Newspaper Page Text
WHipY
Sylvia Taylor WUUWras*
THE STORY SO FAR: Joan Leland,
lecretary, falls in love with her hand
some night club employer, Karl Miller.
Her sister, Sybil, does not trust Karl
but Joan defends him blindly. Paul Sher
man, his manager, offers Joan friend
ship and warns her against Karl, but re
fuses to give reason. Delivering a mys
terious message for Karl late at night,
Joan secretly notices Paul trailing her.
Karl shoots his partner, Eric Strom,
and asks Joan to pick up the gun. He
then reminds her of her finger-prints on
the gun and threatens to charge her with
murder unless she does as he wants.
Paul Sherman, to her surprise, agrees
with him. Karl admits be is not a U. S.
citizen and has a wife in Germany. Later
Paul confides in Joan that he is Paul
O’Malley, of the FBI and part of the
force trying to trap the higher-ups of the
spy ring. Joan finds a terrified note
from Sybil and she and Paul suspect that
Karl is holding her as hostage for Joan’s
good behavior. Joan agrees to carry
on her work, but to secretly help Paul
and the FBI. The police call at the office
next day with Sybil’s clothes and a sui
cide note, found near a bridge. Joan
wants to accuse Karl then but Paul pre
vents her.
Now continue with the story.
CHAPTER XI
“Yes!” Joan cried with determina
tion. “And I’ll be all'right from
now on.” She lifted her chin brave
ly-
“That’s swell,” Paul said with ad
miration as they entered the apart
ment. “You’ve got more nerve than
any girl T ever saw.”
“Paul, why didn’t the men at po
lice headquarters know who you
were?”
He laughed. “My dear girl, the
reason they sent me out here was
that I am not known by the local
police. We have to work in abso
lute secrecy.”
“Where is your real home?” Joan
asked curiously.
“Brooklyn,” Paul laughed. “I was
born and raised there. Technical
ly I work in Washington but I’m
usually off on an assignment.”
“Was Eric really Karl’s partner?”
Joan inquired.
Paul shrugged. “Probably just a
title. I don’t know who actually
put up the money but I am certain
that Eric worked under Karl.
“And Karl works under some oth
er person?”
“Right! And someone else who
will bear watching is this Mrs. Mur
dock who supposedly owns the beau
ty shop where Sybil worked ...”
Paul had scarcely finished speak
ing when the doorbell rang. Joan
and Paul exchanged glances.
“Karl!” Joan cried in alarm, but
Paul shook his head.
“I don’t think so,” he said, go
ing to the door.
A middle - aged woman, well
dressed, rather heavy-set, with dyed
black hair and expressionless black
eyes, stood waiting.
“May I see Miss Leland?” she
inquired. “I am Mrs. Murdock.”
Joan rose quickly from her place
by the fire. Mrs. Murdock! Sybil’s
employer!
“Do come in,” Paul said pleas
antly, “I am Karl Miller’s manager,
Paul Sherman.”
Mrs. Murdock nodded her head
slightly. “Yes, I know.”
“And this is Miss Leland, Sybil’s
sister.”
The three of them sat down by
the fire. “I was so sorry to hear
of your sister’s—unfortunate acci
dent,” Mrs. Murdock said delicate
ly-
Joan looked at Paul. These had
been Karl’s words, “unfortunate ac
cident.” But Paul seemed not to
notice.
“I feel it my duty,’’..Mrs, Mur-
IllllllllllllllllllllillllllllllllllllllllllllW
Bl aKELY THEATRE
THURS.-FRI., MAR. 12-13
Gary Cooper—Joan Leslie in
“SERGEANT YORK”
SATURDAY, MAR. 14
Ray Corrigan—John King in
“WEST OF PINTO BASIN”
Saturday Late Show 10:30
“LAST OF THE DUANES”
MONDAY, MAR. 16
Ida Lupino—Louis Hayward in
“LADIES IN RETIREMENT”
TUESDAY, MAR. 17
“SMASHING THE GANGSTERS”
A DARING DRAMA OF THE UNDERWORLD
’ WEDNESDAY, MAR. 18
“MEET BOSTON BLACKIE”
dock continued tonelessly, “to tell
you certain facts. First, that I dis
charged Sybil two days ago.”
“Discharged?” Joan repeated in
astonishment.” But Sybil didn’t tell
me anything about it.”
The older woman looked uncom
fortable. “Her work was not entire
ly satisfactory. I was sorry but I
had to let her go.”
“Sybil was one of the best beauty
operators in this city,” Joan flared.
“Sybil,” Mrs. Murdock went on,
“was very upset. She told me she
needed the money desperately.”
“That isn’t true!” Joan snapped.
Mrs. Murdock shrugged. “That
is what she told me. When I told
her that I was letting her go she
became hysterical and threatened to
do away with herself. I told this
to the police when they called on me
an hour ago.”
“Very kind of you to come to see
Miss Leland. She is upset natural
ly, but it’s always better to know
the truth.” Paul’s voice was smooth.
Joan did not look up. Better to
let Paul handle this. He went to
the door with Mrs. Murdock and
watched her disappear down the
hall. Then he said, “Well, what
do you think?”
“The whole thing’s a lie,” Joan
insisted.
“It fits together too well,” Paul
admitted. “The truth is seldom that
logical. This Murdock woman is
undoubtedly involved with Karl.”
“Hpw can we prove it? Paul,
we’ve got to do something! Sybil
may be alive and in danger.”
“We must have patience,” Paul
told her. “These things don’t work
out overnight and we can’t afford
to rush it.”
They regarded each other grave
ly—earnest in their youth, desper
ate in their desire to solve this
problem.
Paul took her hand gently. “It
will work out. It must.”
“I know.” His understanding
broke down her last defense. She
hid her face against his shoulder
and wept. “But I’ll never get over
it. Never.”
“I’d like to break his rotten neck,”
Paul said but Joan did not hear
him. She was comforted by his sym
pathetic shoulder. She needed some
one to talk to so much, now that
Sybil was gone.
* * *
December days dragged to a
close. Christmas passed. Paul
spent the day with Joan, taking her
to dinner at a quiet restaurant. They
spoke little. Paul attempted to cheer
her but his efforts produced little
effect.
“Karl said we wouldn’t be need
ed at the Club New Year’s Eve.
Would you like to go out?”
Joan glanced about the brilliantly
decorated restaurant, the shining
Christmas tree and light bedecked
wreaths in the windows. “It doesn’t
seem fair for us to celebrate while
we don’t know what’s happened to
Sybil.”
“I don’t think Sybil would want
you to worry. Let’s try it anyway.
Shall we, Joan?”
“We’ll try ...” she promised.
New Year’s Eve arrived, clear
and cold. Joan wore a green satin
dress to match her eyes.
Paul bought her gardenias, waxy
pale and fragrant. “You look very
lovely, Joan,” he told her and she
was glad that he had not said
“beautiful” . . . Karl always said
that.
She made a valiant attempt to
enjoy herself and though the eve
ning proved not particularly gay,
Joan found Paul entertaining.
“I’ve been watching Mrs. Mur-
EARLY COUNTY NEWS, BLAKELY, GEORGIA
■Mb
Ini
——ll—
She was comforted by his sym]
one to talk to so much, now that Sj
dock’s beauty shop,” "he reported,
“and I’m convinced there’s some
thing funny about it. Once I thought
I saw Karl with her.”
“How can you get proof?”
“You are going to have your hair
fixed there next week,” Paul in
formed her. “Look the place over
and if you see anything suspicious,
tell me. You might even try to
see Mrs. Murdock in her private
office. If there’s anything going on,
you may find evidence there. Try
to be pleasant with her. You prob
ably put her on her guard the
last time you saw her.”
Joan leaned closer to hear him.
The laughing, screaming crowd all
around them made conversation dif
ficult. A spray of confetti fell across
Joan’s shoulder. The blare of trum
pets droned in their ears.
Paul smiled, “Let’s dance.”
Holding her close, he guided her
through the mob. It was hard to
dance in the crowd but Joan found
the happiness of others infectious.
“Any resolutions?” Paul asked,
smiling.
“Not one, except maybe never to
fall in love again.”
“So long as you don’t give up
your friends.”
She smiled at him. “You’re the
best friend I have, Paul. In fact,
you are the only one I have right
now.”
They laughed and suddenly the
lights were dimmed, the bells
pealed.
“Happy New Year!” Paul cried.
“The same to you, Paul.”
“It’s good-bye to the past,” Joan
thought, “Good-bye to Karl and all
the things that such a little while
ago were important . . .
And then she saw Karl Miller,
handsome, smiling Karl. And he
was not alone. A girl clung to his
arm, a girl so freshly lovely, so
heartbreakingly young that sympa
thy swept through Joan’s heart.
“Look!” she said to Paul. “Karl
has a new girl ...”
As Paul’s eyes followed hers, his
face grew white.
“What is the matter, Paul?” Joan
asked as they stared at Karl Miller
and the girl at his side.
“Let’s get out of here,” Paul said
grimly, “I don’t want them to see
us.”
Hurriedly they collected their
wraps and left the hotel.
“Can’t you tell me what it is?”
she begged.
“I’d rather not, Joan, and I have i
another favor to ask. Would you J
mind if I took you home? I want |
to trail Karl and find out where that I
girl lives.”
“Os course! But I’ll go home in a
taxi,” Joan said practically. “They
might leave any minute.”
He pressed her hand. “You’re a
gfand sport!”
“Good luck,” Joan called as she
climbed into a taxi which bore her
swiftly home. J?he slept well that
night. She felt that she had turned ;
a new page in her life.
On New Year’s day Paul did not |
come to see her and Joan was sur
prised.
But when Monday came and Paul
Sherman did not call for her she
was alarmed, when, instead, Karl
himself drove her to the club. But
she dared not inquire about Paul.
Karl did not offer any explanation.
He seemed in good spirits.
“By the way,” Karl told her, “I
am hiring a new singer for the band.
Draw up a contract. She will be in
later.”
Even then Joan was not prepared
for the sight of the same slim, lovely
girl who had been Karl’s dancing
companion.
She came in the door a little shy
ly, but Joan recognized the happy
look in her eyes. Joan had once
looked that way. Her heart went
out to this girl. She couldn’t be a
day over seventeen.
“Won’t you sit down,” Joan asked
pleasantly. “Mr. Miller will be back
in a few minutes.”
The girl sat down primly and
looked around with admiration. She
was dressed in a brown suit and
sports hat. Her brown hair hung
softly to her shoulders. Her brown
eyes were wide and childlike.
pathetic shoulder. She needed some
ybil was gone.
“Mr. Miller tells me that you are
going to sing here.”
“Yes. My name is Pat Hines.”
Joan fancied that she hesitated as
she spoke her name. “Do you live
here?” she asked.
Pat dropped her eyes. “I came
from Los Angeles,” she explained
briefly, adding with enthusiasm,
“I’m so grateful to Mr. Miller. He’s
been wonderful to me. I don’t know
how I would ever have gotten a job.
It was really just luck. You see I
noticed his advertisement in the pa
per for a singer. And I applied
and Mr. Miller said I was just what
he was looking for.”
Joan’s green eyes narrowed. So
Karl was playing his little game
again!
“How old are you?” Joan asked.
“Nineteen.”
Joan sighed, sure that she was
younger. If only there were some
thing she could do or say to warn
this girl. But what? She dared not
risk Karl’s disapproval now. Too
much was at stake. Paul and Sybil!
She could not take the chance. She
turned back to her typing while Pat
sat waiting with an enraptured ex
pression.
Those few minutes did more to
cure Joan of her former infatuation
for Karl than anything else. Seeing
Pat, as she herself had been—seeing
Karl playing the same game again—
gave her a clearer picture of the
situation.
Karl came in almost immediately,
smiling as he saw Pat waiting for
him. “The orchestra leader tells
me your audition was very satis
factory,” he said, taking her hand.
Pat left the office with Karl, cling
ing to his arm, radiant-eyed.
“And to think,” Joan said savage
ly to herself, “that I looked like
that once!”
That evening she had made an
appointment at Mrs. Murdock’s
beauty salon.
She found the Ritz Beauty Salon
an elaborate establishment and an
efficient operator arranged her hair
with capable fingers. As she sat un
der the drier she glanced around cu
riously, but could see nothing un
usual.
When her hair was dry, Joan in
quired the way to Mrs. Murdock’s
private office.
Mrs. Murdock did not seem
pleased at Joan’s visit. She regard
ed the girl through narrowed eyes,
■ saying, “This is quite a surprise.”
“I feel that I owe you an apology,”
Joan said pleasantly. “I was so up-
I set when you came to see me. I
I hope you understand.” As she spoke
her eyes took in the room. There
seemed to be nothing strange here
either. It was a nicely decorated
room, beige rugs, panelled walls and
Venetian blinds.
(To Be Continued)
FOR RENT—B-room house, suit-
I able for two families or one large
family. Telephone 39. DR. W. 0.
SHEPARD, Bluffton, Ga. 19-ts
EGGS FOR SALE—Hatching eggs
from AAA certified English strain
White Leghorns; 15 eggs for 75c,
delivered at my home. MRS. E. 0.
McDOWELL, Route 1, Damascus,
Ga. 26-4 t
—Buy Defense Bonds—
Relief At Last
For Your Cough
Creomulsion relieves promptly be
cause it goes right to the seat of the
trouble to help loosen and expel germ
laden phlegm, and aid nature to soothe
and heal raw, tender inflamed bronchial
mucous membranes. Tell your druggist
to sell you a bottle of Creomulsion with
the understanding you must like the
way it quickly allays the cough or you
are to have your money back.
CREOMULSION
For Coughs, Chest Colds, Bronchitis
Friends and
Customers. •.
You are cordially invited to visit our
store and share in the many good
things we have to eat, and enjoy
the cordial, friendly welcome—the
courteous service that will be ex
tended you, and you will be con
vinced that shopping at our store
means greater savings for you. We
will not quote you any prices, but
you will find our prices are right.
COME IN AND GET
Y-O-U-R-S
FRYER’S MARKET
BLAKELY, GEORGIA
BRING YOUR COWS AND HOGS TO US!
Our pens are located at
the old Early County AflS ■■
Club yards near Bryant’s
Mill. We buy, trade or
sell. Your business will
be appreciated.
Telephones: Office 256; Residence 186
Mosely Livestock Yards
W.L. Mosely, - Blakely, Ga.
Use Red Fox Guano
Be Wise and Place
Your Orders Early
Peoples Warehouse Co.
H. C. FORT
Tax Commissioner’s
Dates
SPECIAL NOTICE: Applications for tax exemption, for
both real estate and personal property, must be renew
ed each year and filed in the Tax Commissioners’ of
fice before the First Day of April.
GEORGIA—EarIy County:
Providence permitting, I will be at the following places
on the dates named for the purpose of receiving tax returns
for the year 1942:
CEDAR SPRINGS MARCH 11, A. M.
BURKETT’S STOREMARCH 11, P. M.
COLOMOKEE MARCH 12, A. M.
LUCILE MARCH 12, A. M.
MOCK’S STORE (New Hope) MARCH 12, P. M.
JAKIN MARCH 17
ARLINGTON MARCH 19
HILTON MARCH 16
DAMASCUS MARCH 25
BLAKELYOffice Open Daily from 9 A. M. to 5 P. M.
Books Will Close MAY 1 and Returns Placed
in Hands of Equalizers
It is necessary for all Tax Payers to file returns for all prop
erty, regardless of the amount, just as heretofore.
Penalty for NOT FILING RETURNS is full taxation
without benefit of exemption in addition to the usual
penalties.
J. L. HOUSTON,
TAX COMMISSIONER.
YOU CUNT QUIT ADVERTISING
YOU’RE TALKING TO A PARADE
NOT A MASS MEETING