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


years i'm the penitentiary had rob
bed him of memory. He had school
ed himself not to think of the past,
or of the outer world. He had re-
garded everyday life and freedom
much as a poor man thinks of for
eign Notwithstanding which
! he knows TO exist, yet so exotic
that his mind cannot quite grasp
the actuality. And now Bob Terry
found himself in it, once more of it;
and he was dazed.
He stared through the grimy win.
dow pane toward the broad vista OF
cottonfield Somewhere off in the
distance a double row of willow and
cypress marked the course of
small stream wandering happily
southwark. Two boys trudged down
the hot, dusty road toward it, and
each carried long bamboo pole.
1t pleased Bob enormously to know
that he might alight from the train
if he pleased and go swimming.
God, what glory river swim
would be. He settled back and
closed his eyes. The visions unfoi-
ded to his thoughts were more free
from bitterness than he knew. He
was intoxicated by this sudden re-
lease from restriction, by the know.
ledge that he was once again man
of name instead of number. Three
years had taught him the ultimate
value of the tiniest things.
s.Ahnn did 5rnl, ont
The voice, raspingly gutteral,
grated harshly on the ears of the
young man. 1t was the voice of
power and authority and the past
eternities had taught Bob to accept
insults docilely.
He looked up into the heavy.
blotched features OF a squat, broad
shouldered man. Bob knew the
type: the holder Of some job OF
mental authority: square-shoulder
ed, square-toed and square headed.
He looked into the pig-like eyes be-
meath the heavy brows-and for
moment he did not answer.
The man frowned With a cheap
gesture ne swept back his coat and
displayed the shiny badge of a rail
road detective. His voice cut
through the fetid air of the car
loudly enough for those in the i'm
mediate vicinity to hear.
81 asst when 20 got out"
Later, Bob knew that LIE should !
have been resentful. Bat he was
too recently out of prison. The !
badge Of authority was something
he had learned to fear, particularly
when worn by such as this heavv-
set person. And SO he answered
the brutal question simply, and
without thought Of equivocarion.
Yesterday" And then, "Iiow
did you know"
The detective was conscious OF an
audience in the next seat "That's
ny business" he doomed. where
are you goin'? Whatcha gonna do?"
Resentment was on Terry's lips.
But he had learned from Todd Shan
non that acquiescence oyas always
the better course; he had learned
TO keep his face expressionless
while hot fury surged within him,
and so he told the railroad detec-
tive where he was going and eX-
planned that he didn't know what
he was going to do.
The man doomed some coarse ad-
vice and waddled off down the aisle
of the car. All about him Bob
heard whispers. The word lad
been bruited about. An ax-convic'
was on the car; a man inst out OF
the state penitentiary. Yes, that
was he-the oldish-young man with
the bit of silver at the temples; the
slim one-sittin' over yonder. No,
of course he don't look like no Grim
inal but you never can tell about
these crooks; they're slick urs.
Might of been murder-Tary heard
one mother warn her wi1e-eyed
children.
And now the black cloud of bit
terness and misery closed down ov-
er him again. So this, then, was
the meaning Of freedom-that he
might be accosted brutally by any
sodden railroad detective and ques-
toned brutally as to himself and
his plans; that the finger of sus-
picion was always to be leyeled
against him. That the mark Of
Cain was to be seen on his brow
and people were TO turn from him.
A fierce anger gripped him. He
wanted to climb on the seat and
shout to these people that he was
! innocent; that he bore in his pocket
letter from the governor of the
state, expressing deep regret for the
| injustice which had warped his life.
i But no; that was impossible. He
might do this once, but to what
end? They would still murmur
about him and look his way and
shake their heads. They were pri-
vileged to regard him as an animal
to be stared at and talked about
just because he had been in pri-
son. 1t seemed of little moment
whether he was guilty or innocent.
The momentary exaltion which
had come with freedom was gone.
This incident seemed the precursor
of the grossest Of all injustices.
Prison had been an error-perhaps
even an honest error And once in
prison-it was fitting that he should
have been treated as convict But