Show CHILD OF EVIL EVILO O 0 OCT OCTAVUS ROY COHEN ImN OCTAVUS ROY co COHEN nr w. w SERVICE sa g By 1 CHAPTER PTER V VIII-Continued VIII Continued I-Continued s 9 9 Doc Morrison had been startled rather than shocked by the revelation revelation revelation tion of Kay Forrest's photographic nudity He gave car ear to gossip for tor forthe forthe the sole purpose of chiding those who flayed the girl And it was Doc Morrison who ho sternly advised Miss the the angular owner of ot Beerly's Bev Be Beverly's erlys erly's native beauty parlor that parlor that it behooved only those who were without without without with with- out sin to cast stones whereupon whereupon whereupon where where- upon Miss being unmistakably unmistakably unmistakably ably without sin indulged in an orgy of throwing stone-throwing and declared that she was do doing g it with Docs Doc's ap op At the lavish home of Jonathan Guinn Mrs Guinn was entertaining the Literary Circle The good la ladies ladies ladies la- la dies had abandoned their fervid pursuit pursuit pursuit pur pur- suit of of culture in favor tavor of a discussion discussion discus discus- sion of ot the previous nights night's affair alTair C Diana Guinn was an authoritative person and as the wile wife of ot the towns town's foremost industrialist a prominent one It was she who propounded propounded propounded pro pro- pounded the question I wonder what that awful Henkel woman is thinking and who then elicited applause applause applause ap ap- ap- ap by declaring the meeting adjourned adjourned adjourned ad ad- and stating that in spite atthe of at the lateness of ot the hour she was wason wason wason on her way to the White Star Hotel to get a wave finger-wave from Sonia Henkel Henkel Henkel Hen Hen- kel and at the same time to make sure that the imported beautician knew all about the on goings-on of ot Kirk Reynolds' Reynolds bride Diana moved through the gathering gathering gathering gather gather- ing dusk with firm positive strides She persuaded Miss Henkel to remain remain remain re re- re- re main open just a little while longer She delivered herself hersell over to Sonia's deft ministrations and she commenced commenced com com- to talk Her voice was sharp her ideas definite and her choice of words excellent ex ex- To be sure there be bc no misunderstanding misunderstanding misunderstanding mis mis- understanding she started at the thc be be- ginning She authenticated her statements statements statements state state- ments by saying that they must be betrue betrue betrue true because no less a person than Ruth Hamilton herself hersell had spent that morning on the telephone explaining explaining explaining ex ex- ex- ex to her friends that the whole Hamilton family knew what Kay had been doing that Miss Maynard was an artist not artist not merely a photographer pher and pher-and and that she considered the gossip unwarranted Through all of ot this recital Miss Henkel was silent save for tor an occasional occasional occasional occa occa- Yes or Is that so But inwardly the tall sleek brunette was smiling She was humming lightly as she left the beauty shop and approached Kirks Kirk's door Somehow this latest development seemed to bring Kirk closer to her She knocked once lightly and responded to his Come Comein Comein Comein in by pushing through the door and closi closing g it behind her I He was standing at the window looking down on the Square his back to her She s said id brightly Deep thinking eh Kirk He turned And then a look 1001 of astonishment passed over her face She stared incredulously then found herself hersel overcome by merriment He smiled thinly so funny funny funny fun fun- ny She pointed and said through bursts of laughter Those glasses Gee they make maim you look goofy you Jou ever seen eyeglasses eye eye- 1 Il glasses before belore But not on yo you She gazed again on the rimmed horn-rimmed goggles and appeared to find them irresistibly irresistibly sti bly funny She said the matter Cant Can't you read the spots on the dice any more You knew I saw an the theother theother theother i other day in the Capital And they just got here by special delivery So why should you be surprised Im not surprised at the glasses Only at how you look in them He glanced at himself in the mir mir- Have your laugh Kid Maybe Maybe May May- be youre you're right at nt that They do change me a lot Wait til the others see you Im waiting And Im I'm glad youre you're in a good humor Why B Because cause Ive I've got news for tor you So Can you take it Ive done pretty well wen so far haven't I He nodded Things are arc getting pretty hot That scrap at nt Macs Mac's Macsi jr i Q Bar-B-Q last night didn't help any I What do you mean Its given people something more to talk about about and and they were talking too much to start with His voice became flat Oat Im on the spot I know The laughter was gone from rom her eyes She took his hand and pressed it Lets get out of this burg He shook shoal his head No can do Babe But Ive I've decided to do something something something some some- thing else What t His cold eyes held hers You aint gonna like it Not a a abit bit He paused for an nn instant Th Then n Im bringing Kay Forrest into town town Youre what Im bringing Kay Into tov to town n That room yonder yonder- he jerked his head toward a door opens into mine She's moving in there Babes Babe's lips were dry I I 1 I dont don't donti i. i exactly get It Kirk Its simple enough I made a dumb play at the beginning beginning marrying marry marry- ing fog the girl and letting her go back to the Gardens Grdens That invited talk and the people In this town aint ac u sap sappy i as 1 l thought the they were They doped it out plenty quick And so 1 So Im I'm going out to the Gardens tonight and fetch tetch Kay Kny That's all nIl Babe walked to the window She didn't want Kirk to see sec her face at that moment A few tew minutes since she had been so gay gay so so confident that her jealousy of ott Kay was groundless Now everything was dif dif- ferent erent She was afraid to speak speak- fearful tearful that she might say too much Her hands were behind her back when she turned and Kirk could not see the long pointed crimson nails biting into biting into the flesh She said I figure you Jou better look lookout lookout lookout out for trouble He reached for tor his hat His eyes cres were the color of ot ice He said Remember this Babe Im I'm always ready for tor trouble They sat on the veranda Barney and Margaret and Mrs Hamilton and Jim Owenby forcing conversation conversation conversation conversa conversa- tion because they wished to be quite sure that K Kay ty would not think they were listening This was difficult of course because Kay had been called to the telephone several min min- frI t c cj cr cr j r r 1 He Be gave car ear to gossip for Tor the tho sole purpose of chiding chiding- those who flayed aed the girl utes since and her voice voice low low and insistent came insistent came down to them from the landing and try as they might they could not avoid hearing occasional occasional occasional occa occa- remarks But why Yes I know but I cant can't Fragments of at conversation bits of protest in a voice which was freighted freight freight- ed with worry They heard Kay say Well Wen if it I must and they tiey heard her descending descending descending de de- de- de the stairway Slowly Only Barney looked at her directly and arid he saw that sh she was nervous and worried But before he could make up his mind whether to question question question ques ques- tion her she spoke Lets take a little walk Barney He rose with alacrity Surest thing you know Need a wrap Never mind What now Princess She traced hieroglyphics on the lawn with the toe of ot one tiny foot She said I want you ou to promise me something Barney Consider it promised This is serious Ill put it in writing She placed her hand over his Youre pretty fine fine fine-do do you realize that tha t Of Ot course I do Ive I've spent my entire life lile being noble virtuous and dependable In fact I might state that Im I'm a perfect example of what the well-dressed well young oung man should be She shook her head bead I wish things were as simple as that As me Simple My dear young lady lady Listen Barney Her voice was tight I want you to give me your word word- word word-It So you said And I assured you you you- I know But this Its different Its It's serious I Ire Ire- re re- re member Now lets let's have it What's eating on you Before Belore I explain I want you to promise that you wont won't do anything about it He grinned ruefully Im becomIng becoming becoming becom becom- ing expert at doing nothing about things She looked thoughtfully at the black waters of ot the lagoon That telephone call was from Kirk Reynolds You d dent don't nt seem surprised Should I be She was silent for a moment Then Youre not going to like this Barney If It by by this you mean Kirk youre you're right You must promise Listen honey He dropped his arm from rom her shoulder and imprisoned imprisoned imprisoned im im- im- im one of at her infinitesimal hands Youre talking in circles Ive I've promised everything I can promise Youre You're worried about something Suppose you tell Pupa Papa all aU about it All right She groped for words which would not cut too deeply Kirk Reynolds is coming here tonight tonight to to- to- to night I want you to promise that you wont won't be at the house when he comes So Sol Why Because Im I'm afraid there might be trouble Not in my own home Even here Nix honc honey nix honey nb nix I dont don't play the hero and host at the same time much as I dislike tills this Reynolds gent gent She said You might Tonight How come Bec Because l use She moistened dry lips Because hes he's coming to take me back to Beverly with him She couldn't see Barneys Barney's face for which fact tact the young the young man was grateful It was dark under the trees dark and still Barney tried to speak lightly Am I supposed supposed supposed sup sup- I posed to ask questions It doesn't matter You see hes he's reserved a n room at the White Star Hotel for me A room next to his She felt Barneys Barney's fingers tighten over hers He said I dont don't get it honey Kirk didn't do much explaining He said hed he'd be out within an hour and told me to get ready But this hotel business 1 Cant you understand He thinks that folks have been talking And that this will stop their go sip Im I'm afraid your friend Mr Reynolds Reynolds Reynolds Rey Rey- isn't quite bright He He he wants the town to believe I really am his w wife e. e I see and Im I'm to sit back and let you go with him Yes There was no mirth in Barneys Barney's laugh It was short and harsh He said Ill Til have to ask a few questions ques ques- First must you you do whatever Kirk orders Yes Why Weve talked about that so many times You know I cant can't explain I see Second question do you want to go with him Her answer came sharply No Nol Then he said quietly youre not going But you still stin dont don't understand Ive I've got to go Like hell you do Now you listen to me a few minutes young lady Ive I've been playing the sap plenty long enough I dont don't like it And most particularly I dont don't like the idea of you living with Kirk Reynolds and what's more Im I'm not going to stand for tor it it Please You promised I dont don't care what I promised That bird has been pushing you ou around long enough But theres there's nothing you can do No Well We'll damn soon find out about that His eyes were hot Im going to have a talk with this lad A nice pleasant chat Im I'm going to ask a few questions and tell him a afew afew afew few things You mustn't Why not Because you promised And because because because be be- cause Im I'm asking you Two lousy reasons And also because Im I'm afraid Hes He's dangerous Barney made an impatient ture Bad bold guy cuy isn't he Murdered Murdered Murdered Mur Mur- dered Harvey Jackson without giving giving giving ing him a chance Runs around playing big by frightening girls Oh Ohl hes he's tough all right but somehow honey I dont don't seem to be so terribly scared of at him Barney listen when I say that tha t anything you do will only make things worse Oh yeah And how could they be worse I If anything happened to you Im able to take care of at myself my my- self sell She smiled bravel bravely Barney wont won't you do what I ask Just this once He kissed her Id better stay away from the house until after I youve you've gone I He turned and w walked away She gazed after his tall slender figure with tear-dimmed tear eyes Then she moved toward the house trembling and frightened Barney walked along the edge of ot the lagoon He was more disturbed than he c cared to confess even to himself He kicked viciously at a asman small stone and he heard it plop into the black water He stood staring at nothing at all He lighted a cigarette cigarette cig dg- arette with fingers which trembled and then he heard a voice at athis athis athis his shoulder a pleasant genial voice Jim Owenby said Saw your face facein in the Barney Who busted up your playhouse Barney Darney inhaled deeply then spun his cigarette out over the water It struck the ebon surface spluttered hopelessly and went out He asked sharply Will you kindly put into plain English Jim your opinion of or what sort of a prime sap I really am Sure If it'll help Owenby had moved closer He was as tall as Barney but broader and heavier He lIe said Want to tan taCt I Hell Hell Helles es Sh Shoot oat Its this Beverly mess That telephone telephone tel tel- ephone call Kay got was from tram Kirk Reynolds Hes He's on his way out here hereto to take her back to town with him Jim whistled expressively And so 1 Hes taking her to the hotel Wants the town to believe she's really really really real real- ly his wife wile And she's willing to go Barney tried to be fair Not willing But she says she must His voice was edgy She wants me mc meto meto to play the innocent bystander Jim Made me promise blind that Id I'd stay away from the house while Kirk was here Will you I dont don't know Gosh Id I'd like to have it out with that bird just once Jim said grimly So would I. I The man he killed was the best friend I had He paused briefly Suppose I have a little talk with him Barney Nope If somebody's got to meet that guy it'll be me Kay got against it Hes got her scared pink She seems to think hes he's dynamite Jim shook his head No matter what else that guy can do hes he's a cat bear-cat on scaring women Margaret Margaret Mar Mar- garet has talked my e ear r of off for the past two weeks begging me to keep out of it I know And loo look what Im I'm up against Go Good d Lord LordI Jim JIm suppose suppose sup sup- pose it was Margaret instead of Kay Kay and that she was going into town tonight with Kirk Kirk against against her wishes what would you do I don't dont Yes you do You'd meet him when he hc got here Man A fellows fellow's got to do something I know how you feel But suppose suppose sup sup- pose Kays Kay's right Suppose there really is something behind all this that we haven't thought of ot Well suppose there is Then for all we know wed we'd be throwing a nice big wrench monkey-wrench into the machinery So youre you're asking me to take it I I I sitting down Jim put a kindly hand on his friends friend's arm Im not asking anything anything anything any any- thing Barney Im I'm not advising any any- thing I dont don't know what the devil Id I'd do if I were in your place The eyes of the larger man were grimand grim grimand grimand and steady Meanwhile Im I'm getting getting getting get get- ting busy Doing what Got to paddle through the Gar Gar- dens Two or three of these night i a 1 Tr 4 1 t v Q 1 L. L T J k If anything anything- happened to you yon n vistas Im I'm not entirely satisfied with Promised myself Id I'd give em cm the over once-over tonight He selected a |