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 ................
................
In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.
To fulfill the demand for quickly locating and searching documents.
It is intelligent file search solution for home and business.
Related download
- kurosawa s rashomon a vanished city a lost brother and the voice inside
- wolf s hour carnal apparition poems
- the road weebly
- shape city ex
- the seven vanished men the as gray ghost kidnaper extraordinary
- the road by cormac mccarthy mrs sturgeon s class
- the vanished splendor postcard views of early oklahoma city
- t h e r o a d
- analysis in detail amerlit
- jordan gray
Related searches
- the seven most important things
- the seven characteristics of life
- the seven continents worksheets printable
- the seven spiritual laws pdf
- the seven approaches to psychology
- what are the seven fundamental units
- the seven si base units
- the seven tenets of satanism
- seven principles of the constitution
- what are the seven characteristics of life
- seven articles of the constitution
- the seven habits of highly effective teens