| Show 6 0 k 7 1 7 sh ar 1 toy U E A s PT bell BELL sy aa TAYLOR THE STORY SO fani joan leland it Is discharged and refused an explanation by her employer arthur mulford Mul tord she abc acc accenti e pis another secretarial post from handsome ban csome karl miller owner of 0 a night club fascinated she permits his love In making Aking though her sister sybil with whom the be shares an apartment sus us pacts X karri aels arnot motives 11 ves paul sherman Sti ennan karls manageri manag e cri r warns joan against karl but refuses to give five any reason she delivers at karls request a mysterious message to a tramp steamer late at night discovering that paul Is in following her she defends karl blindly paul rescues cue her from eric strom karls harts partner who attempted to kiss her waring hearing a struggle joao joan later enters karls office in time to see him shoot and kill E eric tic lie he asks ask her to pick up the gun from the boot then threatens her with blame for the murder unless she remains quiet paul enters and joan Is dumfounded dUm founded when he be backs up op karl regarding her fingerprints on the gun the men carry the body out and joan wonders what will now be karls attitude toward her now continue with the story CHAPTER IX karl seemed amu amused sedat at her outburst once she had cherished that tender look now it was loath esome to her with the madness of despair she struck him full in the mouth karl stepped back and his face was white with rage you little fool do dodou you think its as easy as chatz that do dont f you know be followed from the moment you you leave this office you will be driven to work every day by paul sherman isyou if you make a false move you will meet with an unfortunate accident shall we call it that silence there must b be e some way joan thought but what she would tell sybill sybil would know what to do until then it would babest 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 it 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 be elleve that karl would take any chances im going home she said wearily straight home you worry about my going to the police tonight 1 I am not in the least worried karl said calmly you are young and beautiful and I 1 am sure that you are not yet ready to die she looked at him and for a moment she longed to see that other aarl the karl she had loved bears tears stung in her eyes how could she have been so blind A Aj reckless eckless I 1 adventure loving girl lau laughing ahing at fate moving blithely towards her own destruction she had held open eager arms to life welcomed any athing that was vas exciting and different but sybil had been therise the wise one I 1 you cant trust any man joan thought bitt bitterly eFly eyen paul sherman earl who had warned her about 1 karl was involved in the spy ring I he had warned her about karl but he was ho better you have to go so far did you karl joan asked now you have pretend to love me did you you are very charming karl said bowing and you are very clever but it if you asked me to marry you billat illat that proved my sincerity yes although im ashamed to admit it perhaps it would ini interest erest you to ihnow janow that I 1 already have a wife 1 then he added smoothly in my own own countr country j this was the final blow karls announcement that he hadia hada wife in germany came as a complete shock ato Joan Leland she had attached so much importance to his desire to marry her that it had never oc burred to her he should be insincere if you are ready to go horr home ie karl suggested 1 I will drive you iveory very well joan an answered ex there must be someway joan thought desperately as she sat silently by karl millers side she could telephone the police from her apartment karl would have no way of knowing about that until it was too late sybil could go to the au thorit ties les surely there was no way that karl could follow both girls day and night trace every phone call comforted by the thought of sybila wise advice joan felt more diore confidence in the situation 1 I will see you tomorrow as usual karl was saying paul will drive you to work after this you understand 1 I understand perfectly for a moment they stared at each other sweethearts an hour ago now enemies forever swiftly joan turned and ran up the steps in the living room she was greeted with da darkness akness and silence she switched on one small lamps lampi and called sybil where are you but only her own voice sounded in the high strange that sybil should not be home yet apparently she had not returned from work joan ran into the bed aam a om it was undisturbed in the ia d 1 l alii i lii tearing it open she found a note in sybila handwriting ill 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 sybila handwriting ill be back soon something terrible has happened A cold chill of premonition swept joan instantly her mind leaped to karl miller had he suspected her plan of enlisting sybila aid but how could he and why would sybil say ill be back soon sure ly it could not be so terrible im just nervous joan told herself she tried to light the fire but it refused to burn and shouldered ed out leaving the room in dismal silence clasping her hands joan walked around the room ive got to talk to someone she thought hysterically 1 I cant stand this any longer but as she drew back the window curtain she saw karl millers car still in front of the apartment if she left he would surely follow her the telephone honel I 1 she ran across the room and seized it from its place on the table with a trembling finger she dialed the operator the silence 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 see me there joan said aloud and the sound of her own voice frightened her it was then that she heard something like the creaking of a board it seemed to come from the kitchen joan stood still she was afraid to move lier her hand felt for the switch and the living room was flooded with light better she thought and went into the bedroom koput to put on her hat and coat against the windowpane slow rain hid had begun to fall joan looked out i a front window ilnyo again karl was still there I 1 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 1 I can make it joan said 1 I gustl she reached the kitchen wh where ere sybila note still lay upon the table the shade was was drawn over the kitchen window jo joan an advanced advance d towards it and stretched out her I 1 land hand when another sound came from without althe A L the unmistakable sound of footsteps upon the iron staircase there was a soft tapping upon the window with a frightened gesture joan touched the sha shade and it flew to the top she looked out but but could see no one then she heard a voice joan I 1 open the window it was paul Sher shermana Sherma maril nl joan drew back and as she did so pauls head appeared had karl sent him to get her she shrank against therall the wall of the kitchen kitchesn watching his pleading gestures for admittance then she saw that the window was unlocked paul could easily open it himself he saw the change of expression on her face and caught its meaning st A moment reome later he was inthe kitchen with the window locked be 0 hind him paul looked sharply at her sit down reordered he ordered you look like a ghost have kou you any whiskey theres some brandy in the kitchen joan said her teeth were chattering she was shaking so io she could scarcely talk paul found the bottle nd end returned umed with vath it to the living room he held a small glass to her lips lipa drink he commanded the sweet liquor burned her throat but it warmed her paul was bending over the fireplace stirring the logs adding paper and kindling until the fire glowed with a bright blaze she watched him in silence until he bedad had finished now listen to me joan and listen carefully her green eyes regarded him with loathing spies 1 but you cant get aw away ay with it you cant keep me from going to the police I 1 youre very c lever clever arent you talking against karl while youre just as badi her voice had risen hysterically be quiet quie quintill till paul ordered do you want karl to come in litre here what do I 1 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 voices voice she did not reply my name is not paul sherman she sobbed that to me ine he took her nervous hands and held them tightly in his own its true I 1 speak german my gran grandmother d was german but I 1 I 1 am paul of the federal bureau of investigation the FBI silence the fire crackled and the rain poured against the windows the FBI joan repeated right weve suspected karl miller of subversive activities for a long time but we been beeb able to get conclusive evidence I 1 still got enough to convict him film hes too clever for that though I 1 believe he trusts me one reason is that I 1 speak his language 11 but why you tell me why you warn me he smiled ruefully this is government business joan im risking my neck by revealing e ealing my identity to you if karl finds out who I 1 am you know what will happen I 1 had to pretend to agree with him effin tonight you mean pretend to believe that I 1 shot eric it now karl will be sure of me he know that I 1 am here now I 1 came ahead of y you ou from the club and ive been walt waiting in g for you to come home joan wiped herb her eyes 1 I tried to telephone the police tide the phone is disconnected paul lit a cigarette 1 I know I 1 did it myself karls orders joan shuddered and fresh tears filled her eyes oh what a fool ive beell but I 1 loved him so much I 1 know things like this really happened I 1 thought all the spy talk was just propaganda what shall I 1 do now what can I 1 do do you know about karls wife color flooded her pale cheeks yes he told me tonight after you left the club he seemed very amused by the whole situation 1 I wanted to tell you joan but I 1 dare take the chance of karls finding out that jd id double crossed him you understand this business busine ss is more important than elther either of us 1 suddenly joan rose crying and sybill paul sybila not herel she left a note saying that something terrible had happened im afraid karl paul glanced at his watch almost one ll 11 paull she seized his arm do you think that karl would he shook shock hi shead 1 I dont know 1 I dont honestly know but I 1 have a plan listen carefully 11 joan anapa and paul 1 ul 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 1 I want you to stick it out joan to go on workings working for karl let him think youre afraid to go to the authorities ties Het must have confidence in ill his own power if we are ever going to betat get at the bottom of this the girl was silent its iiii our only chance paul said aid kiridly 1 I know how difficult it will be ba for you but if you went to the authorities now nothing could be proved I 1 any conclusive evidence against karl yet and hed certainly involve you in erics mur murder all right paul she said with sudden decision ull ill do it he patted herard her arm good giell birli karls sure to give himself away especially since he now thinks that becan trust me of course you understand der stand you are not to reveal my identity to anyone even your Ss sister sybill sybil paul what are we going to do about sybil 1 I dont know but I 1 cant seo see what karl would hi ava against her it do e ant add up TO BE CONTINUED |
