Jess listened as the three officials went back and forth about his sisters fate. It sounded like they all had hope in her getting a new trail, and this sweet Hannah lady was going to be here with Zenobia as much as she could to help her. Her lawyer sounded like he was fighting hard for her. Things were about as positive right now as they could be given the situation. The only bad news was it sounded like her sister had said some pretty self-incriminating things at some point, which didn't surprise Jess much.
He looked at Mr. Reeve. "You're welcome to come down if you like, but there ain't no telling what she'll say when she sees me." He looked at the rest of them as well, letting them know too. "Zenobia, our brother...they ain't none too happy with me because I got out of town. I couldn't handle living with our Pa no more, and we needed the money, so I left, been living out on the range as a cowboy and sending money home when I can. I know they feel like I abandoned them." But he tried not to see it that way, but more of him supporting them as much as he could financially. "Had I known how bad things were getting of course I would have come back sooner. I really appreciate what you all are doing to try to get my sister out of this ... uh ... predicament."
He took the gun off his hip and sat it down on the Marshall's desk. "I ain't got no other weapons." He let the man know and waited to see who would take him down.
"Go ahead and hang me, it was worth it!"
Down in Marshal Guyer's tomblike subterranean dungeons, Zenobia stirred at the sound of the door opening above, and put down the book she was reading, The Wide, Wide World by Elizabeth Wetherell, in the gloomy light of the jail. Like a person in hospital, she only had visitors and meals to look forward to. Unlike people in hospital, there was nothing medically wrong with her, although her case was terminal.
When she saw who these particular visitors were, she became less than welcoming.
"Well, well, well, look what the cat dragged in. My dear caring older brother! Back from the range, too late, as per usual! What, have you come to make sure they hang me, Jesse?!" she spat peevishly. "And who's that, your girlfriend? She looks too good for you. Don't do it dearie, he'll ride off into the sunset just when you need him!" she advised, looking at Hannah.
"I thought I heard my lawyers voice too. I imagine he's too shame faced to come down and see me, the incompetent idiot! Oh, and here's my dear old Jailer, Marshal Guyer. Unfortunately, he's the only person in this town who does know what he's doing. Surprised he hasn't got me in chains."
@[Stormwolfe]
[In no particular order]
"The law is the law."
"Mining's not everyone's choice of hobbies, it just happens to be mine."
"Chains, Zenobia? Chains? Yes, for sure that could be arranged." Guyer said, somewhat perturbed by her behaviour. "And yes, your brother and your attorney are both right smack dab in front of your cell. Now, since neither has any interest in busting you out, I will leave you to your conversation about what they want to do next, like try to save your neck!" He started to head for the stairs, but stopped,
"Take all the time you need, my jail, my rules!" With that, he mounted the stairs and proceeded up to his office on the main floor. Feeling better about her chances if they could get something going before the scheduled hanging. And that could be a ways off, as every carpenter in town was busy elsewhere. They had one man working on the Gallows, and it was slow going, not that there seemed to be any rush for this hanging. For that, he was glad.
Jess followed Guyer down to the basement. He felt terrible that his sister was locked up down here in this disgust because of the vile things their father had done to her. He had fully anticipated her attack as her eyes fell upon him. He nodded to Guyer as he took the stairs up.
"Well, well, well, look what the cat dragged in. My dear caring older brother! Back from the range, too late, as per usual! What, have you come to make sure they hang me, Jesse?!" she spat peevishly. "And who's that, your girlfriend? She looks too good for you. Don't do it dearie, he'll ride off into the sunset just when you need him!" she advised, looking at Hannah.
Jess looked at Hannah and then back to his sister. "She ain't my girlfriend. She's working for the sheriff and here to take care of you. A job I wouldn't wish on nobody." He muttered this almost under his breath as he looked at Hannah apologetically.
He moved forward, hands on the rails of the jail. "I know you could care less that I'm here, and as hard as it might be for you to believe I'm here to try 'n help. You know I'm not just off galivanting like you make it seem. I'm out working hard for our family." He didn't want Hannah, Lewis and Guyer to think he just up and left his family. But he had come to the hard realization that money wasn't everything a family needed. Had he been home maybe he could have prevented this from happening. Playing what-if's though didn't change anything.
"Now." He pressed his lips in a hard line anticipating the on-slaught again as he asked his sister.... "What can I do for you, or Miss. Hannah?"
@ [Javia]
@ [Flip]
@ [Stormwolfe