| Show CHILD OF EVIL mra V 0 OCTAVUS SERVICE ROY COHEN by ROY BWY cil CB chhen flERI SYNOPSIS beautiful young kay forrest has been employed by christine May maynard maynain naia photographer to pose for a series of pictures the background of which will be exquisite cathedral gardens famous southern resort unknown to them on one jeff butler mean unscrupulous swamp angel has hal led a friend to spy on the two women kay of necessity Is scantily clad while posing for the camera studies kay frequently stays with mrs ruth hamilton her son barney of whom kay Is very fond and her daughter margaret mrs hamilton a remarkable i aman conceived the idea of the gardens following the death of her husband agte ae night after a local dance kirk reynolds a neer do well gambler of bevarly resort town and kay go for a ride kirks car collides with that of harvey jackson and during the ensuing argument kirk whips out a gun and kius kills the young popular engineer kay is completely stunned by the tragedy kirk threatens to drag her into the thing if she tells even her father terror stricken she agrees to remain silent however the next time she goes out with barney he realizes something is wrong she tells him nothing mrs emma forrest kays mother is firm positive and demanding her father is exactly the opposite kindly and unassuming while at home Kirk Reynolds calls for her and she is forced to go with him despite her fam ilys protests he tells her the circumstances make it essary for her to marry him so she cannot be forced to testify against him it if he is accused of jacksons murder they drive to a neighboring town and are married CHAPTER IV continued 6 kay nodded waiting for kirk to speak again do you understand why I 1 did it he inquired no had to youre not a bad kid but you happened lo 10 to be in the wrong place at the wrong time now im afraid beverly is wising up at conversation on even this sort of CS was a relief she said what do you mean you pulled a dumb play that night you dropped your compact near jacksons body my compact she remembered missing it but it marked folks knew it was yours it could have belonged to any tourist it it could but it you get it she said barney hamilton gye gave it to me 1 I thought so none like it in beverly swank stuff and theres not a woman in town who noticed it I 1 only found out yesterday it had been picked up out there they they prove it was mine they could try he stated dryly but I 1 promised you id never tell what I 1 saw sure you did have been too wise to blab but youre a kid smart enough in some ways but dumb as hell in others the solicitor for this circuit is shrewd hes been asking questions lots of folks remember we were at the dance together and that we went riding that night if you had been picked up suddenly and had a bucketful of questions thrown at you have given yourself away but cant they still do that sure and where would it get tem em you might even be tricked into telling the truth not meaning to of course but what good would it do what you tell the solicitor aint evidence in this state got to get it out of you on the witness stand and they cant make you take the stand against me now that were married you think try you for kill line ng harvey jackson asses enot not now they wont no witnesses possibly convict me but if sure never sure and it if they were that aint evidence youre the only person who could convict me and you wont she was silent for a long time then what are you going to do now kirk about what Us lie he shrugged indifferently nothing you mean living together hell I 1 marry you for that so long as you keep your mouth shut you can do what you want could could we keep our wedding a secret asked kay not I 1 want people to vav y in fact the big idea Su understand that theres no use trying to convict me her thoughts were chaotic fragments of ideas she said 1 I wish I 1 married you s the car slowed perceptibly he said youre not really damn fool enough to wish that his words were not harsh he merely made a statement he went on you do whatever you want ill do the same if anybody questions t ons 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 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 barney drove slowly through 9 h th the e traffic which congested monument e nt square they passed the white star hotel gay in its new yellow paint with white trimmings and they rolled by the bon ton pool room before swinging into palmetto avenue kay said drop me at dads office will you barney the young mans face was grave he said certainly shall I 1 go up with you no she left the car and mounted the narrow dusty stairway leading to the second floor of the fraser block that rambling four story red brick structure which served affef a fashion as Be verlys one and only office building barney gazed upon this section of beverly with some distaste As a matter of fact he be was far from happy he had passed kay and kirk reynolds on the road that morning he had been waiting at kays home hom when ewhen she had returned with the same man and barney like kirk reynolds not that he was at all shocked by the fact that kirk was a black sheep a gambler and a gentleman of flexible morals but he knew that kirk was different and picturesque and that kay was young and impressionable sio he waited it seemed interminably the day was ending in a blaze of crimson he began to fancy himself a very injured young man he donned a mantle of dignity and discarded it the instant kay appeared on the sidewalk and climbed into the car beside him he saw that she had bad been crying it was then that he forgot that he had been ill ili treated kay forrest crying it was impossible it disturbed him profoundly he reached reache dover over and squeezed her hand have a good time duchess she nodded but the little lump in her throat made speech impossible barney plunged ahead hoping to arouse her he gestured boyishly toward the radiance which was bathing the countryside country side our best and most guaranteed sunset positively genuine or your money refunded service free tc tourists and patrons of cathedral gardens particularly interesting on mondays wednesdays and fridays ladies day tuesday gee kay there some way I 1 can help it was sudden abrupt devastate Deva stat angly kindly this change from banter to sympathy kays defenses crumbled her voice broke and she said sad J oh barrie barney Y he drove with one hand holding her arm with the other Is it as bad badas as that chica she tried to talk but the words would not come unconsciously she moved closer to him so that her body touched his then she spoke without taking tear dimmed eyes from the road she said simply 1 I love you barney his face lighted he clamped on the brakes and stopped the car but when his arms reached for her she moved away the eyes which she turned upon him were filled with tragedy and she said no not that I 1 I 1 just wanted you to know puzzled perturbed he drove on though very very slowly his voice was almost a whisper 1 I love you too kay but youve known that for a long time you and she answered yes two big cars whirled by them creating dust clouds on the gravel road dusk was settling over the F wrong son countryside country side like a benediction the air was fragrant with the 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 ob barney please dont the car had stopped and night en folded them why he asked you he held one of her hands 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 dofher her voice im married barney he was shocked youre what im married but kay for the first time he was beginning to understand that life was not always kindly 1 I just dont get it 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 olaer than she had ever seen it Mat maturity urty seemed to have collided with him how long have you been brar ried A few hours To whom she looked away kirk reynolds good lord you mean when I 1 passed you this morning you were on your way to be married y yes e s W why h y yo you tell me 1 I I 1 know then P 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 lowre not in love with him you know im not she tried to be brave listen barney try to believe me SIMI ill try 1 I had to marry him had to no dont misunderstand oh please its something I 1 cani cant explain why I 1 told you first that I 1 love you it sort ot of gave me courage to tell you the rest I 1 married kirk because I 1 had to because there were reasons which I 1 cant explain to you ever he said things like this cant happen honey they have happened and I 1 need your help more than you can understand I 1 need to know that you care for 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 his face flushed youre not going to live with him of course not he laughed shortly this the barney she had known for a year and a half and she knew that she had changed too two youngsters faced with ugly fact grappling with a problem which was too big for them he said there was a reason of course yes and if I 1 could only tell you that I 1 do da anything else cant you trust me yes but I 1 still cant tell you she felt his muscles grow taut im not a child kay that it its something oh barney 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 under stood he was shocked but he was kindly and brave what do you mean brave A faint pitiful little smile flickered across her lips 1 I gave him the job of telling mother and andy that going to be very pleasant barney 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 marriage 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 ill have a chat with kirk reynolds no she was terrified please promise me you wont do that why not it would only make matters worse what can I 1 do then just what dad is doing you can be my friend you can perhaps try fry to make me think that you believe whatever I 1 have done is right 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 because the same thing that frightened me into marrying kirk would prevent that will you ever tell me the whole truth 1 I I 1 dont know in other words he said seriously youre giving me a job to do something pretty rotten has happened to you it has played hell with your nerves im to snap you out of it it I 1 can yes like me to forget that this thi 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 I 1 could get you laughing again it she asked could you 1 I dont know but I 1 can try then try please she caught one of his hands but oh barney if youre being very very funny some time and I 1 suddenly start crying you wont misunderstand no he said 1 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 his there was something so reassuring in this brief contact something so fine in the stern expression 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 foot of the stairway until the girls slender ankles had disappeared then he walked toward his 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 he said wrong son kays in a jam ill tell you about it before she comes down his voice voice broke slightly 1 I know youre going to help you and mar garet be as gentle as you can he turned abruptly and walked d from the room ruth hamilton looked after him worry and pride in her eyes something had happened she knew that a boy had gone to beverly beverin that morning and that a man had returned at the rear of the white star hotel lobby just opposite the dining room and near the toot foot of the stairs was a door with a sign MISS SONIA HENKEL beautician if you were a guest of the hotel this sign would not surprise you ina 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 efficiently dispensed shampoos finger waves marceas and facials facia ls that her prices were reasonable and her work swift but residents 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 maiden lady named Tr elane ethel Tr elane miss had a per manent manelia waving machine and other impressive accessories accessories irid and ever since the commencement era in which ladies ceased to kiep keep secret their quest for additional pulchritude miss and her shop had been regarded dod as the ultimate of beverly urban urbanity ty TO BE CONTINUED |
