Show I y CHILD OF EVIL 0 O oc OCTAVUS g ROY COHEN HEN f. f SERVICE By OCTAVUS ROY COHEN SYNOPSIS photographer Beautiful young to pose Kay for r Forrest a aVS series has of pictures been employed the background b by Christine of ot which Maynard be exquisite Cathedral Gardens famous will Southern one Jeff Butler mean resort r nr t Unknown to thc them unscrupulous swamp an angel ancel cl on the two women Kay of has led lcd a friend to spy te necessity Is S camera studies Kay frequently frequent S stays with SH scantily Mrs Ruth clad while posing for theney the ney or of whom Kay is very fond and her daughter Ruth Margaret Hamilton M Mrs her Hamilton son Bar Bar- remarkable a woman conceived the idea of the Gardens her husband One nIght alter after a local following the death of dance Kirk Reynolds a do U we or of gambler Beverly a resort town and Kay Kaj go for a ride Kirks Kirk's c car r collides Hides with that of Harvey Jackson and during the ensuing argument n K Kirk irk tragedy a gun and kills the young youns- popular ur engineer Kay Is completely tely SIMS SIM'S stunned whips by out Si the CHAPTER III III-Continued III Continued 4 Kays Kay's hands were clasped in her lap ap her figure racked by dry sobs Oh Kirk it was so awful Lay Layoff off that Im I'm trying to be bekind bekind kind cind but you wont won't let me She said Will Vill you go away No That'd be a dumb play Then heyd they'd know I did it But if you stay in Beverly Ive got to And youve you've got to play along with me His hand fell fellon fellon on cn her wrist Youve got to see His voice frightened her The kindliness kindliness kindliness kind kind- liness had gone from it It had become become be- be come the sort of voice he had used with Harvey Jackson Cold Bit Bit- ter Inviting no argument She said I dont don't understand Murder is murder he explained flatly A uA man can only be hanged once Does that tell you anything No IINo Then listen You saw something tonight You know I dont don't bluff If you open your mouth to anyone you'll get the same dose Jackson got Calmly Quietly Just like that If you Say a word to anybody Ill I'll kill you too She was like one hypnotized but the recent tragedy tragedy tragedy trag trag- edy had been too vividly seared on her young br brain in to admit of doubt Im scaring you because you need to be scared His tone was conversational I want you to realize realize realize real real- ize just what youre you're up against But Kirk you couldn't No UNo He laughed mirthlessly A Aman r man will 11 do n a h e o a n f th t n H u U up p o UL o u save his own hide Youre You're just a kid dd Youre You're all shot to hell by what you just saw Youre You're figuring youve you've got ot to talk to someone Right She said nothing made no ture He continued d be likely to tell your fa- fa ther her Or Gr this Hamilton guy Im I'm warm u dont don't Still sue Sie did not answer Here Heres s why he went on And Andi I dont don't wax warn o iO o make it any tougher on you than 1 can help Only youve you've got to understand For your own sake His hands were tight on the wheel It HIt wont won't be safe for anybody anybody any- any body jody to know what happened to- to night light If H you tell your old man man or or Barney Hamilton Hamilton they'll they'll try to do something about it That wont won't be healthy for them But they had nothing to do with it t. t be in it the minute you spill a word And remember what I said before they cant can't kill me any deader for killing three men than for killing one That damnable logic again Cold 1 statement of cold fact r Id do it You saw enough to tonight tonight tonight to- to night to know I would So for their sakes you keep em out of it A pause and then And one more thing Maybe you'll figure that if you squealed Id I'd be thrown in jail and everybody would be safe Well Vell that dont don't go either My dice deal er Dan Dan Ive Ive I've enough on him to toI hang him twice over If I wanted to I get someone and couldn't on couldn't-on on acCount acI account ac ac- ac- ac I count of being in jail jail jail-he'd hed he'd do it for forI I me And be glad of the chance l They passed a big white house set far ar back from the road A plantation planta plant a- a tion tion Kay saw people on the broad I high ligh veranda heard snatches of laughter aughter and the syncopation of a jazz orchestra playing in some gay New York night spot and in intruding intruding in- in l into this southern tragedy through the loud speaker of a radio I Put yourself in my place said Kirk Then UThen you'll know Im In Innot not bluffing l She could put herself in his place that was the staggering thing She knew that he was telling no less than the truth She of all persons in the world had reason to know that he was deadly and cold cold- blooded She felt terribly young and alone This Kirk said is uis between you and me There are liable to tobe tobe tobe be questions And youre you're not to know the answers Is that perfectly clear dear r She said I cant can't think JI I. I have time enough for that His words were close But whatever you think think always always remember member this anyone else who knows about this is going to find himself in a lot of trouble S e Beverly is bisected by State Highway HighWay Highly High High- Way ly No 11 which runs due east and andest West est and digresses only briefly at Monument Square to circle the venerable two-story two brick courthouse courthouse court court- house boUSe which stands solidly and sol- sol under tinder benevolent old oak trees wees hiAt At either end of the town on this hi highway are new and impressive t I archways designed by leading carPenters carl car- car l Penters enters and flaunting to the tourist k orld sentiments collaborated on by Prominent members of the local ocal i-hamber i amber of Commerce who daily ft view the fruit of their literary activities activities ac ac- ac- ac with pride Entering the town from east or west you are confronted by this WELCOME TO BEVERLY Pop Departing the tourist glimpses the reverse side of the same archway archway archway arch arch- way and is edified by another literary literary literary lit lit- confection PLEASED TO HAVE MET YOU COME AGAIN TO BEVERLY Pop Artistically and perhaps esthetically esthetically cally the signs are intriguing however however however how how- ever little they might seem to blend with the sleepy tranquillity of the little little lit lit- tle southern town They are wrong however in one important respect the optimistic Chamber of Commerce Commerce Commerce Com Com- merce being inclined to ignore cold facts Some few persons resent an exaggeration exaggeration exaggeration ex ex- which defies the Federal census of 1930 Government figures proclaim to the world that the municipality municipality municipality mu mu- of Beverly has resi resi- dents Members of the Chamber of Commerce declare frequently officially officially and vehemently that this count is untrue and that there has been deliberate and unforgivable discrimination They appear to believe believe believe be be- lieve that such an undercount is a cataclysmic thing affecting the well-being well of the entire world and their assertion that five sixty hun hun- dred persons reside in in- in inthe the the little i town is merely a method of answering this libel All AU right is the effect of their statement well tell the world how many people we think we have These sign-boards sign are a direct and proximate result of the successful launching of Cathedral Gardens With the Gardens completed the gravel road leading to them freshly scraped the White Star Hotel newly papered papered papered-in in spots spots leading leading citizens and business men conceived the idea that tourists might come to visit awhile The signs were were therefore erected and casual arrangements made to entertain a few strangers But for some reason which Beverly never could quite understand the fame of the Gardens spread over over- night There were other beautiful Gardens in the South many of them whose fame had been broadcast for decades but there was something about this new place of Mrs Hamilton's Hamiltons Hamiltons Hamilton's Hamiltons Hamilton's Ham Ham- ilton's which intrigued the fancy of tourist tourists They came not singly but butin butin butin in battalions They descended upon the somnolent little town and swarmed about its streets And since Beverly was a considerable distance from any large city city being being therefore a metropolis of sorts the sorts the tourists usually remained for two three or four days They visited Cathedral Gardens in inthe inthe inthe the early morning They flocked there during all the daylight hours i And almost invariably they remained remained remained re re- re- re in anticipation of moonlight nights when the Gardens reached the zenith of enchantment Visitors wrote to their friends Of course Cathedral Gardens are beyond description You must see them But when you do come plan to stay a few days This is a n queer little town but lot lots of fun The hotel hotel hotel ho ho- tel isn't half haU bad and theres there's dancing dancing dancing ing every night One good picture- picture house and several places along the roads serve barbecue sandwiches which are worth driving a few miles to get There are other things too The proprietor will tip you off if he thinks youre you're safe safe believe believe it or not notto notto notto to to a game dice-game on the second floor Regular table crap-table and its it's fun provided provided provided pro pro- vided you dont don't mind losing a little We have stayed five days and were we're coming back when the azaleas are over and the lotus season begins They say that's going to be breath breath- taking And on more than one occasion letters were from gentlemen gentlemen gentlemen gen gen- tourists to other gentlemen gentle gentle- men who might become tourists These letters touched on another point u. u And in addition to all that Jim old man theres there's plenty of hotha hot- hot cha ha here If youre you're lonely meet Miss Henkel the beauty operator in the hotel She's easy on the eyes and and boy I how tropic The rest is up to you As a matter of fact the whole thing is a miracle I cant can't help wondering what the timers old-timers in this burg think of the jazz inva inva- sion P S. S This Henkel dame answers to the name of Babe What she answers is something else again A word to the wise is foolish It had taken Beverly no time at atall atall atall all to become tourist-conscious tourist nor norto norto norto to exploit its visitors Robbie Morse raised the price for his best rooms to two dollars a day and never quite oriented himself to the fact I that it was paid without question Pleasant homes on streets jutting off oft from Monument Square placed signs in their front yards Tourists Tour Accommodated and some of them assumed names The Gray House Meals House Meals Beds for Tourists Welcome to Ye Olde Inne Chicken Chick Chick- en Dinners and Comfortable Rooms Rooms Meals Free Parking Make This Your Headquarters Headquarters Headquarters Head Head- quarters While Visiting Cathedral Gardens And all of this had happened suddenly suddenly sud sud- denly and bewilderingly to a town which for more than two hundred years had dozed placidly under southern skies a town which was bordered on the east by Big Moccasin Moccasin Moccasin Moc Moc- casin Swamp and on all other sides by tradition a town where business business business busi busi- ness had been proof depression-proof and proof boom-proof a town unaware of the outside world except on those infrequent in infrequent infrequent in- in frequent occasions when the nation nation nation na na- na- na tion had indulged in warfare Beverly Beverly Beverly Bev Bev- erly was startled business men applauded ap ap- A little roadster having as passengers passengers pas pas- Kay Forrest and Barney I I Hamilton approached Beverly from the east bumped across the railroad railroad railroad rail rail- railI I road tracks and moved slowly up Palmetto Avenue toward Monument Square The Square re was crowded Outside Outside Outside Out Out- side the White Star Hotel was a fleet of cars most of them wearing the license plates of other States The general trend of passenger traffic was eastward toward Cathedral a b A man can only be hanged once Gardens Farmers in from the I country in trap rattle flivvers searched despairingly for parking space and cursed Beverly's new pop pop- The Constable on duty at atthe atthe atthe the Square made large and frantic gestures in an entirely futile effort to regulate traffic Barney asked a question Home Yes Right away Yes He said Youre funny You haven't even been to town in two weeks and now you have to run home Why I must Really Before you get out out out- he started What Well VeIl I suppose its it's none of my business and I swore I wasn't going going going go go- ing to butt in Go ahead Barney All right He drew a deep breath wrong wrong with what With you The smile died from her eyes She said Nothing Tell that to somebody else I know there is What makes you think so Lots of things It started the day after you went to the dance with Kirk Reynolds two weeks ago Youve You've been different And you haven't even wanted to come to town until this morning Its It's almost as though you were afraid of some some- thing She said Maybe I am Then spill it You know how I feel about you How She tried to relieve the tension Lets put it that Im I'm a sap which might explain why I love lov you Her face flushed and she touched his hand ever so gently But darn it dont don't you see where that puts me I want to help and you wont won't let me Youre You're stalling She said earnestly Im not not not- really Theres There's nothing wrong He shrugged You win Ill I'll check out Barney I Please He turned on her then his blond boyish face serious Lets talk turkey turkey turkey tur tur- tur- tur key Kay Something happened when you came into town two weeks ago ngo When I drove you in you were bright and happy The next I day you came back to the Gardens all shot to hell Mother and Margaret Margaret Mar garet have both noticed lit it Ive I've seen it in your eyes Youre You're scared and dont don't say Im I'm wrong either She shook her head uy You ou may not be wrong Barney but I still cant can't explain Kirk Reynolds is mixed up in it isn't he lie She was startled What makes you think so Ive got to think it Whatever the trouble is it started the night you went to the dance with him Yes Her eyes were somber As a matter of fact Barney that's why Im I'm in town today Why To see Kirk But why What's the big idea of wasting your time on a louse like him She said Ive got to talk to him that's all I can tell you The boys boy's eyes narrowed That telephone call you got last night was that from him Yes He UHe told you to come in hi this morning morning morning morn morn- ing He asked me to And you wont won't explain what's eating on you Barney I I cant can't It isn't that I dont don't want to I see He spoke gently Listen Listen Listen Lis ten honey honey theres there's theres a lot of nasty talk going around regarding Kirk Reynolds You haven't heard it because because because be be- cause you haven't been in town in inthe inthe inthe the last two weeks And I haven't told you But Ill I'll tell you this much I I dont don't like the idea of your playing playing playing play play- ing around with him She said I dont don't either Barney But this morning Ive I've got to see see him Check I wish you'd tell teU me what's what I would if I could He lighted a cigarette with fingers which were none too steady Going Going Go ing back to the Gardens tonight Yes With me I hope so Ill pick you up here at five Oke Right So now She put a warm hand over his in brief caress Then she jumped out of the car and moved up the walkway toward the veranda of her home He looked after her with troubled eyes awful wrong |