d called at the jail in
the first days of Joe's incarceration, in a sort of urging-to-penitence
state of mind, just as if they were assured of Joe's guilt by reason of
his very obscurity. Joe had told them that he had a religion of his own
which seemed to fill all present needs, and did not want to make any
change. He was respectful, but lofty in his bearing. So they put him
down as a stiff-necked son of Belial, and went away, leaving him to save
himself if he thought he was equal to the task, in a manner of
challenge.

In the face of this clerical abandonment, people wondered over the deep
interest that Colonel Price and his daughter seemed to have in the Widow
Newbolt's son, who had neither pride of family nor of possessions to
recommend him.

Joe had not yet brought himself to the belief that it was necessary to
take his lawyer into his confidence, although Hammer had made it
unfeelingly plain to him that the withholding of any vital fact would be
fatal to his cause. Although Joe was beginning to experience a deep and
disquieting concern about the outcome of the trial, he was disposed to
give Morgan an honest man's chance to come forward and take his share of
it upon himself. If he should do that, then Joe felt that he would be
morally free to disclose all that took place in the kitchen on the night
Isom lost his life.

In case that Morgan did not come, or that he had gone beyond the reach
of Hammer or anybody else to fetch him back, then there would not be one
word of evidence to uphold him, or justify his seemingly ridiculous
stand of reticence. Yet, perhaps Morgan was waiting until the trial day;
perhaps he knew all about it, and would appear in time. So argued Joe,
in his great desire to be just to everybody.

He reviewed the matter in this wise with ceaseless repetition, always
arriving at this same end, from which he drew the comfort of hope.
Perhaps Morgan would come in time. At any event, he would wait until the
last minute of the last hour, and give him a man's chance to do what was
honorable and fair.

The talkative horse-thief had been tried and condemned, and had gone his
cheerful way to the penitentiary to serve three years. Before leaving he
had taken pains to sound again his forecast of what was waiting Joe
"down the river," in case they did not give him the "quick and
painless." He never had forgiven Joe his unwillingness to gossip with
him in jail. The fellow's vindictiveness was evident in the