Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1927-12-16
CHAPTER XVI

NnAf Elk ANl
"Yes. ! rave long had a crow 70
pick with Borden. There are rea-
sens 1t may be that. together,
something nigh, transpire. OF
course. II your feelings are not genu-
inelv bitter"
God knows they arel'
Then YOUR presence here might
hello. | don't want to rush YOU.
though. The offer remains open.
The place | offer you Is for general
work of a sort which cannot instant
ly be explained" A frosty smile
crossed Carmody's lips. "lou have
probably heard a great deal 81 me-
non OF il pleasant. II may be that
code of ethics is not the same as
that of certain other men-Peter
Borden. for instance. But / do a
great deal OF good In my own way.
My own way. you understand. And
the men who benefit most are those
who have been your associates and
friends for the past three years.
Men like Todd Shannon. Think it
over. Terry"
Bob arose. He was vastly i'm
pressed ard deeply grateful.
lin just waiting for Todd 10 get
out. sir. | sort Of want 20 talk
things over with him. / think III
accept. though. ! knew | sound I'M
grateful. but you see. ] cant think
OF anything except how ] hate Bor-
den. And what you said to me just
nov"
Goodbye. Terry
"Good-bye. sir"
Bob Terry entered kathlcen's Of
tice and closed the door. But be-
fore he could speak with her the
buzzer sounded from Carmody'S desk
and she vanished in answer TO the
summons.
CaTmody was smiling as he looked
up at the girl. lie was drumming
softly on the desk with the tips OF
lis delicate fingers.
i've hooked him he said. with
a frankness he used only with his
secretary and with Whispering Will
lie Weaver. you land him for me"
II was difficult for Bob 70 raise
his ewes when he walked. II was
impossible for him TO change eX-
preston. save for an occasional
fleeing smile over something Kath-
leen said. lie did not know that the
Girl at his side yearned over him
because Of the unjust scars: ne
could not know that through more
than one night she sat dry-eyed and
staring. thinking Of him. suffering
with him. He only knew that there
was something between himself and
Kathleen shannon which was absent
from his relationship with Lois: an
invisible. intnhgi5le bond begotten
Of understanding.
They entered n modest restaurant
and found a corner table for two,
She stated her order concisely
then sat back and studied him n
his haggard eyes focused upon the
menu.
There was a change IN the mar
since she had first met him; a bit Of
color had crept into his cheeks. the
dark circles around the eyes were
less prominent. the cheek bones were
rot so much in evidence. and. occa-
~sicnally he gazed sousrelv into ones
eves-briefly. amazingly. as though
shocked at his own temeritv.
Kathleen knew that Bob's battle
with himself was unconscious. He
did not know that be was overcom-
ing-with CHASTITY slowness-the sin
ister impressions Of his three-year
Imprisonment. That eternity had
schooled him against yearninF into
the future. Only occasionally did he
g~alvanize into action. and that was
when he thought Of Peter Borden.
Kathleen shared his hatred OF
Borden. True. she knew Borden al
most exclusively through the ewes %
John Carmody; but with the living
victim or the mans conscientious
ness facing her across the luncheon
table. she hated Borden ever more
bitterly than Terry himself. And
therefore. with a revealing human