Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-03-25

| the Phantom was hidden, and MADE
| for the box on the corner. While the
bluecoat was receiving his instruc-
lions from the station house the Phan-
| tom crawled out of his retreat ana
| cIinging close to the shadows along
| the walls, fastened IN the otner ol1eS-
| ton.
| He was very cautious now. Once
| out of the Immediate neighborhood,
the greatest danger would be past. but
| for the present every step OF the way
| bristled with perils. A taxicab hove
| into sight as he reached an intersec-
ton of streets, but the chauffeur
showed no Inclination TO heed his sig.
nal The Phantom placed himself
/ directly in the path of the onrusnlns
vehicle. 1t stopped with grindlng
of brakes, accompanied with medley
of oaths.
What dye mean?" demanded the
chauffeur. Cant you see I'm busy?'
Double fare" suggested the Phan'
tom, temptingly.
| A sharp glance shot out from be-
meath the visor of the drivers cap.
| Where to-"
South Ferry" said the Phantom,
| though his actual destination was
good distance short of that point.
| "AIl right" with a shrewd glance
| at MS rare. let H.
| He held the door open and the Phan-
/ tom entered the cab. They had pro.
| ceeded only a short distance, how
ever, when the passenger pinned a
| bill to the cushion, cautiously stepped
out onto the running-board and hop
ped off in the middle of dark block
He had not quite approved of the
chauffeur's looks,
1 oh re "a IarV hn NH nIA@n Ia
section of Broadway. at that time of
night as gloomy and lifeless stretch
of thoroughfare as can be found in all
New York. The Phantom walked
briskly to the corner and was turning
south when he all but collided with a
red-faced, heavy-jowled policeman.
Pardon" he said, lightly. Quickly
he stuck q cigar between his lips, tug
ging at his mustache with one hand
and exploring his vest pocket with
the other. by the way, officer, hap
pen to have a match?"
The officer produced the desired arti
Gle, and in return the Phantom prof
fered q cigar while he lighted his
own. With hearty Thank you, sor. y
the policeman put the weed in his
pocket and trudged on. deciding he
would smoke the affable stranger
cigar when he went off duty. He
didn't however. After Strengthening
out certain tangles in his mind and
arriving at certain conclusions, Officer
McCloskey resolved to keep the cigar
as a souvenir of the occasion when he
accommodated the Gray Phantom with
a match.
Chuckling at the happy eircum
stances that some policemen are more
gullible than others, the Phantom hur
ried forward In the shadows of tai
brick buildings. He thought he hac
left the zone of greatest danger be
hind him, but the utmost caution was
still needed; the crucial test would moi
come until he reached his destination
AS often before. he was relying fol-
success and safety on the fact that
he was doing the very thing a hunted
man was least likely to do.
hanson drawn by scraggy nag
came toward him and drew up at the
curb on his signal. He fixed an ap
praising look on the driver. despond
ent-looking individual in sadly dilapi
dated livery, whose sole concern In
his prospective passenger seemed Il
have to do with the collecting of &
generous fare.
Drive me to the Sphere office," di
rected the Phantom, satisfied with hi:
inspection of the man on the box.
He climbed in, and a crack of the
whip startled the nag into activity
The Phantom, tingling with familiar
sensation, leaned back against the
cushion and watched long rows OF
son1ber buildings stream past. He
was bent on a madcap adventure, and
the details of his plan were still vague
but if the scheme succeeded, he would
have gained an important advantage
His task, besides being difficult and
dangerous, was also somewhat strange
to him. Many sensational ventures
embellished his past, but he had never
until now essayed a kidnapping, at
least not under circumstances like
these.
The vista frightened. A. short dis.
lance ahead doomed the Municipal
Building and the Woolworth Tower.
/ Serenely the cab logged into City Hall
Park, carrying it's passenger into a
brightly lighted square that even at
night stirred with activity and bristled
with thousand dangers. The han.
som stopped. and the Phantom gazed
a trifie obviously at a tall building
from which issued the clatter of limo
type machines and the dull rumble of
presses.
Here we are, SIR" observed the
jehu, expectantly, speaking through
the trap over the passengers head.
The Phantom did not move. The
entrance OF the Sphere Building was
brightly lighted and people were con-
stantly passing in either direction. On
the corner, keenly scanning the face
of each passerby, stood lordly police
man. The Phantom counted his
chances. knowing that much more
than his personal freedom was at
stake. The mustache, his sole dis
guise, seemed inadequate He might
be recognized by any one in the pass
ing throng who CHANGED to give him
a second glance, and he would face
another ticklish situation when he
was inside the building.
Didn't you say the Sphere, sir?"
inquired the driver.
The Phantom was about to reply
when fate Unexpectedly stepped in
and solved his problem. A few vigor-
Gus expressions spoken IN loud and
| boisterous tones drew his attention to
the doorway. A gaudily CARRIED per-
son who seemed to be in an advanced
stage of inebriation was being pro-
PEELED through the door by a stocky
man with a reddish and determined
| face.
! AS he caught a glimpse of the tipsy
| individuals features. the Phantom
started and wedged his figure into the
farther corner of the hanson.
From his well filled wallet he took
a bill and thrust it through the trap.
The jehu took it. stared for a moment
at the numeral in the corner, which
was imposing enough to corrupt
stancher souls than his, then listened
attentively to the instructions his fare
was giving in low and hurried tones.
II get you, sir was his comment.
Leave it to me-
| In the meantime the stout person
had given the tipsy one a final depart
ing shove, and now he stood aside,