Matt, Festus and Mrs Miller arrived in Dodge and stopped at the livery stable just as it started to rain. The rain seemed heavier as the storm moved through. Thunder and lightening rattled windows and lit the night sky. Quickly the two lawmen ushered widow Miller to the jail house and to a prisoner cell.

She didn't put up much of a fuss until Festus removed the shackles and locked the iron bar door in front of her. "You'll see I was right! I brought salvation to those miserable men!"

Festus could take no more of her lecture and pulled the heavy wooden door behind him. He shook his head. "She is sure fired up, Matthew."

Matt stood up from his desk. "I heard. Festus I'm going up to the telegraph office to have a prison wagon brought in tomorrow. I think it'll only be best for her to be tried out of town."

Festus froze in his tracks. "You mean that she's gonna have to be placed on trial...jist like a fella!" His eyes were wide.

"I'm afraid so. It's not my law. I just have to follow it." Matt started to leave and then turned to Festus who still seemed shaken by that news. "Why don't you go see how Doc is doing?"

Festus swallowed and looked back over his shoulder. "Seems a lot better than stayin' in here, that's fer sure."

A loud crack of thunder shook the ground and was followed almost immediately by a bolt of lightening. It struck somewhere up north. The rain grew heavier and the mugginess that hung over the town finally lifted as the cool winds blew in.

Matt walked close to the walls trying to stay out of the driving rain that was even reaching under the roofs over the boardwalk.

Festus darted across the muddy street and in several long strides reach the boardwalk on the opposite side of Front Street. He was already soaked to the skin, so walking into the rain toward Doc's office didn't really bother him. He pulled the coat collar around his neck tighter, however. As he reached the staircase to the doctor's office, he glanced up to see if there were any lamps lit, and there were. Slowly he climbed the stairs and then opened the door at the top. Quickly he popped through and closed it.

Newly and Kitty rose from light slumbers and looked at Festus - he looked like something the dog might have dragged in.

"Festus?" Kitty stood and walked to the bedraggled deputy. "Where's Matt?"

Festus pulled his hat off and plopped himself into a chair. "Ol Matthew went to the telegraph office to have a jail wagon come in tomorrow fer Mrs Miller..." His eyes were sad, even though he knew that she had killed the other men and hurt his two friends.

"Oh...it all seems so unreal." Was all Kitty could offer.

Festus' hazel eyes met her blue eyes. "Miss Kitty. They might hang her..."

Kitty drew a deep breath. "Let's not think about that right now." Kitty turned and went back to were she was napping, and sat down. With that, Matt opened the door and quickly entered so not to let the continuing driving rain in. "Kitty. Newly. How's Doc?"

"Nice that someone asked how I am..." Doc grumbled from the examination table which caused Festus to jump to his feet and join the physician. "Fiddle, Doc, I thought you were asleep and didn't want ta wake ya." Festus blinked at the older man and then fussed with the hat he held in his weathered hands. "So how are ya?"

Doc slowly pushed himself up to sit on the table. "Hurts like thunder, but I'll be find. Newly did a good job on closing the vessels that were cut." Doc looked over to Newly who had gone back to sleep at Doc's desk. He was looking after Louie also.

"Matt? How's Mrs Miller?" Doc's heavy eyelids blinked under his bushy eyebrows. His crystal blue eyes were filled with human compassion.

Matt sighed. "Well it doesn't look good for her. The jail wagon will be here tomorrow. The trial is going to be held in Hayes. The evidence is stacked against her."

Doc nodded in understanding. "What happens if she's found guilty?"

Matt swallowed and looked around the room. "She'll likely hang. That is unless they rule insanity, and then she'll spend the rest of her life in an asylum..." He didn't like the news either.

Kitty stood and stepped forward. "Look, it's been a long night. Everyone get some rest and maybe tomorrow..."

"Sure Kitty." Matt said as he pat Festus on the shoulder to get him moving. "Oh, and Kitty. Could you go with me out to the Miller place first thing so we can send some things with her?"

"Sure Matt. I'll do that." Her blue eyes held understanding. "Good night, cowboy." She smiled to Matt who followed Festus out the door.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Morning came soon enough and Matt had borrowed Doc's horse and buggy so that he and Kitty could get some of Mrs Miller's personal things before the prison wagon transported her to Hayes. The sun was barely over the wet hills when Matt rounded the bend and jerked hard on the reigns. Before them was a smoldering heap of wood - widow Miller's house was gone. It seemed lightening had struck the house.

Kitty looked at Matt with her mouth agape. "What happened?"

Matt's eyes looked around the ruins. "Beth Miller wanted it gone. I guess she got her wish..."

Matt flicked the reigns and turned the buggy around and headed back to Dodge and within a half an hour they arrived. Matt noticed the prisoner wagon in front of the jail house and quickly pulled Doc's buggy to a halt. He wanted to inform Beth Miller about her homestead.

As he stepped out of the buggy, followed by Kitty, he watched Doc and Festus step out onto the boardwalk. He could understand Festus being here, but Doc. Quickly he walked across Front Street and stepped up beside the two men. "Festus? Doc? What's going on here?"

Doc screwed his finger into his ear and then shook his head. "You aren't gonna believe this..."

Matt moved closer and looked through the door and then back to Doc. "Well I won't if I don't know what's going on here..."

Doc indicated to Festus to tell Matt what happened and the marshal squared himself to the deputy. "Well?" Matt's deep voice was now filling with tired annoyance.

"She's dead Matthew." Festus looked at Doc for further assistance.

"Dead?" Was the marshal's surprised response.

Doc shook his head yes. "Seems her heart couldn't take the stress of a trial and...well, whatever might have followed." He drew his right hand across his moustache. Doc's eyes fluttered and then looked at Matt, "She would have been hanged, wouldn't she have?"

Matt hedged at the answer and then quietly said "yes". He tucked his thumbs into his vest pockets and quietly walked away up Front Street. Sometimes he hated his job. Doc, Festus and Kitty said nothing as they watched him walk away for solace.

The End

Historical note: The State of Kansas abolished Capital Punishment in 1907

but reinstated it in 1935. It was again abolished in 1972 and reinstated in 1994. In 2004 a state court ruled their law unconstitutional effectively abolishing it again. That decision is currently under appeal through the federal system. ( thanks El Gringo Loco for further info.)