Read Online Mrs McGinty's Dead by Agatha Christie - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Agatha Christie
Ads: Link
blurry heroines.
The name of Eva Kane he remembered, for the Craig Case had been a very celebrated one. Alfred Craig had been Town Clerk of Parminster, a conscientious, rather nondescript little man, correct and pleasant in his behaviour. He had had the misfortune to marry a tiresome and temperamental wife. Mrs Craig ran him into debt, bullied him, nagged him, and suffered from nervous maladies that unkind friends said were entirely imaginary. Eva Kane was the young nursery governess in the house. She was nineteen, pretty, helpless and rather simple. She fell desperately in love with Craig and he with her. Then one day the neighbors heard that Mrs Craig had been “ordered abroad” for her health. That had been Craig's story. He took her up to London, the first stage of the journey, by car late one evening, and “saw her off” to the South of France. Then he returned to Parminster and at intervals mentioned how him wife's health was no better by her accounts of it in letters. Eva Kane remained behind to housekeep for him, and tongues soon started wagging. Finally, Craig received news of his wife's death abroad. He went away and returned a week later, with an account of the funeral.
In some ways, Craig was a simple man. He made the mistake of mentioning where his wife had died, a moderately well-known resort on the French Riviera. It only remained for someone who had a relative or friend living there to write to them, discover that there had been no death or funeral of anyone of that name and, after a period of rank gossip, to communicate with the police.
Subsequent events can be briefly summarised.
Mrs Craig had not left for the Riviera. She had been cut in neat pieces and buried in the Craig cellar. And the autopsy of the remains showed poisoning by a vegetable alkaloid.
Craig was arrested and sent for trial. Eva Kane was originally charged as an accessory, but the charge was dropped, since it appeared clear that she had throughout been completely ignorant of what had occurred. Craig in the end made a full confession and was sentenced and executed.
Eva Kane, who was expecting a child, left Parminster and, in the words of the Sunday Companion: Kindly relatives in the New World offered her a home. Changing her name, the pitiful young girl, seduced in her trusting youth by a cold-blooded murderer, left these shores for ever, to begin a new life and to keep for ever locked in her heart and concealed from her daughter the name of her father.
“My daughter shall grow up happy and innocent. Her life shall not be stained by the cruel past. That I have sworn. My tragic memories shall remain mine alone.”
Poor frail trusting Eva Kane. To learn, so young, the villainy and infamy of man. Where is she now? Is there, in some Midwestern town, an elderly woman, quiet and respected by her neighbours, who has, perhaps, sad eyes... And does a young woman, happy and cheerful, with children, perhaps, of her own, come and see “Momma,” telling her of all the little rubs and grievances of daily life - with no idea of what past sufferings her mother has endured?
“Oh la la!” said Hercule Poirot. And passed on to the next Tragic Victim.
Janice Courtland, the “tragic wife,” had certainly been unfortunate in her husband. His peculiar practices, referred to in such a guarded way as to rouse instant curiosity, had been suffered by her for eight years. Eight years of martyrdom, the Sunday Companion said firmly. Then Janice made a friend. An idealistic and unworldly young man who, horrified by a scene between husband and wife that he had witnessed by accident, had thereupon assaulted the husband with such vigour that the latter had crashed in his skull on a sharply-edged marble fire surround. The jury had found that provocation had been intense, that the young idealist had had no intention of killing, and a sentence of five years for manslaughter was given.
The suffering Janice, horrified by all the publicity the case had brought
The name of Eva Kane he remembered, for the Craig Case had been a very celebrated one. Alfred Craig had been Town Clerk of Parminster, a conscientious, rather nondescript little man, correct and pleasant in his behaviour. He had had the misfortune to marry a tiresome and temperamental wife. Mrs Craig ran him into debt, bullied him, nagged him, and suffered from nervous maladies that unkind friends said were entirely imaginary. Eva Kane was the young nursery governess in the house. She was nineteen, pretty, helpless and rather simple. She fell desperately in love with Craig and he with her. Then one day the neighbors heard that Mrs Craig had been “ordered abroad” for her health. That had been Craig's story. He took her up to London, the first stage of the journey, by car late one evening, and “saw her off” to the South of France. Then he returned to Parminster and at intervals mentioned how him wife's health was no better by her accounts of it in letters. Eva Kane remained behind to housekeep for him, and tongues soon started wagging. Finally, Craig received news of his wife's death abroad. He went away and returned a week later, with an account of the funeral.
In some ways, Craig was a simple man. He made the mistake of mentioning where his wife had died, a moderately well-known resort on the French Riviera. It only remained for someone who had a relative or friend living there to write to them, discover that there had been no death or funeral of anyone of that name and, after a period of rank gossip, to communicate with the police.
Subsequent events can be briefly summarised.
Mrs Craig had not left for the Riviera. She had been cut in neat pieces and buried in the Craig cellar. And the autopsy of the remains showed poisoning by a vegetable alkaloid.
Craig was arrested and sent for trial. Eva Kane was originally charged as an accessory, but the charge was dropped, since it appeared clear that she had throughout been completely ignorant of what had occurred. Craig in the end made a full confession and was sentenced and executed.
Eva Kane, who was expecting a child, left Parminster and, in the words of the Sunday Companion: Kindly relatives in the New World offered her a home. Changing her name, the pitiful young girl, seduced in her trusting youth by a cold-blooded murderer, left these shores for ever, to begin a new life and to keep for ever locked in her heart and concealed from her daughter the name of her father.
“My daughter shall grow up happy and innocent. Her life shall not be stained by the cruel past. That I have sworn. My tragic memories shall remain mine alone.”
Poor frail trusting Eva Kane. To learn, so young, the villainy and infamy of man. Where is she now? Is there, in some Midwestern town, an elderly woman, quiet and respected by her neighbours, who has, perhaps, sad eyes... And does a young woman, happy and cheerful, with children, perhaps, of her own, come and see “Momma,” telling her of all the little rubs and grievances of daily life - with no idea of what past sufferings her mother has endured?
“Oh la la!” said Hercule Poirot. And passed on to the next Tragic Victim.
Janice Courtland, the “tragic wife,” had certainly been unfortunate in her husband. His peculiar practices, referred to in such a guarded way as to rouse instant curiosity, had been suffered by her for eight years. Eight years of martyrdom, the Sunday Companion said firmly. Then Janice made a friend. An idealistic and unworldly young man who, horrified by a scene between husband and wife that he had witnessed by accident, had thereupon assaulted the husband with such vigour that the latter had crashed in his skull on a sharply-edged marble fire surround. The jury had found that provocation had been intense, that the young idealist had had no intention of killing, and a sentence of five years for manslaughter was given.
The suffering Janice, horrified by all the publicity the case had brought
Similar Books
