The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1927-12-09
CHAPTER TX

Inside was a letter and thin
book. He opened the letter:
Dear Bob:
This will explain the card |
asked you to sign yesterday.
have opened small bank account
in your name When your balance
is exhausted, you have only to ask
for more | hope you have already
taken my suggestion that you &c
quire a complete outfit of good
clothes.
anything which l have and you
desire-you have only to request. l
trust that you will believe | mean
this. Sincerely,
"PETER BORDEN.
The original entry in the bank
book was $4,000. First cash pay
ment on the three years! The note,
the lavish gift, the luxurious room
in the handsome home, the exclus-
i've neighborhood and the garden
of radiant flowers and stately eims
and poplars excited only loathlng
in Bob Terry's breast. Why, Bor-
den was trying to atone for some
thing he didn't even understand.
He was doing great unkindness
in thus depriving Bob of the
necessity for work. 1t was small
satisfaction to Terry that Borden
was sharing luxury with him. He
wanted to see the man suffer as
he had suffered: he wanted to see
the light of despair-and Of help
lessness-in his eyes. Instead OF
being dazzled by this fairyland of
luxury. Bob hated it.
He didn't belong. He never had
belonged, and he knew that he
never would belong
It, was then that ne decided to
seek Todd Shannon's niece. 1t
wasn't that he cared at all about
meeting the girl, but her relation
ship with Todd promised that she
would be persons to whom ne
could talk, perhaps some one who
would understand the feelings
which he himself could analyze.
Even the atmosphere of the penn
Tertiary was preferable to this
cloying luxury. And at times he
had been afraid of himself in the
house with Peter Borden: he had
learned from convict friends now
to hate-and how to translate that
hate into physical terms.
He dressed hurriedly, donnlng
one of the suits which had been
waiting in his room when he ar
rived from prison. He moved down
the stairs with the measured tread
of the prison, looking neither to
right nor left And as he stepped
onto the veranda, Lois Borden rose
and came toward him.
She seemed ineXpressibly cool
and fresh in her morning gown OF
simple white. Her hair, red-gold IN
the morning sun, was brushed
tight against her head and she
stood swaying slightly like mag
nificent Killarney rose on a long,
slender stem.
Going out, Bob?'
He did not meet her eyes. yes
BE home to lunch?'
mo, ma'am.''
She flinched under the ma am.
You don't stay around much
mo, ma'am."
81 thought perhaps-you might
care to talk to me sometimes, :.
His sunken steely eyes raised
briefly, tragically, to hers-ana
were shifted Immediately.
81 don't talk much"
A great pity welled within her.
She stepped close and dropped her
hand lightly on his sleeve. i under
stand, Bob. And anything l can 90
at any time"
Thank you, mas am" he respond
ed gruffly, and strobe off down the
driveway.
She stood alone on the veranda
staring after him. Her vision was
slightly obscured by a midst as she
watched his stopped shoulders ana
the suit which would have fltted
him three years before. but when
sagged grotesquely now. She closed
her eyes momentarily as though 10
shut out sight and remembrance
of that rhythmic short tread: the
screaming clump of his feet,-ieft,
right, left, right-eyes on tne
ground directly before him; every
moment, every hunted, sullen
look proclaiming the prison stigma;
Rob walked toward the center OF
the citv, less than two miles us,
tant He wanted to rid his mina
of Lois before he met any one else.
His brain could not accommodate
two thoughts at one time. Not yet.
Three years before he had oeeil
rather nimble mentally; but prison
had crippled his thought processes
while it softened his muscles.
Lois annoyed him. He aateu tiie
fact that she was Peter Borden
daughter. He loathed her pity. But
) he liked her-and he didn't want 10
like anybody who was close 10
Borden. He desired no dilution Oh
his hatred
But he knew that the slim girl
was genuinely sorry for him. Damn
It! So was her father Peter Dor
den was always conscientious. he
had been conscientious when ne
testified against Bob Terry at the
. embezzlement trial and had SEM
him to prison in the danlning
strength of his testimony II never
occurred to Bob that the old man