The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1936-07-02
DRAGONS DRIVE YOU
By EDWIN BALMER
" Usrvce

Jeb-and Rod. Why did Agnes mind
suddenly flee to them? Her thought
caught them only in a flash of COM
parison; for this man was of their
age, with some quality like Rod-or
like Jeb; which was it? She was con-
fused, responding to the new emotion
al tension.
The feeling of conflict filled the
room. These men were antagonists
one against the four.
The one by himself stood easily, but
on watch. He was not on guard; for
to feel one on guard, you feel him
thrown back into an attitude of de-
Tense. 1t was the four who confront
ed him who, you felt, were on guard;
he was alone. but 1t was he who would.
at the opportunity, strike
Agnes did not begin to comprehend
how her presence Influenced every
thing that followed. 1t was her intru-
sion and the consequent involvement
of Agnes Gleneith in the murder of
Charles Lorrie that the case would
turn upon. O'Mara had had nearly
twenty minutes in which to appreciate
that fact; and he had required not
one-he had felt it Immediately.
you're quick on a case, O'Mara,"
incautiously Nordell cut at him. eff
you were a surgeon, they couldn't call
you an ambulance chaser. You leave
1t behind. Did you start from your
office after or before the shooting?
The tension in Agnes feeling tight
ened. So these men not only were an
tagonists, but they had fought before,
bitterly and without forgiveness on
one side, at least.
She took sides; she could not help
it. The man whom she had asked to
come stood before the four and little
away from the wall Whatever else
he was, he was incorporate to any
of them; his was the mold of another
order of man. 1t had shaped his
head so that your eyes fingered look
ing at him-lngered on the line of
his good lips that he kept shut lest
clean-cut chin. on his fine broad brow
and his bold black hair. He held his
head with a little lift that you liked.
He stepped unhindered past the po-
lice and to the center of the room,
where Myrtle Lorrie chung to her ref
uge in her soft chair.
I'm O'Mara." he said to her. Ibid
you ask for me?"
She caught his hand. but he olsen
gagged it.
did you ask Miss Gleneith to send
for me?"
"Yes. For Gods sake, save me, save
me-"
81 must find how things are Mean
while, you" He spoke in a lower
tone, swiftly, his voice continuing In
definite, curt admonitions. But now
Nordell and Dolega were beside him;
there was clash of words from which
emerged a sudden truce.
Pm taking you out of this" Mar
tin O'Mara said to Agnes Gleneith,
looking down at her. mot all the
way out, I'm sorry to say; we'll be
long before being through with you
But we've no need to keep you here,
distressing you, when so many more
must soon be coming"
Many more?" repeated Agnes, look
ing up at him.
Faith" he said, "faith, they've bare
ly begun to come"
How gentle he could be, this best
damn lawyer in town who could face
off four men and lay down his own
conditions of truce with them!
The very way of his words was al
tered, when he spoke to her. No &C.
cent crept in; he spoke as before. but
he let you feel, through the phrases
that came to him unbidden, his close
ness and accustOm to plain people of
ready emotion and sentiment. and
simple speaking.
Zone thing we'll be needing" he
added. TITS him who came with you.
You've not named him, I hear; but it's
got to be. Who was he?"
''Mr. Braddon," said Agnes. "Jeb-
Judson E. Braddon."
you and he came here, l took 1t,
not knowing these people"
"No."
"You came to look over these apart
ments, because you were marrying"
"Yes," said Agnes, because we were
marrying"
And this brought her back to that;
she had come here considering the
idea of marrying Jeb; that meant be-
coming his wife in rooms like these
upstairs. She could never, never
move into such rooms now.
She looked at the girl in the big
soft chair. "How could she do it?"
she whispered her horror to O'Mara.
He shook his head. when such
thing is done, you don't do it. No;
you never do it," he said. "It's your
dragons you have in you that drive
you to it."
"Your dragons? What do you mean?"
"You know naught Of them?
God has been good to you"
ITO BE CONTINUED