Not a
mouthful since yesterday noon. Before I touch this grub, Joey, I want
to say to you that I don't deserve it of you. I sold you all out. I
wasn't square with you. But it was drink and--and that devil behind me
all the time. I took your pocket-book that night, David. I stole it. I
guess I was crazy most of the time in those days. I don't say I'll ever
pay it back. I'm not apologizing for it, either. I'm just telling you.
I meant to get all you had, but--well, I wasn't mean enough to crack
you over the head. It would have been the only way--"
"Don't speak of it, Braddock," interrupted Jenison painfully. "That's
all past and gone."
"I've paid for some of my sins--but not all of 'em," said Braddock.
"Not all of 'em."
He fell to eating ravenously. The others sat back, stiff and
uncomfortable, watching him. His sunken but powerful jaws crunched the
food with some of the ferocity of a beast. It came forcefully to the
minds of the two men that they were looking upon a man whose great
sinews were of steel, who could have crushed either of them in the
long, hard arms that stretched forth to seize the food Ruby had placed
before him.
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