Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-03-21


tha emergency. There had been ne
time for argument. however. anc
nothing for the Phantom TO do Du'
follow instructions. The versatile an
thronologist knew best, he mac
thought. and very likely the ponce
would take Bmble's word for II thar
nohodv was concealed In the labora
tory.
The closet was so dark that. but Tor
faint fragrance and the Occasional
scrapng Of foot, he might nave
thought himself alone. From the other
side Of the door came subdued sounds
end he nictured the tubby little doctor
nrotesting against the intrusion on ms
sacred privacy. OF Helen he could see
nothing but the pallid CLINT OF her race
in the gloom. but her quick, nervous
hreathing told him that she was keyed
I'm 10 a high tension. There was
medley OF questions In his MIND, put
he found it hard to put them into
words.
"Hel-Miss Hardwick," he whis'
pered.
"Yes?"
~Logic is silly rot"
A moments pause. II don't believe
understand" $1,000.
lOE1C L dn1 lHe VI ~
Gage. He made out quite a convincing
case. and / could see you were I'M
pressed. Yet, deep down in your heart
you know he was talking piftie. You
don't believe killed Gage.
She stood silent for a time. he
dressed closer to the wall and fumbled
for her hand. 1t was cold, and the
pulsations at the wrist made him think
Of a frightened, fiuttering bird.
II wish I could believe you didn't,
she murmured. freeing her hand.
Thank you" Her candor had given
him a little thrill of faint and 1nde-
Unable hope. Would 1t surprise you
very much IL told you that my only
reason for leaving Sea Glimpse was to
convince you of my innocence?
Convince me?" She gave a low, in
credulous laugh. WHY"
I'm not sure 1 can tell you that
From a practical point OF view 1t was
a foolish move, wasn't 1t? BY the way
you knew that the police were hunting
high and low for me. You alone knew
where I was to be found. and yet you
didn't tell. I wonder why"
She meditated for little; then, In a
whisper: "I don't know"
He laughed softly. "It seems neither
one of us is very practical. We don't
understand OUT OWL ulOCNOos SoAA y cA
tell me what you are doing in this gal
lery of skeletons?"
II am not sure, but / will try. The
morning after the murder OF Gage l
read the accounts In all the papers. i
can't tell YOU how I felt. 1t was as
II great illusion had been shattered.
I remember how / cried one day when
/ fell and broke my first doll. My feel
ings after reading the papers were
something like that, only more poig-
nant."
IT understand" he murmured. You
had placed the Gray Phantom on a
pedestal. When he fell and broke to
bits, Just like common clay, you were
disappointed"
yes, it was something like that. I
had placed your better self on a pedes-
tai. / didn't want to believe 1t had
fallen or that 1t was just common clay.
I read the papers very carefully, hop
ing to find a weak point in the evil
dence against you. but it seemed COM
plete and conclusive down to the
tiniest detail. One of the articles puz-
zled me little, though"
"Oh--the Spheres. Yes, / noticed
IT, too
1T read as though the writer was
not quite sure that you were the guilty
one. After thinking it over for while
/ called up the Sphere and asked for
the reporter who had written the ar
ticle. They had some little trouble
finding him, and when he finally came
TO the phone he acted as II he were
not quite sober. | tried to question
him about the case, but he gruffly told
me- he had nothing TO tell aside from
what he had put into his story. IL j
had a personal interest in the matter.
he said, the best thing could do was
20 and consult DIR. Bimbse."
And you adopted the suggestion"
IT had never heard OF DIR. Bimble,
but the reporter told me he was the
cleverest investigator of criminal cases
in town. He warned me that DIR.
Bimble might refuse to help me, since
he accepted nothing but cases of un.
usual interest. but the fact that the
murdered man was friend and neigh
Dor might make difference. Yester.
day I called on the doctor, but at first
he would talk of nothing but his skele-
tons. The murder didn't seem TO in
terest him in the least. He said the
Phantom's guilt was clear. and that all
that remained was to catch him. Then,
when he saw how earnest ! was, he
told me about the tunnel"
The doctor is a queer duck, muir
the tHd0LOIn InuSlHElN. liz
ordinary man wouldn't take strangers
into his confidence about such things.
The eccentricity of genius. ] suppose.
The whole affair seemed TO bore him
immensely. He told me the man who
killed Gage must have used the tunnel,
since he could not have left the room
any other way. He thought 1t possible
the murderer was still hiding there,
lying low until the excitement should
die down, and If ] didn't have any
thing better to do / might watch for
him at this end. AS for himself, he
said he wasn't at all concerned in the
apprehension and punishment Of Grim
inals, but he gave me his revolver and
told me ! might watch the door lead
Ing from the laboratory, since the
murderer, il he were still in the tun
mel had 10 come out that way.
think my interest in the case amused
the doctor. ! suspected he was chuck
ling at me most Of the time.
II watched the door till late last
night. all the time hoping Nfat. II any
one came out of the tunnel, il would
not be you. shortly before midnight
persuaded the doctor 10 lei his mar
take my place. You see, If the muir
derer proved 10 he any one but you
wanted him caught. because then your
innocence would be established. Early
this morning | went back 10 my post
When I heard steps on the stairs my
heart stood still for a moment. AS the
door opened | felt like shrieking. And
them
She broke off with a gasp. From
above came the sounds Of footsteps
and doors slamming, indicating that
the police were searching the upper
part Of the house.
IL. 1.
tom put in, you Immediately jumped
to the conclusion that ] was guilty
Well. | suppose il was good logic
What can / do or say TO convince you