But the eyes looking into his did not smile. They held a kind of dumb fear, and the man shook his head. “He does n’t know—”
“Why did n’t you tell him sir?”
“I could n’t!” He glanced cautiously over his shoulder and lowered his voice. “He would n’t have believed—nobody ’d believe!”
“But he might help, sir.”
The man shook his head dully. “He can’t help. Nobody ’can help.—I ’ve had my chance—” He broke off and sat staring before him, as if at some nameless thing.
The young man watched him with perplexed eyes. Something mysterious, terrible, held the man in its grip—some intangible thing. Almost, it seemed to him, he conld put out his hand and touch it. Then, in a breath, it was not there.... There was only Simeon—sitting with pitifully bowed head, fingering the paper.
He looked up after a minute. “The Bard-well lease expires today,” he said, holding up the paper.
John nodded. He was not thinking of the Bardwell lease. He was trying to follow the elusive clue that had looked out at him and withdrawn....
“The road takes possession tomorrow,” said Simeon.
“Yes, sir.” John’s mind came back to the farm.