Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1927-12-23

minutes since which aroused In the
girl the conscientiousness which ac-
tuated Peter Borden's every move
She spoke gently, but reproachfully-
You're not very kind 70 Dad, BOB
Terry"
He looked I'd il surprise.
why should ! be-"
isn't he due ~loliteness7'
Il try 10 be ~nolite-"
Were you-a few minutes ago.
You made il quite plain that you
wouldn't come IN here If he remain
ed. You forced him 10 seek n
| other room in mis- w home
Bob's voice was harsh. Il don't
eare to talk to him"
"Yet you are willing TO make your
home in his house"
He flushed darkly. "Tll move out
n moment he says the word"
"That wouldn't undo what you've
done. You came here when you had
nowhere TO 20. Dad offered you all
that he had in the world. He rs
making a sincere an0 conscientious
effort 10 atone 70 you for the IN
Justice he has done. He doesn't
shirk responsibility as some nen
might. He made a terrible error.
and he admits it. IL seems that when
YOU have accepted that much. the
least YOU can give him is courtesy.
You see, Bob. even il you left this
house tomorrow-nothing can alter
the fact that you have accepted as
generously as he had offered"
He did not answer Immediately.
and when he did speak. the words
came slowly and with difficulty.
II do not like TO talk TO your
father"
why"
"You know why. When that thing
occurred-originally@l knew / vas
innocent. and / knew that he should
have known ! was, no matter now
damning the evidence. | had been
like a son to HMM the office, that
is. He said he was fond of me, ana
| looked up to him as | would have
to a father. Then, when the break
came, he didn't have confidence. He
was the first to decide that | was
guilty.. IL he had believed me, !
would never have been convicted. IL
was his evidence which sent me TO
the penitentiary."
"He sincerely thought you were
guilty"
But ! wasn't guilty-and 7 knew
ii. / told him so. And ! hated him
when he said that il cut him 70 the
heart Il send me to prison. He
prattled about his duty ard about
the state and all that sort Of rot.
! saw him through new eyes then.
And when I went down yonder and
suffered and was treated like an
animal and driven to work in good
weather and bad. when | was well
and when / was i'll. | let that hate
corrode my soul. IL is only natural,
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pInoA u 'm!lo!A sql sUA qolqM
have been hard enough to bear had
| been guilty. but when | knew
was innocent and that a little faith
in me would have changed every
thing"
"Yet you accepted what he offered
when you were released"
"Of course / did. lie said he had
wrecked me and that | was entitled
10 anything be had. | agreed with
him. de wasn't doing a bit more
than he should"
But other men have not done
that"
Other men might have been more
kindly three years ago. Ii was a
great pose Of his-just like all this
fine talk when the trouble ,ecurred.f
de arose and paced the room. 81
haven't taken a thing that I'm not
entitled to. | don't feel that | have
indebted myself TO him in the slight
est degree. | caanot help hating
him-and | always will. And any time
he feels that | should bow down and
acknowledge his greatness because
he has made a paltry little gesture
OF amend-then Ill get out. But I'll
never thank him. What he has done
for me hasn't hurt him a particle.
He is wealthy-and all he has Done
for me can be counted in dollars.
Now, it's for yoG to say what |
shall do"
Her eyes, softly luminous, were
liked reproachfully on him. she
was strangely stirred and intensely
uncomfortable. This was the first
time she had pIumbed the deptn- NJ
Ierrys bitterness against her IA
ther. and she was frightened.
IL can't be counted in dollars,
Bob. You're wrong. He erred hon
estly and he is making honest resti-
tuition"
Bah. He makes me sick. he
does; no need for you 10 look at
me that way And he hasnr heen
kind. guess my one hope when
got out OF prison would have been
work-l've learned that since 7 went
into Carmody's office. But he took
even that necessity away from me
She had risen now, and was far
ing him. But her eyes were no long
er sort. They were blazing as she
rallied to the defense of her IA
n against this unjust attack.
I'm ashamed of you. Bob. You've
1T this thing eat on you until you're
not yer human"
Was I human in prisons
THAT IL all past"
TO you. perhaps-not 10 ne
You're not giving father q fair
chance You've determined that Won
hate him n always will; you don't
credit him with q single decent emo
tion-when, as q matter Of fact
there isn't a man in the world"
More conscientious" he inter
rupted harshly- God! How I hate
that word. As for me. I'd n damned
site rather be human than conscien-
tious."
(To BE CONTINUED
Cameron County Road