were not here," she said quietly.
"You probably know."

"Does the Judge know you have come?"

"No, he wouldn't have let me come if he had known. I want to see
him--that young man, you know." Her own color was high by this time.

The sheriff hesitated. "Well," said he, "I don't want to do anything
that isn't right, anything that isn't fair. I reckon I know how you
feel."

"We're engaged to be married," said Anne Oglesby simply, and looked him
directly in the face. "That gives me some rights, doesn't it?"

"In one way, maybe, but no legal rights," replied the sheriff, who was
much perplexed, but who could not escape the compelling fact of Anne
Oglesby's presence, the compelling charm of Anne Oglesby herself. "He's
not really committed as yet, of course, only bound over by the coroner's
jury; but the grand jury meets tomorrow, and they'll indict him sure.
You know that. I can't take any chances of his getting away. I have to
be sure."

"Your wife may come with me," said Anne Oglesby. "It's my right to talk
to him a little while, don't you think? I'm not going to try to get him
out. He hasn't had anyone to help him--he hasn't had any legal counsel."

"Who'd he send for, anyway?" asked the sheriff. "He's a sort of a waif,
isn't he--her boy? I suppose you've heard about him fighting here around
town yesterday?"

"I don't know why he fought, but I know that if he did he had cause. I
hope he fought well."

"They said it was about his mother," began Sheriff Cowles. "Some word
about her was passed----"

"You needn't say any more," said Anne Oglesby.

"He hasn't told me to send for any lawyer for him," said Cowles. "It
don't seem like he's thought of it. He's just sort of quiet--mighty
still all the time. Ha-hum!--I don't know what to say about your seeing
him. Why didn't you ask your uncle, Judge Henderson?"

"Don't call him my uncle," said Anne Oglesby. "He's only my guardian in
law. I've just told you he wouldn't let me come. That's why I've got to
hurry."

"Well," hesitated the sheriff, "I'll have to warn you not to talk about
this case where I can hear it. I'll have to hear all you say."

"Would you like to do that?"

The sheriff flushed. "No," said he, "not special; but you see my own
duty is right clear. I can't play any favorites. If you was his lawyer,
now, it might be different."

"I am his lawyer, the only one he's got so far as I know."

"Yes, I reckon the judge wouldn't care to take his case." T