Show w 4 I 1 SA v toi 3 A 7 CARIBBEAN ma i S 01 CONSPIRACY I CON R AD c 7 THE STORY SO FAR anne annc heywood beautiful daughter of a wealthy new york newspaper publisher goes on an assignment to puerto rico where pete wilcox a reporter on her fathers paper is stationed as a U S army intelligence officer on the boat she meets a young puerto rican miguel valera and an en named richard taussig lg of whom she Is suspicious although she does not know that he is actually a german agent ordered to destroy puerto ricos water supply at the hotel in san juan annes luggage is searched she suspects taus tans tig sig but when she goes to his room to investigate she Is surprised by a man she recognizes as miguel valera valera warns pete to send anne home CHAPTER VI c Z was half past five when richard Tat taussig issig got out of the army car in front of the beach club he went through the cool lobby and turned left past the bar and out onto the boardwalk above the smooth saucer curve of the beach it was pleasantly crowded and gay with laughing people sitting in white chairs under the long fringe of palm trees with tall frosted glasses in front of them A few people were swimming in the protected surf and children were building forts and castles in the clean white sand mr taussig walked along under the palms until he came to a curve where the boardwalk followed the beach A girl in a white satin bathing suit and a red cap was coming up the sand toward a man sitting alone reading at the end of the terrace two young men lying on the beach watching her with interest turned their heads the other way as she joined her father perhaps bongaro is smart to keep an eagle eye on her mr taussig thought advancing toward them they tacitly assumed shed marry young valera apparently it if he had graciela around he be wasting his time on the heywood girl himself he thought if he were miguel but apparently the cold northern lights were attractive if you were born under the southern cross and there was no accounting for tastes anywhere in the world mr taussig had been around long enough to know that he smiled at graciela and shook hands with diego bongaro Gon garo have you seen your picture don diego held out the paper smiling broadly mr taussig looked at it and nodded united states papers please copy he said he tore the photograph out and put it in his pocket how is miguel getting along with the american girl he inquired casually lighting the cigar diego gon 0 o held out to him across the ta ashes extraordinarily beautiful of course mr taussig said placidly and very rich or her father is and ashes the only child shed be an excellent match graciela moved suddenly catlike it if you dont care what kind of a girl you marry she said there was an unmistakable malice in her voice mr taussig smiled secretly he could see her sharpening one ot of womans comans oldest weapons ashes one of americas best families and a very nice girl I 1 understand he said if nice girls go in other peoples rooms in hotels when they arent there then im sure she must be very nice graciela said calmly mr taussig almost started in of the rigid control that was bot of his chief characteristics he blew a long ribbon of fragrant smoke between his soft lips whose room and how do you know mow he asked easily yours graciela said 1 I know because I 1 went up to my cousin kuisas room to borrow some powder and nd I 1 saw her come out of her room and go to yours mr taussig glanced at diego gon garo are you sure of what you say graciela her father demanded in rapid spanish very sure father Graci elas heart was beating furiously she was frightened if miguel should find out I 1 saw her with my own eyes it ida mr Taus sigs blue eyes contracted to toxic points behind his thick concentric lenses she was probably trying to find the maid he said with studied indifference mr porter is waiting miss heywood thank you anne put down the phone through the open transom she heard mr Taus sigs bell ring almost at once that meant that russell porter was picking them up together she went quickly over to the dressing table and looked at herself in the mirror her face was too pale she have worn a white dress a red one would have been better but it was too late now she knew mr taussig was waiting until he heard her door open her hands were cold her knees were shaking a little they drew up in the drive in front of a brightly lighted house perched up on stilts in a tropical jungle of flowers and trees concrete steps led up to a wide veranda that ran around three sides of it anne thought shed never seen anything more charming it was gay with brightly flowered chintz and bamboo furniture as cool and airy as it was comfortable oh sue this is love lovely lyl 1 anne cried sue porter came eagerly forward she kissed anne on the cheek and held out her hand to mr taussig its so nice to have you here she said she turned back to anne and gave her arm a tight little squeeze remember member He to be awfully nice wont you she whispered she looked about twelve anne thought she had a scarlet hibiscus tucked in her fuzzy taffy colored hair and her blue eyes were like china saucers her white cotton evening dress had a whole garden of scarlet chintz hibiscus app liqued around its billowy hem this is terry anne she introduced a slightly pudgy young man in a crumpled white dinner coat his black tie slightly askew he scrambled to his feet then his eyes popped with pleasure by jove sue you tell me she was a knockout knock out he exclaimed 4 dont mind him miss heywood hes always like that the girl reclining in the bamboo chaise longue moved her feet over 1 I could get up she said but why dont you sit down instead she looked up at anne with a small deadpan dead pan sort of face that look stupid but certainly look very bright she had on a sea green chiffon dress a little lighter than her eyes and almost no makeup and her hair pushed casually back hung in a long bob around her neck sues busy with the guest of honor she said her voice had the same slow w monotonous quality as her face my names barbara french my husband over there erupting the soda all over everybody ery body he always does his names ben yours is anne icv it anne nodded and sat down on the cushion at the end of the long chair its supposed to be a cliche to ask people how they like it here but im interested the girl said 1 I like it anne said she said thanks to ben bringing her a scotch and soda this is anne heywood ben were going to like her 1 I hope ashes going to like us ben said grinning and sticking out ot his hand its wet theres something wrong with russells soda its probably got carbon dioxide in it barbara said she looked up at him with her unsmiling eyes sometimes it has not often ben said one bubble to a bottle ill be back say where did sue pick up that egg it in the bottom of last years nest barbara answered calmly bens with electrical products if you yon dont care what kind of a girl you marry she added as he went back to the bar hes nice have you been here long anne asked three years do you like it love it I 1 hate bate to think of going home not until the children have learned spanish so well never forget it anne looked at her with interest there was something very attractive about her effortless unsmiling calm it was an extraordinary contrast to sues sparkling I 1 vivacity lilting out from the porch sue says she hates it sue learned that great big fish used to be little tiny fish tucked safely under the edge of a rock where the big fish eat them up barbara answered Is it me her barracuda like or is it you what do you mean anne turned to follow h her er gaze across the porch the gueston guest of honor but it must be you hes looking the other way it was what they call veiled scrutiny in books I 1 think armo anus turned away she had bad al most decided that miguel told him she so sure now not if barbara was right and barbara was probably pretty generally right 1 I think our hostess is ready barbara said she pulled herself up out of the deep cushioned chair sue had come out on the porch come along children she said anne you meet everybody did you how awful ashes coming to the club tomorrow and shell meet everybody then ben said cheerfully all look different anyway anne sat at russells right at the foot of the table terry was next to her barbara was on the other side next to mr taussig at sues right of course it will ruin the island sue was saying ashes talking about the law to prevent corporations from owning more than five hundred acres of land terry said tackling his lobster anne listened she distinguish the voices behind the scraps of conversation that pelted belted around her ears like rain on a tin root roof but something has to be done it that was barbara but they dont have to bankrupt the island foreign investors built up the sugar industry but they take all the money out of the country that was barbara again but they took the risk the natives wont work you work on a diet of rice and beans if ciny any either you cut a days cane on a diet of beefsteak and spinach that was barbara too they dont raise any of their own food its all imported 1 I dont see why we dont just pull out and give them back their island just show em love it it was barbara speaking the population has increased one hundred per cent since we took it over cut down infant mortality cleaned up the yellow fever malaria po without doing anything drastic to solve the problem of feeding the people weve saved I 1 A puerto rican told me if the population kept on at this rate have to build a second story to the island sue looked helplessly at anne it had become a conversational free for all in which the guest of honor was unable to get a word in edgewise he sat smiling blandly only once or twice anne turning her head caught the glint of the tall candles in their crystal hurricane globes on his thick lenses he was watching her there was no doubt of that because he looked away again without ever really meeting her eyes each time she had a chill little feeling in the pit of her stomach they thought we were awful going without stockings now they all do it themselves 1 I remember my father nearly died when he discovered I 1 have stockings on barbara said he noticed it the first couple of months my aunts in boston still think its awful sue smiled enchantingly dont pay any attention to barbara mr taussig ashes just being contrary she put her napkin down on the table this was the moment shed been waiting tor for the men could sit and talk and russell would have his chance shall we let the men have their coffee here i she started to get up but mr taussig was out of his chair frankly I 1 prefer coffee with the ladies he said blandly sue had not gone to miss oak leys for nothing how wonderful she smiled brightly and led the way through the dining room back to the porch anne glanced at her watch it was almost time to go the party had settled into three groups with barbara and terry and a silent young man who became voluble only at the mention of a race horse in one of them in the center of the porch behind them ben was with sue and russell talking to mr taussig the others were playing some kind of game inside the living room anne was listening to terry and barbara arguing the distance to a place shed never heard of she was listening more intently to the conversation behind her mr taussig was saying it be done anne had missed what it was russell porter was insisting that it could were doing it he was saying right here now its a wonder colonel de voe show it to you this afternoon there was so much to see mr taussig said our time was limited my point is that its one ot of those engineering dreams a practical impossibility it if you can do it youre a wizard my boy of just what he is mr taussig sue cried darling why dont you show him those drawings you have with all the specifications in them then hed believe you it seemed to anne that there was an abrupt little silence she be sure because terry was trying to beat down barbaras monotonous resistance to something by banging on the table 1 I tell you its crazym he was shouting then she heard russell porter saying id like to mr taussig but not supposed to be shown around you know how it is certainly mr taussig said and very wisely in my opinion 4 but russell 11 run along little girl and look after your children I 1 hear one of them squalling equalling squal ling the interruption was affectionate but firm anne watched sues face as she went a little blindly but still smiling toward the living room she was almost in tears after all she thought russell being led by the nose she felt a little better he was probably one of those husbands who let the little woman have her head up to a point barbara got up too she held her hand out to anne youre coming to the club tomorrow arent you five her expressionless green eyes were fixed past anne dine on the three men in the corner russells all right she s gaid aid anne started A faint smile if such a brief shadowy thing could be called a smile moved in barbaras face ben we have a home of our own she called goodby good by russell its been nice wheres sue can we take anne home sue came gaily out of the house but darling its early no its late mr taussig came forward with ben and his host this has been delightful mrs porter he said he took her hand and smiled 1 I like that man of yours he added lowering his voice barbara looked at anne with nothing in her eyes and turned away good night everybody she called to the little group inside the house TO BE CONTINUED |