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Show '1 '...,m ,r r m"--- ,7 - inn, , in, rr -- -- lMllli' in, nil iii ''W r " ' " '''IIWlM h 0 THE BEAVER PRESS. BEAVER, UTAH v " 4 i it x x asm c 7 w - m m mi ccaci Duke McCale, private detective. Is $'fh hkem When your child catches cold, rub his little throat, chest and back at bedtime with warming, soothing Vicks Its special action goes to work instantly . . . and keeps working for hours to VapoRub. relief-bringi- ng en- to guard the presents for ber niece' wedding. McCale accepts, only because be sense that Miss Blgelow It afraid of something more serious than a possible theft. McCale sets bit assistant, Rocky BJorkland, and his secretary, Ann Mar riot, to bunting up back ground data on the members of the families Involved In the wedding. Later McCale Inspects the rich presents. One Is a deed to a modernistic mansion. A tall, beautiful blonde woman playing the piano in trlgues his Interest. Two other women and a man appear In the room. 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CaliC SOOT ERADICATOR Beautify lz,T Lost c In his reverie of this vision, McCale hardly heard Adelaide Bigelow speak. "May I present Mr. McCale. This Is Mrs. Joel Bigelow. Sybil? The bride's mother." She put her hand on his sleeve. "Mr. McCale's Agency gifts." neo-Gre- Is overseeing the wedding With an eflort he brought himself back to the woman who faced him. He was conscious of an Impressive bust followed by about a hundred and fifty dollars worth of shaped and girdled figure, expensively trained not to split the seams of a black afternoon dress. She wore far too much gold costume Jewelry Just below the chin of an Elizabeth Arden face topped by a Her manner soignee up hair-do- . was arrogant as she repeated his name In the cool, detached tone she might use to a chauffeur. She acknowledged the Introduction, that was all, then moved majestically away, following her bust to a low table in pursuit of a glass of sherry. A corner of McCale's mind was still at the piano where the white goddess now played something by Gershwin In a real broken beat. He caught an amused glance from Miss Bigelow before she presented mm to the couple sitting on the sofa. "Victoria Bigelow," murmured Miss Adelaide, "and Stephen the bride's sister and brother." The girl looked a little old around the eyes, a little hard around the mouth. She was, somehow, like a drawing in the slightly degenerate, macabre style of Beardsley all black and white, with finely drawn eyebrows and smudged lashes. There was something viperish in the way she held her pointed chin. Her body, sheathed in a dress styled for someone far beyond her age, She didn't resent seemed too assured, too relaxed, too there as she played. gjgll NOVEL ENCHANTIN! bis standing willing. It was easy to see color. Her head was set on a per that Stephen fectly proportioned body. Dressed was Victoria's brother. He Bigelow had the same hard finish, the white as she was In shades of beige and In beautiful skin, the narrow face. In twenty brown, simply and she was at once taste, quietly lantern-Jawehe would d be years, and hollow-eyeAlready there was charming, assured, thoroughbred. "Veronica dear." Miss Bigelow a crease of cruelty around his uneasy mouth. From the way he at- touched her, kissed her. There was tacked his highball, McCale sus- in her voice a note of passionate pected his petulance was partly the concern, of pride of relief. effect of a speedily evanescing livAdelaide Bigelow introduced the er. He wolfed his drink while nodgolden girl in the doorway to Mc ding to McCale, but his eyes were Cale and he was surprised at the fixed on the woman at the piano. creature's throaty, mellow voice. It lacked the superficiality of the debu tante drawl But wasn't there someLovely Veronica thing a trifle nervy, a bit disquiet Seems Nervous ing, about the edges of that voice? "Mrs. Stephen Bigelow," said There was. Miss Adelaide, and left McCale She pecked at her aunt, smiled looking down at a polite Garbo-is- h at McCale, made a few quick, nervmask, a slow smile, and slender, ous laughing jibes at her family, and cigarette-staine- d fingers picking out said in that modulated, cona lush tone. Yet that sensual untrolled tone, "Anything new come? dercurrent that might have been Present, I mean. Anything excitpurely chemical, or even glandular, ing?" was there. He felt it as he knew Miss Adelaide turned abruptly as Stephen, the woman's husband, felt she was about to introduce McCale it. He sensed what slavery there to the young man who had come In in a must be woman like with her. She made a futile loving gesthis, could see that part of Stephen's ture as if to ward the restlessness was a sickness, and that Veronica was out of girl off, but the room behe was living on the cocaine of fore the movement was even comher magic. She didn't resent his standing pleted. McCale found himself hanging in there as she played. She didn't the air, so to speak, pumping the speak or smile or make any effort to put him at his ease. She knew hand of a man whose name he he was dazzled, not quite sure of hadn't heard. himself, but It didn't even seem to amuse her. Breaking off in the The Conquering middle of a run and without speak- Hero Comes ing, she reached for a coffee cup at "Storm, Christopher Storm," the the far end of the keyboard. man said. "You're Duke Karen had seated herself beside young McCale and I've heard of you." her husband, and. Joined by Sybil, McCale stifled the impulse to say, the small group was carrying on a He said, "Well," and let "Shush." conversation about the desultory go the hand of this big fellow who the bridesrehearsal, wedding maids, and the ushers. It was the had designed and built a house called "The Nest." usual half-cattChristopher Storm was tall and "She's very beautiful, isn't she?" lean and athletic. His face missed said Miss Bigelow. catching McCale being handsome by way of a rather again with his eyes on Karen. Jaw and a generous mouth. McCale "Mm," grunted, smiling. square He had candid blue eyes and curly "Is she always like this?" hair of a nondescript shade. "A Nordic princess?" Miss Adelaide smiled, slight distaste curling Christopher maneuvered McCale toward the bottled liquids, mixed the corners of her mouth. "I them both a drink. He motioned I'm afraid not." "Ah. The descriptive Swedish to a seat beside himself, saying without preliminary, "Heard about blank." you In that dyehouse racket. Pretty "Just so." keen deduction. What brings you 'She's very talented." here?" "Yes, indeed." Miss Bigelow was miking him "Wedding presents." "Not really? Didn't know you feel like Paul Pry. Why had she been giving him the Impression, went in for small stuff." "I have to make a living. Cases In the last few minutes, that Karen was worth watching then? He like the dyehouse murders are few and far between." changed the subject. blue eyes narrowed. Storm's "Will you want me to have my man on duty truiifiht?" He watched "Well, It Just didn't seem to me that c her closely. All the tightness came the array of downstairs warranted your special talents." back into her eyes. "I I don't know." McCale didn't answer. "Too true, Suddenly he was like a man waitmy bright young fellow," he ing in a dentist's office, wanting to thought, "but if I told you that all tart something, go in there and get day I'vt been coddling a tingle tha' too-we- ll y post-morte- bric-a-bra- RAINBOW COLORS available ot all stores fifAUTIFUl CHAPTER III it over with. He started to talk, almost blurted out, "You're in some trouble, Miss Bigelow. You need help. You do. You came to me this morning with it written all over your face. You're afraid of somethingsomething that has nothing to do with wedding gifts." He made a gesture as if he were waving them away. "You are afraid. I know." "I suppose you do." But though her hand trembled, her eyes were vacant. "Tell me what it is. Give me If you want my your confidence. help, I must have it. What do you fear? Who is making you afraid?" "Now I've done it," he cursed to himstlf, for she threw him a sharp, half i.ngry glance, and got up. He stumbled to his feet, blind with anger at himself, but she was smiling at two people who were entering the room. The girl was all gold. Her skin tones were coffee and cream, in the liquid sense of a Laurencin portrait. She was not beautiful, but her face had a depth and a glow that was curiously warming. That was it. She was warm and golden, and you knew at once that she was intelligent and nice, as well as decorative. Her hair was long, naturally curly, and of a burnished bronze now and then raises the hair on my head- -" "Who called you in?" "Family." To himself he continued, "Darn. This fellow is too in- quisitive." Suddenly McCale caught a glimpse of something something attitude, ugly behind that that mantel of jauntiness something he did not like. "Not Sybil?" Christopher prodded. "Not darling Sybil, surely." McCale was saved from making a reply by a peal of light laughter outside the room. A door banged somewhere. There was another ripple of merriment mingled with a deeper one, running feet on the stairs, and Veronica ran into the room, followed by a man. They might have been preceded by a fanfare of trumpets. Everyone everyone stopped talking; turned toward the door as to a stage. It was as if a spotlight bad been turned on, startling the audience to quickening anticipation of the star's entrance. It was sudden and complete. Even McCale was checked in the act of raising his glass to his lips. Something both electric and animal came into the room with Curt Vallaincourt. Even if there had not been the little piping ecstatic thrill of Sybil's "Curt, dear!"; the quick fire that lighted Victoria's glistening eyes; the husky overtones of Karen saying, "Behold the bridegroom McCale would have cometh," known the identity of this physical rhapsody. Here was a consciously beautiful young man In a great big way: tall and wide, dark and strong, virile and violent. He had a large, curly black head, dark eyes that held a passionate promise. He was a dynamic person the kind to whom things were bound to happen. He acknowledged the introduction to the detective in a deep strong voice, with a handshake that made McCale almost buckle at the knees. It was three or four minutes before the blitzkrieg of his arrival settled Into a steady, slow appreciation of him. McCale himself was rarely impressed by mere sensual attraction and was loath to admit the catalystic effects of it Here, if ever, was Its complete manifestation, however. He backed away toward the piano, the better to take the scene apart. As unobtrusively as possible, he let his dark hard stare sweep around the circle. Afterward, he was to come back to that short scene many times, trying to put together the pieces of the riddle as they presented themselves in the next few moments. It was all there, had he known it, the wheels within wheels, the red thread of danger, the shadow of death. Each intimate gesture, the shading of a phrase, each bit of conversation overheard, held portents deep and inevitable. , niiMtin jn, IT mil Wtl II' ' ' . ,ve prom 5 S I o . n tn hail-fello- Buy United States Savings Bonds! I -- r?' f Ml O Hurry rub in Ben-Ga- y for fast, soothing, gently the origi-nwarming relief! Insist on genuine Ben-GaBaume Analgesique. Ben-Ga- y contains up to 2Vi times more methyl salicylate and menthol-t- wo agents known to every doctor than five Ben-Ga- y other widely offered rub-in- s. acts fast where you hurt. j y, I : a ti. al pain-rehevi- ng Also for Pain due to COLDS, MUSCLE ACHE, and STRAINS. Ask for Mild Ben-Ga- y for Children. "'I Echoes By C. Kessler Y VCQOTYJ )r vesta TfLLEyi' UOMA we v! Home-Tow- n I mMm 6ows minister's? itM-V- 't i FOR TBAf o.y 1 V m 'eversw'n RANTSV More Puzzles Developing As it was, the things that remained In his mind to puzzle him were these: Conversation became general though the atmosphere still contained a peculiar effluvium of He noticed underlying edginess. that Adelaide Bigelow seemed as overcome by the positively theatri cal charm of Curt as the rest, and that even Stephen had pulled out of his alocholic depression, and was watching Curt with an almost physical worship. Karen glowed, silver and white. Victoria's eyes were slits. Sybil was watchful. Storm was quiet, but appreciative. And Veronica was chatting nervously, the same note of strain in her golden diction. She was like a gilded fragment tossed In a glittering vortex. It was when Curt said. In that compelling voice of his. "Very magnanimous of you, Chris, to give us The Nest." that a warning signal flashed in McCale's brain. It was spoken with such charming naivete, as if, thought McCale, the one thing he really lacked was manners. He was making a studied conscious effort. Storm only smiled, steadily. He shrugged, retorting, "Veronica always gets everything she wants." "Oh, Chris," Veronica put out her hand to him, started to say something, stopped. Chris turned to her for a brief moment, a blank look coming over his face. There was a lost world in his eyes. Victoria laughed shrilly. She made a quick nervous gesture, bit her lower lip, and looked a sudden significant, pleading question to Curt. Curt seemed to square off to her. He shook his head as if he were saying, "No." Everyone was concentrating upon Storm and Veronica at that moment and McCale thought no one else saw that exchange of glances between those other two. Afterward he was to wonder. Vallaincourt went over to his future stcpmother-in-law- . almost as if in apology for neglecting her. She was a little high on too much sherry and was quite crushing to him in manner she shnni. off his attempted coddling. Without her fixed cosmetic smile, her face was an unbecoming mask, her make-uunable to disguise her middle-age. There was a puzzle there in the coolness between Curt and Sybil. - p (TO BE CONTINUED) - iin - - . 'MEMOIR. Tge L.rwv FDR FaTlURE I ffrr dreseo up m Plc7gfej 1 no rest: wife talksX ) fWHAr DOES IN HECK f5 TALK 1 f mi CpJ KU I AiH$ vtBtl W - |