Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1927-12-13
The OUTER GATE
By OCTAVUS ROY COHEN
CHAPTER XIV


Yet II was not that which worried
Lois Borden. unfair Is ii was. The
thing which preyed upon her mind
was the fact tina. Bob was not en-
tireiy out Of contact with life. Some
where he had discovered human in.
tsrests- John Carmody, Of course.
mat silken-voiced, ultra-courteous
ma who controlled the city. the
county and a goodIy part Of the
And Kathleen Shannon.
LOIS didn't know Kathleen and
could understand why she hated the
girl IL did not occur 10 her that she
mas Jealous She thought simply
mat q was afraid for Bob beeanse
the kindly Bruce Richardson-wno
, ever spoke i'll OF anybody-had told
Eer OF d scandal which people were
pleased TO imagine existed between
the shannon girl and John Carmodv.
ma seemed 70 indicate, then. that
kathleen Shannon was M fit worn
an Tor any ma TO know Intimately
particularly a person suffering from
mental Unrest. Lois envisioned the
girl: blatant, coarse, Indifferent 10
moral and social standards. super-
Iicially clever, niece of a convicted
criminal, and speaking the same hor-
RID language which Bob Terry had
earned IN the peaitentiary. IL was
hatnieen who appealed TO Lois as
real menace with which Bob had
70 contend; and because she eould
think Of nothing except this other
woman, she quite naturally mini
mized the danger of John Carmody.
The door Of Bob's room opened
and ne stepped into the hall. Sirht
OF him restored Lois courage and She
moved forward quickly to his side.
. Bob" she asked, won't ycu stav
home tonight? ! wish to talk with
His face was expressionless.
Il DO; 1t is important. Won't you
Bob had 0 yet learned to refuse
but he asked one question. ALONE ~
-fes-alone- OH Bob-aren't Won
ever going to forgive Dad for his
And Bob Terry looked at her with
an expression which caused her sopl
70 shrivel. II was agate hard. and
his voice was like the rasp of a file
what he said was, "Noi" She shud-
cered-then spoke kindly again.
You will stay home"
re ma'am." He himself flushed
at the "ma'am-" "IIl telephone"
she could not help but overhear
his call. II was to Alfred Cregorv-
State Senator Al Gregory. Lois knew
him: a legal associate Of Carmodv's
w~eil-born, handsome in a coarse.
lord way: a loud and fluent orator
and a thorough political spellbinder
who was overly cautious, utterly nm
s~erupulous. and who was spoken of
generally as a gubernatorial possi-
hilIty- There was grave danger IN
bob's association with this man. Ii
seemed that the Carmcdy web was
weaving about him, meshinR him In
extricably in its invisible strands:
S1rmody himself, Todd Shannon. who
was Carmody's client; Kathleen
shannon, his secretary; Whispering
Willie Weaver-aud now State Sena-
ter Al Gregory. Lois liste led to the
conversation. i~nnocuous enough in it.
self, but conducted BY Bob Terry
with a freedom and lack of restraint
which had never been apparent in
his relationship with her. II was
with a feeling Of desperation that
she led tie way into the living
room and seated herself on the
lounge beside the young man with
the tired eyes.
II was a scene Of quiet softness. Of
soothing domesticity. the big honey
room with its handsome. unobtru-
sive furnishings. the balmy air of
spring which bore in through the
wide-flung windows, a symphony Of
night SOUNDS. The room breathed
gentility and safety and softness-
vet she could see that Bob was un-
der a strain as though he could
never again fit into such an en-
vironment.
She did not ~eouivocate. although
her voice was rather strained.
Bob" she questioned. "why wont
You accept that position which Dad
offered you?"
His eyes were focused blankly on
the opposite wall.
II don't care to work In that Of
flee again.
His ~unblushing candor helped her.
"Why?"
"Isn't that obvicus7-
Not exactly. Dad is trying to help
you"
Il don't want any help. I don't
need any"
"But Bob-you do. 1t has been a
long time now-snd you've done
nothing. OH ] know you don't need
the work for the money il would
bring you. When Dad said he owed
YOU an irreparable debt. he meant il.
He meant that you could call on him
for every cent Of his personal for
tune. But that isn't the point.
You're in an unhealthy mental con-
dition-"
as that unnatural?'
Certainly not. And " isn't IN
natural for one 10 contract rneum onia
after exposnre-but thea, n tries
70 cure the disease. You have been
sitting around thinking. and thinking
isn't good for you"
n got the habit-in prison
But you're not in prison now,
Bob"
as that sos"
ayes. Oh, cant you see what II is
all leading to. this inaction. this
refusal TO LET us help? What are
you waiting fors'
todd Shannon"
"Your cellmatef
"The only friend I have. Mr.. Car
mody saws he'll be out any day now.
/ ran talk things over with him, He
understands"
"But he's the M person who
doesn't understand He's a criminal,
Bob-a convicted criminal"
so was L."
But YOU have said that he doesn't
even claim TO have been innocent.
I don't say he's not n loyal friend,
and that you shouldn't be fond Of
him. but I do say that his Judgment
cannot possibly be good. His judg-
ment Is warped
cts good enough for me-"
"No-o-you merely think 70 w.
Please try to pull yourself out Of
this. Work-anv kind Of workout