THE SEVEN VANISHED MEN~ The. As Gray Ghost, Kidnaper Extraordinary ...

THE SEVEN VANISHED

At the clubhouse of the Wolves,

that gay association of actors, managers, and others connected with the

theater, Pelham signed his lunAheon

check and started from the dining

1

oom.

Mallne, the famous producer, waved

a

hand to the Immaculate Pelham.

Any time that the Gray Ghost dies,

or you give up your battle with him,"

laughed the manager, "you can have

job with me, Mr. Pelham.¡±

Pelham flushed. Ills warfare with

ihe Gray Ghost was a matter of common knowledge. Nevertheless, he wus

sensitive on the subject. The criminal hail had the better of their en

counter thus far. But he shrugged

a

MEN~

Pelham laughed. "Any time at all."

able to

derful partner of yours produce the thing about jade, and I was

"I¡¯ll ring you up," said Bleukie.

I asked him

Mr. Horton.

interest

goods.¡±

blank check

he

was disposing so recklessly "But I won¡¯t bring any

the

describe

why

goods,

"Suppose you

been expensive- with me.¡±

had

that

of

Pelham.

properties

Mr. Bleakle.¡± suggested

lie

And that. Pelham thought, was the

"Kali* enough.¡± declared Bleakie. ly and painstakingly acquired.

end of the Horton affair.

and

at

me

replied;

looked

quizzically

"My partner. Tom Horton, Is acting

It was a week later that Maline, the

a time comes to every

like a madman, and I want to know 'Young man,

There

when he makes the discovery play producer, called upon him.

one

why.¡±

the manis free or is a was a worried look upon

"What's he doing?¡± asked Pelham. that a human being

I've worried 40 years about ager¡¯s red face.

slave.

¡°Making a fool of himself,¡± snapped

¡°Mr. Pelhant, you remember DeI've been afraid of

my

possessions.

Bleakie.

much the

you how

rid- weese asking

loss.

I¡¯m

of

of

fires,

burglars

¡°There aro so many ways In w hich

would charge for locatof that obsession, and if Tryon agency

ding

mysell

that may be done," smiled Pelham.

and the other character

it cost me $20,000,000 to be a free ing Septen

¡°Meaning that you want me to

actors?¡±

¡±1 remember some joking remark of

of his,¡± replied Pelham.

"It s no joke now," stated Maline

gloomily. "Have you read the papers

lately?¡±

and laughed.

"You look as gloomy as though you

had a private Gray Ghost walking

your own ancestral chambers, Ma

line," he said.

"Some people have got It pretty

"I¡¯d

the

soft." declared

manager.

trade jobs in a minute. If the Gray

Ghost robs a bank. It doesn¡¯t cost

you a penny If you can't find him.

But If I can't find an actor, where

"I skint

Pelham looked surprised.

through all of them."

"Didn't happen to read of Septen's

a

the

But, beyond giving Pelham the addresses of the two dead men and the

other

missing actors, Maline

five

could add nothing to what he had already told. Septen, according to the

lot of pretty good actors

ones

I

want,¡±

frowned

"Sorry, but I can't waste sympathy

you," said Pelham. ¡°With five

Tjlays packing New York theaters, and

a dozen successes on the road, you

strike me as being one of the filthy

rich. Why do you want actors, anyway? Aren't the ones you have satis

factory? I've seen all your current

productions, and they seem well cast

nn

to

me."

Maline stared at him almost angri-

ly.

"Which interests you most? What

the Gray Ghost did last year, or what

he is going to do tomorrow? Well,

The

it is the same way with me.

plays that I've produced don't interIt's the play that 1'iTi goest me.

ing to produce that counts. And hfje

write your

if you will find out what ails Tom Horton,¡± Bleakle told Pelham, "you may

demanded

eh?"

get to the point,

Bleakie.

"I would like (o know what's wrong

said

Pelham

Mr.

Horton."

with

¡°ently.

"Young

like you. I haven't

been shut up so politely in a long

time. What sort of golf do you play?"

"Kotton, when I¡¯ve work to do," re

man,

I

I supIt's cheap at the price.

pose you think I'm foolish, crazy.

Maybe I am, but, if so, there are

Bill Smalhers

others Just as crazy.

So Is John

is doing the same thing.

In fact, seven of us. the bigWilkie.

gest private collectors In New York,

have decided that we'll free ourselves

from the dreadful burden of ownership, no matter at what cost¡¯.¡±

?'He's insane,¡± cried Bleakle.

¡®¡®Maybe,¡± -said Pelham, dubiously.

¡®But I never met a saner-seeing man.

You know, there's a lot to be said on

man

got the greatest manuscript**!

read, and no one to play it. The

Three Wise Men' is the name of It¡ª

a

mystical melodrama. And I can't plied Pelham.

*ind three character actors to fill the

young

impertinent

you

¡°Why,

Jill."

Jackanapes!" cried the banker. Then

Dewecse, who was also a producer he grinned cheerfully. ¡°All right, here

nf note, had stopped at the table and axe the facts.¡±

his side of the argument.¡±

listened to Mallne¡¯g plaint.

ills rubicund countenance assumed

¡®¡®You¡¯re a young jackass,¡± cried

"I¡¯m in the same boat,¡± he said. "I an alert seriousness.

Bleakle.

have a play in the office which has

¡°Tom Horton and I have been part¡ö'Thank you," said Pelham.

iwo elderly men parts. Big parts. And ners for 40 years," said Bleakie. ¡°Al"Keep the change," cried the bankI can¡¯t find anyone to play them."

though our tastes are different, I beer. "How alwut" some golf?"

"What do you mean?" asked Pel- lieve I know him about as well as

ham. "Are character actors as scarce he knows himself. I've always gone

I've

ever

that?"

in for sport and more or less of a

detectives, good time.

He

Tom is different.

or kings, or cooks, ars rarely even plays cards. His Idea of

m- generals,

always scarce," declared TJeweesa. a. good time is to collect rare antiqui"There are, outside of a few recog- ties. precious stones, first editions of

nized stars. Just seven men on the ancient books¡ªall that sort of thing.

Xmerican stage capable of playing I've known him to spend four hours

with distinction, the parts of men be- standing in front of a picture, staring

ween fifty-five and seventy. I mean at it. never moving, as though hypwith some

uen

reputation, who'd notized. The man is beauty insane.

raw a few dollars into the box of- Always lias been. The things he owns

ice."

would fill a museum. And no expert

He's

not

"Well, why

engage them?" ever got a dollar from Tom.

told me that probably lots of his pos

ked Pelham.

Mallne spoke. sessions are fakes, but that It doesn't

Deweese shrugged.

And sudI

don't know about Deweese," he matter; they're beautiful.

and tele- denly this man. without a moment's

I¡¯ve written

"but

¡öId,

uphed to every one of those seven warning, starts destroying a collecas

"Good actors,

like good

I've sent messages to their ad- tion that It has taken 4U yeafs to

resses, only to learn that they're all gather.¡±

Destroying?" cried Pelham.

ut of town. Minister, Septen, Blan"Dispersing, I would say; but it's

¡öinl. Kelley, Swlnburn. Sheddon, and

He's selling all his pos

larceau¡ªevery last one of them dis- just as bad.

cessions.

And he's selling them at

ppeared.¡±

Deweese. any old price. You must understand

¡®¡®Same

here.¡± stated

for

Why, only last month Septen was that because you've paid $200,000

a painting doesn't mean that you can

n my office, offering to work for al-'

it at a moment's

most nothing. And now. when I have get that price for

notice. It takes time to find a pura fat part for him. at the biggest salchaser who will meet your price. And

ary he ever received In all his life,

lie's gone out of town, and left no Tom is letting things go almost to

at Pelham. the first bidder. If he continues $20,He

address.¡±

grinned

will

"How much would the Tryon Agency 000,000 worth of precious things

< harge

for locating Septen and the go for two or three million.¡±

"lie's mad,¡± declared Pelham.

others?¡±

Pelham smiled. ¡°I'd do it for noth

¡°Exactly,¡± said Bleakie positively.

"Can't you have him restrained?"

ir.g. Deweese, if it would make you

offer a decent cast to a long suffer- asked Pelham.

¡°The firm of Bleakie ft Horton does

ing public."

Deweese's face resumed Its sad ex- more hundreds of millions of dollars'

pression. "8h-?h! I think I see the business in a year than I'd !>e prepared to tell you offhand, young

Gray Ghost,¡± he whispered.

Pelham managed to

Join In the man.¡± replied Bleakie. "If It leaked

nut that I

laugh against himself, and was still

jvas trying to prevent my

his collecsmiling as he stepped out Into Broad- partner from disposing of

it might cause a pantc that

way. But once there, the smile left tion,

I

would shake the financial world.

his lips.

ran t do that."

Walking toward Ins apartment, his

"Won't he listen to reason?¡± demind busied Itself with the nevermanded Pelham.

ending problem of the arrest and con¡°Listen to It?" cried Bleakle. "He

viction of the Gray Ohost.

won¡¯t even see me.

He simply tele

The hattle between them had he

phoned me one day last week that he

_i-ome more than a struggle between

wouldn't b6 down to the office for

the forces of law and order and the

a

Bald he was going

month or so.

forces of vice.

to sell his collection, and rang off.

The fight was personal: their anI went to hi* house, and he refused

tagonlsm was personal.

to see me.

I talked with his secrePelham went to the office of the tary, and that gentleman Informed

Tryon Agency, in which he was a me that he had pleaded and argued

silent partner. But ha found Jerry with Tom. without result.

The next

Tryon awaiting for him now at his day

Tom

mo

again,

telephoned

wc?

n cholWith

Jerry

apartment.

thanked me for what he termed my

of

Robert

Bleakle,

eric old gentleman,

misguided o\¡¯eetlons to his sctlon,

?he International banking house of but told me that minding one's own

conBleakle A Horton, and It was

business was a marvelous policy.

cerning his partner that he hart

"It's a matter that must be concalled upon Tvron, who, In turn, had fidential.

As yet It has not leaked

out to the press.

brought him here.

Tom's secretary

"And If you were a Dalai lama you told me that all sales were being

couldn't be harder to reach." said made quietly.

Bleakle, after the Introductions bad

"Now. if I consult lawyers, they

"I had an Idea that will suggest obvious things: Injuncbeen performed.

any detective would be glad to be re- lions, medical examinations, trustees,

tained by Bleakle A Horton. But the declaring of Tom Incompetent¡ª

Tryon here tells me that he doesn't I¡¯d rather he dead than subject my

know whether you'll take thn case or partner and dearest friend to such

not." He stared belligerently at Pel- Indignities.

But at the same time I

¡°What the blares are you, any- do not like to see him lose 115,000.ham.

000.

1 came to you to have you tell

way? A prima. donna?¡±

rne If there Is any way short of legal

Pelham chuckled; he liked thla vig

"Jerry hu- proceedings whereby I can prevent

orous. Irascible old manmors me so that T do act a little hit Tom from this Insanity.¡±

Pelham shrugged. "I¡¯m afraid that

upstage." he admitted.

"Well, don't act lhat way with me," such a matter Is completely out of

cried Bleakle. Suddenly he beamed our line, Mr. Bleakle,¡± he tqld the

upon Pelham thereby extracting from banker. "A man has a right to dts

his words all po""lble offense. "Young pose of his property as ho sees til.

man. If you'll find out what alls my Only you, or Mr. Horton's family,

partner. Tom Horton, you may write could apply to the courts In such a

case as this."

your own check.¡±

"I

want

to

don't

are

apply to the

aweetly sympathetic

"Those

words." said Pelham. "I have al courts, and Tom husu't any family,"

seat said Itlenkle.

ways a chair by th" fire, and a

"Then I'm afraid that there's nothat my table, for gentlemen whose

ing to he done,¡± asserted Pelhnm. He

conversation is so interesting

frowned. "Still, because It's an InterTryon realized that his partner ami

esting affair¡ªlet me think It over,

their new client had acquired a Ilk

Mr. Bleakle."

lug for each other. Jerry loved PelBut next afternoon be telephoned

ham. and the surest way to Jerry's

the hanker. "I've seen your partner,"

heart was to Indicate that one liked

"I happen to know several

Bleakle saw the beaming he said.

Pelham.

"Quit dealers, and I got one of them to

faes of Jerry and frowned.

stolen take me to Mr. Horton's house this

grinning like a rat that's

1 happen to know somemorning.

"Dct'a see this won

cream, he cried.

ien.

¡ö

¡ö

¡ªMinister, Blanford, Kelley, Sheddon

and Garceau. They were all more or

less friendly, all about the same age,

And It looks funny

and all actors.

I^ast night one of the committo us.

tees of the Wolves had its monthly

It's a committee that has

meeting.

broad powors.

Talking over those

two deaths and the continued disappearance of the other five men, we

decided¡ªwell, we didn't decide anything, except to ask you to look into

the matter. It's hard for us to believe

that even the direst poverty would

And It hapdrive Septen to suicide.

pens to be well known to all of us

that Swlnburn never rode on the elevated. He was in an accident on the

elevated 10 years ago, and had, ever

since, an obsessing horror of those

trains. Of course, this isn¡¯t evidence;

neither is our belief that Septen was

normal, real evidence. Nevertheless,

here's a check for $2,500 as a retain-

know.¡±

here," he declared.

"Not

Mallne.

As a Kidnaper Extraordinary

suicide four days ago, did you?"asked

Maline.

Will you take the case?¡±

er.

Pelham looked shocked. "I didn't sec

Pelham looked at the check and tore

It," he admitted.

It up.

"And the

¡°And you didn't read of Swinburn¡¯s

"I am a Wolf," he said.

I don't want

interests me.

case

money. Now tell me everything you

the deuce am I?"

Pelham looked down at the fat, red

face of Mallne; usually that face was

wrinkled with mirth; the small, brown

But today the face

eyes twinkled.

was

Pelham

glanced

lugubrious.

about the crowded dining room.

T see

The. Gray Ghost, Criminal Tactician,

own

chevk.

death the day before yesterday?¡± inquired the producer.

accidental

Pelham shook hi* head.

"Septen was found in Central Park,

bullet hole in his forehead, powder

remarks around the wound, and a

Swlnburn

volver lying beside him.

slipped on the Sixth .Avenue t? platwas

form at Forty-second street, and

instantly killed by a train." said Mathe

line. "There was nothing much in

Just

of them.

papers about either

But

paragraphs on an inside page.

they were both Wolves, and a few of

Idea that

us, over at the club, got the

there is something queer about the

two deaths. You know neither of them

a

has been in evidence at all recently.

They seemed to have disappeared,

along with five other character actors

By ARTHUR SOMERS ROCHE

Illustrated by W. B.

I so

limousine.

and scended from a big

that slim Dickenson, his friend

then

unfamiliar to them.

cars followed, and In all

other

his

Into

ushered

of all work,

the group

Perhaps the writer of these letters man

were twenty men In

whlc^h

room one of the elevator boys

had wished no evidence of the desti- living

led across the square.

Pelham

earliInterviewed

had

I'elham

be

whom

to

house whlcn

nation of the letters¡¯ recipients

A few doors from the

left in their homes. Pelham found a er in the day.

of was their objective. Pelham paused.

gamin

undersized

an

The

boy,

thrill of excitement as this theory

he said, "I'm acting on the

wa*

presented itself to him.

At the last address which he visited, the room of Minister, he found

among the missing man¡¯s effects, to

which he was given a ready access

on showing his card, a diary kept by

The last item on the last

the actor.

page gave Pelham his firs! clue.

from Ferry

letter

"Just received

Broadway,

Theatrical Agency,

asking me to call,¡± the diary read.

Pelharti arrived at the Broadway

the

that

Ferry

address

,to learn

Agency had been a brief tenant. It

had rented two rooms about six weeks

ago, and a month ago had forfeited

its advance rent, and closed its ofhad apparently

fices. The agency

consisted of one man, Mr. Ferry himself. The elevator boys and the janlton gave Pelham varying descriptions

of the agent, by none of which would

he be prepared to identify anyone.

But of one thing Pelham was certain. The seven character actors had

from their

deliberately lured

homes, and had been Inveigled into

had cost the

some adventure that

lives of two of them. Even as he sat

helplessly at his apartment, one or

police, was unquestionably a suicidq, more of the five men might be in

been

accidentally the

had

Swl/iburn

process of being killed.

killed.

Why? The imagination failed to

Pelhain began ms lnvesugaii"" uj

supply any motive whatsoever.

visiting the last known residence of

Ail of these seven vanished men

a

that

day

on

He learned

Septen.

were

poor. These men, though sucwidowabout a month ago Septen, a

as artists, had had no financessful

a

er without children, had received

success. Robbery could not be the

He had left his cial

letter by messenger.

motive.

modest rooms and never returned. He

Behind the most unreasoning ochad taken with him no baggage. The

currence lies a reason. If one actor

same facts fitted the cases of fall the

the problem might

Ununlformed messengers had disappeared,

other men.

but where seven

They had be Insurmountable,

had brought them letters.

should bethe

had

vanished,

problem

re

never

gone out hurriedly and had

come easier. Parallel trails, amazing

In three cases their rooms

turned.

coincidences, should offer themselves

had been rented to other people and

to his observation. Only, they didn't.

their baggage stored In the cellar.

Robbery he discarded. Why, then,

The others happened to have paid in

should anyone Interest himself In the

or

their

and

rooms,

apart

advance,

seven

old actors?

And It disappearance of

ments, were ready for them.

If not for what they had, could It be

landtheir

that

was not extraordinary

for what they were? He seemed to

lords* had not reported their disapat his mental finger

Any one of feel something

pearance to the police.

something elusive yet tangible.

them might have obtained a sudden tops,

But it slipped from his clutches. Nevengagement with a road company, or

the Gray Ghost

er had

proposed a

with a motion picture concern, that

puzzle so unsolvable as this. Indeed,

necessitated instant travel.

of the Gray

seemed like a feat

One thing attracted Pelhams at- it

to kidtention.

Of the seven missing mien, Ghost. It took organization

kill two of them,

four of them had been observed to car- nap seven men. to

and leave no traces of murder. Only

ry In their hands, as they left their

the Gray Ghost would not waste his

rooms, the letters which had just aractors.

The letters had probably con- time with jaiverty-stricken

rived.

Pelham laughed at himself; whertained Instructions that they should

the mocking

be brought to the sendei¡ªas a matter ever he turned he saw

And

of Identification perhaps. Or else the countenance of the Gray Ghost.

himself

address to which these actors went It Was while he sneered at

been

ART¡ªA

T $2,000 PER PERFORMANCE

__Z_¡ª_-

|

By o. o. McIntyre.

_

¡ª----

against me ozone wnn a rwumung

The tenor's eyes glittered

ker-choo.

with hale.

He quit bellowing and

? ame to the footlight.

My adventures Into the realms of

grand opera are falling to bear fruit.

There are entirely too many curllques

and gadgets for a musical sybarite.

1 find I must stick to vaudeville and

And

It has never struck me that they

sing opera.

They appear to yell It.

Every once In awhile my wife Insists

I sponge my face, don the boiled shirt

and attend opera as another step in

the long, tedious and hopeless effort

to make me refined.

I go with dragging steps. All about

me are the musical intelllgcnzla beam-

ho slunk

I see her and then go to some of

the other operas and wonder if I am

leing made the victim of a practical

Joke. I have a friend who went to

He had

the opera for the first time

the idea it was somewhat like a circus for he bought a bag of peanuts to

along with him- I wonder

carry

would

what

happen if a fellowcrunched peanut shells at the opera?

pears to happen.

A fat guy with whiskers rushes out

and gargles a few high Cs In Italian.

You don't know whether he is Hawk

shaw the Five-Cent Barber or a scene

You wonder whether he is

shifter.

singing the horse song from Ben Hur

festal board.

Somehow opera seems to me to tie

chiefly a place for the grandiose to

They skip

flaunt tho family Jewels.

the first act and don't remain for

the final screech, which Is perhaps

after all Just ns well.

I

Os In Italian.

A fat guy with whisker* rushes out and gargle* a few high

%ou wonder if lie'* singing the horse song from Ben Hur.

tud*

You know that Hants of hi* hay faver with him

sob* and babbled woe.

Home poor little gn! I* the victim of denly inMied.

It wri the kind of .1 sneere that he

They ain't done

monstrous songH.

tried valiantly to stifle.

right by her.

Me had a sort of a toe hold on It.

You feel that beneath her rough

and splattered

frock there beat* a heart of gold. It's but It wriggled out

darn shame to crush and cow a

poor gal who only gets 12.000 for

each matinee and night performance.

Not so long ago i went to hear

Chaliapin. I was fooled by the spelling. I thought Charley Chaplin was

to warble.

Chaliapin is the

going

newest favorite nere.

lie Is ns big ns a stevedore and

comes from the banka of the Volga.

To the ladle* he I* a whirlwind figure¡ªthis giant who bellow* mighty

tones that fairly rock the big nudl

he sings feminine heart*

few Adam's

Outside of Caruso h*1

play

ptt-apat.

apples and go right on with ths ex Is the only opera singer I over saw

erclsee.

who had the saving grace of humor

The highest tone screechers arc for musical low blows

Ho steps out

They

usually roly poly In stature.

of hi* charac ter occasionally to In

have such thickets on the chin It Is

Ject a little comedy Into the ngnnx.

difficult to understand how such a

He may elng a song now and then

wafted

lie

can

as

a

note

tiny thing

that everybody understand* or make

through the brush.

And

facial grimaces.

a few comical

Htlll I suppose love finds n way. so far It has never hurt his art

Speaking of love, the balcony sccnea

Art at S ................
................

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