s she owe?"

"Eighty dollars," is the surly reply.

"Here is the money," says Harvey, as he takes a roll of bills from his
pocket.

"I cannot accept the money now," protests the sheriff.

Then stepping up to Harvey he says in an undertone:

"Mr. Trueman, the fact is, I have been told to put this woman out of
town; she will cause trouble if she remains. The miners are all in
sympathy with her because she lost the suit."

"Who gave you such orders?"

"Mr. Purdy."

"When?"

"This afternoon. I saw him just after you left the office. He told me to
get the widow out of town this very day, so I took the switch engine and
came out here."

"Well, you will let the matter stand as it is. I intend to pay the rent
for the woman and see that she is placed back in the house."

"You will be opposing Mr. Purdy. He explained the case to me and asked
my advice. We decided that with the widow in the town, the miners would
be more likely to carry out their threat than with her out of sight. You
had better let me carry out my orders."

"I have made up my mind to see the widow restored to her home," Harvey
repeats. "Here is the rent money. I know the spirit of the miners better
than either you or Mr. Purdy."

The sheriff takes the money reluctantly.

Widow Braun is now sitting up, vainly trying to comfort her child.

"You may go back to your home," says Trueman, as he bends over and helps
her to arise. "I have paid your rent and here is some money for food,
and for your next month's rent. I shall see that you get work."

"May God bless you," cries the widow, bursting into tears.

"You are my prisoner," Sheriff Marlin declares, as he places his hand on
the trembling figure.

"On what charge," Trueman demands.

"For getting goods from the company's store on her husband's card when
he was dead, and she had no money to pay for them," the sheriff asserts,
triumphantly.

"But she has money to pay for the food she bought. And her husband's
card is valid until cancelled. You had better take care that you do not
overstep your authority. It is not the Widow Braun you have to deal with
now. I am interested in this case. I am the widow's counsel. She has one
thousand dollars to her credit on the books of the company's store."

Sheriff Marlin is in a fury. He realizes that he cannot serve two
masters and he decides to be faithful to Gorman Purdy.

"It is not my will that you are opposing, Mr. Trueman," he says with
emphasis. "