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Show iJII Sylvia Taylor - XnE STOUT SO FAR: Joan Lcland Is discharged and refused an explanation by her employer, Arthur Mulford. She accept! another secretarial post from handsome Karl Miller, owner of a night club. Fascinated, she permits his love- making, though her sister Sybil, with whom she shares an apartment, suspects sus-pects Karl's motives. Paul Sherman, Karl's manager, warns Joan against Karl but refuses to give any reason. She delivers, de-livers, at Karl's request, a mysterious message to a tramp steamer late at night, discovering that Paul Is following her. She defends Karl blindly. Paul rescues res-cues her from Eric Strom, Karl's partner, part-ner, who attempted to kiss her. Bearing a struggle, Joan later enters Karl's office of-fice In time to see him shoot and kill Eric. He asks her to pick up the gun from the floor, then threatens her with blame for the murder unless she remains re-mains quiet Paul enters and Joan Is dumfounded when he backs up Karl, regarding re-garding her fingerprints on the gun. The men carry the body out and Joan wonders won-ders what will now be Karl's attitude toward her. Now continue with the story. CHAPTER IX Karl seemed amused at her outburst out-burst Once she had cherished that tender look. Now it was loathesome to her. With the madness of despair, des-pair, she struck him full In the mouth. Karl stepped back and his face was white with rage "You little fool! Do you think it's as easy as that? Don't you know you'll be followed fol-lowed from the moment you leave this office? You will be driven to work every day by Paul Sherman, If you make a false move you will meet with an unfortunate accident. Shall we call it that?" Silence. "There must be some way," Joan thought, "but what?" She would tell Sybill Sybil would know what to do. Until then it would be best to pretend to Karl that he had won. He must believe that she was frightened. "It seems that all the cards are in your hands," she admitted. "Very clever of you to realize it" Joan wondered if she could really deceive Karl. Even if she were followed home, he would have no way of knowing what she told Sybil. She could tell Sybil to go to the police yet Karl might have them both followed. Joan could not believe be-lieve that Karl would take any chances. "I'm going home," she said wearily, "straight home. You needn't worry about my going to the police tonight." "I am not in the least worried," Karl said calmly. "You are young and -beautiful, and I am eure that .you are not yet ready to die." She looked at him and for a moment mo-ment sir' '..ged to see that other Karl . . . the Karl she had loved. Tears stung in her eyes. How could she have been so blind? A reckless, adventure-loving girl, laughing at Fate, moving blithely towards her .own destruction. She had held open, eager arms to life, welcomed anything any-thing that was "exciting and different." dif-ferent." But Sybil had been the wise one. "You can't trust any man," Joan thought bitterly. Even Paul Sherman, Sher-man, who had warned her about Karl, was involved in the spy ring. He had warned her about Karl but he was no better. "You didn't have to go so far, did you, Karl?" Joan asked now. "You didn't have to pretend to love me, did you?" "You are very charming," Karl said, bowing. "And you are very clever, but if you hadn't asked me to marry you "That proved my sincerity?" "Yes. Although I'm ashamed to admit it" "Perhaps it would interest you to know that I already have a wife . . then he added smoothly, "in my own country." This was the final blow. Karl's announcement that he had a wife in Germany came as a complete shock to Joan Leland. She had attached so much importance to his desire to many her that it had never occurred oc-curred to her he should be insincere. insin-cere. "If you are ready to go home," Karl suggested, "I will drive you." "Very well," Joan answered ex-pressionlessly. ex-pressionlessly. "There must be some way," Joan thought desperately as she sat silently si-lently by Karl Miller's side. She could telephone the police from her apartment Karl would have no way of knowing about v t until it was too late. Sybil mid go to the authorities. au-thorities. Surely there was no way that Karl could follow both girls day and night trace every phone call. Comforted by the thought of Sybil's wise advice, Joan felt more confidence in the situation. "I will see you tomorrow as usual," usu-al," Karl was saying. "Paul will drive you to work after this. You understand?" "I understand perfectly." For a moment they stared at each other. Sweethearts an hour ago. Now enemies forever. Swiftly Joan Sfctvrned and ran up the steps. In the living room she was greeted i darkness and silence. She ed on one small lamp and ybil, where are you?" Saer own voice sounded tJ uaged rooms. Strange i not be home yet. ad not returned Yin into the bed-Yurbed. bed-Yurbed. In the o Tearing it open she found a note in Sybil's handwriting. "I'll be back soon. Something terrible has happened." kitchen there were no signs that Sybil had eaten her dinner. And then on the kitchen table Joan saw an envelope. Tearing it open, she found a note in Sybil's handwriting. "I'll be back soon. Something terrible ter-rible has happened ..." A cold chill of premonition swept Joan. Instantly her mind leaped to Karl Miller. Had he suspected her plan of enlisting Sybil's aid? But how could he? And why would Sybil say, "I'll. be back soon"? Surely Sure-ly it could not be so "terrible." "I'm just nervous," Joan told herself. her-self. She tried to light the fire but it refused to burn and smouldered out, leaving the room in dismal silence. Clasping her hands, Joan walked around the room. "I've got to talk to someone," she thought hysterically. hysteri-cally. "I can't stand this any longer." long-er." , But as she drew back the window curtain she saw Karl Miller's car still in front of the apartment. If she left, he would surely follow her. The telephone! She ran across the room and seized it from its place on the table. With a trembling finger fin-ger she dialed the operator. The silence si-lence of a completely dead wire was too obvious to be mistaken. She was seized then by absolute panic. She must get out of here but how? There was a fire', escape,, on the side of the building that opened off the kitchen. "Karl couldn't see me there," Joan said aloud, and the sound of her own voice frightened her. It was then that she heard something, some-thing, like the creaking of a board. It seemed to come from the kitchen. Joan stood still. She was afraid to move. Her hand felt for the switch and the living room was flooded with light. "That's better," she thought, and went into the bedroom to put on her hat and coat Against the window-' pane slow rain had begun to fall. Joan looked out a front window again. Karl was still there! The fire escape was her only chance. The apartment was on the second floor and there was a good drop to the ground, but a small garden made it safe to jump. "I can make it." Joan said. "I must!" She reached the kitchen where Sybil's note still lay upon the table. ta-ble. The shade was drawn over the kitchen window. Joan advanced towards to-wards it and stretched out her hand when another sound came from without the unmistakable sound of footsteps upon the Iron staircase. There was a soft tapping upon the window. With a frightened gesture, Joan touched the shade and it flew to the top. She looked out but could see no one. Then she heard a voice: "Joan! Open the window." It was Paul Sherman! Joan drew back and as she did so Paul's head appeared. Had Karl sent him to get her? She shrank against the wall of the kitchen, watching bis pleading plead-ing gestures for admittance. Then she saw that the window was unlocked. un-locked. Paul could easily open it himself. He saw the change of expression ex-pression on her face, and caught its meaning. A moment later he was in the kitchen with the window locked be-Liind be-Liind him. Paul looked sharply at her. "Sit 'own," he ordered. "You look like a ghost Have you any whiskey?" "There's some brandy in the kitchen," Joan said. Her teeth were chattering. She was shaking so she could scarcely talk. Paul found the bottle and returned with It to the living room. He held a small glass to her lips. "Drink this!" he commanded. The sweet liquor burned her throat but it warmed her. Paul was bending over the fireplace fire-place stirring the logs, adding paper pa-per and kindling until the fire glowed with a bright blaze. She watched him in silence until be had finished. "Now listen to me, Joan and listen carefully." Her green eyes regarded him with loathing. "Spies! But you can't get away with it You can't keep me from going to the police! You're very clever, aren't you? Talking against Karl while you're just as bad!" Her voice had risen hysterically. "Be quiet!" Paul ordered. "Do you want Karl to come in here?" "What do I care?" Tears streamed down the white face and she buried her face in her hands. "Will you listen to me for one minute?" Paul Sherman said in a low voice. She did not reply. "My name is not Paul Sherman." She sobbed, "What's that to me?" He took her nervous hands and held them tightly in his own. "It's true I speak German. My grandmother grand-mother was German. But I am Paul O'Malley of the Federal Bureau of Investigation the FBI." Silence. The fire crackled and the rain poured against the windows. "The FBI?" Joan repeated. "That's right We've suspected Karl Miller of subversive activities for a long time but we haven't been able to get conclusive evidence. I still haven't got enough to convict him. He's too clever for that, though I believe he trusts me. One reason is that I speak his language." "But why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you warn, me?" He smiled ruefully. "This is government gov-ernment business, Joan. I'm risking my neck by revealing my identity to you. If Karl finds out who I em, you know what will happen. I had to pretend to agree with him tonight." "You mean pretend to believe that I shot Eric?" "That's it Now Karl will be sure of me. He doesn't know that I am here now. I came ahead of you from the club and I've been waiting for you to come home." Joan wiped her eyes. "I tried to telephone the police. The phone is disconnected." Paul lit a cigarette. "I know. I did it myself. Karl's orders." Joan shuddered and fresh tears filled her eyes. "Oh, what a fool I've been! But I loved him so much! I didn't know things like this really happened. I thought all the spy talk was just pro; iganda. What shall I do now? What can I do?" "Do you know about Karl's wife?" Color flooded her pale cheeks. "Yes. He told me tonight after you left the club. He seemed very amused by the whole situation." "I wanted to tell you, Joan, but I didn't dare take the chance of Karl's finding out that I'd double-crossed double-crossed him. You understand. This business is more important than either ei-ther of us." Suddenly Joan rose crying, "And Sybil! Paul; Sybil's not here! She left a note saying that something terrible had happened . . . I'm afraid! Karl ..." Paul glanced at his watch. "Almost "Al-most one o'clock." "Paul!" She seized his arm. "Do you think that Karl would . . ." He shook his head. "I don't know. I don't honestly know. But I have a plan. Listen carefully . . ." Joan and Paul sat quietly together on the couch before the blazing fire and she listened as Paul told about the spy ring and the part he wanted her to play in the future. "I want you to stick it out, Joan, to go on working for KarL Let him think you're afraid to go to the authorities. au-thorities. He must have confidence in his own power if we are ever going to get at the bottom of this.'.' The girl was silent "It's our only chance," Paul said kindly. "I know how difficult it will be for you but if you went to the authorities now, nothing could be proved. I haven't any conclusive evidence against Karl yet. And he'd certainly involve you in Eric's murder." mur-der." "All right, Paul," she said with sudden decision. "I'll do it" He patted her arm, "Good girl! Karl's sure to give himself tway especially since he now thinks that he can trust me. Of course you understand un-derstand you are not to reveal my identity to anyone, even your sister." sis-ter." "Sybil! Paul, what are we going to do about Sybil?" "I don't know. But I can't see what Karl would have against her. It doesn't add up." (TO BE CONTINUED) |