Then, from among the queer little party huddled together on the
benches at the rear of the big court room--a helpless, shepherdless
flock--Mr. Shirer began to call out his witnesses.
First of the hungering souls who sought life companions through Mrs.
Scott came Mrs. Mary Quinn, of Trenton, Ill., a short, dumpy little
person of about thirty-five or forty, who was chiefly remarkable for
the white hat she wore.
"I saw the ad.," she whispered--it was with the greatest difficulty
that Judge Bethea induced her to talk so she could be heard ten
feet away--"and I answered it. They sent me back a circular and a
photograph of a nice-looking fellow who was said to be rich.
"I sent my $2 and wrote that I would like to get into correspondence
with him. They sent me back word that he was corresponding with
another lady just then, and didn't want any more names at present, but
there was another one just as good.