"Execution of your duty! You mean the execution of a woman and her child. I shall not stand by and see the law violated. You have authority to evict the widow for her debts; but you have no authority to assault her. "How much does 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. "It is your employer's." The word "employer's" grates on Harvey's ears. "Mr. Purdy is my employer, but he is not my master. I shall serve my conscience before I do any man. But I do not believe that Mr. Purdy would countenance this outrage."