“For the present?”
“I shall of course be at the ceremony.”
I didn’t want him there; but as I would rather be married to Helga in his presence than not married to her at all, I said nothing. Besides, I was not in a critical mood.
I was sufficiently practical to remember to go to the hotel and engage rooms, and on the way I stopped at a jeweller’s store and bought a ring. And having done that I hunted up Harold Marvyn and induced him to consent to be at the wedding.
Then I drove to the prison where Frank Siegel was confined. I produced the order for his release, arranged all the preliminaries, and then told them to show me straight to the prisoner, as I wished to take the news to him myself.
“Hello, what in thunder brings you here?” he exclaimed, as I entered.
“I’ve brought the order for your release, old man.”
His face fell, and he looked the reverse of pleased.
“I hope you’re just monkeying. I don’t want any release,” he said in a tone of such irritation that I laughed.
“Sorry, but you’ve got to come. I’m going to be married in about half an hour, and I want you to be best man.”