Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1928-06-22
xxx

CHAPTER xxx
There was a silence. Martha was
studying the tips Of her neat little
shoes. Finally she said: yes"
"All right. It's a 60"
Listen, Stella, what was the mat
ter with you a while ago?"
"Oh . nonsense. Just plain
damn fool Mysteries"
But why? Must be something the
matter"
"No Oh, l know we'll enough,
Martha. I've been at war with my
self for a year. Without realizing.
IL tears you TO pieces, OF course.
And I've been through a lot just
lately. For one thing, ! didn't get
any sleep last night. Not any"
why don't you take some now 7"
IL can't. / feel sort Of driven. The
doctor tried to make me drink a
bromide. But / won't. | shan't
kick up like that again. You see,
I've cleaned up, mentally. I'm fac
ing things. Like clearing out a clut-
tered old desk. And I'll tell the
world it's a relief. But ! can't sit
still. Not yet. You don't know
much about what's going on in this
town. It's a bit Of war. They got
Ham Pew, and if somebody doesn't
do something pretty quick they'll get
Homer. Seems TO me | ought to be
doing something myself. I've got
some bits Of evidence, if | only knew
how to piece them together. / 20
crazy, just sitting here, trying TO
think up some real action. . . They
called Homer's loans yesterday. The
bank. That means Joe Harmer. He's
the enemy. Homer's got to face it
tomorrow. 1t may ruin him."
i don't see how you can help
there"
Neither do !, but . d. . the notion
keeps coming up that If somebody,
even /. can just brighten Joe Harmer
a little, il might hold things off. I've
got to be careful. / can't even use
all / know. Look here, Martha, I'm
taking ii for granted that you'll keep
your mouth shut about this"
~ won't talk"
"No, / don't believe you will. But
I've got to. To somebody. Or Ill
really 20 wild. Certain things ]
know. Martha, | heard one Of those
murderefs warn Homer. Heard his
voice. It was the same voice that
warned Ham before he was shot. It's
somebody right around Ackland here.
One Of the bootlegging gang. The
county political machine is protect
ing the lot Of them. | was thinking
just now that / ought to be spending
every minute hanging around the
railway station. or over az the Cor
ners, listening for that voice. I'd
know il anywhere. A husky, high
voice, a whisky tenor, with a slight
foreign twist. Can't pronounce our
'ng' or nix sounds"
Martha's slim body stiffened. and
her eyes came up, widening. "What
kind Of a looking nan she asked.
sharply.
II didn't see him. This was on the
telephone. Why did you ask
that, Martha? ?"
Il don't know. Just thinking"
"One thing | can do" Stella sprang
up. II am going to call up Mr.. Har-
mer and see If I can't have my talk
with him this evening. He'll think
I'm just after copy for my article.
| That viii be my owe But il might
lead to something. I'm going to
dress SHe HdG aiiSdus lhIVNh
off the kimono . "and run down
10 the station. Call him up from
there. ] don't want the folks to
hear any Of this"
Martha, too. had sprang to her feet.
"Mind II I 90 with you, Stellar"
"No. Well take the Ford. But
why? I can't take you to Mr.. Har-
mer's."
"That isn't it. I want to telephone
somebody myself
The Ackland station was a somno-
lent place of a Sunday afternoon.
| The ticket and telegraph office was
| closed from two to six. "A few youths
and girls hung about, smoking and
bantering and watching the automo-
biles 20 by. Across the way. about
the doorway of an Italian fruit and
candy shop, others lounged. boys
from the garages and the stores,
dressed up in their best clothes.
Stella drove the Ford in by the
station behind a smart green sedan.
There were two telephone booths.
side by side. at either end OF the
building. They went into the wom-
ems waiting room. to find that one
Of che booths was occupied by a
man. Stella said: @Ycu take this