to my car," said he,
"both of you--you get on the front seat with me."

A moment later they were whirling off up the dusty street toward the
central part of the town. The crowd, breaking into little groups, came
hurrying on along the sidewalks, some even falling into a run in the
middle of the street.

"Well, he got him!" said one citizen to another. "Quick work for the
sher'ff, wasn't it? A little more and that fellow would 'a' got off on
that train, like enough. That's what he was down here for. I seen him
lookin' for the train."

"Yes, and that young fellow had a dangerous look on him, too," said
another. "He's _bad_, that's what he is! Look how he showed it
yesterday--right after court, too."

Each had this or that comment to make, but all followed on now toward
the scenes where the further action in the drama of the day must now
ensue.

Cowles pulled up on the side of the square on which Judge Henderson had
his office. "You may get out here, Miss," said he. "I think you'll find
the Judge in right now."

"But why--what's the reason----" she began, much perturbed, and looking
at Don. "What's wrong, Don? Aren't you coming?"

"Yes, Mr. Sheriff," said Don, "let me go up with her. I'll be right on
over."

The big man looked at the two, a sort of pity in his face. "I'm sorry,"
said he, "but you'll have to come with me right away. Tell me, are you
Miss Oglesby, his kin from over Columbus way?"

"Yes, yes," said she. "I've been here before. But tell me, what does
this mean--this murder? It's an awful thing, isn't it? It seems to me I
remember the marshal's name--maybe I've seen him. Who did it--whom do
they suspect?"

"That's what we don't know for sure," said the sheriff, "and it's what
we've got to find out."

"Why, who would ever have thought it of this little town!"

"Things happen in this little town, I reckon, about the same as they do
anywhere," said the sheriff.

"Don----" She turned to him once more as she stood on the pavement, he
still remaining on the front seat of the car where the sheriff's hand
restrained him. "Why, Don----"

But the sheriff's solemn face was turned towards her. He shook his head.
An instant and the car had whirled away from the curb.

They had parted, almost before they had met!

To Dieudonne Lane, ignorant as he was of the cause of all this, it
seemed that the final parting of all had come, and, bitterly he
reflected, they had had no chance--no chance whatever--for wha