CHAPTER XXXIV
THE COBBLER'S ARREST
Tearing away from Paradise Road, Jordan Morse drove madly up the hill.No one had seen him come; no one had seen him go. He must get in touchwith Molly immediately. In his nervous state he had to confide in someone.
Molly had settled Mrs. King in an easy chair and was on the lawn,pacing restlessly to and fro, when Jordan swiftly drove his machinethrough the gate and up to the veranda. Catching one hasty glimpse ofhis haggard face, the woman knew something extraordinary hadhappened.
"I've put my foot in it, all right," he ejaculated, jumping to thesoft grass. "My God! I don't know what I have done!"
Molly's face blanched.
"Tell me quickly," she implored.
Jordan repeated his conversation with Maudlin Bates, stating how hisplans had suddenly matured on hearing the wood gatherer denounce Kingand Grandoken.
Then he proceeded a little more calmly.
"It seems I hadn't been at the side door of Grandoken's shack a minutebefore Theodore drove up."
Molly's hands came together.
"Theodore?" she repeated breathlessly.
"Yes, and the Bates man was with Grandoken. I heard loud talking,stole into the little hall, and found the back part of the houseempty. Jinnie wasn't there; at least I didn't see her. Bates hadalready inveigled Mrs. Grandoken away. I opened the door into thecobbler's shop just as Theo was striking Bates in the face. I waited aminute, and as Theo struck out again, I fired----"
"Fired!" gasped Molly.
"Yes, at Grandoken. I wanted to kill him----"
"But Theo--you might have hit Theodore, Jordan."
"But I didn't, I tell you! I'm sure I didn't. If I hit any one, 'twasBates or the cobbler.... Get back near the veranda for fear Theodore'phones."
No sooner had the words left his lips than a bell sounded from thehouse. Molly ran up the steps. As she took down the receiver, shedropped it, but picked it up again.
"Halloa," she called faintly.
"Is this Theodore King's home?" shouted a voice.
"Yes."
"Mr. King's had an accident. He's in the hospital. Break the newscarefully to his mother, please."
Dazedly, Molly slipped the receiver back to its hook. She stumbled tothe porch and down the steps, her face ashen with anguish.
"You shot Theo, Jordan," she cried hysterically.
"Shut your head," growled Morse, glancing furtively about. "Don't talkso loud.... Now then, listen! There'll be hell to pay for this. ButBates won't peach, and I'm sure I clipped the cobbler's wings. Keepquiet till you hear from me."
He sprang again into the machine and was gone before the woman couldgather her wits together.
She turned and went slowly up the steps. It was her duty to break thenews to Theodore's mother--she who knew so much, but dared to tell solittle! How to open the conversation with the gentle sufferer she knewnot.
Mrs. King smiled a greeting as she entered, but at the sight ofMolly's face, her book dropped to the floor.
"What is it?" she stammered.
Molly knelt down beside her.
"Probably very little," she said hastily. "Don't getexcited--please--but--but----"
"It's Theodore!" gasped the mother, intuitively.
"He's hurt a little, just a little, and they've taken him to thehospital."
Mrs. King tried to rise, but dropped back weakly.
"He's badly hurt or he'd come home."
"I'll find out," offered Molly eagerly. Then as an afterthought, "I'llgo if you'll promise me to stay very quiet until I get back."
"I promise," said Mrs. King, sobbing, "but go quickly! I simply can'tbe still when I'm uncertain."
In another house of lesser proportions, a girl was huddled in a chair,gazing at Lafe Grandoken.
"An' they told you over the telephone he was dyin'?" he demanded,looking at Jinnie.
"Yes," gulped Jinnie, "and Maudlin's dead. The hospital people say Mr.King can't live." The last words were stammered and scarcely audible."Lafe, who shot him?"
"I dunno," said Lafe.
"Didn't you see who had the gun?" persisted the girl, wiping hereyes.
"Mr. King didn't have it; nuther did Maudlin. It came from over there,an' I heard a car drive away right after."
Jinnie shook her head hopelessly. It was all so mysterious that herheart was gripped with fright. A short time before, an officer hadbeen there cross-questioning Lafe suspiciously. Then he had gone awaywith the pistol in his pocket. She stared out of the window,fear-shadowed. In a twinkling her whole love world had tumbled abouther ears, and she listened as the cobbler told her once more the storyof the hour she'd been away with Bobbie.
"There're two men coming here right now," she said suddenly, gettingup. "Lafe, there's Burns, the cop on this beat."
"They're wantin' to find out more, I presume," replied Lafe wearily.
As the men entered the shop, Jinnie backed away and stood with rigidmuscles. She was dizzily frightened at the sight of the gruffofficers, who had not even saluted Lafe.
The foremost man was a stranger to them both.
"Are you Lafe Grandoken?" he demanded, looking at the cobbler.
"Yes," affirmed Lafe.
The man flourished a paper with staid importance.
"I'm the sheriff of this county, an' I've a warrant for your arrestfor murderin' Maudlin Bates," he sing-songed.
Jinnie sprang forward.
"Lafe didn't shoot 'im," she cried desperately.
The man eyed her critically.
"Did you do it, kid?" he asked, smiling.
"No, I wasn't here!" answered Jinnie, short-breathed.
"Then how'd you know he didn't do it?"
For a moment Jinnie was nonplussed. Then she came valiantly to herfriend's aid.
"I know he didn't. Of course he didn't, you wicked, wicked men! Don'tyou dare touch 'im, don't you dare!"
"Well, he's got to go with me," affirmed the man in ugly, sneeringtones. "Whistle for the patrol, Burns, and we'll wheel the Jew in!"
Jinnie heard, as in a hideous dream, the shrill, trilling whistle;heard the galloping of horses and saw a long black wagon draw up tothe steps.
When the two sullen men laid violent hold of the wheelchair, Jinnie'sterrified fingers reached toward the cobbler, and the sheriff gave herhand a sharp blow. Lafe uttered an inarticulate cry, and at thatmoment Jinnie forgot "Happy in Spite," forgot Lafe's angels and theglory of them, and sprang like a tiger at the man who had struck her.She flung one arm about his neck and fought him with tooth and nails.So surprised was Policeman Burns that he stood with staring eyes,making no move to rescue his mate from the tigerish girl.
"Damn you! Damn you!" screamed Jinnie. "I'll kill you before you take'im."
Lafe cried out again, calling her name gently, imploringly, andtenderly. When his senses returned, Burns grasped Jinnie in his armsand held her firmly. There she stood panting, trying to break awayfrom the policeman's detaining fingers. She looked half crazed in thedimming late afternoon light.
"Merciful God, but you're a tartar, miss!" said the sheriff ruefully."Well, if she ain't clawed the blood clean through my skin!"
"She comes of bad stock," exclaimed Burns. "You can't expect any moreof Jews. Go on; I'll hold 'er till you and Mike get the chair out."
Hearing this, Jinnie began to sob hysterically and make more desperateefforts to free herself. The viselike fingers pressed deeper into hertender flesh.
"Here, huzzy, you needn't be tryin' none of your muck on me," saidBurns. "Keep still or I'll break your arm."
Jinnie sickened with pain, and her eyes sought Lafe's. If he'd been inhis coffin, he couldn't have been whiter.
"Jinnie," he chided brokenly, "you've forgot what I told you, ain'tyou, lass?"
Through the suffering, tender mind flashed the words he'd taught her.
"There aren't any angels, Lafe," she sobbed. "There aren't any."
Then, as another man entered the shop, she
cried: "Don't take 'im, oh,please don't take 'im, not now, not just yet, not till Peggy getsback."
Turning around in his chair, Lafe looked up at the men.
"Could--I--say--good-bye--to my--wife?" he asked brokenly.
"Where is she?" demanded the officer.
"Gone to the store," answered Lafe. "She'll be here in a minute."
"Let 'er come to the jail," snapped the angry sheriff. "She'll haveplenty of time to say good-bye there."
At that they tugged the chair through the narrow door. Then two boardswere found upon which to roll it into the patrol.
Inside the shop Jinnie was quiet now, save for the convulsions thatrent her body. She looked up at the man holding her.
"Let me go," she implored. "I'll be good, awful good."
Perhaps it was the pleading blue eyes that made the officer releaseher arms. Jinnie sprang to the door, and as Lafe saw her, he smiled,oh such a smile! The girl ran madly to him.
"Lafe! Lafe!" she screamed. "Lafe dear!"
Lafe bent, touched the shining black curls, and a glorified expressionspread over his face.
"He's given His angels charge over you, lass," he murmured, "an' it'sa fact you're not to forget."
Then they rolled him up the planks and into the wagon. With cloudedeyes Jinnie watched the black patrol bowl along toward the bridge, andas it halted a moment on Paradise Road to allow an engine to pass, thecobbler leaned far out of his wheel chair and waved a thin white handat her. Then like a deer she ran ahead until she came within speakingdistance of him. The engine passed with a shrieking whistle, and thehorses received a sharp crack and galloped off. Jinnie flung out herarms.
"Lafe!" she screamed. "I'll stay with Peg till you come."
He heard the words, waved once more, and the wagon disappeared overthe bridge.
For full ten minutes after Lafe was taken away, Jinnie sat in the shoplike one turned to stone. The thing that roused her was the side dooropening and shutting. She got up quickly and went into the littlehall, closing the shop door behind her. Mrs. Grandoken, with bundlesin her hands, was entering the kitchen. Jinnie staggered after her.
"Peggy," murmured Jinnie, throwing her arms about the stoopedshoulders. "You'll be good----"
It was as if she had said it to Bobbie, tenderly, low-pitched, andimploring. Peg seemed so miserable and thin.
"What's the matter with you, kid?" growled Mrs. Grandoken.
"The town folks," groaned Jinnie, "the town folks've made a mistake,an awful mistake."
Mrs. Grandoken turned sunken eyes upon the speaker.
"What mistake've they made?"
Jinnie's throat hurt so she couldn't say any more.
"What mistake?" asked Peg again.
"They think Lafe shot----"
Peggy wheeled on the hesitating speaker. Shoving her to one side, shestalked through the door. Jinnie flew after her.
"Peggy, Peg, he'll come back!"
Mrs. Grandoken opened the shop door and the empty room with overturnedchairs and scattered tools told its silent, eloquent tale.
"Honey," whispered Jinnie. "Honey dear----"
"God's Jesus," muttered Peg, with roving eyes, "God's Jesus, save myman!"
Then she slid to the floor, and when she once more opened her eyes,Jinnie was throwing water in her face.
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