CHAPTER XXXIII
THE MURDER
At half past one that afternoon a messenger appeared at Grandoken'swith a letter for Jinnie.
Peggy called the girl to the shop.
"Boy's got something for you," she declared. "It's a letter, Iguess."
Jinnie held out her hand with thumping pulses, took the extendedpencil, and signed her name to a blank page. Then the boy held out themissive. Of course it was from Theodore, thought Jinnie. She hadscarcely slept the night before, fitfully dreaming of him. Throwing ashy smile at Peg, she went into her bedroom and shut the door. With along, ecstatic breath, she set herself to the delightful task ofslowly perusing the beloved epistle.
"My darling," Jinnie read, and she kissed those two words, each oneseparately. Then she whispered them again, "My darling," and read on:
"I'm coming this afternoon at three to see your uncle, and I thoughtyou might like me to talk with him alone. It will be a simple matterfor you to take the little blind boy and go away for an hour or so,but be sure and return at four. By that time I'll have ourarrangements all made, but I won't go until I see you.
"I send all my love to you, my sweetheart.
"Your own,
"THEODORE."
Jinnie kissed the words "my sweetheart" too, and then joyfully slippedthe letter inside her dress. She daren't speak of his coming, for howcould she conceal her happiness from Lafe?
At two o'clock, she said to Peggy:
"May I take Bobbie for a little walk, dear?"
The blind child heard the request and scrambled up.
"Can I go, Peggy?" he pleaded.
Peg glared at the girl.
"I thought you always fiddled in the afternoon," she queried.
"I do generally," acquiesced Jinnie, "but--to-day----"
"Well, go 'long," said Peg, not very graciously. "I'm goin' over toMiss Bates' a while. Maudlin come by just now, an' said would I comeover.... Get back early!"
Jinnie dressed Bobbie with trembling fingers. The boy noticed shecould scarcely button his jacket.
"What's the matter, Jinnie dear?" he whispered.
Jinnie was just slipping on his cap as he spoke. She bent and kissedhim passionately.
"Nothing, honey, only Jinnie's happy, very happy."
"I'm so glad," sighed Bobbie, with a smiling wag. "I'm happy too.Let's go on the hill, and take Petey."
"It'd be lovely, dear," replied the girl.
A few minutes later, with the little dog at their heels, they werewending their way up the board walk to the hill.
Mr. Grandoken, alone in his shop, worked with contented vigor. Thedays, those beautiful summer days, were bringing untold joy to him.Peggy seemed in brighter spirits, and Jinnie's radiant face made Laferejoice. Little Bobbie's stars were always shining nowadays, so whatmore could the dear man want? As he sat tip-tapping, he took himselfin fancy to that day ahead when Heaven would unfold another blessingfor Peg--for him. He put down his hammer and glanced out of thewindow, and suddenly Maudlin Bates loomed up, with all his hulkingswagger obliterating the shoemaker's mental bliss.
Lafe nodded as Maudlin stepped into the shop. There was an unusuallyaggressive expression upon the young wood gatherer's face, and Mr.Grandoken refrained from asking him to sit down. Instead hequestioned:
"Brought some cobblin'?"
"No," said Bates. "Wanted to talk to you; that's all."
"Hurry up, then, 'cause I'm busy."
"Where's Jinnie?" queried Maudlin.
Swift anger changed the cobbler's face.
"What's that to you?" he demanded. "And you needn't be drippin'tobacco juice around my shop."
"Won't hurt it, I guess," answered Maudlin insolently, sitting downheavily.
With every passing minute, Lafe was growing more and more enraged.
"Yap me your business and get out," he ordered, picking up hishammer.
He settled his eyes on the sodden face before him, and for a minute ortwo each plumbed the strength of the other.
"I'm goin' to marry Jinnie," announced Maudlin, drawing his large feettogether and clasping his fingers over his knees.
The cobbler deliberately placed the hammer beside him once more andleaned back against the wall.
"Who said so?" he asked.
"I do," defied Maudlin, swaggering.
"Is that what you come to say to me?"
"Yep."
"Well, now you're done with your braggin', get out, an' get outquick."
But Maudlin didn't move.
"I said to scoot," said Lafe presently, in suppressed tones. He wasmagnificent in his ferocity.
"I heard you!" observed Maudlin, still sitting, though a little cowedin his former egotistical spirit.
Lafe picked up the hammer and pounded frantically on the sole of ashoe.
"I'm goin' to have money," muttered Maudlin when the cobbler pausedfor a few nails.
As Lafe proceeded with his work silently, Maudlin said:
"I'll marry Jinnie and take the empty shack next to pa's. I got money,I said."
Lafe's lips were moving rapidly, but the other could not hear what hewas saying. The fact was, the cobbler was asking for strength andself-control.
"Where's Jinnie?" demanded Maudlin again.
"She ain't here," said Lafe, "an' I want you to get out before shecomes."
He said this more gently, because his muttered prayers had somewhatassuaged his rage.
Just then a motor car dashed into the little lane at the side of thehouse, and Maudlin knew that Morse had arrived.
"I'll go when I see Jinnie," he insisted, sinking deeper into hischair, "I want to tell 'er somethin' about a party."
"Ain't no show o' your seein' 'er to-day," replied Lafe. "I bargainedwith your pa about you lettin' my girl alone, and that's all there isto it."
"Pa's cobblin' ain't nothin' to do with me," observed Maudlin darkly."I'll wait for 'er!"
At that minute Theodore King's car drew up in front of the shop, andhe stepped out. Maudlin caught a glimpse of him and set his teethsharply. He'd have it out with this man, too. They might as well allunderstand what his intentions were. He wondered if Morse, from hispoint of vantage, had seen Mr. King arrive.
When Theodore swung into the shop, he paused at the sight of Bates andfrowned. He brought to mind the chastening he had given the fellow,and how Jinnie had suffered through his brutality.
Lafe smiled cordially at the young man and asked him to be seated.
"Jinnie's out," stated the cobbler.
"I know it!" responded Theodore, taking a chair. "I've come to have atalk with you." Then looking from Mr. Grandoken to Maudlin, hequeried, "Will you soon be disengaged?"
Lafe nodded.
"I hope so," he said disinterestedly.
Lafe always disciplined himself after a siege with his temper.
"He won't be alone till I get through with 'im," grunted Maudlin, withan ugly expression. "I been tellin' 'im I'm goin' to marry Jinnie."
Lafe straightened with a throat sound that boded no good for thespeaker, and Theodore got swiftly to his feet.
"Don't repeat what you've just said," the latter gritted between histeeth, whirling on Maudlin.
Bates shot out of his chair at this command.
"My tongue's my own," he roared, "and Jinnie'll be glad to marry mebefore----"
Theodore's big fist swept out, striking the man full in the face, andMaudlin dropped like an ox hit with an axe, but he was on his feet inanother minute. His rapidly swelling face was blanched with rage.
"Damn you, twicet and three times damn you----"
Lafe made an ejaculation, and neither one of the three men noticedthat the door to the little hall at the back had opened a trifle.
Jordan Morse was peering in upon the enraged trio. He saw the man he'dhired to help him take the first knock down and get up swiftly. He sawTheodore King make another dive at the wood gatherer. The cobbler wasin direct range of Jordan's vision, and he slipped his hand into
hispocket, from which he took a revolver. Two quick, short cracks, andthe pistol came flying through the room and landed near the cobbler'sbench. Then the kitchen door slammed suddenly. Theodore staggeredforward and sank slowly to the floor, while Maudlin fell headlongwithout a cry.
As in a maze Lafe heard a motor leap away like a mad thing. Throughthe window he could see Theodore's car where the young man had leftit. He made a desperate effort to rise, but sank back with ashuddering groan. He forced his eyes to Bates, who was close to theshop door, then dragged them backward to Mr. King, whose head wasalmost under his bench. Each had received a bullet, and both laybreathing unconsciously. The cobbler stooped over and placed his handunder Theodore's head to straighten it a little. For a full minutenothing was heard but the loud rattling in Maudlin's throat and thesteady, laborious breath of the man at his feet.
Sudden tears diffused the cobbler's eyes, and he leaned over andtenderly touched the damp forehead of Jinnie's friend.
"He's given His angels charge over thee, boy," he murmured, just asJinnie, leading Bobbie by the hand, walked in.
The girl took one impetuous step forward and noted Lafe's white,agonized face. Then she caught a glimpse of the stricken men on thefloor. Her tongue refused its office, and dropping the blind child'sfingers, she came quickly forward.
"Call help! Hurry! Get a doctor!" gasped Lafe, and Jinnie, withoutsaying a word, rushed out.
Afterward she could not measure with accuracy the events of thatafternoon. Peggy came home and put the terrified Bobbie in bed,telling him curtly to stay there until she allowed him to get up.Several doctors rushed in and examined both Theodore and Maudlin. Notone word had escaped Jinnie's pale lips until the wounded men wereremoved from the shop. Then she sank at the cobbler's feet.
"Will he die?" she whispered, in awe-stricken tones.
"Maudlin's dyin'," replied the cobbler, with bowed head, "an' Mr.King's awful bad off, the doctor says."
Jinnie went to Lafe's side and put her arm about his neck, and as ifit had never been, their joy was blotted out by the hand of a bloodytragedy.