.Il effort.
The Shadow of the “Gray Ghost." Falls on a famous, Wealthy ramily. . '
. rules from bl. pm
- inn long table.
'0 “run his still clear
. .-..«, it was pardon-
_' , _ ,. nu of the few multi-
-' -. or any other coun-
r10 scnndel hed
name no agitator
24,.
am
"I‘rsnry of the wed—
, ~ . l anchel, his wife.
_‘ ~ 1 “Mir children gath-
‘ n u'ouichester castle.
, ll‘l ilio women WOI'I
7‘ 's‘rful jewels. their
. . : {mu the table stood
. pumice. presented to
‘ . ' \rnr! $80 by an In-
whime finances he had
wand-one and their
. » w... h other in friend—
which one might
.. ind Rachel the rarest
» "us fiftieth anniver-
~-:..:n of the old couple
-. \rui outdone them-
.- i‘.n whole world
.- -. i‘iy gatherings. Just
,. . 1 rose to speak. his
.. i 2.1, had reed the
4,1”... of more than
.vmms. A king and
. ~ . .u among tbern. The
:r‘V‘d high with gifts
. 'net‘tn. There must
;.~ . . 1 room the equivalent
. . u million dollere in
v.“ stones.
an e
.. .' “1 glass. "I am '0-
...:mt." he said. "You
\ -~ health I shall ask
Hts smile seemed to
.- mild features of his
1 give that toast.
'2 me in thanks. As
'n nnd see the pros-
, :‘zncsa that has come
. , i feel that (lod has
.. tn mo."
i'ii n. voice from the
n
'rn
. words. nor their
‘I'fnn, caused the gasp
from the men and the
from the women. It
- i in the hands of the
«mod framed in the
.' iiilil lean. thin-lipped
~- .4 Even as Elias 8d. an
i football player. kick-
- * r-um under him. the in-
- .-..1 the threshold. Be-
-~ 4... half e dosen men. each
i I ~-uncing.
- ’ French end excitable.
,- vttle of wine to the floor.
: ”Flo“ galvanised into ac-
rutler'e four assistants
ncky and ective, leaped at
e bullet relight him full in
mi he went some-resulting
.lnhnsnn. older than Wel-
rlvf‘r‘ irny on which were
'l he liquid damaged only
retry. A shot from en-
: undits sent Johnson to
"» Elias 3d. a yard from
miliis. went down. His
. ’ ng‘nny was cut short
‘lllt‘l.
‘ ‘ merciless attack
Jud.
‘s fece eshen with grief.
l the intruders. “What
he Fried.
; think we went?" Jeer-
uirr. "Everything you
the
’l‘lll'r sprang forward.
- “wily evaded him. The
wiltllng upon the floor.
.,3 m bent over and his
I’l'HfllIPtl upon the but-
liu crumpled into un-
v it"|lde tn the lid. Of
' i matching the old men
~ an i; 1. he ordered the wom-
" ‘ strip of! their rings .114
u to," cried old Elisa
4' ‘n made him ‘1'. the
A leader struck "I.
“. mnn fell across the
im remaining servants
" ' w without. compunction.
ul's grandsons would
the unequal struggle.
" . 'i-l mother! and lb."
zundmother restrained
s minutes after their
in. had departed. tek-
. in seeks the gold
a of the women. and
:th from the drawing
”'Ilmrs upstairs. BO-
t‘-\(I dead men. ‘3 bed-
flu, and a dozen hyster—
‘;'. the unwounded were
“-7 'i'w‘l 871“"!-
" “' iitlnn obtained in th.
. " 0utstde in the m
V ‘ "'Pp men who OW
*" Luna. or moaned from
I Hides, And in ”1010‘”
""N "” the estate lay another
" ”ova whoeo body. in e
"a“ ‘nttcred indignantly a
“-1 'Jiiuw parrot,
.i.
i .
,1 e
".1 mt! an hour before little
: “"Vrlrd free of the rope.
' ’im; ten minutes more
.. rr-loased his mot":
"" r of an hour before eh.
3. ‘mnrls of the reet: all-
”‘f min-e before the chief of
'mrest village had be“
"” his early elumbers by
""st of the telephone:
' * 'wro he had arrived at
1 “on that he must ask
New York Detective
." ' no hours after that
. ‘ I‘lrd upon Jimmy Pel-
' ‘ «turd him eleepily from
4 e
i
w“' ' "Pied Tryon.
. " grumbled Pelham. ‘3‘
‘r‘f' up for anyone in th‘
9‘1"". bridle till three it
c 1- the Grey Gboetf' asl-
’ 'Z‘Wlly. -
“J ”’D-foesed eyes dune. ‘
In ,
nA s
A Tense Tale of Swift
Arthur Somers Roche
bin-g heir.
' ell Dickenson to get breekf "
he said as he made for the bethrotl‘n.
A minute later Tryon. speaking to the
former Heine guide. who was now
.Pelhern's cook. valet and general fac-
totum. beard Pelham splashing in the
tub. The u-lieutenant of police, new
owner of the Tryon Detective Agency.
smiled grimly.
‘Of course." agreed Pelhem, when
Tryon gave him the story as it ap-
peared in the morning papers, sup~
plemented by private advices from the
detective bureau. "We knew that he'd
be heard from soon. The same Gray
Ghost! The same far-reaching plans.
the same daring, and the same bloody
disregard of human life." He puffed
at an after-breakfast cigarette. "Who's
Cheating us?"
"Hennering." replied Tryon. “or
course. as you and I are the only
people that ever got anything on the
Gray Ghost. the New York police will
help us in every way. but it's e pri-
Vete Job. Fifty thousand retainer,
fifty thou-ad if we get the men who
committed the robbery, one hundred
thounnd for the return of the stolen
property. and a half million for the
Gray Ghost himself."
Pelham whistled. "Mennering must
believe in the Gray Ghost."
Tryon colored. “Everyone does now.
I don't know why I was fethead
enough ever to believe that he was
dead. But old Mannering had me on
the phone at my house before breek—
fast. His doctors celled me up end
told me that he wee in no shape to
talk. but insisted on doing so. The
old boy. voice was certainly feeble.
but his spirit im’t. Hds mad clean
through, and his bank roll is behind
us. That interest you?"
"late." replied Pelhem. "But it
doesn't interest me as much as the
mere fact that we have enother chance
et the Gray Ghost. Let's go."
They made their wey downstairs to
Tryon's waiting limousine. They were
an oddly assorted pair. Jerry Tryon
was the typical policemen. stockily
built. heavy-footed. possessed of greet
phyeical strength. end with an amas-
ing tenacity of purpose. ' Pelhem.
thin. tall. end restless-seeming, look-
ed the imaginative person that he was
At a casual glance one would have
taken Pelbem to be the planner end
Tryon the doc:- but Pelhnm's imagi-
nation was combined with executive
ability.
That executive ability had gone to
waste during most of his life, but the
recent rennscence of the Gray Ghost
had caused Pelham. at the moment
facing impoverishment. to accept the
offer of Tryon to join his organiza.
tion. Tryon had made such offers re-
peatedly. but the younger man had
refused. feeling that they were made.
out of gratitude for old favors. But
almost by accident Pelham hed dis-
covered thet he possessed the detec-
tive instinct.
They talked of other things durinx
their hour—long ride to the Mannering
estate. Both of them wished to ar-
rive et the scene of last night's tragic
' '- .',”v 7.. "1° b m.‘
i-nied m. We“
last month?" .
Pelhem smiled deprecatinsly. "My
friend. Mr. Tryon. did as much as I.”
Tryon caressed his blue chin. "I'm a
cop. Mr. Mennering. and my friend is
a genius. If the Gray Ghost is ever
found. Pelham will find him."
A wry smile fiitted over the face of
their host. "I like modesty. Mr. Try-
on. I believe whet you say about your
friend. I also believe that when Mr.
Pelham finds the Gray Ghost. you‘ll
grab him end never let go."
“Much obliged, sir.” grinned Twas.
The doctor approached his patient.
“Anything that these gentlemen wish
to know can be‘told them by others.
Mr. Mannering." he said. “You must
avoid excitement."
Old Elias stared at the physician.
"If 1 can't. survive a little excitement
after whet 1 went through lest night.
rm so close to the grave that hath.
lng can save me from tumbling in.
The murderous hound behind last
night's attack killed three of my scr-
vants and wounded my son and grand-
son." lie turned to Pelham. “Ask me
anything you went."
Pelhern smiled. “I think wdll look
around a bit first.” he mid.
"All right," said old Elias. "But
don't leave me out of this." he order-
ed.
Pelhem promised to keep the old
men in touch with each development
as it occurred. and then be and Try-
on left the room.
Downstairs they met the village chief
of police. a surpriei 1y alert indivi-
duel
"I've got all the servants lined up
in the hell. gentlemen." he said. “I
suppose you went to get their stories."
“Good world; said Pelham. He
turned to Tryon. "Suppose. Jerry. that
you have a. talk with them, while I
look around outside. I want to go
down to the lodge."
“All right." agreed Tryon. He fol-
lowed the chief to the servants’ hall
in the rear of the house. while Pel-
hem walked out the front door.
For a moment Pelhem drank in the
beauty of the scene, the well—kept
lawns end treee the beautiful pool half
hidden by shrubbery. the river and the
hills. Then he walked down the drive
up which they had come a few mo-
ments before.
The road ran in and out between
lawns and flower beds and avenues of
trees. until. a half mile from the cas-
tle, one arrived at the lodge and the
great gates that barred the public
from the grounds. These gates had
been opened by a. village constable up-
on the arrival of Pelham and Tryon.
and the men had closed them after
their car passed through. Pelhsm
noted the great high wells which in-
closed the grounds: he nodded. pureed
his lips and approached the lodge. Tho
constablo, nlroady informed of his
identity, admitted him without ques‘
tion.
It was a quaint. ivy-covered build-
ing. with but two rooms on the ground
floor, and three on the second. A
small hell admitted one to the liv—
ing and dining room. Pelham pnuapil
on the threshold. his attention attract-
4
ed at once to a. green and yellow pal--
rotcmnainguponmspemhine
greet cage that hung from the center
of the ceiling. The bird's words was
indistinguishable.
“minors." it seemed to say. And
it shrieked the word over and over
nellguastly. and shaking the cage in
the manifestation ofgwhst was either
wrath or terror. »
Illustrated by
W. B. KING
he entered the house.~ mined the
dining room and/went to the servants
hell.
The chief of police and the county
coroner were seeted beside Tryon at
a. long table. In other chairs. or stand-
ing, were at least thirty servants.
Tryon was talking to one of them. the
butler. as Pelbam entered.
The «ex-lieutenant locked at his ally.
“I’ve got the dope up until the mo-
ment that the gang entered the din-
ing room. Mr. Pelharn." he said. "Went
to question the others?"
Pelham looked at the butler. His
head was bandaged. and his face was
white. His snappinl' black eyes seem-
ed to glow. “Suppose you tell us
what happened?" suggested Pelham.
The butler shifted from one foot to
another. "All I know. m'sieu. is that
a man suddenly appeared in the door.
Other men followed; there was shoot-
ing: I Jumped for them. fell, and was
struck. Nex‘ thing the doctaire was
attending me.”
“You are French?" asked Pelhem.
“()ui. m'sieu."
"Been employed here long?” asked
Pelham.
'h-yon interposed: “I have the pedi-
grees of everyone. Mr. Pelhem. Un-
less. of course. there was something
perticulax——"
Pelham shook his head.
“I Just wanted to get all the facts
in the shortest. possible time," explain-
ed Tryon. “I think we can talk to
some of the family now."
He arose. irnving the boroner to
co tinue the examination and. follow-
ed y Pelham. walked from the room.
Outside. Pelham stopped at his friend.
"\\'hy the sudden change of front?" he
asked.
“A hunch," said Tryon.
l‘elham smiled. "You just discov-
cred that some of the servants were
part of the bandit crew, eh?"
Tryon stared at his slender elly.
"How did you know that?"
Pelhnm laughed. "The minute I sak-
ed how long the butler had been here.
you interrupted. My question put in-
to form a suspicion that had been
shapeless in your brain. And you
didn't want the butler's suspicions
aroused. Or the suspicions of any of
the other servants."
"Go on," said Tryon.
do you know'."
““‘eli. I know that the lodge keep-
or was murdered by some one whom.
he took to be a friend. The news-
papers told us that the car containing
the. bandits was admitted by the lodge
keepcr.“
"The papers said nothing
sort." exclaimed Tryon.
Pelhem grinned. "The papers said
that the bandit-arrived in an auto—
mobile and departed in one. Now. it's
UhYlOlln that the lodge keeper would
not have admitted a party of strangers.
There in n telephone in the lodge. Be-
fm-o unlocking the gates to strangers.
(-specially late at night. the keeper
would have phoned the house. And
q'iiie obviously he didn't telephone.
because no one. servants or family.
inn-w that a car was 00mins: up th-A
“What else
of the
edthewsllendmnghisbclhhe
would have telephoned the house be-
fore opening the door. So we must
assume that some one whose voice he
Tryon whistled. "Which one?” he
asked.
A sudden thought came to Peihem.
"Any of the servants named Illimore?"
'h'yon pureed his lips. "How do you
spell it?“ '
Pelhasn blushed. "I don’t know. But
the lodge keeper's parrot keeps shriek-
ing the word, over and over again. and
I thought it might be a. name."
Tryon chuckled. “No. there ain’t
anyone with a name anything like
that. Shall we go and examine the
family?"
"Which one of the servants knows
all about the others?” asked Pelham.
"I suppose that the housekeeper, Mrs.
Barney. would know more than any—
one else." answered Tryon.
“Well. you send her to me and I'll
talk with her. You question the fam-
ily.”
Two hours later Pelham met Tryon
in the library.
“What have you learned?“ asked the
ex-lieutenant.
Pelhnm made a. wry face. "Nothing
except that every servant in the house
or grounds has been here at least five
years. and that all of them ere ex-
ceptionally trustworthy. What have
you found out?"
"Nothing lmyond what we already
know." replied the ear-lieutenant. "Old
Elias Mannering is fit to be tied. He
seems to expect that detectives ought
to catch a guy like the Gray Ghost
in ten minutes. He forgets that the
Ghost has been at large for the last
ion years. A fine old scout. though."
' The chief of police joined them.
“Any objection to the inquest taking
place this afternoon. gentlemen?" he
asked.
'I‘ryon shook his head. "None at
all. “'c'll be there.‘
Ldrlvo. At least, no one has mentioned
“Their arrival was a surprise to
everyone.seem-dings»whettheyaay,u
ntd Tryon. ‘h
"Well. then. s lodge keeper .openo:
ed the gates to shield." cheery-i;
Path-n. i . _ .
Trys- his heed. ”Ne. seed.
Thekeeperwasecrebhedoldflceteh-’
man: he hadn't been out of the
grounds in, two years. Inads't a "is.
five orfriendenearth: Hisonlyec-
quaintences were the servant hue.”
anesthetthiswas’
They were there when the coroner
Thenflowpanotfromiucageaboveehrleked overandoverinesdcterepetition:“llliimel mineral“
to the swimming pool. note he
smoking. for an hour. when,
came to him.
“I've talked to everyone.“ said
last night. That upsets 0
that one of the servants got the key
from Hardy."
“Isupposeitdoee'seidl’elbemre-
luctently. “But I know that the theory
is right. just the same.“
Tryon laughed. “Go to it. Mr. Pel-
hun. Butellworkendnofoodis
bad business. Let's eat.”
They dined in the same greet hall
in which the tragedy had occurred the
night before with members of the
family. subdued and horror-stricken.
And after the meal was over Pelham
walked to a. French window. He saw
alight shining through the trees. and
beckoned to Pierre. the butler. That
bandaged gentlemen infomed htmthat
it shone from the lodge which. in a
direct line across the lawn and
"I wouldn't get up for anyone." grumbled Pelham. "Not even for the Gray
Ghost it" asked Tryon quietly.
through the trees. was less than three
hundred yards away.
Pelham nodded. "By the way.
Pierre. you had a bottle of wine in
your hands when the bandits entered.
Had it Just come from the cellar?”
The black eyes of the butler spark-
lcd. “But yes. m'sieu. Why?" There
was an alertness in his manner and
speech that betokeued a. quick intelli-
genre.
"Because there is still glass upon the
floor here, and the glass is dusty." re-
plied Pelham. “As though the bottle
had just come from the cellar.”
"M'sieu sees everything." said the
butlcr.
Pclham laughingly disclaimed the
compliment. "Not everything. Pierre."
He stepped through the French win-
dow upon a small terrace. There he
stood for a. while. smoking. then walk-
ed to the swimming pool. and stood
staring into its moonlit shallows.
Somehow the sense of peace end se-
curity. that had been in the atmos-
phere while the sun shone, had de-
parted. Pelham shuddered. he felt an
’indennablc menace. Angered at him-
self, he moved reetlessly to one side.
That movement saved his life. For
from the shrubs behind him some one
rose and hurled at him a. heavy stone.
Had it landed upon Pelhem's had. a
dead man would have been found some
hours later in the pool. But he had
moved for enough to one side for the
missile merely to graze him. The
shock precipitated him into the water,
and. the second shock of the cold
plunge brought his wits. that had
been woolgetbering. to a sharp focus.
Behind those shrubs lurked e mur-
du-cr. waiting fa- bg victim to seep-
pear.
But at the far end of the pool were
steps that led into the weter. Unfll his
lungs seemed bursting Pelbam swam
beneath the surface. His outstretch-
ed hands touched something. some
bulky object inatsed in cloth. His
hands slipped over‘it. and reached the
for wall of the ,pool. Cautiously he
let his face appear above the sur-
face. ‘
I-Iis assailant either dared not risk
the sound of a. shot. or believed that
his first attack had so stunned Pel-
hem that his death by drowning was
inevitable.
Before climbing out of the pool. Pel-
ham dived once below the surface.
Despite the fact that his head aehed
from thegresingimpectofthe stone
andthethewusoekingwethewes
srnilingeshewelkedacroeithelawn
to the castle.
Pierre methiminthefi-onthellms
black eyes gleemed in the electric
light. “Sea-e. m’eieul Win: has hep.
penedf"
“Someonstriedtodrcwnmeinthe
pool." Pelhem replied.
“But who. m'sieuf" cried Pierre
Pelbem shrugged his shoulders. “I
didn‘t see him."»h_e replied. “Can you
get me some dry ,olotbesf'
Pierre could end would He brought
them to a bedroom tO‘wbich he had
shown Pelhun. After he had ldt the
room. Tryou demanded e full explan-
ation. Given it. he asked Pierre‘s ques-
‘ti : “Who?“
on don't speak Mb. do you.
Jerry?“
The ex-lieutenant shook his head in.
ed.peideni’iy . “Not a word," he‘enswet-
‘Tll give you a luson and :-
ehuckied Peibem. mg... g. 2::-
-'l‘ryon consulted his watch. “line-
thirty."
“Most of the sex-nuts hevegene g.
bed. than."
‘ . 'I
each one of the meal, 7 . _
“What‘s the “a?“ Tun.
W15. ,'-'. "snow" ' ‘ ' " m
e
nae-
..
lawn. he knelt down. They saw his
hands working upon the grass.
"Wiping out footprints that week!
never hang anyone" said Tryen with
satumine humor.
Pelhem stood upright. “Hm'he
celled sharply.
The kneeling figure on the lawn
leeped to its feet. .A. dash of flame
stabbed the darkness. Bent low. the
two detectives raced at the butler. He
tired twice again. missed and turned
his weapon against himself. The Guy
Ghost's followers preferred a bullet to
the electric chair. . . .
Elias Manner-ing. awakened ' from
slumber by the sound of the shots. in-
sisted on a full explanation. Pelham
gave it.
Pimehadgonedowntothecellar
for wine. That would take several
minutes. time enough for him to run
three hundred yards to the lodge. “in
admlttence. kill Hardy. and unlock the
gates. He could then have ridden al-
most to the house. dropped 08 the
bendits' car, reentered the house and
proceeded to serve the wine. The
whole Job need not. have taken more
than five or six minutes. in which
time he would not. be missed.
“He would be alarmed at news that
we were going to examine footprints
on the grounds. He would know that
his were the only footprints leading
to the lodge. He would not kmw
that such faint traces as a. running
men might leave would be valueleee as
clues. Alarmed. he would try to
obliterate them. You see, he was so
alarmed already that be had tried to
kill me. For, of course, he was the
manwhotriedtodrownme. Iwes
sure of that."
"Why?“ asked old Elias eagerly.
“He is the only Frenchman in your
employ. and Hardy's parrot kept cry-
ing: 'Illlmorel'"
"I don't get it.” said Tryon.
“Theparrothasbeen ineperfeee
frenzy since his master was murder-
ed. His tiny brain retained only one
thing. and that was the exclamation
that the murderer. who had gained
admittance on some specious plea. had
uttered.
"It was the parrot's rendition of
words that he had never heard before:
'11 est morti' Only a Frenchman would
cry: 'He is dead!’ in French.
“Pierre had the opportunity to mur-
der Hardy; Pierre was the one ser-
vant who could have said. over the
body of his victim. words that sound-
ed like the shriek of the parrot. But
this was not efldence; if I could trick
him into betraying himself. that would
be evidence"
"I said that I'd pay fifty thou-1‘
dollars for the capture of the men who
committed the robbery." Elias Ilen-
nering said. "You got one of them.
the traitor in my house, and I feel that
you have earned that fifty thounnd.’
Pelham shook his head. “I don‘t
think so. but if you feel like writing
a. check. write one for a. hundred thou-
sand."
The old man's Jew dropped. “N
do you mean?" he asked.
“The bendits' car overturned in their
haste to get away. They could hard-
ly have carried their loot in their
hands without attracting ettcntiom
Yet. although the woods have been
scoured. there's been no hues of the
stolen plate or other bulky objects.‘
it would take his men et least an how
to return to New York. In that time
the alarm might be given. the a:
stopped. and the stolen property rd-
covered. He takes no chances. &
wouldleevetheetuffhesetobetah
away months later. perhaps. wb-I no
hue and cry had died away.“
“Where?" gasped old Elias.
Pelhem smiled. While I all not i
gambling man. I will wager my me
otthereteineryouheveelreedypsfl
us tmdthe cloth-covered object “
my touched, as I was swimming
under water. was a seek
your gold plate.
“I won't take the bet.”
manual-g.
“rm afraid I'd lose."
Mm. the org—try about knew if
Norwalk Chronicler