Classic Book Reader
Cover of Changeling, and Other Stories

Changeling, and Other Stories

by Donn Byrne (1889–1928)

  • Free to read
  • 6 hours to read
  • 52 chapters
  • Reading level: 6th grade

"Changeling and Other Stories" by Donn Byrne is a collection of short stories written in the early 20th century. The title story, "Changeling," introduces readers to Anna Janssen, a chorus girl on trial for the murder of her former lover, Alastair de Vries, as the courtroom drama unfolds with a backdrop of public scrutiny and personal transformation. The collection blends themes of crime, justice, and human relationships, and it appears to delve into deeper issues of identity and redemption. The opening of "Changeling" establishes a tense courtroom atmosphere where the prosecution builds its case against Anna Janssen, who appears both striking and enigmatic. As the district attorney presents evidence and witnesses testify, the complexities of Anna's character come to light. A vivid description contrasts her present legal predicament with her passionate past as an influential figure in New York’s nightlife. The narrative shifts to her defense, led by the skilled Howard Donegan, who seems disinterested in cross-examining witnesses, prompting concern for Anna’s fate. This setup foreshadows a rich exploration of her story and the moral dilemmas surrounding her actions, setting a compelling stage for the ensuing drama.

Read free now No app, no sign-up. Your place is saved automatically. Or download for your e-reader ↓
  • Ireland · Social life and customs
  • Short stories, Irish

Read the opening

Chapter I

To outward appearance the whole of the courtroom scene was drab, ordinary. There was the stuffy rectangle of a room, half dark in the January dusk, for all that the electric lights glowed with meager incandescence. There was the judge, in his robe, at the desk of the court. There were the jurymen, solemn as in church. There the court stenographers, bald, active as ants. There the men of the daily journals, more aloof, more judicial than the judge. There the press of morbid spectators, leaning forward like runners on the mark. There the policemen, court attendants, whatnot, relaxed of body, concentrated of eye, jealous of the dignity of the court as a house-dog of its master's home. Through the windows of the court could be seen the bulk of the Tombs, heavy, hopeless, horrible as the things whence it takes its chilly name.

The case of the people versus Anna Janssen for the murder of Alastair de Vries droned on.

Keep reading Changeling, and Other Stories →

Contents

Show all 52 chapters
  1. Front Matter
  2. Chapter I
  3. Chapter II
  4. Chapter III
  5. Chapter I
  6. Chapter II
  7. Chapter III
  8. Chapter IV
  9. Chapter I
  10. Chapter II
  11. Chapter III
  12. Chapter IV
  13. Chapter V
  14. Chapter VI
  15. Chapter VII
  16. Chapter VIII
  17. Chapter IX
  18. Chapter X
  19. Chapter I
  20. Chapter II
  21. Chapter III
  22. Chapter IV
  23. Chapter V
  24. Chapter VI
  25. Chapter VII
  26. Chapter VIII
  27. Chapter I
  28. Chapter II
  29. Chapter III
  30. Chapter IV
  31. Chapter V
  32. Chapter VI
  33. Chapter VII
  34. Chapter I
  35. Chapter II
  36. Chapter III
  37. Chapter IV
  38. Chapter I
  39. Chapter II
  40. Chapter III
  41. Chapter IV
  42. Chapter V
  43. Chapter VI
  44. Chapter VII
  45. Chapter VIII
  46. Chapter I
  47. Chapter II
  48. Chapter III
  49. Chapter IV
  50. Chapter V
  51. Chapter VI
  52. Chapter VII

Download for your e-reader

Files are provided by Project Gutenberg. On a Kindle, the simplest route is to send the EPUB with Amazon’s Send to Kindle. Downloaded copies don’t sync with your place on Classic Book Reader.

About this edition

This free edition of Changeling, and Other Stories by Donn Byrne comes from Project Gutenberg eBook #59892, released 2019-07-10. It is in the public domain in the United States, so you can read it here in full at no cost, on any phone, tablet or computer. Genre: Short Stories, Crime, Thrillers and Mystery, Novels, American Literature.

Summary provided by Project Gutenberg (automatically generated).

More by Donn Byrne