The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1936-09-03
CHAPTER VIII-Continued

ing of the life of another-of a man
you had married?
Martin O'Mara had said to her, when
last he was here-on Saturday:
when a wife kills a husband, no
one else ever finds out why. To save
her life, she'll never tell even her at
tOrney more than a part. She shot
him; and the fact speaks for itself the
fullness of her reason. You were the
first TO see her afterward."
Yes said Agnes.
Then you can best judge for your
self-nO one, who was not there, can
tell you as well-what you should do
Agnes arose and dressed long before
breakfast-time, though she knew she
would not be summoned TO court today.
Both Mr.. NOrdell and Martin OMara
had told her that they would move for
the exclusion of witnesses, except when
testifying; and in trial for murder,
the judge would so order.
The morning paper came; and there
again was Agnes Gleneith on the page
beside Myrtle LOrrie and Martin
O'Mara.
She gazed once more at the placid,
confident countenance of Charles LOr-
RE. who had cast off the wife who had
married him when they both were
young, and who had borne him his
daughter.
Here was that wife-Stella Lorrie-
as now she was; and here was their
daughter Janet. She was seventeen.
and she had been graduated from a
high school in Wisconsin last week,
and had accompanied her mother yes
terday to Chicago to be beside her
mother today when Stella. the first
wife. sat at the trial Of Myrtle, the
second wife.
Wife! Did any other word in all the
language describe-Or fail to describe
as many different relations? Both Of
these had been wives, and of the same
man; and one had borne him a baby,
and the other had killed him.
Here was Bert-Myrtle's Bert. t"Oh,
God, Bertr') What part had he played
in the killing? Some said-and Jeb
was one of them-that the existence
OF Bert and the insurance on the life
of Charles Lorrie completely explained
the whole occurrence. Myrtle had shot
her husband to 90 off with Bertrand
the insurance.
Agnes shut her eyes; and she saw
herself again in that room; and she
knew, as she was returned TO the feel
ing Of the moment when Myrtle Lorrie
alr 70 har hot oh no.
come in upon wife who had just
killed her husband because Of another
man, and to collect his insurance.
II was very warm at the Jail, and
sultry and sticky. Myrtle perspired
even when she sat still, after she had
dressed for the courtroom.
She wore her platinum wedding ring
and her engagement ring-sapphires
and diamond set in platinum and she
turned them nervOusly on her damp
finger. She had figured, when she held
up her finger for him to slip them on
it, that she could get away with mar
rage with him.
Why not? Wasn't marriage just liv'
l0S Will u udn " dSu lAdl really
all there was 70 it?
He'd give her a lot of money-more
than she'd ever seriously dreamed OF
having; and she'd give him loving. But
hers didn't do. -.
They were coming for her to takE
her to cOurt-to be tried for the muir
der Of Charley. Damn it, she never
III IL.
leave her alone, sometimes.
Stella would be in the courtroom
Stella, whom he'd given the gate, bu
who yet had showed up Myrtle as 6
wife and lover. Well, SteIla'd had ar
advantage: she'd loved the fathead
she'd not had to try to love him, think
ing Of somebody else.
Cant you keep her out?" she had
asked Cathal.
Not if she wants to come"
stella amt so frightful for forty
Some men might like her yet. Aren'
you going to have the jury, menu"
YES" said CathaL
Then the ones 1 can't get from
Stella, Agnes can. I'll tell you-there'
one type of man that never liked me
that's the type likes Agnes, I'll be
you. So have Agnes there for me-
"AgnesI' Cathal objected.
That's how 1 think Of her; wouldn'
you? Say,"-sudden terror took it
turn.-"Agnes amt goi.g to throw me
is she2 She amt"
NO." said Cathal- "But she won
be there when you frSI come in"
Myrtle Lorrie would have given muc
this morning if she could have counte
on Agnes Gleneith's presence in tn
courtroom where she was to be trie
for her life.
She was not in the old Jail, but |
the new one on the west side Of tn
city; for, together with all other pri!
Oners awaiting trial, she had bee
moved into the fine, modern structur
Of stone and steel directly in the rea
Of the new, imposing Criminal Court
building of Cook county.
Myrtle was now in the courtroom.
Stella was staring at heri And sh
was staring at Stella. She couldn
take her eyes of Stella. And besid
Stella was Charley's kid.
Where was somebody for her? Som,
body that counted and could do good
Where was Agnes Gleneith? Oh, VIII
In hell wasn't she here?
The damn room was full OF peopl
staring; but you couldn't see them, e,
cept Stella and Charley's kid.
Myrtle did her best to take 1t.
For two days they fought over ii
jury; it was Wednesday before NJ
NordeIl outlined to the i men at La
selected-and the newspaper repeate
m all who read-the case against Ny