Show u f GEORGE M Jr RE LEASE 0 I THE TIlE STORY T THUS TAUS US FAR Zone Corey who hates herself for being meek and I I shy agrees to deliver some Invitations for her employers employer's wife It Is raining and She bursts Into tears A handsome stranger stranger stran from her he heI ger er stops and gets Jets her story rom I II Li tears up the Invitations and deposits them W in fn a s nearby trash basket Zone unable to toc I assert herself Is railroaded Into taking a aJob ao ao c Job she doesn't want by Admiral Duncan o r. r a se t grandfather of her fiance Paul Duncan Aboard the steamer Samoa en route to Hawaii Zone Zorie dances with Steve Pauls Paul's laT brother Steve Is the handsome stran- stran WE gel jer who had befriended her Paul Is furl furl- ous at Zone and refers to Steve as a Ji ai i It Nazi spy The admiral dictates some of his bis memoirs to Zone F W. W CHAPTER VIII oA She looked at them both with dis- dis may I I I think were we're doing nicely nicey nicely nice nice- ly y she said in a voice 1 J There I cried the admiral with a aI triumphant chortle I If Zone Zorie I Steve said in a shocked f v voice oice He was looking at her as if ifT T 11 he didn't believe itt it r t I ClI never thought you'd let me met men n t own down he said softly Then he heIt It well well well- very slowly Oh HOh only a book t ik I HI cant can't think any more the ad- ad tt l miral said You might as well wellI I ago go Zorie Zone u Irl 1 With a hour half-hour to tb spare Zorie Zone es BL went ent up to A Deck She hoped she J might see Steve All she wanted was was to tell him aim why she hadn't LL L u t. t 4 h backed him mm up in his nis argument argument wi wim J ithe the admiral She wanted to explain that she considered it a family matter mater mat- mat ter er in which she had no voice j te She walked aft The bar door was pen open A smart-looking smart haired gray-haired 5 oman was at the bar alone having havinga m a cocktail tJ fl Zorie Zone hesitated If it was customary customary cus- cus tomary for unescorted women to tol drink rink at the bar why shouldn't she A drink might steady her l t I She walked to the bar sat down on onI ona ona a stool and ordered a Martini She I told herself she really needed it She needed courage No matter what hat happened this evening she AJ would need courage Alcohol gave I false courage but false courage was iwas better than none iT Zorie Zone had done very little drink drink- ing mg The Martini the bartender I stirred and placed before her was I different from any cocktail I she had ever ever tasted It was delicious The iCy spicy liquid was soothing to her aching throat nl f It was almost six She paid for her drinks walked once around Ithe deck to enjoy her glowing feeling feel- feel J Ling ing g then went down to the admirals admiral's ad- ad miral's suite u l j When she opened the door her herA A stateroom was dark She switched k n the light The room was filled with a pale fog of smoke but jit t wasn't cigarette smoke It was cigar cigar ci- ci gar smoke She supposed that Win Win- Lanning had tad been een here with BrAmber Amber and had smoked a cigar M She sat down on Ambers Amber's bed and waited for the phone to ring She was facing her own bed under which her er trunk was visible She looked at it for some time without actually f if seeing it thinking of Steve and hoping hop hop- filing ing he would phone Zorie Zone was Suddenly aware that something was wrong When she had come in here hereafter hereafter hereafter after work this afternoon she had pulled out the trunk put her notebook notebook notebook note note- book in it locked it and pushed it back under wider the bed But she had pushed it under the bed with the lock facing out The lock was now facing the wall and the hinged side i was was facing out t e She got up Amber no doubt had been up to more of her diabolical picks iCks icks yv Zorie Zone pulled the trunk out and unI unblocked un un- un- un unlocked locked blocked and opened it I f The stenographers stenographer's book was not where she had placed it 1 She searched the trunk hurriedly but she could not find the notebook The notebook was gone I r It now occurred to Zorie Zone as she sher f kneeled there with chills prancing over over her that something else was missing It was the young Bavarian engineering students student's treatise CIA treatise A Critical t-Critical Critical Survey of the tooling Re-tooling of j the Krupp Plant for C Increased Wartime Production rr She was trying to think calmly Her first assumption had been that Amber S had stolen the notebook and treatise in a final effort to force her herr r Ito to move out of this stateroom Then she recalled the cigar smoke she d had smelled when she first came in Amber b r would not be likely ely to to have hav a key mat would nt lit this lOCK or the 1 skill necessary to pick it She must do something but she shed shedid shedid did d not know what to do When the admiral learned that his day days day's s dictation dictation dictation dic- dic tation was lost he would be furious I tHe He would blame her If she went to Paul he might spoil everything by doing the wrong thing The logical logi- logi cal K fr leal cal person to consult was Steve But ButI I 1 she she did not trust Steve Steve- Whatever 1 was as happening Steve was in it j Her earlier suspicions returned y 1 J Steve had lived in Germany and j 1 turned Nazi The Lannings in spite tl of his defense of them were doubtless doubtless doubtless doubt- doubt less Nazis too And the powerful- powerful looking Booking man with scrubby red hair who had several times stared at ather ather her so searchingly searchingly-he he was obviously obvious- obvious ly in with them and that made him hima 1 ra a Nazi too She recalled how he Amber and rr her uncle had each in turn stared fJ at her Why It had been obvious yi that t Amber had mistaken her for someone else One of them had stolen the notebook notebook note- note book and the engineering treatise ik They must suspect that she was in some way involved involved but but in what It was puzzling and alarming She would sh she decided talk to Steve about it but not yet She wanted to think things over She wanted first of all another Martini Zorie Zone went to the bar She was drinking a Martini when a suave familiar voice said Well I was beginning beginning beginning be be- ginning to think you were being kept packed away in jewelers jeweler's cotton She looked around into Winthrop Lannings Lanning's dark handsome saturnine saturnine saturnine satur satur- nine nine face His lids were partly lowered lowered lowered low low- ered and she noticed the little s star star- ar- ar shaped scar under his left eye Only one corner of his mouth was smil smil- ing It gave him a sinister air She wondered if he had gone into her stateroom opened her trunk and taken the notebook and treatise She wondered who he thought she was and what he thought she was doing You know he said Im awfully awful awful- ly curious about y you u. u Why Zorie Zone asked Her voice sounded squeaky to her She was frightened She was afraid of this man and what he represented but she was trying to keep it out of her expression Lets sit down and have a drink he said and Ill I'll tell you There is something about you that baffles me Zorie Zone wondered what this really meant He had certainly seen her j 1 r rf f Jr J- J y r ti sr a v S' S Si i l r z J Y 1 i Pierre Savoyard said nothing He stared in Ellery ton talking with Steve beside beside beside be be- side the telephone pole in the rain He must know now what was in inthe inthe inthe the notebook and he must have read the treatise Instinct warned her to tobe tobe tobe be very careful to say little or nothing She wished that Steve would come along Why Mr Lanning she said in a small voice Well he said youre a beautiful beautiful beau beau- t ul woman You have beautiful ul hair you have heavenly eyes and an exquisite nose and a delicious mouth Why Why Zorie Zone echoed Yes why Yes why Why are you doing everything you can to conceal the facts Why do you wear your hair as you do Why do you go without makeup Why do you dress so deliberately deliberately deliberately de de- de- de to hide the fact that you are beautiful Zories Zorie's cheeks were burning She said as calmly as she could I happen to be engaged to a man who disapproves of makeup and frivolous clothes His eyes and his smile were were knowing know know- ing Ah he said softly But it goes deeper than that Miss Corey The Chinese have a saying The saying The flower of love does not thrive on tears Something of the kind also applies to loveliness Loveliness does not thrive on neglect neglect or or on a determination to be unlovely Do you see my point Zorie Zone wanted to say that he was rude de and That h how being bein n prying hat she did her ner nair hair ana and what she did aid about her face and her body was none of his business Not quite she said meekly The waiter brought their drinks Do liDo it again Mr Lanning said Then to Zorie Zone With you I believe believe believe be be- lieve its it's a state of mind You are inherently a great actress You become become become be be- come whatever you wish to be Its It's amazing isn't it And a great tal tal- tal- tal ent He was staring at her hard now She felt a familiar fluttering in her heartSo heartSo heartSo heart So now Mr Lanning said you are somebody's fiancee How did you like Ellery ton I hated it Zorie Zone said impulsive impulsive- ly Ah Ahl Yes But you would Why would I But why not he laughed Consider Consider Consider Con sider Ellery ton Zorie Zone drank her Martini The waiter took her glass away and put putdown putdown putdown down a full one in its place Mr Lanning said carelessly Do it again He looked rather pleased Zone thought and she wondered why My liMy niece tells me youre you're doing secretarial work Zories Zorie's heart gave a sickening thump Yes she said She hesitated hesitated hesitated hesi hesi- then went on Im helping Admiral Duncan with his autobiography raphy said Really J Mr Lanning That must must be very interesting His smile was mocking His eyes were narrow and knowing Zone Zorie had a sense of something mysterious and threatening and ugly happening happening happen happen- in ing just under tt the s surface I He spoke rapidly in French She looked at him blankly Oh Dont Don't you understand French he said No Mr Lanning odd he said very odd Why Zorie Zone gasped You might have a command of so many tongues 4 But But tell me why Well Vell he said laughing mystery mystery mystery mys tery is always intriguing Someone has stopped beside the table Miss Corey Coxey Mr Lanning said in his graceful way this is my friend friend my my companion Pierre companion Pierre Sav Sav- How do you do Zorie Zone said faintly Pierre Savoyard said nothing He stared Miss Corey Mr Lanning said is helping Admiral Duncan write his autobiography She says it is I very interesting work Truly Pierre Savoyard said He had a soft low voice Zorie Zone felt that she was on trial She wished Steve or Paul would come along She was frightened Beyond Mr Savoyard she suddenly saw Amber Lanning Amber was sleek and beautiful in I midnight blue She was walking slowly past Her eyes were nar nar- rowed She nodded slightly and walked on The nod Zorie Zone realized was meant for her uncle He had evidently given her some kind of sig sig- sig- sig nal Zorie Zone felt a chill dart along her spine Her mouth was so dry she could hardly swallow The waiter had replaced her empty cocktail glass with still another full one She drank it hastily and glanced at Mr l Lanning then at Pierre Savoyard For an instant she saw in his face determination It made him more I sinister than ever I He said in his deep voice It has been een so nice meeting you Miss Cor Cor- ey ey He walked on He disappeared Amber had haQ disappeared too Zorie Zone felt dizzy The The room had I started to revolve She squeezed her eyes shut and gave her head a little shake She opened her eyes She still felt dizzy Ir T Hor Mr Lanning canning LannIng she said saia salO i 1 havea nave have navea a date You'll have to excuse me Her voice sounded thick the words fuzzy Those Martinis How many had she had Three Four Five Her face felt cold and damp Mr Lanning was rising She could not see his face too clearly She stood up hoping she could still walk She made her way uncertainly uncertainly uncertainly un un- certainly to the door and went on deck The cool strong sea breeze felt wonderful on her face She went to the rail The phrase walk it off went through her mind There was nothing nothing nothing noth noth- ing to do but walk it off She started up the deck Everything Everything Everything Every Every- thing had a glassy look A man in ina a white coat and black trousers I was slowly coming along the deck toward her She was sure it was Paul He stopped a few feet away from her She could not see his face very clearly but she saw the anger in his clear green gray-green eyes Will you please explain this he said grimly What t Zorie Zone asked Look at you You can hardly stand up You'd better take a good long walk With you Zorie Zone asked wrong he said savagely savage savage- ly with Mr Lanning Did you see us Yes I saw you Hes a horrible man But the type you evidently pre pre- fer He walked rapidly away Zorie Zone stood looking a after ter him h hurt rt and re re- re- re But he was right She shouldn't have had those drinks with Mr Lanning She would never do such a thing again She loved Paul and she wanted to please him He carried himself so well she thought he had such fine shoulders such a beautiful head She continued along her uncertain course She felt confused and fright fright- ened The things Mr Lanning had said the questions he had asked had been meaningless yet full of ot dark significance It was evident that he suspected her of being someone someone someone some some- one else that his niece and Mr Savoyard also suspected it Why was it odd that she didn't speak French Why had he said You become whatever you wish to be Its It's amazing isn't it And a great talent Why had they stolen the notebook and the treatise If they were Nazi agents and agents and she was sure they were of of what did they suspect her or orthe orthe orthe the girl she resembled TO BE CONTINUED I S |