Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-04-06

what they We're!
THE Duke has a goose to pick with
me, l believe. AT any rate. l under
stand he is not very beneyolently dis
posed toward rae
You have been correctly advised.
The Duke is a very thoroughgoing
hater, as you viii discover before we
are through with you. Not only that,
but he is an adept in the gentle art
of mixing business and pleasure. lie
also knows how to bring down ffcck
of birds with a single stone. Take,
for instance, the case Of old Sylvanus
Gage"
Yes" murmured the Phantom. fix
ing the doctor with a keen gaze, the
Duke showed his genius there. lie
planned the murder very shrewdly so
that the guilt would be fastened on
me- It was an admirable way of get
ting revenge
The doctor smiled. True, but 1t
wasn't so simple as all that. You are
not giving the Duke half the credit
he deserves | told you that he al
WAYS mikes business and pleasure.
These walls are deaf, so there is no
reason why | should not enlighten
YOU Gage had been for years mem
Der of the Dukes organization. 1t was
through him the band disposed of the
proceeds from its activities. 1t was
a risky business and he lived In con-
slant danger Hence the tunnel.
which gave him a convenient avenue
of escape in emergencies. The house
keeper. an estimable soul, knew that
her employer was conducting some
sort of illegitimate business, and she
assisted him in it to a certain extent,
which explains any symptoms of bad
conscience she may have shown. /
don't think. however, that she was
aware of Cages membership in the
Dukes organization. Gage was val
liable man, but his insatiate greed led
him astray. lie double-crossed the
band in financial transactions, and
when called to task for his crooked
work he threatened to cause trouble.
TO put it briefly, it was decided that
he must be put out of the way"
II see" The Phantom smiled. but
his eyes We're hard "The Duke
avenged himself on two persons with
one stroke. He not only removed
Gage, but arranged matters so that
suspicion for the crime would fall on
me"
Exactly. You are now beginning
to appreciate the Dukes many-sided
talents. OF course, his main object
was to repay you for the merciless
Joke YOU played on him when you put
him and most of his gang behind bars.
Where to find you was poser. 1t
was known that YOU had taken your
treasures and gone into hiding some
where, but no one seemed to have the
faintest inkling OF your whereabouts.
knowing your SenSitivenesS about
such matters. the Duke guessed that
he SAf fIrPllnD-
stances pointing to you as its per-
petrator. would smoke you out"
at was q good guess. had to
come out and clear myself, and that
gave the Duke his chance. Now that
you have me where you want me.
what do you propose to do with me?
Am | to be handed over to the police,
or have you engaged passage for me
on the Stygian ferry?"
The question seemed TO amuse the
doctor. IF we meant to hand you
over to the police we would scarcely
have gone to such great lengths 10
save you from arrest. What is to be
done with you eventually hasn't been
decided as yet The Dukes orders
are to dispose of you in whichever
way will hurt you the most and give
him the ultiSlate degree of revenge.
There is question involved in that.
You are not the kind of man that fears
death"
Thanks"
Bimble's deceptively mild eyes re-
garded him carefully. Il think there
are certain other things that would
hurt you far more. For instance
But we will drop that phase of the
subject for the present and get down
to the more practical side. AS / told
you, the Duke always mixes business
and pleasure, which in this case means
judicious blend of revenge and
profit"
The Phantoms brows went up. A
tinge of greed and craftiness had dim
med the habitual look of serenity in
the doctors eyes. He was looking
down at his scrupulously polished
shoes while playing with his watch
chain.
How" asked the Phantom. The
uncertainty as to his own fate did not
trouble him in the least, but all his
will power was needed to maintain a
semblance of GOODNESS whenever he
thought of Helen.
''You put in many very busy years
at the pleasant occupation of annex
ing other peoples property" MUIR
INJURED the doctor. 1.-THE magnitude Of
your enterprises has been the talk of
the whole continent. There must be
good many millions stored away in
that retreat of yours"
The Phantom smiled. Imaginative
newspaper writer's had pictured the
Gray Phantom living like an East In
dian potentate in some snug retreat
surrounded by countless treasures and
splendor that would have offered a
gorgeous Arabian Nights setting. The
fable, eagerly swallowed by the public
seemed wildly grotesque in comparison
with the truth.
You're forgetting something, doc
tor, I never had the Dukes keen eye
for business. I was not crook for
the sake of the loot, but for the ex-
element I found in the game, and I
usually gave the stuff away after l
had the fun of taking it. I haven't
much that would interest the Duke. :"
The Doctors lips curled in a way
that indicated strong skepticism. You
will let me be the judge as to that,
my friend. All 1 ask of you is that
you tell me explicitly and veraciously
| where this collection of yours may be
found"
The Phantom drew himself up as far
as the ropes permitted. The smile
was still on his lips, but in the depths
of his eyes lurked a hard glitter.
| What il refuse?"
why. man, you can't refuse! You
are in no position to do anything but
surrender to my wishes
| Wrong, Doctor" He gave a low,
metallic laugh. "You ought to know
that the Gray Phantom never surren-
ders. Threats and bullying can't move
me an inch. That's absolutely final"
| The doctor seemed not at all discon-
certed. "I expected you to say that.
You are stubborn as a mule, but for
! tunately / have means Of persuasion
at my disposal. IL can't bend you,
L will break YOU"