CHAPTER XXXI
"JAIL'S EMPTY, KANE!"
The jail was small--merely one room with barred windows and an irondoor, opening upon the street. The iron door was supplemented with awooden one, which halted the glances of the curious. The windows werehigh, thus insuring further privacy; the hard adobe floor was clean, andthe bunk in which Lawler lay when the dawn came was as comfortable asmight have been expected.
Moreton had come in just before daylight, solicitous, concerned, eagerto lessen the discomforts of his prisoner. Back of the apology in hisvoice was a note of rage:
"It goes ag'in' the grain to keep you here, Lawler," he said when heclosed the door after entering; "but I'm goin' to bring this case to ashowdown today, an' don't you forget it!"
But the sheriff did not bring the case up that day. A little later heprovided Lawler with breakfast, and toward noon he opened the door toask Lawler how he was getting along. On the occasion of this visit hetold Lawler he was trying to locate Warden, but so far hadn't beensuccessful.
"An' I ain't found that Wharton woman, either!" he declared. "I'msendin' a man out to the Two Diamond for both of them, an' if they ain'tin town to appear ag'in' you by night I'm goin' to turn you loose--an'be damned to them!"
It seemed to Lawler that only an hour or so had elapsed when the keygrated in the lock of the door and Moreton stuck his head in. His facelacked expression.
"Someone to see you, Lawler," he grunted, gruffly. "Wants to talk to youalone. I'll be right outside, so's you can call me when you've gotenough of it."
He pushed the door open, and Della Wharton stepped in.
Moreton closed the door, and Della stood watching Lawler steadily.
Lawler had been standing near one of the rear windows, and when herecognized his visitor he came forward and stood within three or fourpaces of her.
"Well, Miss Wharton?" he said, quietly.
"I heard you were here, Lawler," she said, evenly, her voiceexpressionless. "In fact, I saw the sheriff bring you in, last night."
"You expected me, I presume?"
The sarcasm in his voice brought a faint glow to her cheeks. But hergaze was level and steady, containing much inquiry.
"Yes," she said slowly; "I expected you to be brought here. You know, ofcourse, about the charge I brought against you?"
"Why did you do it, Miss Wharton?"
She laughed mirthlessly. "Why? I don't know, Lawler. I expect I did itbecause I felt I ought to tell the truth."
Lawler's grim smile did not seem to affect her. She met it steadily.
"You say in your charge that I deliberately planned to kill Link andGivens; you said I laid in wait for them at the door. Is that the wayyou saw it?"
"Yes."
"And you are willing to swear to that?" His smile was incredulous.
She nodded affirmatively.
He bowed stiffly to her. "In that case, Miss Wharton, there seems to benothing more for us to talk about." He walked to the front window, andstood on his toes, intending to call to Moreton to open the door forMiss Wharton, when she moved close to him and seized his left arm,drawing him suddenly toward her while he was off balance, so that whenhe turned he was facing her, standing close to her.
The color that had surged into her face soon after her entrance, hadgone. Her cheeks were white and her eyes held mute appeal that, shefelt, he must respond to.
She saw the cold contempt in his eyes as he looked at her, the lurkingpassion that lay deep in them, and the disgust that she should lie abouta matter that might mean life or death to him.
She must act, now, and she must sacrifice Warden. Her grasp on his armtightened; she clung to him in seeming frenzy, and she spoke brokenly,pleadingly.
"Lawler, I don't believe what I said--what was written on that paper Isigned. I know you acted in self-defense; you couldn't help doing as youdid.
"Gary Warden forced me to sign that statement, Lawler--he threatened tokill me if I didn't! He found out, some way, that I had been in thecabin with you. And he made me sign.
"He told me that he didn't intend to charge you with the murder; he saidhe merely wanted to threaten you--to keep you out of politics. Pleasebelieve me, Lawler!"
Lawler laughed coldly, incredulously. "A minute ago you told me----"
"I did that to frighten you," she declared. "I--I thoughtthat--perhaps--when you saw that I would testify against you--youwould--" She paused and tried to get closer to him, but he held her offand watched her keenly, suspiciously.
"Lawler," she urged; "don't you see? I thought you would agree to marryme if--if I told you that. And, now----"
"An' now it don't make a damn bit of difference what you say!"interrupted a voice from the doorway. Both Miss Wharton and Lawlerwheeled quickly, to see Sheriff Moreton standing in the room.
He was grinning hugely, though his eyes were gleaming subtly.
While Lawler and Miss Wharton watched him, he slowly tore to pieces thestatement the woman had signed, and scattered them upon the floor.
"That's all of that damned nonsense!" he declared. "Lawler, I knowedthey was somethin' behind all this. That's why I let this hussy in totalk to you. I thought I'd hear somethin', an' I did!"
"Lawler, you're free as the air! If there's any more of this talk aboutchargin' you with killin' them two guys, an' you don't salivate themthat's doin' the talkin', I will!"
After his first quick glance at Moreton, Lawler looked at Della. Thedeep amusement Lawler felt over the knowledge that the sheriff hadoverheard Della, and that the woman's evidence would now be discredited,was revealed in his smile as he watched her.
She saw it. She also understood that she had failed. But she veiled herchagrin and disappointment behind a scornful smile.
"Framed!" she said. "And it was crude work, too--wasn't it, Lawler? Ishould have been more careful. Ha, ha! Lawler, I should have known youwould do something like this--after what happened in the line cabin. AndI let you trick me!"
She raised her head, disdaining to glance at Lawler as she walked to thedoor, in front of which Moreton was standing.
She smiled broadly at the latter. "Mr. Sheriff," she said, evenly; "ifyou will stand aside, I shall be glad to leave you."
Moreton grinned, admiringly. "You've sure got a heap of nerve, ma'am,"he complimented; "I'll say that for you! I don't know what your game is,but you're mighty clever--though you're wastin' your time out here inthe sagebrush. You ought to stay East--where there's a lot more rummiesthan there is out here!"
He opened the door, and bowed her out with extravagant politeness. Then,when she had gone, he motioned Lawler toward the door.
"Jail's empty, Kane. But I reckon we'd better play this deal safe.Dorgan, the county prosecutor, is in his office. We'll go down to seehim, an' I'll have him make a record of what happened here. Then, if Ihappen to get bumped off this here planet them scum can't come back atyou, sayin' this never came off!"
Lawler accompanied Moreton to the office of the prosecutor, who took thedepositions of both men, attested the document and placed it in theoffice safe.
"So that's the kind of a dame she is--eh?" grinned the official. "Well,she don't look it. But you never can tell--can you?"
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