Show IL r en t tO O THE y DEvI ti BEN BENU U AMES WI LLIAMS I 6 W N V SERVICE TIlE THE STORY i I I Dr a wealthy wealthy and talented middle aged aeed sur- sur surgeon tur-fon tur geon eon Is I possessed of seemingly super super- supernatural super natural r natural powers power Ite He II Is I able to anticipate what people say before they utter a word occasionally he can wish for tor some some- ome extraordinary to happen and have havethe havethe haveth the Vi w sh meets Ira a wealthy business friend of ofhie his hie own age who tells him he loves hU his daughter Nancy and would auld like tol to t marry her Dr Gree 1 Is pleased and tens tells Jerrell he has a clear field fieldI I Nancy however Is l In love with willi Dan Carlisle an assistant professor at the University who has little means They marriage but decide to delay taWn talking to her father about It Nancy I who has been playing tennis with Dan that Afternoon tells her father she sh had hadI I been playing with a girl iri friend Greed lag knows know this Is u untrue and Is secretly e t I ra enraged Stepping g gu Into his wife I s room his eye falls tans on a marble statuette e whIch I Ibe he be dislikes He lie picks It up wishing he 1 could smash mash It to bits Suddenly It Is I e er from his hi l grasp Ssu as by Y an in ereO reO reOn reOu ini i force r and n burst u asunder e eY CHAPTER 11 II I Mrs Mr Is greatly disturbed over the tte mysterious of the statuette The doctor doc doctor doctor tor makes make light of ot It lIe He reveals reveal that Ira Jerrell wants to marry many Nancy On the way to a dinner party a car cuts in front of I a He angrily ex expresses presses the wish that the driver would break his neck An Instant later an t accident occurs occur In which this very thing kennena At the dinner tty tb f meet TOr rii ic pan Man s father tather ano ane bla daughter Mary Ann Dr is intrigued by Mary Ann who Is a ea al nurse Mrs tells teUs Prof Carlisle about the th destruction of the tb statuette and he indicates indicate It might night have een been caused by 11 a poltergeist a racketing mischievous spirit Greed tag mr pretends to Nancy that he be has bas ha w no to Dan CHAPTER m In More Interested in mUary far Gary Ann Dr induces Induce her to take lake a position in his office Eventually Jle be finds find he loves love her Jerrell continues continue to 10 se see Nancy whose love lov for tor Dan 1 ls is unchanged The invite the Carlisles to dinner Dr dill dis discusses dt cusses with Prof Carlisle the subject ef I poltergeists the doctor telling of some ome of his hi own experiences experience but at them to a friend Prof Car C lisle comments lie Ile who eats eat with the th Devil will need a long lone spoon DM The din her Del er party is II Interrupted by a call caU Jar for Dr r from a neighboring town Ue asks ask Mary Ann to accompany him CHAPTER On N IV On On the th ride to t see cee the toe I patient Is extremely happy lIe He invites invite Mary Mar Ann to t visit their aura mer borne bome k m It Is la late lat when the they finish the can call On the way home fans asleep at the wheel and they oar nar rawly n ly avoid a serious accident Nancy I drives and aDd is 18 thrilled sitting i ibel bel de beside her She is la disquieted when wilen be k kisses her hand on parting tins Ur dis Greed I upbraids when be returns bums Ulm n That summer r becomes irritable toward his wife CHAPTER Mary V-Mary V Mary Mary Ann seeks to leave s employment He masks till bas real Interest In her and persuades her het to stay Mrs Mr and Nancy to the lake too to open n the summer summerhouse summerhouse house Jerrell mentions mention Nancy a 8 in teres In-teres terest t in Dan to Dr but he assures S him it Is only n superficial and n he h i Invites Jerrell to visit their summer for lor a weekend Dr Gree 1 fe I Continued From Last Week She laughed Don t try to pre pretend pretend I tend that you re fast and loose my dear she protested I Meow know you too 00 well And she added still I lightly Even if you and MaryAnn MaryAnn Mary MaryI Ann Ann- lIe He exclaimed Myra for av I s sake rake c to nt ri Start being belOg jealous at your ages age She hesitated said then wistful wistfully wistfully ly y My age is just the age for Jealousy Ned But I trust you Well why shouldn't you he be cried What have I ever done done- done Nothing she assured him Maybe that's why Im I m afraid sometimes You re too good tood to be b I truel true After all all he reminded her stiff stiff- stiffly stiffly ly yo even K If f you are ready to think the worst of or me you mi might ht have j more respect for tor Mary Uary Ann She's hardly a home wrecker you now know It Its s shameful to suggest suggest- There she protested laughing almost desperately I dont don't sug- sug suggest suggest sue sue-gest gest anything ex except ept that you have havea a swim before dinner Here s a your suit euit uit So he be was wax silenced and began an to After dinner Dan had to leave Nancy suggested Shall Shall we all aU go gotor for tor a boat ride drop Dan at the harbor barbor and then have a run around the lake afterward Doctor caught his wife's ee e Take Mr Jerrell he sug sug- suggested suggested Ira Ira if you re k b timid man shell she'll give you ou bad dreams There are some ome channels around this thiB lake that I wont won't even evon tackle by I daylight but Nancy knows them in inthe inthe inthe the dark You go alongi along I I I think I 1 U go too Mrs Greed Greed- tog Greed Greed I mg ing decided I I 1 But Doctor said I want you to look ove- ove ove the bills bUls with rile me Myra so I 1 can cnn have the checks sent rent out Monday Of And when pres pres- presently presently presently the others had bad departed he said irritably Youre singularly dense sometimes Jerrell doesn twant t twant twant want to ride around the lake at night with youl She seemed about to speak then held her tongue After Dan was as gone the weekend end week passed passed- pleasantly UY enough Nancy and Jerrell played tennis together they swam they explored the lake lakeI I i I Sunday on the tennis court Doctor and Jerrell and the girl shot at targets Pistol shooting was the Doctor a s pet hobby Jerrell proved singularly inept at this pastime I d better stick sUck to fishing ho confessed at last Ican I Ican Ican can cast a fly more accurately than thana a bullet i I And Nancy said I 11 take you after bass this afternoon see ce if 11 you re as clever as you say ay When I I When Doctor and Jer Jer- Jerrell Jerrell rell reU climbed into the plane for the return trip to Boston early Monday I morning the Doctor was well ell con con- content content tent Jerrell and Nancy had bad been I together constantly and when Doc Doe DocI Doctor Doctor tor said good by to the I girl he kissed her and asked in a I I whisper Like Mr l Jerrell pretty well Nancy Hes Hes He's a peach she agreed Mary Ann had already gone to toI the hospital when he reached the theoffice theoffice theoffice I office but he met her in the corri corri- corridor corridor corridor dor outside the operating rooms His smile quickened at the sight ot of otI other her I She remarked You look rest rest- rested rested ed and he nodded I I am he said Ready to move m mountains She laughed softly Nothing so massive this morning she replied The forenoon passed In a mo mo- monotonous monotonous monotonous routine When the last cas case was done he proposed come and lunch with me You can tell teU me what has been going on She hesitated but then she as- as assented assented as assented smiling at her own hesitation hesitation tion Very well she said Tho Th Thomas om mas a s Doctor thought looked leaked at her in sidelong disapproval when they came out outI outto t I to the car and the Doctor frowned in an exasperation out of ot all aU pro pro- proportion proportion proportion portion to the cause He named a restaurant which he sometimes pa patronized Do you like Italian mine food food minestrone strone ravioli be he asked Of course And I probably make the best spaghetti in captivity she he assured him smilingly I That That will take some proving he he told her They hey are famous I for it here But even after lunch she still stin In- In Insisted in insisted I on the superiority of her own product We We always have it Thurs Thurs- Thursday Thursday day nights she explained Maid s night out you know Father and Dan devo devour it it lt by the bale or bush bush- bushel bushel el or whatever the unit of spaghetti measure may be I I I Il 11 come some Thursday night I night he declared and and give you youa youa youa a chance to prove your claims chums She hesitated then she said Do Do come comet comel When This next Thursday She said half halt to herself think think- thinking thinking ing of appearances Dan Dan won t be there this week but of at course Father will willi He read her thoughts and was as to turn them into another channel I saw Dan nazi at the lake he remarked He He stopped off aU for tor dinner on his way to o the moun- moun moun mountains was tams was there when Jerrell and andI andI I arrived She smiled I I expect that dis- dis distressed dis distressed I Dan He knows Jerrell Terrell is- is i fond of Nancy and be he feels pretty I keenly that he hasn't much of any anything any j i thing to offer a girl e rl like her I He Hi youth has has youth to offer said Doctor watching her re reaction reaction reaction action to this suggestion reI I I a fairly common asset she ale pointer out If It If youth is IL ILman's mans man's only ordy capital hell he'll soon be bey t Id I'd rather lather rely on I Wes sties acquired by years of life lite and effort than on the and accidental accidental fleeting virtue virtue of youth I He lie looked at her thoughtfully You plead Mr Jerrell s cause pret pretty pretty ty warmly he suggested an in intangible intangible tangible uneasiness awakening in him bim She smiled said in easy evasion Oh I was just talking abstractions abstractions Then abruptly It s s al almost almost most two o 0 clock We ought to get back So they rose yet he said as a reminder Thursday night then Its It's settled Of course she agreed and they went out to the carI car I Doctor found himself during the days day that fun full lof I funI or a lively anticipation When at about seven o'clock on Thursday evening he alighted in front of Pro Protessor Professor Professor fessor Carlisle s home he told Thomas not to return I 11 walk home to he explained The car moved away and he rang the bell Mary Ann herself opened the door but she the did not at once bid him en- en enter enter en enter ter He saw that she was flushed and warm and he said smiling I I can see you ve ye been standing over a hot stove stover 1 She said in a confused besita hesitation hesitation tion As a matter of fact tact fact it isn ten t tjust tjust tjust just that I hot m-hot m hot Doctor Greed- Greed I ine ing I m i 1 little littie embarrassed too line Hence thes these blUshes And she sheI explained lOed iou see I 1 I to be at ut home tonight but there s some somo distinguished rJ 01 foreign foreigner er or other r visiting Prore Professor or Mid bud Middie die and he ho called Father rather hills h hill if s n hour ago and asked turn him over to dinner And Ari f lather ther went Sh She added honestly hOI lIt Ho He told me to you ou and ond put off 1 our spaghetti till some other time 11 HP lie said Hod amused and pleased But you didn It U And he stepped pst p st her Into the hall She confessed slowly closing the thedoor thedoor th door hv 1 J hn hail had it started al al- al already ready and it seemed a shame to tc caste aste aste it itt iU Of or course he agreed And now that I m here Ie I ve re no notion of o not staying It s a long lone time since 1 I vc ye been considered dangerous considered dangerous I feel suddenly capable of any im- im impropriety impropriety propriety She could not well send him away To do so would only serve to lend importance to the unimportant So Soshe Soshe she laughed and said Spaghetti Isn t very romantic Im I'm afraid Come on out to the kitchen and I 11 Jl put an apron on you and you can canI I help The preparation of supper amused them both they laughed together I I atI and were gay While they sat altable at table they talked at random and andI I afterward he helped her with the th I dishes but when the kitchen was all put to rights they stood at loose ends not quite certain what next to todo todo do doI I Now if it I 1 were a policeman and you were a cook or even a second maid to he suggested we mIght walk out together or go to the movies movies lea ies or find a place to dance I feel that something of the sort is almost required of us I 1 think it would be much more comfortable to just sit it on the side porch she decided It c s dark enough now so you t be afraid ot of being compromised I I 1 don t feel in the least reprehensible reprehensible or dangerous he said reo re- reassuringly I 1 m too well fed Just sitting will suit me perfectly They did in fact stay an hour on onI I the veranda together speaking of I commonplace things but softly I and sometimes silences enfolded them There were times vh when n wads II came tumbling to his lips and re- re remained remained remained unspoken They might de- de deI despite despite despite I spite his effort at self control have found utterance in the end but in In- In Interruption came a footstep on the I walk in front of the house There a Father said Mary Annand Ann I and rose to go to toward ard the door Doctor followed herI her Ill uy say ay good night he be decided I hurriedly Tune Time to get along home Not afraid of Father are you she asked amused but when they came to the door together it was wasi i Jerrell not Professor Carlisle who appeared Jerrell s a eyes met those of Doctor and the two men stared at one ode another for tor a moment equal equal- equally ly Jy startled Even Mary Ann found no quick word could read Jerrells Jerrell's thoughts could see the oth oth- other other other er s astonishment asto and reprobation and he flushed angrily And knew a doubled anger For For- For why was Jerrell here Something like jealousy awoke oke in him Then Jerrell was vas saying awkward awkward- awkwardly ly Good evening Miss Carlisle i Hello Heno Ned And he asked Is Dan at home I 1 She shook her head No No Nohe Nohe he s in New Hampshire won t be beback beback beback back till Sunday And then quick quickly quickly quickly I ly to Doctor I 1 m sorry our phone didn t ring Doctor It must be out of order Too bad you had to come way over here but butI III U be read ready at six in ln the morning morn morning I i lag ing I Doctor perceiving that she was protecting him felt a quick delight They were ere thus brought in alliance to deceive Jerrell and hel he said readily 1 It s quite all right I needed the walk alk And I Jl have Thomas pick J you ou up a at t six nodded waiting but I Jerrell made no movement to leave and and Doctor was vas v as by Mary Anns Ann's deception left with no pretext to stay I His Hit tone was calm as he hc bid the two good night but he walked away from the house in a deep turmoil of conflicting emotions There wasa wasa was wasa a storm of passion in the man man- manof man t man manof of anger at Mary Ann for tor permitting permit permitting ting Jerrell to stay thus alone with I her in the empty house He lie thought absurdly absurdly of chiding her next day of uttering some admonition But she might remind him that if his 0 own n presence there involved invoked ed no indiscretion certainly she could receive re receive receive Jerrell This thought that Jer- Jer Jerrell Jerrell rell might freely pay Mary Ann whatever attention he chose swept through Doctor like a storm Mrs from that i moment in his thoughts like an iron chain that fettered him and held him bound CHAPTER M tI I Doctor did not sleep that night at all He was shaken and trembling and perspiring yeti yet he felt cold and he pressed his teeth |