Show CHILD OF EVIL I 1 I 1 0 OCTAVUS SERVICE ROY COHEN by OCTAVUS ROY COHEN SYNOPSIS beautiful beautiful gung young kay forrest has been employed by christine M Mayri a baard ard gra her pose for or a series erles ol of mth pictures cu r el the background of 0 wh which h will U b be exquisite ut site cathedral ath edral gardens famous ex i southern ern resort unknown to them on one jeff je butler mean ean unscrupulous swamp angel has led a friend to spy on the two wo women kay of necessity Is scantily clad while posing tor for the camera studies kay I 1 frequently I 1 stays with mrs ruth hamilton her son barney of 0 whom I 1 kay ca y is 1 very tend fond an and her daughter margaret mrs hamilton a remarkable woman conceived the idea of the gardens following the death of her husband one night alter after a local dance kirk reynolds a neer do well gambler of beverly a resort town andray go for or a ride kirks car collides with that of 0 harvey jackson and during the ensuing argument kirk whips out a gun and kills the young popular engineer kay is completely stunned by the tragedy kirk threat ens to drag her cherinto he into the thing if K she tells ells even her father ather terror stricken she agrees to remain silent however the next time she goes out with barney he realizes something Ag Is wrong she tells him nothing mrs emma forrest kays mother Is firm positive and demanding her father ather Is exactly the opposite kindly and unassuming while at home kirk reynolds calls for or her and she opposite Is a forced to go with him despite aher her fam ilys protests he tells her the circumstances make it nee essary sary for or her t to marry him so she cannot be forced to testify against him 11 he Is accused 0 of jacksons murder they drive to a neighboring town and are married CHAPTER IV continued 6 could could we keep our wedding a secret asked kay certainly not I 1 want people to in fact the big idea syu understand eretano that theres no e ry ryang 9 to 0 convict me her thoughts were chaotic fragments of ideas she said 1 I wish I 1 married you the gar slowed perceptibly he said youre not really damn tool fool enough to wish that Hi his words swords were not harsh he merely made a statement he went on you do whatever you want ill do the same if 11 anybody questions abu you you dont know a thing youve got nothing to say kirk was speaking im dropping you at your house theres no need repeating anything just remember this keep your guard up all the time but when they ask why tell lern em anything know youre lying but they wont know the truth and all that matters with me there was a car parked in front of her house A small car barney was waiting CHAPTER V arney ey drove slowly through the fmc which congested monument square they pass passed edthe the white star hotel gay in its ne new w yellow ain t alt with white trimmin trimmings gs and bwy ey rolled by the bon ton pool pom om before swinging i avenue kay said drop me a at t ads d office will you barney 11 i the young mans fac face e was grave 4 e said certainly shau shall I 1 go up ith th you no she left the car and mounted the narrow dusty stairway leading to the second floor of the fraser eraser block that rambling four story red brick structure which served after i a fashion tash fon as Be verlys one and only office building barney gazed upon this section of beverly with some distaste As a matter of tact fact he was far from mapy Y he had passed kay and k reynolds on the road that morning he hid had been waiting at kays home when she had returned with the same man and barney like kirk reynolds Hey not that he was it at all shocked by the fact that kirk was i a black sheep a I 1 gambler gamble r and nd a gentleman of flexible morals but he knew that kirk I 1 was daffe different ren tand and picturesque and that kay ws was young and impressionable sio he waited it seemed interminably the day was ending in a blaze of crimson he bigan began to fancy ancy him belf a very injured young man he conned a mantle of dignity ind nd discarded it the instant kay appeared odthe on the sidewalk and climbed into the car beside him he saw that shi she had bid been crying it was then that hi he forgot fargot that he had been ill treated kay forrest it iiii was impossible it disturbed him profoundly he reached over and squeezed her hand havela have a good bood time duchess she nodded but the little lump in her throat made speech impossible bainey plunged ahead hoping to anise ise her he gestured boyishly ward ward the radiance which was bathing the countryside country side our best and most guaranteed sunset positively genuine lne or your money refunded service free to tourists and patrons of cathedral gardens particularly interesting on mondays wednesdays and fridays ladies day tuesday geel kay there some way a i I 1 can help lt it was sudden abrupt devastatingly kindly this change fro from M banter to sympathy kays defenses crumbled her voice broke and she said oh barney he drove with one hand holding her arm with the other Is it as bad as that chica she tried to talk but the words would v not come unconsciously she caved laved v closer to him so that her my y touched his then she spoke shout taking tiling tear dimmed eyes frim tb the road she said simply 1 I love you barney his face lighted he clamped on the brakes and stopped the car but ahen hen his arms reached for her she moved array away the eyes which she turned tumid upon him w were erst filled with tragedy and she said no not that I 1 I 1 lust just wanted you to know puzzled perturbed he drove on tho though tigh very very slowly his Hia voice was almost a 1 I love ove you too kay kai but y youve auve known that tor for a long time h aven ft you and the she yes ye two big gars cars whirled by them creating dust clouds on the gravel road dusk was settling over the countryside country side like a benediction the air was fragrant with the line fine clean odor of pine barney wanted to help he knew he must do something anything to shock her out of this emotional depression he said gently will you marry me kay the effect was startling her eyes widened and she turned in her seat she cried ohl barney please dont the car had stopped and night en folded them why he asked you he held one of her hands fiands between both of his but youre wrong honey I 1 must in tact fact and he tried to laugh in fact I 1 should have asked you long ago she said then 1 I wish you had he saw only the top of her head heard only the ghost of her bolce im married barney he was shocked youre what im married but kay 11 for the first time he was beginning to understand that life was not always kindly 1 I just dont get it she shook shock her head helplessly neither do I 1 11 she clung to him please try to understand barney he said ill try honey but it make sense it you or me his face was serious older than she had ever seen it maturity seemed to have collided with him how long have you been married A few hours to whom she looked away avay kirk reynolds good loidl lord you mean when I 1 passed bod you this morning you were on your way to be married I 1 yes why you tell me 11 II 1 know then his hand tightened on her arm this is all screwy honey what do you mean you know 1 I it happened suddenly but why surely youre not in love with him you know im not she tried to be brave listen barney try to believe me ill try 1 had to marry him had tol not nol dont misunderstand oh please its something I 1 cant explain why I 1 told you you first that I 1 love you it sort of gavere gave me courage to tell you the rest I 1 married kirk because I 1 had bad to because there were reasons which I 1 cant explain to you ever he said things like this cant happen honey I 1 they have happened and I 1 need your help more than you can understand I 1 need to know that you care for fo r me that youre going to keep on caring for me and that you wont torture me with questions I 1 cant answer why cant you answer them because im afraid his jaw was set grimly of what what I 1 cant explain dont you see that im telling the truth that I 1 do this thing because I 1 wanted to she was suddenly more womanly if there was any other reason barney I 1 be leaving beverly tonight would I 1 1 I suppose not 11 his face flushed youre not going to live with him of course not he laughed shortly this the barney she had known for or a year and a hall half and she knew that she had changed too two youngsters laced faced with ugly fact grappling with a problem which was too big for them he said there was a reason of course yes and know ial if I 1 could only tell you that I 1 do anything else cant icart you trust me yes but I 1 still cant tell you she felt his muscles grow taut im not a child kay t f that it Is something oh bar barnebl nayl I 1 cant explain I 1 even tell my father he asked everything you are asking what did he say he was hurt but he understood he was shocked but be wig wa kindly lewdly and brave J what do you mean brave r A taint faint pitiful little smile smil 0 flickered across her lips 1 I ga gave 1 him the lob job of telling mother and andy that going to be very pleasant it barney arney spoke slowly you dont love kirk reynolds yet you married him today you married him because you are afraid of something you are running away from beverly because you dont want to face gossip which means that you know the marria marriage gb wont be kept secret you tell your father the truth and you cant tell me have I 1 got it right yes 1 I think IU ill have a chat with kirk reynolds nol she was terrified please promise me you wont do that why not it would only make ma matters aters worse what can I 1 do then just what dad misdoing Is doing you can be my friend you can per perhaps try to make me think that you believe whatever I 1 have done is right wrong son you can let me talk and you can help me to forget the whole thing but if youre married to him im not though we simply went through a ceremony that sort of marriage can be annulled dad said that but this marriage cant be why 11 because the same thing that frightened me into marrying kirk would prevent that will you ever tell me the whole truth 11 1 I 1 I dont know khow in other words he said seriously youre giving me a lob job to do something pretty rotten has happened to you it has played hell bell with your nerves im to snap you out of 01 it if I 1 can yes 11 like me to forget that this cuts pretty deep like me to be the clown again to kid along as ive always done to make rather an ass of myself right you make it sound silly 1 I dont mean to im trying to make you see that I 1 understand how you feel and it would help if 1 I could get you yo laughing again it she asked could you 11 1 II I dont know but I 1 can try then try please she caught one of his hands but ohl oh barney if youre being very very funny some time and I 1 suddenly start crying you wont misunderstand 1 no he said I wont not even if I 1 start crying too he started the car and moved on through the night they did not talk but again she moved so close that her body touched Ms his there was something so reassuring in this brief contact something so fine in the stern expression ot of his boyish face at home they crossed the veranda and entered the big living room mrs hamilton greeted them from the chair under the reading lamp nice day she inquired kay said yes maam upstairs you barney was smiling gallantly and make it snappy barney waited at the toot foot ot of the stairway until the girls slender ankles had disappeared then he walked toward his bis mothers chair she rose to meet him instinctively knowing that all was not as it should be he put his hands on his mothers shoulders and looked down into her eyes tough sledding hs h said wrong son kays in a jam ill tell you about it before she comes down his voice broke slightly 1 I know youre going to help hel pyou lyou and margaret be as gentle as you can he turned and walked from the room ruth hamilton looked after him worry and ariae in her eyes something had happened she he knew that a boy had gone to beverly that morning and that a man had returned at the rea rear 0 of f the white star hotel lobby just opposite the dining room and near the foot of the stairs was a door with a sign MISS SONIA HENKEL beautician if you were a guest of the ho hotel t e 1 this sign would not surprise y you 0 u inasmuch as you would long since have found a card on your dresser divulging the same information with this added that miss henkel was expert and experienced that she cheerfully and ean efficiently clentry dispensed shampoos finger waves marceas and facia ls tha that ther her prices were reasonable and her heir work swift the resident of beverly had not yet recovered from the shock of miss henkel nor quite allayed their resentment this resentment had been at first a purely commercial thing emanating from the second floor beauty salon owned and operated by a malden maiden lady named Tr elane ethel Tr elane miss had a per manent waving machine and other accessories and ever since the commencement ot of the era in which ladies ceased to keep secret their quest for or additional pulchritude miss and her shop had been regarded as the ultimate of beverly urbanity but with the opening of cathedral gardens and the sudden and bewildering influx of tourists miss sonia henkel had come mr robbie morse proprietor of the hotel was reputed to have made the entirely remark that ethels handiwork might be good enough for these here local dames who never was accustomed to bothin better but female tourists had bad got to have class shortly after being ushered into the tha world some twenty five years since in brooklyn new Y york ork miss henkels very poor and rather honest parents had christened her sadie that name had irked the juvenile miss henkel until the first year of high school whereupon she had abandoned high school and all that went with it including the name sadie sadie henkel left home without particular regrets on either side the following day miss sonia henkel applied for and obtained a position as cash girl in a new york department store thereafter her career was interesting if not tota totally ily immaculate she acquired gentleman friends the nickname of babe an intriguing dance technique and an aa intimacy with life which completed her education in an exceedingly practical way thereafter she had been many things to many persons cash girl seventh avenue dress model customers party girl manicurist student at a beauty school and finally a full fledged and rather expert beautician and in the course of her travels she acquired an interesting sophistication a certain exotic beauty a husky voice and the protective friendship ot of kirk reynolds kirk and babe were excellent friends As a matter of fact babe henkel was very deeply in love with mr reynolds she admired his virtues and his vices she adored him for what he was no matter what she had come to beverly to relieve his boredom she did not permit soggy sentiment to intrude upon their friendship this afternoon she had been busy b ausy but the last customer had departed w when hen the fel telephone ephone rang it was kirk his words close clipped as usual his tone authoritative busy no come up babe inspected herself in the mirror she saw a woman slightly above medium height well and firmly rounded her face w was val oval and framed by sleek black back I 1 hair brushed tightly against her head her eyebrows were commas her he r mouth wide but well shaped shapel an interesting mouth with a frame of scarlet lips she closed and locked the door walked up to the second floor not unconscious of admiring masculine glances and knocked on the door of kirks room he passively accepted the kiss she bestowed upon him he said sit down babe she settled her figure into a chair opposite on your mind kirk plenty can you take it two tiny vertical lines appealed briefly on her forehead she said lets have it he said im married dark lashes |