"She don't want to have her reputation dragged into it," sneered
Moreton. "Well, before it's over she won't have no more reputation than
a coyote! I'll make the thing so damned public that she'll think I've
hired a brass band to blare it all over the country!"
Lawler merely smiled. He might have further increased the sheriff's rage
by showing him the signed confession in his pocket--the confession he
had secured from Link and Givens--but he preferred to keep silent until
he discovered why Della Wharton had brought the charge against him.
There were two possible motives. One was that Della was still in the
grip of the vindictiveness that had characterized her that last day in
the cabin--and had charged him with murder merely to be revenged upon
him; the other was that she had been influenced to the action by Gary
Warden. He intended to keep silent until events explained the motive.
And he smiled faintly at Moreton when the sheriff opened the jail doors
for him--Moreton saying that he "hated like poison to do it."
Two persons had watched Lawler and Moreton ride into town. Warden,
standing in the darkened windows of the Wolf Saloon--deserted by its
revelers shortly before--saw Moreton and Lawler dismount in front of the
jail, which adjoined the sheriff's office.
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