The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1936-08-28
CHAPTER vIII-Continued


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 O'Mara
had told her that they would move for
the exclusion of witnesses, except when
testifying; and in a 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 baby,
and the other had killed him.
Here was Bert-Myrtle's Bert ooh,
God, Bert!") 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 go 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
first chung to her, that she had not
come in upon wife who had just
killed her husband because of another
man, and to collect his insurance.
It 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
riage with him.
Why not? Wasn't marriage just liy-
ing with a man? Wasn't that really
all there was to it?
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
meant to kill him-just to make him
leave her alone, sometimes.
Stella would be in the courtroom;
Stella. whom he'd given the gate, but
who yet had showed up Myrtle as a
wife and lover. Well, Stella'd had an
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.
mot If she wants to come"
"Stella amt so frightful for forty.
Some men might like her yet. Aren't
you going to have the jury, menu"
"Yes," said Cathal.
"Then the ones I can't get from
Stella, Agnes can. I'll tell you-there's
one type of man that never liked me;
that's the type likes Agnes, I'll bet
you. So have Agnes there for me-"
"Agnes!" Cathal objected.
"That's how think of her; wouldn't
you? Say."-sudden terror took it's
turn,-"Agnes amt going to throw me.
Is she? She amt"
NO" said Cathal. But she won't
be there when you first come in"
Myrtle Lorrie would have given much
this morning If she could have counted
on Agnes Gleneith's presence in the
courtroom where she was to be tried
for her life.
She was not in the old Jail, but in
the new one on the west side Of the
city; for, together with all other pris-
oners awaiting trial, she had been
moved into the fine, modern structure
of stone and steel directly in the rear
of the new, imposing Criminal Courts
building Of Cook county.
Myrtle was now in the courtroom.
Stella was staring at heri And she