Coulee City dispatch. [volume] (Coulee City, Wash.) 19??-19??, 1942-05-07

hand instinctively touched the gun
in her coat pocket.
''Karl won't kill anyone" Paul
said, calmly lighting cigarette.
Joan had already noticed that
Paul had the faculty of inspiring
trust. Thomas seemed to be relieved
by his assurance, vague and indeti-
mite though it was. Joan, too, felt
some inner faith, some conviction
that Paul could master any situa-
ton.
1t was little after seven when
Thomas motioned them to come out
side Karl and the officers were on
the lower deck.
They watched as the officers de-
seconded the rope ladder and were
rowed back to the submarine. In
the darkness it was hard to dis
tinguish them. 1t was like some evil
mirage, as their vague shapes dis
appeared down the hatch, then slow
ly the submarine submerged.
IRIS the most terrible thing I've
ever SEEM" Joan said, moving clos
er to Paul. cts symbolic of all the
hidden terror in the world today"
"And it's my job to do all can
to stop it," said Paul.
"You'l never stop Karl and his
kind. There are too many of them"
Thomas said sadly. "It would take
years."
"We'u stop them all right, no mat
ter how long it takes, and every
little bit helps. If we can get to
the bottom of this unit, it will fright
en- the others. Every man in the
FBI is working day and night track
ing down these people. Well catch
up with every one of them eventu-
ally"
Joan's heart was full of pride in
his words. g.
Paul caught her glance and
smiled. She was clutching her purse
and gloves, ready to depart, as he
had said, cat moments notice."
"We're not going to get out of this
as soon as I thought" he told her
now as they went back into the
lounge MAY as we'll sit down and
relax" ia. ILL.,. I'D. ...s
.Not me-" Thomas insisted. .I'm
going to stay on deck. If Karl does
come, l don'ts want to make things
look any worse than they already
are"
"Odd that Karl trusts you here
with u.s." Paul meditated.
"He trusts me-" Thomas declared,
"because he knows I'm afraid of
him."
But though neither Joan nor Paul
would admit it, both thought that
Karl was too clever to overlook the
possibility that Thomas might aid
Karl's prisoners. Had he deliber-
ately planned it this way?
"Drink your tea, DEAR" Paul ad-
vised. "This may be the last food
we'll have for quite a while"
They smiled, sending each other
message of courage.
The ship lay quietly. They had
not moved since the arrival of the
submarine.
Thomas stood patiently outside.
The rain on his slicker cleaned
in the darkness.
81 think he's more worried than
we are," Paul commented.
Thomas shutting footsteps came
suddenly to their ears; also hard
tread ascending the stairs.
cts KARL" Joan whispered.
She had scarcely uttered the
words when Karl Miller's powerful
figure doomed in the doorway. He
held pistol
Paul and Joan faced him silently.
Behind his back Joan saw the terri
fed eyes of Thomas.
"You amaze me, Mr.. O'Malley,"
Karl said coolly. "a man in the
government service should be more
clever than you have been"
Meaning what?" Paul inquired
with assumed Indifference.
''Do you really think me so stu
pid?" Karl smiled. ''Do you think
1 would hand over important papers
without checking them first?"
Sorry to disrupt your little plan.
You could see for yourself that they
are quite worthless now"
"Quite," Karl said coolly. "But
l feel that your government would
have preferred to lose the plans and
| have you alive"
mol" Joan screamed, sensing his
meaning.
"Shut up! | will deal with you
later. Perhaps you will learn that
death is preferable to some things"
eff you imagine that am afraid