Show I BtU SYLVIA V TAYLOR L r TILE THE STORY STORT SO FAR FAH Jo Joan n secretary to Importer Arthur Mulford U Is by him ani and refuted refused an any ny ex n. She takes taku a similar post pott Ot with handsome Karl Kul Miller proprietor i of or a night club dub who pa pays tier her generously for unusual late boars hoars of or work He III gets ieti her filter dater S sybll a new Job and Joan falls fall In love with him Ills flit dub club manager man man- ager Paul Sherman warns her bu about I Karl but refutes refuses to rive give any reason rUlon and later rescues her from the unwanted of Eric Erie Strom Karls Karl's bud busi budness business ness De partner Sybil us suspects d. d Karls Karl's mo mo- Uns but Joan defends him The They board a ship freighter apparently as a lark and as they leave luve Joan notices that Paul Sherman had followed them She remains silent about this Later Karl KarlI sends ends Joan with a package to the freighter captain Paul follows again I warns her ber One night before Christmas Eric Erie arrives suddenly and Karl asks i 1 Joan to leave the office l Now continue with the story dory r CHAPTER VIII The club was c crowded with a gay holiday group Joan went into the bar and took her place on a tall tool stool Something to drink Miss Leland Le Le- land one of the attendants asked I. I No thank you rou Joan said Im Imi waiting wafting for Mr Miller She looked i t at her watch Exactly ten o'clock t She hoped Karl would not be long She was jealous of each moment he be spent with anyone else She was so deep in her own thoughts that she did not hear Paul Sherman until he spoke a second time Fancy finding you here he was saying laying as he caught her attention Im waiting for Karl Paul smiled ruefully I might have known it Are we going through this again gain Joan asked Its Christmas Christ mas time tune Paul Im I'm happy and I dont don't want to quarrel with any any- one Pauls Paul's brown eyes twinkled Even me Even you she said firmly Lets call a truce shall we Its a deal And to prove it how about bout a dance with me She hesitated hesitated but but Paul pulled her herto herto herto to her feet I wont won't take no for an answer I Even Karl cant can't begrudge me one dance Paul was an excellent dancer and Joan was relieved that he seemed resigned to the situation She really wanted to be friends with everyone everyone every every- one eme to share her happiness with the whole world There was pity hi In Paul Shermans Sherman's brown browneyes eyes but Joan Toan did not see it As light as a a feather she danced in his arms Over her head Pauls Paul's serious se se- se rious face belied his gay attempt at bantering conversation You have the cutest turned up nose he informed her But it doesn't suit the rest of you a dubious compliment Joan smiled Your nose gives you away for just what you are a cute kid Paul laughed and so did she Cute kid Karl called her beautiful glamorous ous exciting Paul exciting Paul Sherman thought she was just a cute kid It proved how much more sophisticated Karl was Yet if she had never met Karl she would have been fond of at Paul Pauli He lie was young looking good 1 and intelligent Karl however had EO so much more to offer He had hadI I lived He was experienced There was a mystery about him that set him apart from all others There was even a subtle fascination about his guttural accent Karl represented represent represent- ed power and strength Karl Karl Im still here Paul reminded her ber breaking into her dream Sorry Joan admitted Id almost almost al al- al most forgotten The orchestra filed out for an intermission in- in in I think Ill I'll go back to the of of- flee fice Joan said aid Karl said hed he'd I send lend for me in ten minutes and its it's I been much longer than that Eric Strom is there Eric Strom I I right And Karl didn't f teem seem too pleased about it I wouldn't advise you to go goback goback goback back then Paul said caid frowning Im worried she confessed about Karl Karl can take care of himself Paul said lighting a cigarette But Joan felt a sudden inner com comm Im going anyway she told Paul He made a step as if to detain her then apparently reversing reversing reversing re re- re- re his hi decision walked to the bar Joan hurried down the long corrIdor corridor corridor corri corri- dor exactly as she had done so many times before But fear tear hastened hastened hastened has has- her footsteps fear for tor KarL She did not trust Eric Strom She had been alarmed by his expression U If anything happens to Karl she ahe he thought As abe I reached the door she heard beard the two men arguing violently Then there was wai a n shot followed by a crash Karl KarU Joan screamed flinging open the door But it was Eric Strom who lay upon the floor There was a gun beside his hand band Her eyes sought Karls Karl's fearfully He killed himself she faltered Karl shut the door Pick up that gun be he commanded Shuddering Joan Jvan obeyed placing U 1 upon the desk Karl KarU She ran to him seizing his arm stating staring into his face which had bad no glint of emotion in it DarI Darling Dar ling Uni you didn't kill kUI him I I O h rat I 1 f fI i II I I III I I But it U was Eric Erie Strom who lay upon the floor There was a gun beside beside beside be be- side his hand Her green eyes were pleading from a white chalk face Karll Karl Karl Karll Answer me met mcl I You didn't You couldn't Why that would be Murder Karl Miller smiled grimly as he took a cigarette from the silver box boxon boxon boxon on his desk Some people might call it that he said without a trace of excitement Joan leaned weakly against the desk She was beyond fear beyond tears There was a terrible silence in the office a heavy dreadful si silence si- si lence A silence intensified by Karl Millers Miller's face narrowed eyes hard mouth A silence made more tense by the stillness of Eric Stroms Strom's body upon the floor Joans Joan's mind slowly tried to put together the pieces of this horrible picture Karl had shot Eric killed Eric killed him Beyond that she knew nothing Her hand reached for the telephone tele tele- I phone Im going to call the police police po po- lice Karl seized her arm with a violence violence violence vio vio- lence that almost jerked it from its socket You will do nothing of the kind kindl She stared at him Was this the Karl Miller she knew Was this hard-faced hard man the one who had held her tenderly and murmured liebchen Someone was pounding at the office of of- fice flee door Karl had locked it ft Paul Shermans Sherman's voice came distinctly through ugh the opaque glass panel Joan What's going on in there Let me in Karl walked to the door and opened it There has been an unfortunate unfortunate un un- fortunate accident he said calmly Pauls Paul's expression did not change What happened I Karl Miller smiled a little as he regarded his white-faced white manager Joan was perfectly justified Eric has tried to annoy her before You Youcan Youcan Youcan can testify to that yourself Just what are arc you driving at Paul demanded Joan tried to speak but her lips would not move What was Karl saying What did he mean Joan sh Eric Karl Miller sta stated ted His words were like an electric shock I didn't Karl you know I didn't You did it yourself You shot him She ran to Paul and clutched his arm Paul you believe me dont don't you Paul Sherman did not answer He did not even look at her Your fingerprints are on the gun Karl said But you told me to pick it up She could not believe her ber ears Karl the man she loved and trusted had turned against her accusing her of ofa a murder he had committed It was like some fantastic nightmare I have no wish to turn you over overto overto overto I to the police Joan We will forget torget about this little matter No one CIne I I need know what has happened Rage blazed in her green eyes But I haven't done anything Im I'm not afraid to go to the police pollee I And Im I'm going to tell them the whole story I She was not speaking to the Karl Miller she had loved This man was a stranger You will wUl not go to the police His voice cut like a whip Paul Sherman stared straight ahead of him seeming to see or bear nothing I will willi Joan cried hysterically turning towards the door Karls Karl's powerful arm stopped berand her ber herand herand and forced her roughly into a chair There are two reasons why you will not The first first if if you do I will testify that you shot Eric and Paul will back me up Her pleading eyes ees turned to PauLHe Paul PaulHe PaulHe He would not fail faU her But he said coolly Im afraid that's right But you cant can't It Isn't true I Karl why are you doing this Paul Help me mel I dont don't understand Eric Karl went on tried to double-cross double me You ma may observe for yourself what has bai happened to him That is the seco second d reason that you will do nothing Joan clutched the arms of her ber chair for support She compressed her ber lips in a desperate attempt to control ber her emotions t Karl Miller advanced towards herAnd herAnd her And if it you ou double-cross double me you know what to expect Now do you Oll understand You wouldn't dare Joan said but the sightless eyes ees of ot Eric Strom refuted the statement She covered her face tace with WWI her hands and wept It couldn't be true That wasn't Karl her Karl He lie must be driven by desperation to turn against her It was some horrible mistake In a moment it would be over lIe He would explain everything and hold he he- hein in I his arms again But Karl was sa saying You know nothing I You will tell no one what has occurred here tonight We will go on as if it nothing has happened She wanted to laugh wildly hysterically hysterically hys hys- Go on as if nothing had happened Karl wrapped the pistol in a handkerchief handkerchief hand hand- kerchief put it in the safe then motioned to Paul Give me a hand Together they carried the lifeless Eric Strom from the office Joan could hear them descending the fire escape outside the back of the building What would they do with Eric The noise from the orchestra orchestra or or- chestra must have prevented the sound of at the shot from disturbing the Club guests Joan stared at the telephone She was alone It would be easy to call the police police but but she was afraid She was afraid of the th looK in Karl Millers Millers Miller's Millers Miller's Mil Mil- lers ler's eyes There had been ruthless determination in those eyes And Andin Andin Andin in the safe lay the gun that tha t had killed Eric A gun bearing her fin fin- Paul had said he would testify in support of Karl What Wha t chance would Joan Leland have The evidence was conclusively against her What was behind this murder Why Karls Karl's attitude Pauls Paul's sudden change of front She had no idea how long it was before belore Karl returned He was alone Let us understand each other he said sitting down at his desk It would be most unfortunate if I were to become involved with the police poUce I am not an American citizen You are arc a German Joan asked dully Naturally as is everyone else associated with me here at the club Paul too Of course Paul too Karl Miller Miller Mil MU ler smiled as he leaned towards her You see we are arc engaged in certain activities which are arc necessarily very private Then at last Joan knew the truth This was a spy ring It must be That explained everything those mysterious letters to Mexico Karls Karl's reticence The Club Elite was only a blind But why was Karl telling her this I trust you now Karl said with witha a wry smile You are arc in much too deep to get out Not only would you be held for murder but you are arc implicated just as much as the rest of us You recall the portfolio you delivered to the freighter She stared at him without answer answer- ing That envelope contained very valuable information Information enough to convict you on many counts You were seen leen delivering that envelope by several people One of them happened to be Paul Sher Sher- man Little by little Joan Lelands Leland's Confused confused confused con Con- fused brain began to see the picture pic pic- ture And she knew that what Karl said aid was true She was in too deep to get out But she must get out She could not would not continue to have bave anything to do with Karl Miller now that tha t she he knew the truth A spy So this was the mystery mystery mys mys- tel tery that she Bhe had once considered romantic and attractive She looked at him now with loathing But Karl put a hand over hers her Be sensible Joan Youre You're hysterical cal at the moment but you'll be beall beall beall all right You have nothing to worry wor won ry about Im I'm very fond of you Is ls there any reason we should bould not go goon on on The girl leaped to her ber feet J I 1 bate hate you Karl Miller And no matter matter matter mat mat- ter what you say ay Im I'm not afraid of ot you youl His hands were on her shoulders You dont don't mean that TO BE DE CONTINUED PItE PREPAREDNESS y a sf a M fj AMERICAN RED CROSS Zb fO PO THOUSANDS of Americans seeking news of their families and friends in war torn countries 25 words on an nn official Red led Cross form have meant all the difference between hope and despair Ever since the outbreak of the war the American lied Hed Cross has been for many people the only medium medium me me- through which they could get Ret news of their relatives in Poland Holland Rolland Belgium and the other occupied occupied oc oc- oc nations Even when the news has been bad even when it has been the worst possible it has at least meant merciful release from torturing anxiety and uncertainty For lor a while It was possible In a few cases to maintain contact by letter over lon long roundabout routes Since Americas America's entry into the war war all remaining avenues of or com com- M. M have been closed Today under the rules ruins of the file United States O Office of Censorship Censorship Censor Censor- ship shil personal persona messages to residents of enemy or enemy occupied territory may be forwarded forwarded for lor warded ONLY Y through the RedCross Red ned Cross inquiry service here and the International Red Cross committee in Geneva Switzer Switzer- land Regulations governing the sending sending send send- ing of one of these messages from the United States are that the communication com com- communication which should be filled in at a local Red Hed Cross chapter must not bo be e more than 25 words and should be in English If Ie it is written in a n foreign language langua e an English translation must be attached at at- The United States Stales Office O of Censorship rules that no mention mention mention men men- tion may be bo made of politics or military subjects defense materials shipping or weather conditions business matters or geographic names But Dut even the strict regulations cannot rob the brief message on the International Red Hed Cross form of its human warmth and drama The original message made out in some local Red Hed Cross chapter here goes on its long and slow Journey across ocean and conti conti- Space Is provided on it for tor n a reply message to be returned returned re re- turned to the original sender Prepared Exclusively for |