The Wilmington morning star., 1940-06-14
FORTY

S1AkAA
It was 9:15 when I rolled over
in bed and looked at the alarm
clock the next morning. My usual
hour for breakfast was 7 o'clock.
but the events of the past few
nights had robbed me of most OF
my rest and I had slept through
the ringing of the alarm clock.
I knew that my jumping nerves
had been set at rest, partially at
least, by Louise Markham's faith
in me. 1 could no longer deny it to
myself was in love with her.
After a cold shower to rid my
head of that groggy feeling that
comes of late sleeping on a sum
mer morning, I rang up the police
station to find out what had hap
pened.
They had found William Gala.
It, had simply been a matter OF
watching for him on the San Fran
cisco docks from which two steam
ers were leaving that morning Tor
foreign ports. An hour before l
had awakened, two deputy sherlffs
had left by automobile to bring
Gala back. They were expected
about l o'clock.
In surprise I hung up the re-
ceiver. l hadn't thought the law
would work so fast. l had a bar
gain to make with Gala. He must
not reveal that Alfred Markham
was a drug addict. 1t would break
Louise's heart.
I wasn't sure when I had first
begun to suspect Alfred's awful
secret. The evidence had piled up
little by little, until 1 could no
longer doubt it. His drug addiction
was the reason for his strange be-
havior that night.
Gala, I was convinced, was the
man who supplied the drugs, but
I knew he had not killed Alfred
Markham. That was the bargain |
wanted to make with him. I would
see that he was not convicted, #
he would keep Alfred's secret from
his sister.
I telephoned Harvey Mcclure
and learned that Jerry had notl
yet been formally charged with
murder, but was being held in jail
until his preliminary hearing in a
justice court at 1870. 1t seemed
certain that the judge would hold
him for trial.
Can I see you before them" 1
begged.
"Sure Come right over" Nc
CURE invited.
1 ate a hasty breakfast and hur-
ried to McGuire's office, on the
seventh floor of the Mercantile
building on K street. The hustle Of
the elevator and Railways was in
sharp contrast to the quiet of his
rooms. He was leaning back in his
swivel chair, smoking a cigar and
gazing abstractedly at the ceiling.
His eyes dropped to mine as I
entered.
'All out of breath, Bill" he OBJ
served. Whats the rush?"
whats the rush?" I echoed.
"How a you ask that when my
best friend is going to be charged
with murder this morning."
Forget it, Bill. He'll never be
convicted. The evidence against
him is all circumstantial."
I sat down on the edge Of the
desk. "But it's dangerous-it's dan
gerous for this case even to come
to trail. Can you stop it-at the
hearing?"
He leaned forward, knocked the
ashes off his cigar and gave me a
look of interest. whats the trou.
BILE? Some kind of scandal in the
family?"
The accuracy Of his guess was
startling. Something like that" I
admitted, feeling that it was best
to be honest with him. "And it will
too hard to find out why Alfred
be sure to come out if they try
Markham was killed."
"But, good God, man We can't
let a murderer 60 just to suppress
a bit of scandal"
"How do you know it was muir
der?"
He frowned.' 'rThat's a silly ques-
ton. A man doesn't stab himself to
death, then drag his own body
twenty feet or So"
"How do we know the murder
er dragged the body? Suppose Al
fred killed himself. Suppose some
one thought he had just tainted,
and dragged the body out into the
light, then discovered he was stab
E L LANAN-COURT RI