Show HE LOVED Is ov U mph A py E ay BELL SYLVIA TAYLOR favl no v sv v w IN N U llyle THE STORY SO FAR joan leland secretary to importer arthur Mul tord li Is discharged disc hargea dy by W ahlm and refused 1 I any V ex she takes a similar post rian atlon ita handsome karl miller proprietor light club who pays her generou sly unusual late hours 0 of work he gets for or her sister ayou a new job and joan IH in love with him his club man mail paul sherman baerman warns her about I 1 hut girl but refuses to give elve any reas reason 0 n V rescues her from the un unwanted w a n t e d and nd later In lovema kint ot or eric strom karls busl busi I 1 1 sybil suspects karls moue partner cesi its tnt bug join joan defends him they hoard board freighter bp phlp apparently a as a lark and as they leave joan botic notices e that it pul ua had aaa followed them she remains rein ains silent about this later karl lends ends joan with a package to the captain paul follows again brug her one night before christmas eric arrives suddenly and karl asks joan to leave the office nw now continue with the story 1 CHAPTER VIII the club was as crowded with a gay holiday oliday ji gr group 0 up joan went into the tar bar and took her place on a tall stool something to drink miss leland one of the attendants asked no thank you joan said im waiting for mr miller she looked at her watch exactly ten she hoped karl would not be long she was jealous of each moment be spent with anyone else she was so deep in her own thoughts that she did not hear paul sherman until he spoke a second tinie time fancy finding you here he was saying as lie he caught her attention im waiting for karl paul smiled ruefully 1 I might have bave known it are we going through this again joan asked its christmas time paul I 1 im happy and I 1 dont want to quarrel with anyone pauls brown eyes twinkled even me even you she said firmly lets call a truce shall we its a deal and to prove it how about a dance with me she hesitated but paul pulled her to her feet 1 I wont take no for an answer even karl cant begrudge me one dance paul was an excellent dancer and joan was relieved that he seemed resigned to the situation she really wanted to be friends with everyone to share her happiness with the whole world there was pity in paul shermans Sher mans brown eyes but joan did not see it As light as a feather slie she danced in his arms over her head pauls serious face belied his gay attempt at bantering conversation you have the cutest turned up nose he informed her but it suit the rest of you a dubious compliment joan smiled your nose gives you away for just what you are a cute kid paul laughed and so did she cute kid karl called her beautiful glamorous exciting paul sherman thought she was vas just a cute kid it proved how much more sophisticated karl was yet if she had never met karl she would have been fond of paul he was young good looking and intelligent karl however holeve r had so BO much more to offer off er he had lived he was experienced there was a mystery about him that set him apart i from all others there was even a subtle fascination about his guttural accent karl represented power and strength karl im still here paul reminded her breaking into her dream sorry joan admitted id almost forgotten the orchestra filed out for an intermission ter mission 1 I think ill go back to the office 11 joan said karl said hed send for me in ten minutes and its been much longer than that eric strom is there eric strom right and karl teem too pleased about it 1 I advise you to go back then paul said frowning im worried she confess confessed Ld about karl 1 karl can take care of himself P paul aul said lighting a cigarette but joan felt a sudden inner compulsion im going anyway any she told paul he made a step as if TO detain her then apparently reversing his decision walked to the bar joan hurried down the long corridor corridor exactly as she had done so anany lany times before but fear hastened her footsteps fear for karl she did not trust eric strom she had been alarmed by his expression if anything happens to karl the thought U gh As she he reached ched the door she heard the ie two men arguing violently then there was a shot followed by a crash karll joan screamed flinging open the door but it was eric strom who lay upon the floor there was a gun inside beside his hand her eyes sought karls fearfully lie he killed himself she faltered karl shut the door pick up that pin gun I 1 he commanded shuddering joan obeyed placing it t upon the desk karll Kar lill she ran to him seizing lis s arm staring into rus his face which had ad no flint glint of emotion in it dar ling C you kill him lease h but it was eric strom who lay upon the floor there was a gun be side A his hand tier her green eyes were pleading from a chalk white face karl karll answer mel you you why that would be Mur murder derl I 1 karl miller smiled grimly as he took a cigarette from the silver box on his desk some people might call it that he said without a trace of excitement joan leaned weakly against the desk she was beyond fear beyond tears there was a terrible silence in the office a heavy dreadful silence A silence intensified by karl millers face narrowed eyes hard edid mouth A silence made more tense by the stillness of eric stroms body upon the floor joans mind slowly tried to put together the pieces of this horrible picture karl had shot eric killed him beyond that she knew nothing her hand reached for the telephone im going to call the police karl seized her arm with a violence that almost jerked it from its socket you will do nothing of the kindl kind she stared at him was this the karl miller she knew was this hard faced man the one who had held her tenderly and murmured liebchen someone was pounding at the office door karl had locked it paul shermans Sher mans voice came distinctly through the opaque glass panel joan going on in there let me in karl walked to the door and opened it there has been an unfortunate accident he said calmly pauls expression did not change what happened karl miller smiled a little as he regarded his white faced manager joan was perfectly justified eric has tried to annoy her before you can testify to that yourself just what are you driving at paul demanded joan tried to speak but her lips would not move what was karl saying what did he mean joan shot eric karl miller stated his words were like an electric shock 1 I karl you know I 1 you did it yourself fl you shot him she ran to paul and clutched h his is arm paul you believe me dont you paul sherman did not answer he did not even look at her your fingerprints are on the gun karl said but you told me to pick it up I 1 she could not believe her ears karl the man she loved and trusted had turned against her accusing her of a murder he had committed it was like some fantastic nightmare 1 I have no wish to turn you over to the police joan we will forget about this little matter no one need know what has happened rage blazed in her green eyes but I 1 done anything im not afraid to go to the police and im going to tell them the whole story she was not speaking to the karl miller she had loved this man was a stranger you will not go to the police 01 his voice cut like a whip paul sherman st stared ared straight ahead of him seeming to see or hear nothing 1 I willi will joan cried hysterically turning to wards towards the door karls powerful arm stopped her and forced her roughly into a chair there are two reasons why you will not the first if you do I 1 will testify that you shot eric and paul will back me up her pleading eyes turned to paul he would not fail her but he said coolly im afraid right but you cant it truel true karl why are you doing this paull paul help me I 1 dont understand eric karl went on tried to double cross me you may observe for yourself what has happened to him that is the second reason that you W will ill do nothing joan clutched the arms of her chair for support she compressed her lips in a desperate attempt to control her emotions karl miller advanced towards her and if you double cross me you know what to expect now do you understand you dare joan said but the sightless eyes of eric strom refuted the statement she covered her face with her hands and wept it be true that karl her karll karl he must be driven by desperation to turn against her it was some horrible mistake in a moment it would be over he would explain everything and hold her in his arms again but karl was saying you know nothing you will tell no one what has occurred here tonight we will go on as if nothing has happened she wanted to laugh wildly hysterically teri cally go on as if nothing had happened karl wrapped the pistol in a handkerchief put it in the safe then motioned mot motioned ionea to paul give me a hand together they carried the lifeless eric strom from the office joan could hear them descending the fire escape outside the back of the building what would they do with eric the noise from the orchestra must have prevented the sound of the shot from disturbing the club guests joan stared at the telephone she was alone it would be easy to call the police but she was afraid she was afraid of the look in karl millers eyes there had been ruthless determination in those eyes and in the safe lay the gun that had killed eric A gun bearing her fingerprints ger prints paul had said he would testify in support of karl what chance would joan leland have the evidence was conclusively against her what was behind this murder why karls attitude pauls sudden change of front she had no idea how long it was before karl returned he was alone let us understand each other he said sitting down at his desk it would be most unfortunate if I 1 were to become involved with the police I 1 am not an american citizen you are a german joan asked dully naturally as is is everyone else associated with ith r me e here at the club paul too of course paul too karl miller smiled as he leaned towards her you see we are engaged in certain activities which are necessarily very private then at last joan knew the truth this was a spy ring it must be that explained everything those mysterious letters to mexico karls reticence the club elite was only a blind but why was karl telling her this 1 I trust you now karl said with a wry smile you are in much too deep to get out not only would you be held for murder but you are implicated just as much as the rest of us you recall the portfolio you delivered to the freighter she stared at him without answering that envelope contained very valuable information information enough to convict you on many coun counts t s you were seen delivering that envelope by several people one of them happened to be paul sherman 0 little by little joan lelands delands Le lands confused brain began to see the picture and she knew that what karl said was true she was in too deep to get out but she must get outi out she could not would not continue to have anything to do with karl miller now that she knew the truth A opyl spy so this was the mystery that she had once considered romantic and attractive she looked at him now with loathing but karl put a hand over hers be sensible joan youre hysterical at the moment but be all right yo you u have nothing to worry about I 1 im I 1 in at act fond of you Is there any re we should not go on a the girl leaped to her feet 1 I hate you karl miller and no matter what you say im not afraid of youl you his hands were on her shoulders you dont mean that TO BE CONTINUED N |