The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1927-11-18
CHAPTER III

he took his few belonging; SHIRTS
underwear, socks, handkerehieis, a
tattered coat, pipe and a tin haiI
full of cheap tobacco. His toilet
articles consisted OF a toothbrush
and comb.
He placed everything on prison
shirt which he spread on the stone
floor. Then he looped the -four cor
ners and tied them. He arose slnil-
ing bitterly. My trunk is ready,
Todd"
"Uh-huh I'm mighty glad you're
goin' kid. We've been great bud
dies"
"And we will be again. III be
waiting when you come out"
"ThatH make coming out heap
nicer.
"And you'll let ne know when .
"Yeh. Not b. writin'. though. /
don't trust letters. kathleen'll know
an she'll tell you-"
The shadow Of q frown fitted
across Bob's forehead The con
slant mention OF Kathleen annoyed
him. He didn't want 10 know the
girl. or even 10 see her. OF course
Todd Shannon had been too good Z
friend To give oTense-and 50 Ter
~ was determined 10 see he wo-
man once and then forget about
her.
In the few minutes preceding
the commencement O. the after
Moons labor in the miii. the pris-
oners who lived IN BOb's cell block
c4owed about the open door They
were a queer assortment OF human
beings. gel the slOping Ioreheaas,
sauinty eyes and receding cnils
when are psopularIy- associated with
the idea Of criminal types were
strangely infrequent. These men,
serving terms ranging from two
years 10 life, we're appaiingly Ike
those o. The world beyond the
granite walls. They were neat and
clean and interested. The only
gronp-charactsristic to distinguish
THEM from The denizens o. the city
beyond the walls was thai they
spoke in whispers. They were sub
dued.
They knew that one OF their num-
Der was leaving They did not know
details. for, inside a prison, person
al information is neither sought nor
given. But they crowded around the
cell and mmmured congratulations
in hoarse voices and some Of the
men even waXed humorous.
The siren split the quiet air. The
prisoners crowded into the main
corridor and thence into the court
yard en- route to the cotton mill.
Todd Shannon held back with his
young friend He was more upset
than he cared to admit. He was
fond of Bob Terry, ana had planned
to greet him on the outside when
the prison should eventually give
the young man up. But his release
had changed everything and Shan
non feared for the lad who was now
going into the outer world as alone
as when he entered the prison.
Shannon knew what was await
ing Bob. An eX-convict is a person
generally feared and never trusted.
Small likelihood that the world at
large would know Bob Terry as the
man who had been victimized by a
gross miscarriage of justice they
would not know or care that he was
guilty of no crime and that Society
at large owed him an unpayable
debt People would only know that
for three years he had been an in
mate of the state penitentiary; the
bar sinister Of penal servitude was
indelibly engraved on him.
Side by side, with measured steps
the ilI-assorted pair walked down
the long main corridor to the heavy
door which gave access to the ex-
ecutiye Offices. Now that the mo-
ment for separation had arrived,
there seemed a great deal to say
and no words in which to say it.
Bob Terry was conscious Of an
absurd reaction At this moment Of
departure he felt twinge Of regret
as though he were abandoning a
haven Of refuge. After all, the
prison itself had not been 50 very
bad; it had been more the CHASTITY
knowledge that he was no longer a
human being, that his every move
mept was arranged for him. and
that he was powerless. Simeon
Mason was a humane warden. The
prison had known very little bru-
tally, and that had been the work
of guards venting their individual
and personal spleen Even punish
meiit OF unruly prisoners had been
merciful. But there was no escap-
ing from the knowledge that one
was no longer regarded as hui
man being; there was no escape
from thought.
They stood facing each other at
the corridor door. Big Todd Shan
non dropped huge paw on the
shoulder of his young friend.
"B'by, Kid"
'~'By, Todd"
'sSee you at Kathleen's when
git tout."
YES"
@And and don't take things too
bitter. Bob"
81 oh. hell. why shouldn't ~
Now, LISTEN
.1'll be good" There was snee
on TerFy's lips as he looked NJ
$50 long, Todd
Their hands met. Then, withou
another word, Bob Terry turne'