DEMON'S DECOY

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 17, 21 January 1939, Page 13 (Supplement)

DEMON'S DECOY

Serial Story

Synopsis. Elizaboth Allen comes to Syria from Now York to bocome secretary to Dr. John Morris, who has a sanatorium near Beirut. She teams from tho doctor's young assistant, Dr. Stephen Payne, who falls in love with her, that something queer is going on. The only patient, Michael fclrown, is supposed to be mentally unbalanced, and is kept looked up, but Stephen believes that he is perfectly sane and that Dr. [Ylorris and his colIcage, Professor Meres, are trying to drive him mad. Ono day IVleres drugs.* Elizabeth. When she comes to, he insists that she is Michael Brown's twin sister and treats her as though she were suffering from amnesia. Dr. Morris* former secretary, Miss Dudley, unexpectedly pays a call, and, when told by Stephen what is going on, says-she will bring help from Beirut. Shortly after this Elizabeth overhears Meres talking to Miss Hilton, trained nurse, whom Elizabeth and Stephen had trusted. The conversation indicates that the nurse is in league with Meres and Morris.

Chapter XXVI. SO Nurse Hilton was doublecrossing them, after all! Elizabeth leaned against the wall to steady herself. She shivered as she thought just how much she and Stephen had taken the nurse into their confidence. Then, she heard her 'speaking again. "Don't be too sure there isn't any dan"er for us. Dr. Payne is clever, and now that that busy-body Dudley has turned up " Meres' voice cut in. "Why worry about Miss Dudley? You yourself sent her car back to Beirut with a message that she was going to stay here for a few days." "Yes, but when she doesn't report for this new job she's got, some one is sure to investigate." "What if I told you she has no job?" Meres replied, with a grim chuckle. Elizabeth leaned closer to the closed door, straining to hear every word. "Then," she heard the nurse say, "you think she came here-to spy?" "Yes—but that's her misfortune," not ours. I'm sorry, though, that she' will have to disappear with the rest. I rather like the woman. She lias- character." "I've got a lot more than she ever thought of having," Nurse Hilton laughed derisively. "Yes —you have," the professor agreed. "That's why I told Morris, the night the girl arrived, that we'd have to have you in with us." "Are you' sure it wasn't because I knew too much?" the nurse asked sceptically. "No. Mrs. Graham also knew too much —and she had an unfortunate accident. You, too, might have had an accident, but you didn't because I knew a woman like you could he a big help t'o us. I knew that you weren't squeamish and that the rewards were bound to interest you." Meres stopped a moment, then went on, with a little laugh. "Morris was flustered that night the girl arrived. He kept repeating that she wasn't horn the same year as the Brown children. As though one year made any difference! With all the faking of documents that had to be done, it was easy enough to remedy that." . Elizabeth drew a long breath. So this was tho meaning of the conversation she and Stephen had overheard, that first night. "The next thing to do," she heard Meres continue, "is to start doping the girl." "There's time enough for that," Nurse Hilton put in. "The next thing is to get rid of Payne!" "Oh, that." Meres said coolly. "That's being taken care of right now." "You mean. ..." "I mean that, within a few minutes, he'll cease to bother us any more." " For a second, horrified by this ominous news,. Elizabeth thought she was going to faint. Then, quickly, she turned and ran back along the corridor to the laboratory, a sudden, desperate plan in mind. She: had only one . thought—Stephen must be sa?ed! Her head throbbed as she ran. She reached tho laboratory and, in a moment, had found a bottle of acid. A second later, she was on her way back down the hall. When she again readied the door to the room , in which Nurse nilton and Meres had been talking, she stopped and drew a long breath.

Then, she turned the knob, and flung the door open. "Don't move!" she said in a tense voice, milking a threatening gesture with the bottle of acid. ''Where " _Slle paused, suddenly seeing that Nurse Hilton was now alone. The nurse was staring at her in amazement. .''Where is Stephen?" Elizabeth finished. ■ "I don't know." You're lying! Take me to him, or . . She uncorked the bottle. Tile* nurse paled. "That is a dreadful weapon you have there. Be careful! You might blind me."

By---MildreSnow Gleason

"Yes," said Elizabeth grimly. "I might! Take mo to Stephen!" "X tell you I don't know where lie is!" Nurse Hilton's voice quivered. 'Then find out!" Elizabeth's eyes were dangerously bright. "And don't try to double-cross me because, no matter what you do, I'll be able to throw this acid at you first! Now, go ahead of me and ask Professor Mercs where Stephen is!" The nurse obeyed without another word. She started down the hall toward Michael's room, but it seemed to Elizabeth that she was deliberately taking her time. "Quickly!" Elizabeth ordered. "Faster!" With a startled backward glance, the nurse increased her pace almost to a run. When they reached Michael's room she knocked on the door. • "Professor Mercs!" she yelled. "It's Hilton! I must see you at once! Open the door! Please!" There was real fear in her voice. A second later, the door opened, and the professor stood on the threshold. "What do you want!" he asked coldly. As he spoke, the floor suddenly shook and a dull explosion echoed through the corridor. + + + ♦ Chapter XXVII. ALL the colour faded from Elizabeth's face, and she she stood perfectly motionless, so paralysed by horror that even her heart seemed to have stopped beating. Professor Meres took advantage of that moment. With a quick movement, lie caught her by the wrist and forced lier to let go of the bottle of acid. Then, turning, lie walked calmly back into the room and threw the bottle*out of a window. There was a shatter of glass as it hit a. stone walk. Elizabeth covered her face with her hands. "Stephen ... oh, Stephen," she sobbed, over and over. As though from a great distance, she heard excited Arab voices, and then, a few minutes later, heard Ahmed speaking. "Room blow up. Fire start, but out now." "Good!" said Meres. He put a hand on Elizabeth's shpulder. "And now, youiig lady," ; he said, in a hard voice, "perhaps you will explain your crazy, performance." "It doesn't matter now," Elizabeth muttered. "Nothing matters." . + + + +" ■

A TALE OF TERROR. IN THE NEAR EAST!

"Snap out of it!" Meres shook her. "Pull" yourself together!" Elizabeth suddenly jerked free and struck him in the face. "You devil!" she cried. "You'll be made to suffer for this!" Mercs looked at «her. steadily for a moment with steel-cold eyes. Then he turned to Nurse Hilton. "What's all this about?" Tho nurse, very pale, seemed unable to speak. Elizabeth laughed .• shortly—a laugh that ended oil a sob. "Nurse Hilton is disturbed by—by this horrible thing you've done! X hope it hounds.her until she dies!" . " "If I knew what this melodrama was about," Meres r murmured, "I- might •be able to make some fitting remarks." . "Oh, stop pretending!" Elizabeth cried, her voice rising hysterically..- "I overheard your conversation with Nurse Hilton a few minutes ago, and I know that you—-you have murdered Stephen!" Again she covered lier face with her hands, and shook with «obs. Mercs did not speak for a minute. "An unfortunate explosion is not murder," he said finally. "The explosion occurred in Dr. Payne's own small laboratory. Explosions do occur in laboratories, Miss Brown." Elizabeth tried to speak, but couldn't. "Take her to her room," Meres instructed the nurse. Elizabeth, still sobbing, allowed herself to be led away. Left alone in her room, she dropped on the bed, and cried lieartbrokenly until, finally, she fell into an exhausted sleep. When she awoke, the sun had set, and the sky was almost dark. She sat up weakly, feeling a little dizzy. With an effort, she rose, turned on the light, then went to the wash basin and bathed her face in cold water. Stephen gone. . . . She forced- herself to face the fact. Nothing that happened to her from now on would matter. But there was Stephen's death to be avenged. Yes, and Mrs. Graham's. And there were A rich ael and Mary. In some way, Morris and Meres and Hilton must be brought to justice! _ . She sat down, and tried to think out a plan, but she felt too weak to think clearly. She suddenly realised she hadn't had anything to eat all day. She must have some food. She rose and tried the door, but it • was locked. Well, they surely weren't going to starve her. Someone would come eventually. She sat down again to wait. After a while, Meres himself appeared with a tray. He put it 011 the tabic, and sat down. Elizabeth • was so hungry that she started to cat immediately. Then, abruptly, she stopped and pushed the tray from her. "Just occurring to you that it might be drugged?" Meres chuckled. "Oh, nol Go on und cat " When "she still refused to touch anything more on the tray, he stood up with a grunt. "Very well, since you won't take my word for it. . . ." He caught her by one arm and taking a-hypodermic syringe from his pocket,' quickly gave her an injection. "There!" lie said, releasing her. "Now, won't you go 011 with your dinner?" Elizabeth choked back tears of anger. "I might as well," she said miserably, and resumed eating. When she had finished, Meres picked up the tray and moved to the door. Tliore he paused. "Miss Brown," he said, "the drug I've, just given you will only make you feel a trifle confused mentally. You are not going to be kept prisoner in your room any longer. You can now go and come as*you # clioose. But my advice to you is to stay in your room anyway. It will be better for you." Not waiting for her to answer, he went out. He closed the door, but did not lock it. Elizabeth sat perfectly still, not knowing quite what to think. Finally, she shrugged and sighed. The drug was probably stronger than lie had admitted and would totally incapacitate her. But until it took effect, she would do what she could. She would go arid l see Mary— try to map out some plan.

She rose and crossed the room to the door. She had lier liaud oil the knob ■when it suddenly turned in her fingers.. She jumped back just in time to avoid' being hit in the face as the door was flung open.

"Stephen!" The cry was half strangled in her throat. Ho stopped short, staring at her. "Why, Beth—l'm-,* not a y ghost. What's the mattert" "The . . . the explosion . . she faltered. • . -• - He closed the door and, taking her by the hand, sat'her down in a chair. "I don't understand," he said- gently. v Elizabeth suddenly burst into-tears of relief. Stephen," soothed her until she "had regained control of herself. ' • ' "Now, tell me", he said. She did. When slid had - finished, Stephen'whistled.. ' ■'.'This is very strange," he murmured. "Evidently; somebody was 'determined not to let them kill me." "What do you mean?" "Simply that T wanted to go to my laboratory—even fought to—but I was locked up with Miss Dudley in one of the -padded rooms." "Locked up?" Elizabeth echoed. "By whom?" r - "That's stranger still. By Almiedl" (To be continued.)