The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1902-07-18
NOT EVEN MEMORY.
RIcHARD n. POsr

he was stunned by all because VI nis
forbidding face. With a mOnstrous
duh head. swelling out 10 an unslghtiy
proturberanee on the chin with long
red scar from forehead to ear, such was
Preston. His face reflected not ray
AZ Intelligence. not glimpse of the
man underneath. Even his brilliant
recitations in college could not over
come the natural dislike of his dis
Rgurement. and conditions came to
him that he surely did not deserve.
During the years he roomed alone and
ate his meals silently, at one END OF a
long boarding house table. He would
have been happiest, / think, on some
lonely island where within himself he
eould live conscious that no one was
gazing at him.
Still. | was his defender. A girl
leaning on my aim as we swung down
the hall for the third time motiOned
with toss of her head, mass OF
eurling brown, toward where Preston,
deserted aud alone, sat in corner,
staring with those sad eyes. ION, she
whispered, almost shivering, Ism t
he terrible; why is he here? II | had
his looks I'd kill myself. fear an
swered somewhat bitterly, knowing as
I did that the only thing that could
bring him in such close touch WIN
the world was his one passion-a wild,
noneless love for her in the clinging
blue. with the deep sea in her eyes
and the wild rose PINK in her cheeks.
II brought wondering look to her
ewes and then a quick flush of red to
her face. In that moment, full of the
impulse of my championship l almost
went over and spoke to Preston. But
T hesitated, girl was at my side. and
when was free he was gone, back to
the solitude of his own heart. For
him there was not even memory.
That must have been far along In
the spring of our senior year when, the
burden of his work well over, the ap.
preaching graduate sees with regret
the DAYS passing ON apace, each sad
farewell to some favorite. spot; to
certain seat in the bleachers where the
thinness of November sunlight has
more than once left him shlyerlng, as
he stamps his feet and yells for the
touchdown that is coming to SCARED
library desk where the name and fame
of the class-the great class-wll be
stared at by next year 8 freshmen.
But it could not be that to Preston.
To him it must have been escape from
the associates that had been antagon-
l.
that April night, though heard that
he nassed his examinations successfully
as the occupant of the next seat
certain Peters, who so far conquered
his aversion as to cory from his blue
book, testified.
Three wears later after the summer
was over, | opened law office In
ANAL country town. one morning
Iollinp in an office chair with pond
erous law book in my lap, waiting for
eases, the door opened-not a client
but Preston, his face contracted into
CHASTITY leer az he tried to smile
dragged him into chair. Buried in
tbe isolation of the country town,
was only too glad to meet any one VINO
reminded me Of the uni verslty. Pres
ton kept looking at me with what on
other mems faces would have been
auizzical smile 80 you'v settled
here he said, throwing his words
out in little spasms which one not
knowing him would think rudeness.
80 have l. y -,
The law book slipped to the floor
So he was to be my rival After Pres
ton had gone that day wondered What
could have brought him to the Village
but the next mo ming | met Bess on
TO be married during the month to the
having teller of the only bank in the
village, an old Michigan man; L had
known him distantly as a senior IN my
second year.
Events moved quietly in that town.
Though Preston refused an Invitation
to the marriage, yet often saw him
watching her on the street, where none
were looking. AS the months went on
nv practice grew. The newness was
wearing off Of the Office chairs. Across
At his desk could see Preston, sitting
sometimes with his head in his hands,
again staring vacantly at the busy
street. For, as everywhere he was
shunned. clients step was never
heard on his office stairs. He was
failure. A couple OF other young law
yers in the village and alone knew
what he really was-what an mex
haustible stock of legal knowledge was
concealed within that misshapen head.
Somehow we commenced going TO MIN
with difficult cases, ana oftentlmes
paid him for his opinions It's some
thing now to think of, that these rev
dollars stood between him ana starVa'
ton. mi
Suddenly there came crash. The
wall The mex. morning there were
arrests, the first, Ronald Norton. He
was the scapegoat, the barrier behind
which the chief promoters OF the con
spiracy we're to shield themselves
While we little knew him except across
the teller's desk, we all sympathized
with Bess-and stood ready to offer our
professional services. But we were I'M
prepared for her choice of Preston,
though we knew she was deeply in
debt, ana that there could be little for
lawyer. ~,
But even l was unprepared for the
trial When the attorney for the de-
Tense rose in mis- place to plead Tor the
nrisoner litter ran around the ROOM
while the women gasped and turned
away at the sight of his distorted Wis
age. The Jurors looked at one another
and then Slid down in their seats.
Even Bess trembled, and the prisoner,
tN.A hi