Show I r I Telegram SerialS Serial Serial- ti r Dangerous S Baggage By Eleanor leano Atterbury 1 rah ii 4 CHAPTER 22 Mr bir Goodwin left the office shortly before noon and Tom didn't appear at all But Sharon kept her typewriter chattering trying to catch up upon on the routine work that had gone undone during during during dur dur- ing her absence So the day passed quickly Too quickly Sharon felt as at 5 lS o'clock she locked her desk and realized that before she opened it again so BO much would have happened How much she could only wOnder wonder wonder won wOn- der She went directly home Still Stin no word from no sign of ot Den Den- nis That worried her more than she admitted even to herself herselt Surely he couldn't be working all 24 hours without stopping She ate her dinner hurriedly perched on a stool by the kitchen kitch kitch- en sink And tried to settle herself herself her her- self to read But her attention wandered and she couldn't shake off the feeling that she was only waiting for time to pass When the phone rang she was glad lad of the break in the silent loneliness And it might be news from Dennis Dennis' Not Dennis but Mr Goodwin his voice so full of genial laugh laugh- ter Sharon hardly recognized it Hello there he said sald Doing anything this evening Well you Well you should know knowl she said stalling while s she 11 e made sure this really was heI heI he I found Tom down at the plant this afternoon and dragged him home to dinner with me Thought maybe I could collect a few friends and wed we'd make a party of it Will you come 1 No Mo Party of Goodwins Goodwin's Is b Complete Without Edda Sharon's thoughts raced to catch hold Tom was there listening now of at course That accounted for the careless gaiety in Mr Goodwins Goodwin's attitude And something had gone wrong with the plan for tonight Something Something Something Some Some- thing that had hat to do with Tom of course and ant his being at the plant this afternoon Her orders orders orders or or- ders now were plain enough Why yes Id I'd love to Good Dont Don't bother to dress Well We'll make it very informal And come as soon as you can make it it That meant Sharon interpreted interpret interpret- ed as she flew into her bedroom dont don't wear an evening dress because because because be be- cause she must still be prepared to go truck driving I She wore her simple smartly styled black dress because she had c coat o a a V t and accessories to match and because with a big clip and her rhinestone bracelet bracelet bracelet brace brace- let it looked quite Her taxi turned into Pacific avenue drew up before the huge apartment building just in time for Sharon to see Countess Edda dismiss her chauffeur disappear disappear disappear pear into the foyer No party at Harvey Goodwins Goodwin's would be co complete without the lovely Edda Sharon thought wryly The evening ahead of her certainly would not be dull Hello Sharon Goodwin greeted her reached f for forer o r feer er with both hands Arent you a good trooper an S 0 O S like ours Once again Sharon marveled at his convincing make Tom might be a clever actor I himself but he would have to travel far to beat Harvey Good Good- win Arent you nice to have remembered remembered re re- re Id I'd be spending the evening with a good book Sharon flipped her answer smiling smil smil- ing The Countess Apologizes And Asks Ash Sharon's Forgiveness Over Harveys Harvey's shoulder she saw Tom towering above a room already half filled with guests It does look like Uke a a party she said and met Goodwins Goodwin's eyes levelly It w will i 11 be he promised cryptically Take your wraps to the guest room roam will you Sharon Thank you She met Edda just coming down the hall For a moment the two women faced each other unsmiling Sharon her heart battering at her throat hoped she looked as calm as as Edda did Good Goad evening Miss Doyle The countess' countess beautiful smile came to life Ute as spontaneously as if it it were genuine Im so glad to see you here my dear And how perfectly stunning you look Thank you Sharon murmured murmured murmured mur mur- taken at off her feet for tor forthe forthe the moment My dear I owe you an apology apology apol apol- ogy Edda actually drew close enough to take Sharon's hand I hold it warmly in both her own I Ive felt felt wen well ashamed of myself my my- ever self self ever since I had the unpardonable unpardonable unpardonable un un- pardonable affront to present my mad ideas to you I was was she shrugged distrait You Will forgive me But But YOU You are r So g so generous The countess again turned on the warm flattery of of her smile And so very very shall shall I say- say sane laM well balanced I X only wish I could make my head govern my silly emotions half so well as you Believe me my dear I Iam Iam Iam am glad that you did not take my advice We need you here too badly With that she released Sharon's Sharon's Sharon's Shar Shar- ons on's hand with a little pat and turning moved quickly down the hall into the drawing room Stunned Sharon stared at herself herself herself her her- self in the dressing table mirror as she slipped out of her coat Just what had prompted all that display of sweetness and light All is forgiven She shook her head slowly That was not like Edda Unless Unless she she took hold of ofa ofa ofa a new idea unless idea unless by apologizing ing she planned to allay Sharon's suspicions and prepare the way for a new line of attack Sharon stripped o off f f her gloves smiled at t her own awn reflection reflection reflection re re- re- re wryly Make her head govern her heart Exactly my dear Countess Because if Countess Edda was glad she was here tonight then tonight then it boded no good for Sharon Doyle Then as sh she walked toward the drawing room alive now with the sound of voices of laughter of tinkling glasses Sharon drew herself up tall as asif asif asif if to gird the armor of her self- self reliance even tighter Sharon Doyle Goodwin announced announced announced an an- her generally taking her arm you remember all these people Smiling Sharon acknowledged f them all most all most of them people she had met at the party wa was it only last week Since then 4 1 shed she'd lived so long so hard it seemed impossible it could be e measured by days What will you have to F. F drink 1 Goodwin steered her toward the dining room barIm bar r t j jIm Im my own bartender tonight 1 Didn't know I was having a a. party and gave Pavlo the day off At that he flipped a a. white towel over his arm very professionally and s stepped t e p p e d around behind the bar I make a a very good highball miss I Tom who'd been making his way toward her ever since she Y stepped into the room came up n l beside herA her I A very potent highball t t miss he warned gravely One J drink and you think you could be president Another Another and and you IT t think you are 0 And just where are at atthe at J the moment T Sharon asked laughing a aMe Me 1 Keep it off oft the record I 4 winked but he at her solemnly Im I'm running for a fourth term tem right now J Someone turned on the phonograph 43 I graph then and people started n dancing h Have the first dance lady i Tom bowed cavalierly J- J Sorry sir Goodwin came I out from behind the bar You are having the next dance This Y j jones jone's ones one's mine vi And before Tom could protest J he led Sharon back to the draw draw- drawing i Y Ying ing room bare of ot rugs now ti slipped sUpped an arm around her d waist I X had to explain he said at a once why I X sent for you His lips close to her ear he smiled as if it he were whispering compliments Instead he murmured murmured mur mur- inured Our friend got wind of ot our ur plan I think I am taking rio no chances He has not had time to contact his agents He ri will be held in our hands until after dawn After dawn If Sharon thought ominously there ever was another dawn You are to dance with him r now decoy decay him out onto th the w 1 terrace as soon as you can Stand at the parapet pretend j i you are admiring the view Keep r his attention away from the thedoor a adoor door I will take care of the rest That is all II I But why But why what what what- Sharon protested drawing back to look lookup up into Goodwins Goodwin's face Work ork fast fast he muttered as u ashe ashe he left her side We haven't much time j Out of the Dark Sharon And Tom Are AHa Attacked ked Tom was still draped on the the bar a glass in one hand a a. a in the other He put them both down at once when she called Hi Your Excellency How about that dance He swung her dizzily across the floor executing so many tricky steps and turns she had all she could do to keep from tripping herself herself and and him Fred Astaire learned this one from me he said whipping her into a turn Did he really Sharon gasped Freds a smart lad lad lad- and hardy That That she panted when the number ended and Tom finally released her would be classed class as good exercise anyway Lets go out on the terrace to cool off she suggested Good idea Tom acceded easily This was too easy she Continued on Following Page Serial l Continued from Preceding Page thought as they tey stepped out into the cool shadows of the terrace Mr Goodwin certainly couldn't ask for better cooperation this time My the bay is Is' beautiful to tonight tonight to- to night nIgh she said and trembling now crossed to the pa parapet apet Is that tat Richmond we sec see there 1 and pointed to a cluster custer of lights far up the bay Tom peered out across the parapet Looks like it I. I A sudden movement out of the deep shadow behind Tom Toma a brief struggle and he was pinioned pinioned pin pin- against the wall wal hands bound behind him Sharon knew because she too had been knocked against the wall wal the scream trembling on her lips stifled her wrists bound pain pain- fully Terrified she fought like a trapped animal Had they gone mad 1 Why Why who Why who who 1 Never mind the te gag buddy she she- heard Tom saying calmly Youre the te boss now Ill I'll Il go quietly Sharon wrenched one ne hand free tore at the binding across ss her mouth Rough hands he held d her firmly Take it easy sister Dont Don't try to talk back and you wont won't get hurt hurt Come on Gagged blindfolded too now and her hands tied ted tightly behind behind behind be be- hind her Sharon felt herself propelled across the terrace through a door along a a narrow passageway Into an elevator finally finaly Into an automobile now A moment later the car roared into high gear raced along as if jf pursued To ro 10 Be Continued |