Evening star., 1941-08-08
CHAPTER XII.

SdIOl lldu kOt Vii llcI DlS
scene nicely and at her exit ap-
plause had started in the orchestra
and thundered solidly through the
whole house. I realized then that
our audience was not as letharglc
IS we had supposed, but that sus-
pense was lowering over them as
we'll as us. They waited, as we were
waiting, for the evening to end
safely. That hand had been for
Carols courage as we'll as for her
acting.
Through the wide French doors
could see her in the wings making
toward the stairs. both Peterson and
JEFF close at her heels. Almost two
thirds over now, and Carol was still
safe.
There were only Eve and old
Ben Kerry and I on stage now
and in a moment Eve followed
Carol through the door on stage
right. Kerry lounged in the chair
beside the big golden oak desk
where I sat writing what was sup
posed to be passionate love note.
I scribbled, Green Apples, Green
Apples, Eve North in Green Apples
and rushed through my few lines
with Kerry. He rose now. heavily.
and with an avuncular pat on my
shoulder started for the door.
The act was nearly over now.
little scene with Eve. then Carols
entrance and then the blessed re-
spite OF an intermisSion.
1t was the half -smothered sound
he made that caused me to look I'D
from my desk and stare at old Ben
Kerry and wonder historically if he
had gone mad. Instead of exciting
through the door right he had closed
IT softly and turned and taken one
faltering step back into the room.
And then I saw his face.
For one terrifying moment I
thought it wasn't Kerry's face at
all, In spite of the fiorid makeup
that he used, it had somehow the
look of a plaster cast. numb and
frozen. But his eyes darted wildly
around the stage, stopping for a
moment as they rested on me and
seeing nothing.
A Fresh Shock.
I searched frantically for some
thing to ad lib. Back so soon?"
rose insanely to my lips and I
smothered it and could think of
nothing else. I had to get the old
man of the stage. Eve wouldn't
make her entrance until had.
1 tried to catch his eve and mo-
Hon toward the door. He stared at
me and made no move to go. ST.
lence pressed down in cold sitting
clouds over the house and then
was stabbed by litter in the audi
erce.
I got out Of my chair at last
and took Kerry by the shoulders,
turning hims forcibly around to
face the door. The litter spread to
. running laugh, rolling through
the audience. the balcony. the
boxes. I said. trying to fight the
laughter, Goodnight U e
George" and in Kerry's ear I
muttered, For Gods sake, get out!"
7 held the door open for him. 1t
was then, I guess, I screamed.
Before I touched the shapeless
mass on the floor at my feet. even
before I saw the sharp glimmer
Of the knife beside it, I knew that
she was dead. I knew from the
way the thick velvet of the cape
fell over her body and from the
terrible stiffness of it. I knew it
and vet screamed. Carol, Carroll"
and I tried to lift her.
I saw the jacket then, the shim-
mering white jacket that was
splotched now with thick green
stains and crumpled under her head.
With feverish fingers 1 tore the
big black cape from her shoulders.
NV arms went limp and numb with
horror.
The back beneath the cape was
hideously shriveled, the arms and
shoulders a network of ancient bru-
tai scars. Somehow I managed to
Dub MY I1dllu ulluCI llCl 1SoO eaHN
turn it toward me. Eve North's
dead eyes stared up into my face.
Aftermath Of Murder.
1t was half past four when we
left the theater. Carol sat between
Jeff and me in the cab, her hands
working spasmodically in her lap
ut the little ball of felt that had,
much earlier in the evening, been
. hat.
1t was no good. If I could blot
out Ewes face there would be
Carols. Not Carol now, white and
tired, but Carol as she ran down
from her dressing room when she
heard my scream and stopped and
stood there above the grotesque
figure in her velvet wrap.
I was crouching over Eve, staring
up at Carol. l had waited for her
to faint or to cry, but not to laugh,
She had reached out her hand to