Show DRAGONS DRAGOIN ia irs DRIVE UK IV in r y YOU U 40 r LJ ir CHAPTER IX continued IS some stared at her hostilely bostl lely as it if she ehe would cheat them of the death they desired for the girl in black before them file some thrust forward from froin the same seats as if they would surround and defend the prisoner ind and her witness suddenly yon roil saw faces Sl mothers slithers and bees and two who had been tn in the papers Ms his first wife with tier her daughter beside tier her how did they feel a few feet away from myrtle did they want ant her killed too here was another face an old face a fine face A little old orann who ho had filed a lot ind and never let life beat I 1 her ier winnie Win tile slie she was agnes never had seen scon so much as a likeness of tier her but there was no missing tier her when she looked at martin she knew winnie uns nas his grandmother agnes sank down upon the witness chair anil and waited for winnies grandsons first questions they were simple enough what was her dame where did she live how old was tas site she had she gone to chicago on a certain day did she niece any one in chica chicago 0 O then mint did they in do after the she had looked nt at the empty apart ment and mr braddon had left tier her what did site she tin do now tell ell the hie jury in j I 1 our ovi own n vi nords what iou did and what abat nou ou saw and what you yourself heard after the file door of the apartment upon aich which sir mr colter coher knocked was opened 1 I saw said agnes ties a girl irl a woman oman I 1 had never seen before that girl there site she looked at the prisoner myrtle lorrie she was in negligee over underclothes and stockings she was vaas acry excited and disheveled she looked us as if a good deal had bad just happened to tier her 1 I object mr nordell kordell for the state was on his feet sustained i said the judge you ton roust must conone confine your statement to what you observed and heard you must not give elve your inferences he be said kindly enough to agnes 1 I know she said 1 I forgot I 1 ca can say I 1 saw bruises and hurts on her I 1 did I 1 can say she was shaky she was nas she was as holding to the doorknob with both hands whore you whore you yon she asked but wait waft for me to answer she grabbed me and pulled me into the room she said oh got god im glad to see you glad to see you she pulled me down into a big soft chair beside her sir mr colver the file agent went to look for swelling smelling salts for her I 1 heard beard him call from down the halt hall mr lorrie sir lor ale ire he came back and lie could hardly speak finally he said to me you tou know what weve walked in on A killing theres murder here she shot him I 1 had bad mrs lorrie in my arms then I 1 was holding her she was lying limp across me agnes had DO idea how site she looked as she related this she was not thinking of herself on the witness stand she was seeing herself back in that room kut but the judge the jury and people crowding cronn ding the benches were staring at her as she sat in the big witness chair young and slight and fair anti so BO completely unaffected and forgetful of herself indeed and so honest look ing cathal standing before her stepped back a little as though lie he dared not trust himself closer to the do delight of her what a start site she was makin making beyond what lie had expected I 1 lie he could not possibly have planned this then did you do anything ho he asked her very quietly her blue eyes on his shortened their focus from the faraway far away room w which hach agnes had been seeing for an instant only her retinas were aware of him then she went back again yes tes I 1 tried to rouse her I 1 asked her did you do it she reply at first she seem to understand der stand me I 1 kept shaking her maybe I 1 did she finally said maybe I 1 did I 1 said maybe dont you know she seem to know 1 I object 1 nordell protested sustained said the judge im surry sorry said agnes but she 1 I object sustained said the judge and told agnes more sternly you roust must not give your opinions or inferences 1 I wont again vid agnes or ill try oot not to the phone rang pretty soon then I 1 heard mrs lorrie say oh god bert then I 1 guess he talked to her I 1 mean sho she caught herself mrs lorrie waited and listened as if some one was talking tal kingto to her then she said bald cert bert some things happened charcey died today 1 then mr colver used the phone to call the police and I 1 mr omara called you she stopped aghast at herself and before martin omara this was not at all as she has reviewed and prepared her evidence with him she had bald things slie site had never dreamed ot 0 uttering and omitted a score of items the she had promised to repeat nut but lie he had bad no reproach for her quite to the contrary hla his own pulses were dancing with new and wanton pleasure she delighted him she delighted the jury men at least some of them the judge was wag unsuccessful in his severity toward tier her three or four newspaper reporters reluctantly luct antly left the courtroom they carried the heads for the afternoon news agnes Glenel th had gone on for the defense and was winning the courtroom cuthal cathal of course brought her back by EDWIN BALMER copyright by edwin calmer balmer service to the evidence site she had omitted site she remembered the memorandum which site she had made on the morning after the visit to the lorrie apartment and now as carthul questioned tier her she read it and explained that she hall written wr ittel it on that first morning because people were ere saying so many things different from what id seen tills this helped but already hy by the unplanned pl tinned ways or of tier lier own agnes had established the feeling essential to a favorable turn of file case tile jury the judge the courtroom had seen tier her and approved tier her they belle believed ed aal trusted what nhat she said it was perfectly plain that only accidentally had she become concerned alth the case yet having haling happened to be the first person to corne corae in on myrtle lorrie after the hie shooting and having been tie the person in best position to judge mrs lorries Lor rles physical and mental condition at the lie time when nhen the crime had occurred this girl irl had not against tier her but had set herself to help tier her when the agent had sent for the police agnes Glenel th herself had summoned tor for mrs lorrie a lawyer agnes was vas almost the only person in I 1 the courtroom unaware of what site she had accomplished she believed she had bungled everything she thought bt she had bad much more to do when after sue she had described myrtles bruises and hurts as she had seen them cathal asked now at the time you first saw tier her and when you were in close contact with tier her what was the general state ot of her mind did she show any clear recollection of what recently had happened no she was both confused and contradictory I 1 found tier her in a state of of shock of extreme shock thank you said cathal all I 1 need ask lie he stepped back a tittle little and turned to the table of the state your witness lie he said to the attorneys charged with the prosecution lie he retreated to his own table that of the defense whereat sirs lorrie all the time had been beau seated and lie dropped upon a chair beside his client martle turned to him and he nodded to her almost absently he touched reassuringly the impulsive hand she stretched toward him then turned and watched nordell as he be came to his feet for the cross examination cathal jerked forward to the edge of his chair he kept his hands relaxed but he be felt as it if with fists clenched ready to fight fight as he had never fought before if the prosecutor tore into tier her as he could yet ret while half of cathal tingled tin led and bristled thus for the fight the file cooler half the professional halt the part of him which was a lawyer hoped the state would tear in what a mistake what complete catastrophe it if they attempted to sneer and jeer at this girl and show her up I 1 Nort nordell lell did not make that mistake you have salo daiy miss bliss glendith Glenel Gl eneith tb he began with careful courtesy that you happened to be in the building where mrs lorrie lived because you ou were looking at an apartment in it with mr braddon 11 yes said agnes you were engaged to be married to him agnes hesitated for the first time engaged were they ever engaged they had been looking at an apartment together so she roust must have been then yes she said that was the honest answer are you engaged to him now no there it was out that was honest too when did you break your engagement we break it what a tiling thing to talk of before a courtroom full of 0 ped people p e and with reporters writing it all down I 1 then nhat did you do nordell demanded cathal was wag on his feet to help tier her but for the first time in this trial lie he was confused ue ile did not dot know how to help tier her this was all within Nor nordelis dells right we we decided not to be married all who decided that mr braddon tt or you 1 I object cathal protested but the judge before ruling looked to nordell overruled Oer ruled lie said to cathal answer be said to agnes 1 I did when it was when ben we were in the apartment in c nt upstairs that was wag why jeb sir mr braddon left the building what effect had this on you effect 11 1 I mean nordell explained after just having broken your engagement upstairs did you enter the apartment downstairs in a calm and composed 1 mental state was your own condition perfectly clear or confused clear said agnes 1 I was perfectly clear in my mind she repeated perfectly clear yes for I 1 and not cared ared enough nordell stepped back ile he hesitated lie he had gained one effect ant and lie dr do elded to rest on it all he be sald said suddenly looking at catlin cathal all said Catli il you cat can step down miss Clenel th agn agnes s down slowly cautiously tiou sly suddenly site she find felt maln or ier feet si iiii I 1 czi cwi I iwi vai i 1 inar rind it wae vino or rin liis passed over her what had bad she lust just sall said of jell she halted for or an instant water she heard some one say she felt fel hands on tier her strong steadying hands bands martin omara hands lie ite held her firmly and pleasantly slie she felt that she could not possibly fall heres water omara sir mr nor dells voice said thanks lie he said and held field the glass to tier her lips agnes swallowed and looked up cp sorry sorry she said then tier lier mother was there ill take tier her site she said to cathal all right now cathal asked agnes she looked up tip at him jeb she said mr Brad dons back in that room take me back to him please she begged cathal 1 I want I 1 want to tell him myself what I 1 said ill get him cathal offered im not calling adut to the stand therell be no more court this afternoon I 1 think then said agnes tell him please ill wait for him in the car bailiffs opened the way for her mother and bee and her an elevator lowered them to the ground they went out through the breathless hazy heat beat of to the hot and dusty car omara went to job jeb in the witness room lie ile was pleased jeb saw the hour for him had gone well vell im not calling you today or at all sir mr braddon cathal said 1 I thank you for having been ready but now ill not need deed you were through with aless glendith Glenel th then where Is miss Glenel th ashes gone out ashes waiting for you with her mother and sister at the car all right said jeb and demanded well what did she do on the stand site she did it cathal told him she turned the case for your rotten little murderer and you cathal drew back a little you damned shy shyster sterl 1 jeb whispered from his soul cathal heard and knew lie was meant to hear and he be caught control of himself ile he could not liate late this man now he could not envy him to strike him physically would be silly surplusage ue lie would not let himself deliver the blow lie he could with a few words more ile he said as quietly as he might in the tension between them some evidence came out in cross ex which I 1 neither knew nor expected what evidence A statement she made which she was forced to make by the state concerning herself and yourself what did she say about us that said cathal she wishes to tell you herself As jeb stepped from the door to the criminal courts building cameras clicked at him again anti and the crowd turned jeb heard his name passed and lie he saw lips that passed it smile ue he straightened and faced them behind his back somebody laughed jeli jeb would have liked to turn and knock the idiot down ile he would like above all to knock down OS 0 lara damn him I 1 jeb recognized the Glenel th car and be halted agnes saw jeb and she knew that she had nothing left to tell him ue he came to the car and simmons opened the door tor for him better take her III directly home jeb said looking in ills his eyes were upon agnes but they went at once to her mother and lie he spoke to her ar im going to my office cathal drove north alone at nine that evening the roads were choked with cars many of them parked more of thern them barely rolling as their possessors sought the night and relief in the little breezes of motion from the dull and heavy heat another day whatever its triumphs and despairs was done its final pale flaunt was furled in the west darkness spread its treacherous shield to satisfactions of the longings of flesh for flesh self sufficiency capitulated one hungered for another everywhere young people paired arras arnis about each other lips together careless what silhouettes hou ettes the headlights and betrayed night for day the ranking making of 0 money the struggle and the light fight for night relaxation and love night inight with the bright star low over the lake as low almost as the masthead light of a little yacht drifting along cathal was its clear of the city thunder i threatened but from far away beside him the street lamps ceased he follo followed cd the dark lines of cool country places it was nag unlike cathal to falter before a determination he had taken yet he passed the gateposts gate posts of the and drove a mile beyond before it he turned back and entered their roal it was ten but lie he saw that doors and windows of the lower bliver rooms room were open shaded lights burned within tile the family had not gone to bed cathal rang and he said to cravath Cravat li who recognized him ask mrs glen alth it if I 1 may have a few minutes no more with ith miss glendith Glenel th cravath left film outside and with the screen door closed mrs Glenel th came with cravath Cravat li to the screen and spoke to cathel through throng 11 it 11 what is it mr omara arent ou through fill us dues does the law let ash som eibing more of my daughter nor t tin the liw law cathal I 1 holding ble lint hill ito I 1 clint CIA TO CC B CONTINUED |