Show STORM MUSIC AJ by bomford yates copyright by million balch co service SYNOPSIS i john spencer and his cousin geoffrey cohun are vacationing in austria geoffrey frey Is is gifted portrait painter but prefers prefer to paint landscapes while trolling strolling in tho the forest john hears eng ene elsh voices and decides to investigate from safe caf cover he finds tour four men burying a man in green livery who evidently vl dently had been murdered pharaoh lj Is the th leader of 0 the gang bang the others are ra dewdrop rush and bugle bugla unfortunately tuna tely john makes himself known to the assassins by dropping dropp lne a letter with his name naine and address on it lie tells geoffrey and hla his chauffeur earlcy barley of misadventure his adventure geoffrey realizing ahat that johns john life to Is in danger declares he roust must vanish spencer discovers that the livery of the murdered man corre ponds to the livery ot of the servants of castle and tells countess helena na mistress tres of the castle what he had ad seen with geoffrey and barley john starts for annabel a nearby 11 CHAPTER I 1 continued 3 you tou go in lie he said and hare bave a look at the rooms I 1 lina imagine ine quite all right but you never can tell I 1 left err him fillan a pipe and walked to the reaping hook this was a pleasant inn standing back from the road As I 1 entered the great stone taproom it was clear that all was not well it now seemed clear that some brawl or other had lately disordered the house and I 1 began to wonder whether the host was absent because he be had buffered some hurt the poor womans comans state rate however forbade my questioning her and indeed as soon as she saw me she threw her apron over her head and abandoned herself to her grief L I 1 therefore turned to the scullion and asked him where his master might be but the man seemed dull of compre asked him where his M master aster might be henshon and I 1 had to shake him by the shoulder before at last he muttered that the host was upstairs I 1 made my way to the staircase which rose from the hall and a moment later had gained a fine broad passage which ran the length of the house since the stairs rose again I 1 was about to go higher when ben the door of a room was opened and the maid ghobad passed me came out wide eyed and breathless the matter I 1 cried wheres your master she pointed to the room she had left and tied led downstairs I 1 now began to think that the man must be dead for he was a mild old fellow and not at all tile the sort that drinks himself into a fury and puts his household in fear I 1 walked to the door and stood listening before I 1 knocked for a quarter of a minute I 1 listened but heard beard no sound and my hand was raised ready to lo knock when somebody spoke and before he be had spoken three words I 1 knew the answers to tile the riddles which I 1 had been trying to tolve solve I 1 knew why the house was bisor and why I 1 had not been received I 1 knew why the maid was trembling and why tile the housewife was in tears and I 1 knew that be they never dever so pleasing the rooms at the reaping heaping hook I were not for geoffrey and toe me for the voice was the voice of pharaoh who was speaking pretty fair german and was recommending the landlord to do as he sald said CHAPTER II 11 plumage As I 1 I 1 stole away from that door I 1 know that toy my knees were loose so 0 often as I 1 remember that my hand was wag raised ready to knock the sweat will start upon my forehead I 1 passed down the passage a tiptoe as well I 1 might wondering if ever before two men had been at such pains to avoid the foe only to choose for their harbor the camp for mat anat of course was the use to which he be was waa putting the inn I 1 WM was halfway down the stairs which rose rom la two flights and the doorway of f the tb inn WM was before me when ben thore cam came to my mj ears the tiara slam of the door of 0 a car I 1 believe that I 1 stopped instinctively but almost before I 1 could think a figure was in the doorway a little wiry figure and was heading straight for the stairs it was my old friend dewdrop now I 1 saw ina in a lash flash that unless of the four it was he that had been lying in wait to identify me at lass I 1 stood a very fair chance of being no more than suspected as I 1 went by I 1 therefore held on my way and since he was looking down dewdrop did not perceive me until he was three steps off and then our eyes met for an instant ills surprise was his undoing As plain ns as though he had said so BO ikney I 1 knew that lie he knew who I 1 was and the second he spent in staring served my turn As his fingers flew to his mouth I 1 lilt hit him under tile the jaw and leaped for the door now all would have apen very well it if I 1 had not made one mistake I 1 had had the advantage of dewdrop for he had been standing below me and I 1 was the heavier man put but the hall below us was lagged flagged and I 1 was afraid to hit hard lest lie he should topple backwards and split his skull on tile the stone and so though trough the blow was heavy it was not heavy denoo enough gh lay hold of me lie he could not for ills his balance was gone but as I 1 gained the forecourt ills his piercing whistle rao rans out my cousin heard it I 1 saw him lie ile had his back to the inn and the bonnet of the rolls was open and he was in making aking some adjustment sp spanner arnner in hand for an instant he stared and then the bonnet was shuts shut and the spanner was in his pocket and a pistol was in his hand before I 1 could speak take the wheel said geoffrey and back her the way we came theres a corner a hundred yards back turn her around there and walt wait Is that their car yes but quick cried my cousin and started to stroll to the inn As I 1 flung myself into the rolls I 1 saw dewdrop running towards us stop in his tracks As norfrey Geol Trey fired the fellow turned and doubled dodging from side to side to rny my amazement my cousin began to give chase the engine of the bolls was running and I 1 let in the clutch then I 1 lifted the car towards geoffrey across the road A closed car was standing in the forecourt beside the door of the inn As dewdrop whipped behind it my cousin fired cred again then he turned to see me waiting six paces away pharaoh was standing in the doorway with a hand to his hip as he drew arms rush thrust out from behind him and sent him against the jamb I 1 shall always believe that this blunder saved geoffreym Geoff reys lire life I 1 had never stopped tile the rolls and as geoffrey leaped for the step I 1 let her go in that instant two shots were bred and a bullet went by my face to splinter the driving mirror and then we were flashing through the village geoffrey was speaking im much obal obliged ed my son cut but another time you simply must do as I 1 say its you after not me and now please put her along ive holed their petrol tank so I 1 baldly hardly think start all the same I 1 believe in distance twenty minutes later we glided out of a byroad by road on to a grass grown track where this curled into a thicker I 1 threw out the clutch sly god said geoffrey and wiped the sweat from his face and after all that trouble to cover our tracks rate fate beats the band sometimes and now tell me exactly what happened I 1 told him the truth colossal says he colossal theres no other word however theres no barin h arm done lie ile pulled out a map and now lets see eee where we are we ran through a village called wagen some four miles back we were twenty two miles from plumage and the hour was just one ten tea with the goddess be spid said at live what could be better but I 1 dont want to wait till then besides we must find a lod lodging ing 0 0 0 0 plumage lay more than two miles from the hl high b road the farm was set on the hoor floor 0 of a fair sized valley that ran due west the dwelling itself was handsome white and gray and low with shutters of olive green 1 I must try and paint that said bald geoffrey the world will say its unnatural but never mind we stole down the lane in silence and as I 1 brought brou glit the car to rest lady helena yorick came out of the house and behind her a great alsatian a very beautiful hound here for the first time I 1 saw how truly lovely she was I 1 introduced my cousin and the lady gave him her hand 1 I know your work she said you ton painted my mothers brother six years ago in philadelphia geoffrey said ite he carried his head a as you yon do and he had bad the sania same blue black hair for a moment they spoke of her mothers american home I plumage lumage said geoffrey deserves its beautiful name will you let me paint it one day when the battle Is done lady nelena helena laughed 1 I see she elie said that you yon have been reading the map for a moment I 1 stared then this yorick I 1 cried no said bald geoffrey but its tt on the yorick estate yorick itself 1 Is three bree miles beyond these woods and six miles from annabel bald aid lady helena that abat mr bohun do you still propose to stay there no bald geoffrey we dont wed Wei e eer er alian changed ed our minds im glad to hear lt it said the girl ir spencer la Is rather headstrong and he seem to consider that hes rather too young to die lady helena then turned to the bench on the left of tile the door lets thrash this out she said she took tooh her seat in the middle and we sat one on each side you may take it from me she ghe said that this la Is no ordinary case I 1 know v what hat these men are out for and not going to stand any rot if it was my jewels they could have them young florin was above rubles but they are not arter after my jewels after something which mine 03 ine to give them had and which they will never bevc r get now how ayou think they feel about mr air spencer they know that lie has the power not only to ruin their game but to send them to prison and death of course I 1 cant answer for them the but it if I 1 were in their position ill tell you how I 1 should feel I 1 should not rest until sir spencer was dead im inclined to agree digree 1 said geoffrey it said as much this morning I 1 should have said you were wrong wron for I 1 think the return of h his Is letter was an order to him to clear out our cut but now the case Is altered through no fault of his own hes given them reason to think that he bi means to treat this order with all the contempt it deserves now mark you it v his fault we bumped into them at annabel made the inn there their headquarters and john walked into their arms my illy god said the girl cut but as you see said geoffrey he also walked out to toll tell you the truth we had the best of the brush gut but speaking perfectly frankly I 1 fear that the damage Is done they believe that hes out to get them and if he leaves the country I 1 give you my word I 1 think follow him out you toil say lady andy helena said that you had the best of the brush we put their car out of action they wont be able to move more for awen ty four hours a start worth having ile he could be in london tomorrow if you left salzburg tonight my cousin sighed lly lady he said for one till thing n he go and for another it be any use their findle finding that letter was deadly it bore his london address then to be done lie he must have his wish said geoffrey fate has played into ills his hands and the only thin thing he be can do Is to stand and fight I 1 lady helena rose As geoffrey and I 1 stood up im sorry she said coldly from what sir bir spencer told me I 1 fully believed I 1 could count upon your support lies hes very young and downright and he can see nothing but red but I 1 fully believed you would see that ray my consent must be given before you took on these men the man who Is dead was my servant and the men are after my goods it if you stand and fight you will therefore be fighting my battle and that gives me the clear right to decline your help and I 1 do decline it mr bohun you cannot enter this quarrel without helping me and I 1 do not desire your assistance if londona Lon dons not safe then leave for paris tonight im damned it rm im going said bald t L lady helena turned upon me with blazing eyes 1 I beg your pardon ily blood was up op and I 1 gave her back look for look 1 I said im banned if rm fin going and ill tell you another thing im t my lady sat down by my side damned it im going to be treated a as though I 1 were seven years old lady helena did not reply I 1 suddenly felt ashamed uneasily I 1 turned I 1 to my cousin but he had strolled down the apron and was regarding his barn for a moment I 1 hesitated then I 1 made my way to the farther side of the rolls and there I 1 was sitting on the run ning board staring on the beauty b me and cursing my unruly tongue when I 1 heard a step on the pa pavement rement and before I 1 could move my iny indy sat down by my side bide where lire yon staying she uld aro TO ul OK corn A HEW |