into a chair at the table of the two
Devines.
"I dislike to seem to offer advice
to a distinguished member of the
bar, but if I were you, I’d gag the
loquacious physicians of your cli
ent. Jonathan Cornwallis, I hear
talk to the effect that their gar
rulity has cost their patient and
your client, millions already.” .
“You hear truth,” declared the
senior Devine. “If the accident to
the old gentleman had been fore
seen, and his doctors bribed, it
couldnq have worked more strong
ly to his disadvantage.”
“Who's behind the bear raid?”
Pelham asked.
Devine shrugged. “Simmons &
Ueidy are the brokers handling
practically all of the selling in Fed
erated Motors. Why?”
Pelham’s forehead wrinkled.
“What sort of firm are they? Seems
to me that I've heard rumors about
them.”
“Well,” replied the elder Devir.e
cautiously, “I respect the libel laws
highly. But I will say that if they
hadn’t" had excellent counsel they’d
have been suspended last winter.”
“Who are their clients in this at
tack on Federated Motors?” asked
Pelham.
Young Devine laughed. “If we
could answer that, don’t you think
we’d have been to see them?”
- “Why, we’d have arranged some
sort of compromise,” ejaculated the
elder lawyer:
Young Devine vented some of the
anger within hint. “You’d think
that Simmons & Ueidy knew the ex
act moment when old Cornwillis
was going tq have his accident.
They’d been selling quietly from
the moment the exchange opened,
and the minute that news of the
ndshap reached {lie exchange, their
floormen began unloading with
both hands. It couldn't have been
timed prettier.”
Pelham's brow came. closer to
gether. "Unless this accident,
which prevented the closing of the
amalgamation, had occurred, the
stock would have gone 'way up,
wouldn’t it?"
“Bound to,” assented Tony De
vine. _
"No sane trader, then, would
have tried to bear the market on
Federated Motors?" asked Pelham.
“So sane one.” answered the el
der Devine emphatically.
"And it didn't look like a spon
taneous movement, this selling? It
looked like an organized plan, eh?"
The two lawyers exchanged
glances. "What are you driving
at?” demanded the older man.
Pelham Ignored the question.
"Since they were so close to bank
ruptcy and suspension last winter,
have Simmons & Leidy numbered -
any big operators among their ell- „
entele?”
The Devines shook their heads.
Tony answered: "They've barely
kept above water."
"It wouldn’t be possible to find
out whom they're acting for?" in
quired Pelham.
“AVe’ve tried,” said the elder De
vine, "but there are no leaks in
that office.”
"Suppose I try?" suggested Pel
ham.
“What are you driving at?" ask
ed the senior lawyer again.
“I made a suggestion: do you
wish to retain me?” fenced IV i
ham.
"A'ou’re retained," said the for
mcr senator.
>. The more Jimmy Pelham thought
about the bear raid on Federated
Motors, the more he became con
vinced that design, not coincidence,
had timed the beginning of the
eelbng operation. If Pelham could
find out who had learned of the
accident at about the moment of
its occurrence, lie would be near to
know ing who was b< hind the bear
raid. •
Of course, some stock speculator,
passing in his own motor, could
have seen the collision between
Cornwallis’ limousine and the other
cars. But, even had he recog
nized the old man”, and seen that
lie was unconscious, he would hard
ly have assumed that his accident
was serious. No sensible man
would have risked hundreds of
thousands on such a chance. And
yet, according to further informa
tion given him by the Devines,
thousands of shares of Federated
Motors had been offered for sale
the minute the exchange opened,
a good two hours before news of
the accident had become public.
The accident had occurred at 9:30.
The old man must have been In Dr.
Beck-re's hospital by 9:45. Between
that time and 10 o’clock, informa
tion as to the financier’s condition
must have reached the client of
Kimmons & Beidy. Who had given
that information?
I!y Tuesday morning he had defi
nitely learned that only one tele
phone call had been recorded in the
central office aa having been made
from the hospital between the
hours of 9:30 and lti:45. That call
had been put in at five minutes
of 10, and was to Mrs. Cornwallis.
And the Cornwallis telephone had
not been used for on outgoing call,
until after 11 o’clock.
Clearly then, uw Information U3
to the injury to the financier had
come from neither the hospital nor
his home.
Senator Devine, by Tuesday, was
close to nervous prostration. For
the attacks on Federated Motors
seemed to have gathered new vigor
began to quicken, for the aame
lawyer had represented all three
men. Pelham called upon him and
plumped a question at him:
“Who retained you to act for the
chauffeurs Involved in the accident
to Jonathan Cornwallis?”
The criminal lawyer lost his
smile. "That’s funny," he said.
“I’ve been puzzled myself. I won
V
••Make It two millions if you will kiss me again like that,” he said.
over the weekend. The stock
slumped badly on Monday, and
sank even lower on Tuesday. At
first almost jesting in his retaining
of Pelham’s services, the lawyer,
catching at a straw, was frantii
in his appeals to the detective to
‘‘do something.”
Pelham went to the police sta
tion to which Cornwallis’ chauf
feur, and the drivers of the taxicab
and truck, had been taken on the
morning of tffe accident. Here he
learned that, in view of Cornwal
lis’ condition, the three chauffeur*
had been held on heavy bail. Ten
thousand dollars in each case.
Downtown he found out the name
of the lawyer who had represented
the drivers. And now his pulse
r—1 11 - —
dered why the same man was In
terested In all three. However, he
had a fairly plausible reason. He
said that he was representing a
new insurance company. Said that
these three men all had policies
protecting them, guaranteeing them
lawyers in case of trituble that arose
from accidents that occurred in the
line of their employment. He paid
me a fee and put up thirty thou
sand dollars in cash as bail.’’
"I don’t see anything in that to
puzzle you. Casualty Insurance
isn’t anything new,” Pelham as
sented.
The lawyer grinned. "That’s
what I thought, until, quite by ac
cident, I learned that the Chauf
feurs' Interstate Casualty company
has no existence.”
Pelham uttered an exclamation
of dismay. He left the lawyer’s of
fice and raced uptown in a taxi,
inwardly moaning because he had
not got to work on this case—if If
really proved to be a case—days
earlier. ,
That there had been clues he was
certain after an interview with the
housekeeper at the home of Mrs.
Cornwallis. Tho* financier’s wife
was unable to receive him, but the
elderly maid who attended to the
domestic management Informed
him that Gaffney, Cornwallis’
chauffeur, had not been around the
premises since the accident. A visit
to the rooming house, where Gaff
ney had been living, revealed the
fact that tho chauffeur had not been
seen there since the * morning of
his employer's last ride.
Another visit to the police sta
tion gave Pelham the numbers of
.the taxicab and truck which had
figured in the collision. He tele
phoned Jerry Tryon and suggested
that Jerry put men to work run
ning down the owners of those cars,
and also finding, if possible, their
chauffeurs. Then he went to the
bank where Simmons & Leidy kept
their account.
Bankers are very reluctant to di
vulge Information concerning their
patrons, but In these days the name
of Pelham had a magical effect. He
told what he wanted, addressing
himself to no less a person than the
president o^the bank.
“Simmons & Leidy? A week ago
Saturday they deposited $300,000.’’
’ Was that unusual?" asked Pel
ham.
"Well, even the amount would
be a bit unusual for them; they had
been carrying a small balance since
their difficulties with the exchange
authorities last winter. But a de
posit of $300,000 In cash Is unusual
at any time.”
Pelham pursed his Ups. "That Is
funny,” he conceded.
"The rest Is funnier still," de
clared the banker. "As you know,
they have been doing all the sell
ing of Federated Motors. They’ve
made a profit of close to $10,000.
000. And most of that amount has
been withdrawn.”
Pelham leaned eagerly forward.
"That's exactly what I want to
hear. To whom have their checks
been payable?"
"To cash." replied-the banker.
"But that’s Incredible,” cried
Pelham.
"Nevertheless. It's true. They’ve
deposited in one afternoon, checks
from fifty brokerage houses. On
the next^day they have come to tha
bank, one or the other of the part
ners. accompanied by bodyguards,
and have withdrawn as much as a
million dollars In cash.”
ABE MARTIN On Extravagant Speech
\n ever’ day street scene In the IT. fl.
When Miss Tawney Apple re
turned from a l-'ord ride th' other
evenin,' she remarked, 'It wuz
simply wonderful.-" Th' way th’
word ‘‘wonderful’’ Is bein' abused
an’ debased these days calls fer a
stingin' rebuke. Ever'buddy’s over
workin' it. Even ole Jake Bentley
that lives almost three miles off th’
road has caught on. We nsked him
how his wife’s liver wuz actin’ this
summer, an' he said, ‘‘Well, sir, It's
jest wonderful.” Th’ expression,
"Fine an’ dandy” had a long run,
an’ is still encountered now an’
then in th’ sparsely settled river
counties nri' on dollar excursions.
An’, strange as it may seem, th’ ex
pression found Its greatest popu
larity ’mongst those who looked
jest th' reverse o’ fine an’ dandy.
Generally th' folks that speak of a
20-cent dinner, or a certain dand
ruff cure, ns bein’ simply wonderful
are usually folks that have never
been beyond th’ confines o’ ther own
township. Still we wuz talkin' to a
woman th' other day that had been
around th' world an* she referred
t' a new egg lifter she'd bought
as th' most wonderful thing she
had ever seen. Hut ever'buddy's
overworkin’, "wonderful.” Th' film
wuz wonderful, th* cantaloupe (s
wonderful, th' eierk wuz wonderful,
th' trip to Carmel wuz wonderful]
th' new baby is wonderful, th' rain,
an' even th’ soup, wuz wonderful.
These things might be good, or nice,
or tolerable, or out o' th' usual,
or even extraordinary, hut they-all
eorue many leagues from even up
proachlng th' wonderful. Think of
a full grown, beautiful, well edu
cated an’ refined young miss sayln,'
“Th' bologna was perfectly wonder
ful,” upon her return from a pie
tile. Think o’ dnssln' hofogna right
along with Nlngnry Falls or th'
seven Sutherland sisters. Our real
wonders nro very few. numberin',
we believe, not mnre’n seven, In
eludin' tli’ collosus at Rhodes, th'
bangin' gardens o' Babylon an' th’
temple of Artemig at Kphesus. We
have many things borderin' on th'
wonderful, but exceptin’ a really
good cantaloupe, tber's nothin’ t’
eat among 'em. Wo have some
trips thst are quits unusual, hut
ther not In Indlanny. We have
some exceptional sunrises, very
toothsome Ice cream an' bologna,
hut ther not Wonderful hy a long
shot. Lampin' th’ loop on n blcyili
Is wonderful, an* how some people
gM hy comes dangerously near bein'
wonderful, hut tiler's nohuddv malt
in' wonderful speeches, wellin' won
derful books, or servin' wonderful
food, nn' I her hnln't nothin' won
derful In th’ whole United Slates hut
Nlagary Falls. But this Is an age
of extravngnnres, not alone 111
money expenditures, but In forms
of expression as well.
< nnvrlirht 1»21
Pelham stared at him. "Why?” ha
demanded.
The banker amiled. “You’re the
one to answer that, not L"
a • • • a • s
Pelham aat up late that night,
going over the matter with Jerry
Tryon.
“The only thing,” said Jerry, to
ward the end of their talk, "that^^
seems to shed any light on the
ation is the mention by Carey, tm
banker, of the Gray Ghost.”
“I don’t see where he comes in,”
"That’s .exactly the point,” re
torted Tryon. “When you don’t
see his hand, you, can sort of figure
that It's there, somewhere.”
Pelham chuckled. "Jerry, you're
an old woman.”
“Maybe so.” Jerry was stubborn.
“You and I certainly do differ on
the Gray Ghost. One day you Bee
him everywhere, and he don't even
creep into a corner of my eye. Next
day I spot him in something, and
you're colorblind so far as he's con
cerned."
Pelham laughed again. But long
after Jerry had left the apartment.
Pelham sat staring into the flames
in his fireplace. He admitted to
himself that he had suspicions that
something crooked lay behind the
bear raids on Federated Motors.
The speculation of the Gray Ghost
would tie such only in name; in
reality It would be an operation
conducted with the certainty of m
engineer repealing a proved prob
lem.
The Gray Ghost would pick his
stock; he would make its fluctua
tion, its rise or fall, absolutely cer
tain. He would pick a stock of
which great things were expected
along a certain line and cause op
posite things to happen.
But why not be specific in ms
dreamy theorizing? The Gray
Ghost picked Federated Motors; be
arranged for an accident; be
planned to capitalize that accident.
Pelham rose from his chair,
laughed at his own absurdity; this
was a little too far fetched.
Next morning he ordered Slim
Dickenson, the Maine guide whom
he had brought from the woods 'js
his personal attendant—and friend
■ 1° go to the oillces of Simmons
& Leidy and open an account.
"I want to find out who is the
client that is raiding Federated Mo
tors.” he told Slitn. “and why
mons Leidy make such tremen^^
dous cash withdrawals from their
bank.”
He himself sought the sc.ne of
the accident and made hltnseif
known to the policeman on du y
in the neighborhood, who was
properly impressed at meeting the
Gray Ghost's great opponent.
"A private matter officer.” Pel
ham explained. **We've been trying
to trace the drivers of the truck
and taxi. It seems that they either
had false numbers or you didn't
read them correctly.
Tryon's operatives had reported
that the numbers given by the v
liceman were registered a* bel-n g
to owners of r.irv ■ i
state. ^
The officer shook his head I
Rot those numbers right," he i<
lured. "Catch me making a
tak*> when a person like Mr i’ n
wallis la injured. "Say,’** he add* '
that ambulance surgeon droj i-**!
'-tunething out of bis pocket ?
^ ,nK as you are working f r Mi.
< ornwallia or his wife, you |*r**b
*Wy "dll see the doctor before I
•1 t irne to pet ttfUttdl tO his 1
Would you give him this* ’
He handed Pelham a small lemh
caae, Pa!ham took it
U carelessly into his pock* t.
< eoure** I will," h** promis*
' I d say that old b**y forms *
must have a terrible case of h« *it
trouble to be unconscious th s I
long," declared the poli*. ? j
"Ho wasn't evan touched I
*'Wall, h* s nn t>it i man I
Pelham. I
Iuckenaon returned to r* Its. *
apartment that afternoon with i i*
port of his experiences.
*‘7'here's a bunch of workmen in
the office of Simmons A L* ly.
Milkin' alterations. Busy then »11
the time, fearin' down pnrtlt
and buitiliiiK new onw. \V* II. 1
took a look around. They Iwn
couple of safes, but, believi in* 1
wouldn't trust a nickel of min- .n
one of them. Old fashion* >1 !|
that any ye**? could blow j
"And yet Simmons A I.* id} j
hi •iiKiiiR about 11,01.0,000 I
cash to their offices.
"But' they don't trust t
safes." lie declared dranmt! !•• j
I'elhnm paid him the? compliment
of excitement, "do on. Slim
"The workmen fill <iuit at noon;
(I onfinunl on I’nge Thrrf '
AIIVKRTISMIFNT j
HowMany Pounds Would You
Like to Lose in a Week?
If you are fat ami want '* *
weight. 1 will *«ml you a ^
fAumuM Hot f>F«t treatment .» kdft
: »• •• i *»• not Mad aay •¥!
your name snd address **?.., hV l
1 b«> t a tor It ». 222* Com »'ola H'lH • j
t’lty, Mn
