Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1927-11-30
The OUTER GATE
By OCTAvUS o COHEN
READ THIS FIRST

~ IA4 8Qk EuMEMAAs 4G leaves tFl4~
On with CHASTITY Impressions and
fierce bitterness in his heart. Upon
his release he IL given a letter from
Peter Borden, his former employer.
who has aided In sending Terry 10
prison because he thought il was
his duty" Terry determines 10 make
Borden suffer as he has suffered
during the three years In prison.
Bob's prison pal IL Todd shannon,
who urgen him to call on his niece,
Kathleen Shannon. When Bob re-
turns TO his home town. Todd tells
Bob he might also look up John Car
mcdy. = criminal lawyer and political
have employment for him.
Bob say goodbye 10 his prison
pal, Todd Shannon. and accepts a
present Of a little carving OF n Jap
anese pagoda Todd has carved out In
prison, using an old safety razor
blade.
CNow GO ON WITH TIE STORY
CHAPTER iii
He whirled and walked swiftly
along the corridor toward the exit.
The old, snappiIy-cut suit OF blue
serge Tapping about his thin figure.
In his left arm was the prison bum
dle-his baggage. In his right hand
was the gift from his friend. Ha
stepped quickly through the front
dDor-then, without knowing that he
did so, he paused and gasped.
The sun was shining. From where
he stood, Terry could see the broad
panorama Of yerdant valley streaked
by q silver river. which wound lazily
through rich farm lands. Far off 70
the left an aura Of smoke lowered
over a city which was the capital OF
the state. Automobiles were PASSING
people were talking and laughing
carelessly. In the fields. two farm
hands called merrily TO each other.
1t suddenly came to Bob that he
could 20 when he pleased. where he
pleased. That was hard 10 UNDER
stand. His ear was attuned 20 curt
orders from a guard: he had learned
10 think OF himself as a Gagged an
imal. And now the world beckoned
TO him-held out its arms invitingly-
He had forgotten what freedom
meant and this first intoxicating
draught bewildered and frightened
him.
He stood m~otionless for several
seconds. Then he heard a mans voice.
gruff but not unkind-
Here's the bus. II you're ready"
If he was ready. Cod The first
indication that someone else thought
he was a human and had desires and
wants and likes and dislikes Of his
own. He followed the driver RE-
chemically and climbed into the huge
eur. A few seconds later he was nov
ing toward the smoke and SCOT Of
the capital.
lie looked back at the gray walls
OF the prison. He thought OF Todd
Shannon-and Of the thousand other
prisoners laboripr hopelassly. cease
lcssfy. in the clatter and ~clangor OF
the cotton mill. He looked * the
place where he had been aged in
three years
And when he turned awav again,
bis face was set in lines ~ unre-
lieved bitterness.
The accommodation crept slowly
~northward from the capital toward
the metropolis. The Ioose-jointed old
day coaches clanked protestingly
with each ~swaying curve If the track,
the locomotive whistled .. road
crossings, there was dust and CRIME
ard soot everyuhere-but to Bob
Terry. crouched i'm a corner Of the
last coach, il WAS all very wonder
full. and already he was beginning 10
feel the exhilirstion Of freedom.
He was unmindful of the discom-
fort. He scarcely knew that the
first hot finger of an unusually early
spring was that day being placed
across the farm lands; he did not
realize that the coach In which he
travelled was uncomfortable and
noisy and swirling with cinders. He
vas not even annoyed BY the snoring
miners in the seat behind him Or
the dirty, yelling children who raced
up and down the aisle.
II was all new to him. Three years
In the penitentiary had robbed him
Of memory. He had schoolcd himself
not to think Of the past. or Of the
outer world. He had regarded every
day life and freedom much as n poor
man thinks or foreign countries
something whica he knows to exist,
yet SO exotic taat hts mind cannct
quite grasp the actuality. And low
Bob Terry found himself ~ IL, once
more Of it, and he was dazed.
He stared through the erimv win
dow pane toward the broad visits Of
cotton field. Somewhere off In the
distance a double row ~ willow and
cypress marked the course Of a small
stream wandering happily southwark.
Two boys trudged down the hot,
dusty road toward IL. and each car
ried a long bamboo pole. IL pleased
Bob enormously TO knew that he
might alight from the train IL he
pleased and 70 swimming. Godl
what glory a river swim would be.
He settled back and closed his eyes.
The visions unfolded TO his thoughts
were more free from bitterness than
he knew. He was intoxicated BY this
sudden release from restriction. by
the knowledge that he was once again
" man of name instead Of number.
Three years had taught him the ulti-
mats value Of the tiniest things.
when did you get cut7"
The voice. raspinRly cultural, graf
ed harshly on the ears Of the young
man. II was the voice Of power and
authority and the past eternities had