had condemned him
TO death. So when Granger gave the
customary signal Gage thought some
one who didn't care to be seen was
bringing him an important message .
Il might have guessed it," muir
INJURED the Phantom. Evidently l
was not cut out for a detective.
Granger, Of course, made his es-
cape through the tunnel after com
hitting the MURDER"
He did, and that's what made the
crime look so mysterious. It was
part of the plan, for it convinced
everybody that no one but the Phan-
tom could have committed it, But
Granger had no sooner committed the
murder than he began to be nervous.
Somehow he got it into his head that
the housekeeper was wise to him,
Maybe she was; we will never know,
that for sure, though have private
hunch that Mrs Trippe had guessed
the thing. Anyhow. Granger decided
that he wouldn't be safe unless the
housekeeper was put out of the way.
He locked her up in the bedroom:
then went out for a drink. He was
bent on murder and needed a bracer
for his nerves. When he came
back"
In the meantime. . interrupted the
Phantom, Mrs. Trippe tried to es-
cape by way of the revolving window
frame. Probably she knew there was
hidden exit somewhere In the room.
AT any rate, she had discovered how
10 open 1t just before Granger re
turned. / was in the aperture In the
wall and saw the murdorers hand as
he drove the knife into her body.
Granger either knew or guessed that