planned
to watch her hang. Justice pulled turned
to see Purity, still standing next to her cell, tears shining in her eyes.
“I can’t
believe her! She ran from us. When we needed her, she left—ashamed of us no
less.”
“At least I
can die in peace now, knowing she’s alright.” Justice dropped her voice to a
whisper, so that only Purity could hear her words, “After I’m dead, I want you
to find Steel Wall and tell him that he owes you my share of the money. If I’m going to die for that money, I want to
leave it to you as your inheritance. I
want you to leave Jimmy, go north, start a life as a respectable widow and find
your own happiness.”
Purity began
to cry again. When she spoke, her words were
stilted between sobs, “I…don’t…want…you…to…die.”
“I know,”
Justice managed, “but I probably will. I
want you to promise me that you’ll find happiness. I want you to promise me that you won’t let
Jimmy hurt you anymore.”
Purity just
nodded and kept on sobbing. Justice
reached out between the bars and squeezed her shoulders reassuringly.
When Purity
had calmed down a little, she spoke again, “Thank you for sticking by me,
Justice. I never should have blamed
you. You could’ve been like Grace and
just walked away. I know you only did
what you did to survive, just like me. I
never should have blamed you. I just
hated you for not being hurt like Hugh hurt me. It wasn’t fair.”
“No, it
wasn’t fair, but I understand. I love
you Purity. You will always be my
sister. We’ve been through a lot, but
we’re survivors. You’re going to do
great. Go get that money and don’t look
back.”
“You’ll get out of here to get what you’re due,”
Purity told her. “I paid that lawyer
half his fee and he’ll get the other half when you walk out of court a free
woman.”
“Don’t hold
your breath. That jury will be full of
men who think a woman with a gun is akin to Satan. The only place I’m going to be walking to is
the gallows.”
Purity
shuddered at the words.
Chapter Seven
Justice’s
trial had only lasted three days. Purity’s lawyer had done what he could, but just like Justice had
predicted, the men in the jury looked at her as if she was some kind of succubus
ready to drag them to Hell. The list of
men she had killed in gunfights and her longer list of crimes committed hadn’t
left them much room for mercy. When the
judge’s gavel hit, reverberating through the court, Purity had burst into loud,
uncontrollable sobbing. Several of the
girls from Martha’s, women who respected Justice, had come to support the
sisters. Their presence probably hadn’t
helped matters. Justice had heard the
rumble in the courtroom every day, when the strippers walked in wearing their
corsets and miniskirts. The newspapers
had had a field day with her, gleefully trying to convict her themselves. As far as Justice was concerned, those
piranhas could fry in the depths of Hell with her. They were no better than vultures picking at
her bones.
She had shaken when the judge
ordered her hanged by the neck until dead, but she was proud of the bravery she
had shown, she hadn’t fainted. Several
local church ladies groups in the area had come out to support her, begging the
judge to lighten his sentence, claiming she was a poor stray lamb who had been
led down a dark path. They hadn’t swayed
the man either. He spoke about fairness
and stated that he would have given a man the same punishment. The jury had
to watch her hang. Justice pulled turned
to see Purity, still standing next to her cell, tears shining in her eyes.
“I can’t
believe her! She ran from us. When we needed her, she left—ashamed of us no
less.”
“At least I
can die in peace now, knowing she’s alright.” Justice dropped her voice to a
whisper, so that only Purity could hear her words, “After I’m dead, I want you
to find Steel Wall and tell him that he owes you my share of the money. If I’m going to die for that money, I want to
leave it to you as your inheritance. I
want you to leave Jimmy, go north, start a life as a respectable widow and find
your own happiness.”
Purity began
to cry again. When she spoke, her words were
stilted between sobs, “I…don’t…want…you…to…die.”
“I know,”
Justice managed, “but I probably will. I
want you to promise me that you’ll find happiness. I want you to promise me that you won’t let
Jimmy hurt you anymore.”
Purity just
nodded and kept on sobbing. Justice
reached out between the bars and squeezed her shoulders reassuringly.
When Purity
had calmed down a little, she spoke again, “Thank you for sticking by me,
Justice. I never should have blamed
you. You could’ve been like Grace and
just walked away. I know you only did
what you did to survive, just like me. I
never should have blamed you. I just
hated you for not being hurt like Hugh hurt me. It wasn’t fair.”
“No, it
wasn’t fair, but I understand. I love
you Purity. You will always be my
sister. We’ve been through a lot, but
we’re survivors. You’re going to do
great. Go get that money and don’t look
back.”
“You’ll get out of here to get what you’re due,”
Purity told her. “I paid that lawyer
half his fee and he’ll get the other half when you walk out of court a free
woman.”
“Don’t hold
your breath. That jury will be full of
men who think a woman with a gun is akin to Satan. The only place I’m going to be walking to is
the gallows.”
Purity
shuddered at the words.
Chapter Seven
Justice’s
trial had only lasted three days. Purity’s lawyer had done what he could, but just like Justice had
predicted, the men in the jury looked at her as if she was some kind of succubus
ready to drag them to Hell. The list of
men she had killed in gunfights and her longer list of crimes committed hadn’t
left them much room for mercy. When the
judge’s gavel hit, reverberating through the court, Purity had burst into loud,
uncontrollable sobbing. Several of the
girls from Martha’s, women who respected Justice, had come to support the
sisters. Their presence probably hadn’t
helped matters. Justice had heard the
rumble in the courtroom every day, when the strippers walked in wearing their
corsets and miniskirts. The newspapers
had had a field day with her, gleefully trying to convict her themselves. As far as Justice was concerned, those
piranhas could fry in the depths of Hell with her. They were no better than vultures picking at
her bones.
She had shaken when the judge
ordered her hanged by the neck until dead, but she was proud of the bravery she
had shown, she hadn’t fainted. Several
local church ladies groups in the area had come out to support her, begging the
judge to lighten his sentence, claiming she was a poor stray lamb who had been
led down a dark path. They hadn’t swayed
the man either. He spoke about fairness
and stated that he would have given a man the same punishment. The jury had
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