The Wilmington morning star., 1940-05-14
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READ THIS FIRST:

READ THIS FIRST:
/, Bill Strickland, am suspected
In the murder of my friend, Alfred
Markham, rich young jeweler, a
q party in the Rio Vista clubhouse
garden. I am kidnapped by a mai
who attacks me in the dark gardel
an hour later, but I escape from
him the next morning in a rowboa
and am picked up by a newspaper
reporter and Louise Markham, il
a motor boat. Miss Markham, con
WINGED I am innocent, takes mi
to her home, where a doctor say!
all I need is rest.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
I spent the rest of that day OF
the couch in the Markham Ii
brary. I suspected that the report
er had not notified the police, ane
had no intention of doing SO until
after his paper went to press the
next morning, but I remembered
that he had saved my life. I be
lieved his deception was doing nc
great harm, and decided that
would not spoil his story for him
Also, I enjoyed having such a
beautiful nurse. She did not smile
again, though I did my best &c
distract her attention.
"You are very brave" I told
her. "Most girls would be IN
tears"
st did cry" she admitted, last
night, Alfred was always a Won
derful brother to me. But l have
been away at school for years;
perhaps that is why his death has
not Frustrated me. md there is
George, my other brother, to give
me strength"
Nevertheless, you are very
brave" l repeated. Il had no idea
who you were until the doctor
spoke your name, .and I would
never have suspected"
SILLY of me, wasn't it, to be out
in a boat? That reporter came to
the house and said he wanted to
search the river. I let him borrow
our boat, and I went along. l SIM
ply had to do something's"
II wonder what he expected to
find?"
He said he was sure the muir
derer had come and gone IN a
boat, and that you had been taken
away in a boat. There is a police
boat down river. so he was fairly
certain no one would try to 60 that
way. We went down only as far as
the club, then circled back UP.
stream, looking for strange boats.
We didn't get far. believe he has
gone back to continue his hunt
this afternoon
He's not SO dumb at that" ]
observed.
He certainly acts as though he
would cut off his right arm to gel
a story. l never saw him until to-
day. He had my life history in fiji
teen minutes"
Hes very self-centered. He
never did introduce U.S."
"Oh, 1 knew who you are a:
soon as we pulled you into the
boat and he said you we're the mar
who had disappeared from the
club. Alfred often spoke of you
You and he were great friends
weren't you? This must be a blow
to you, too"
I swallowed. 1T is"
She went to the kitchen to brew
me a cup of tea. After a time she
returned. "1'u read you a story
she said. perhaps it will take
both our minds off our troubles
The afternoon Wor on. I won
dered who else was in the house.
heard no sound of any other occu
pant. Reporters from the Afternoon
and evening papers came to speal
to her. She met them at the door
and they had no reason to suspec'
my presence.
Toward evening I sat up. I fel
much better-almost normal, il
fact. When Belzer burst in ant
saw me, however, he set up a
howl. Put that bandage back OF
your head" he demanded. you've
a sick man, and the Photographic
is here to prove it."
The photographer came in, load
ed down with his big camera ant
flash bulbs again. He set up hi
tripod. Belzer posed me.
Il hope you realize I woul'
never do this if I didn't feel in
debted," I said, as he directed m
how to grimace as though in pain
They took six flash pictures.
1--WE got the story typed" tn
Bella ~LANAN-COURT r