Part 31 (2/2)

”It was odd Mr. Martinez should telephone me to go get it, wasn't it?”

she had asked. ”But I went, and there it was stuffed in the lining of the chair.”

”You have it then?” Sorenson stated, with a sigh of relief and his eyes kindling with eagerness.

”No, I haven't it now.”

”What in heaven's name did you do with it?” he asked.

”As I was coming out of Mr. Martinez' office, there at the door was Ed. He had seen me go in and so stopped his car before the door; after a time he took the paper to see what it was.”

”Then you didn't see its contents?”

”No; I didn't even open it.”

”And he has it?”

”He had it the last I saw of the paper. He read it. First, he was going to burn it up because it made him angry, then he changed his mind, saying he would take it to show to you, as he thought you would be interested. Is there anything else you wish to know, Mr.

Sorenson?”

”Where did he go from there?”

”He drove away. From something he said, I judged that he planned to be away from home several days.”

Revolting as it was to Janet to put so fair a face on Ed Sorenson's conduct, nevertheless she had braced herself to go through with the part and presented to the cattleman a clear, natural countenance. The very simplicity of her story, its directness, its accord with the facts as he knew them, carried conviction. Innocently drawn into the affair, she had, in his view, been quickly guided out again by Ed's luck and wit.

Ed had the deadly doc.u.ment. The four men concerned might breathe easily once more. Ed himself, in all probability, did not realize the true menace of old Saurez' deposition, or he would at once have brought it to him instead of continuing on his trip: the boy no doubt thought it sufficient to keep it until he returned or mailed it back from somewhere; he perhaps had taken it along for a more careful reading. Good boy, anyway. He had got possession of the thing, that was the main consideration.

”He told me too that he was leaving last evening for a few days'

jaunt,” Sorenson said, rising to go. ”You'll likely have a whole basketful of letters from him. Finest boy going, Ed, even if it's his own father who says it. But he's the lucky one, Janet.” The girl lowered her eyelids, for at this flattery she felt she could no longer dissemble her feelings. ”Sorry to have bothered you about the matter,”

he concluded. ”Fellows like this Martinez are always making us trouble. Run over and eat dinner with us soon.”

He went down the walk, large, dominant and still with a trace of his early cowman's walk. Both his step and his erectness bespoke the buoyant effect of the talk upon his spirits, which was not to be wondered at as he had splendid news to import to his confreres in crime. They would get rid of Martinez, destroy the paper when Ed delivered it, and their skeleton--this one (of a number) which had unexpectedly kicked the door open and started to dance in public--would be safely locked up forever. For Saurez, the only witness (as they believed) was now dead: he would make no more depositions. Certainly Sorenson had reason to walk briskly away from Doctor Hosmer's dwelling.

Janet had somberly watched him till he was out of sight, then had gone inside.

”I don't see how I ever imagined him an honorable man,” she said to her father. ”For all his pretended politeness he was ready if necessary to bully me. One thing he can't ever say is that I didn't tell him exact facts; what I omitted was the circ.u.mstances giving rise to the facts.” And her father, who now knew from Weir the story of the happening of thirty years before, a.s.sured her that she need be troubled over no moral hairsplitting.

The incident, as Steele Weir perceived, diverted both suspicion and danger from Janet, at least for a time. A big gain that. And he was impressed by the subtle sagacity of the maneuver.

”That wasn't just a clever move, it was a flash of genius,” he told father and daughter. Then after a few minutes more of talk he said: ”Now I must be running up to the dam. To-day is Sunday and the works are quiet, so if I find everything all right I shall strike back immediately for Terry Creek and the cabin up above. I want to make a search for that paper by daylight.”

”After your hard night?” Janet exclaimed. ”I s.n.a.t.c.hed some sleep when we had done talking last night, but father says you and he had none.

You can't make that terrible ride again without rest!”

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