Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-04-16

morals within Its walls.
| Blythe shook out his wry clothing and
| moved slowly up the Gale Grande
| through the hot sand. He moved without
a destination in his mind. The little
town was languidly stirring to Its daily
| life Golden-skinned babies tumbled
over over one another in the grass. The sea
breeze brought him appetite, but nothing
| to satisfy 1t. Throughout CoraEo were
its morning odors-those from the heay-
lily fragrant tropical flowers and from the
bread baking in the outdoor oven OF
clay and the pervading smoke of their
fires. Where the smoke cleared the crys-
| tai air, with some of the efficacy OF
faith, seemed TO remove the mountains al
most to the sea, bringing them so near
that one might count the SCARED gIades
| on their wooded sides. The lght-footed
Caribs were swiftly gliding to their
tasks at Sthe waterside. Already along
the bosky trails from the banana groves
files of horses were slowly moving con
| cealed, except for their nodding heads
I'and plodding legs, by the punches OF
green golden fruit heaped upon their
backs. On the doorsllls sat women comb
ing their long, black hair and calling,
| one to another, across the narrow thor
oughfares. Peace reigned in COrano-
arid and bald peace: but still peace.
On that bright morning when nature
seemed to be Offering the lotus on the
dawns golden platter "BeelzeDub' Blythe
! had reached rock bottom. Further descent
seemed impossible. That last nights
slumber in a public place had done for
| him. AS long as he had had roof 20
! cover him there had remained, unbridged,
! the space that separates gentleman
from the beasts Of the jungle and the
fowls OF the air. But now he was lit
tie more than a Whispering oyster led
10 be devOured on the sands of southern
/ sea by the artfuI walrus, Circumstance,
and the implacable carpenter, Fate.
! To Blythe money was now but
memory. He had drained his friends OF
all that their good fellowship had to
offer; then he had squeezed them to the
last drop Of their generosity and at the
last, aaron like. he had smitten the rock
Of their hardening bOsoms for the scat
terine, ignobIe drops of charity itself;
He had exhausted his credit to the last
real With the minute keenness of the
shameless spOnger lie was aware or every
source in Coralio from which glass ol
rum, meal or a piece of silver could be
wheedled. Marshaling each sucn source
In his mind, he considered II with all the
thorOughnsss and penetration that hun
ger and thirst lent him for tha task. All
his optimism failed to tRresh gram o.
hope from the chaH Of his postulations
He had played out the game. That one
night in the open had shaken his nerves
Until then there had been left to him at
least few grounds upon when ne co9i Il
base his unblushing demands upon his
neighbors stores. Now he must beg In
stead Of borrow. The most brazen
sophistry could not dignity by the name
to q beachcomber who slept on the bare
boards Of the public market.
But on this morning no beggar would
have more thankfully received a Chart
I by the throat-the druukards matutional
thirst that requires to be slaked at each
morning station on the road 70 T)phet
Blythe walked slowly up the street
that might drop mamma upon him IN his
wilderness. AS he passed the popular
eating house Of Madame Nasqnez' MAD
ama's boarders we're just sitting down
to freshly baked bread, aguacateS, pines
and delicious coffee that sent forth odor-
Gus guarantee OF It's quality upon the
breeez. Madame wns serving she turned
her shy, stoltdi melancholy gaze Tor
momolt out Of the window; she saw
Blythe, and her expression turned more
shy and embarrassed. BeelZebub owed
her 90 pesos. lie bowed as he had once
! bowed to less embarrassed DANES 70
whom he owed nothing, and passed on.
Merchants and their clerks were throw
ing open the solid wooden doors or their
shops Polite but cool were the glances
they cast upon Blythe as he lounged
tentatively by with the remains Of his
iold iaunty air: for they were his cred
itors almost without exception.
"A the little fountain IN the plaza he
made mn apology for a toilet with his
wetted handkerchief. Across the open
! square fled the delorous line OF friends
Of the prisoners in the calahoza, bear
ing the morning meal Of the lmmured
The food IN thelI hands aroused small
longing in Blythe. 1t was drink his soul
craved, or money to buy It.
In the streets he met many with .whon
he had been friends and equals, and
whose patience and llber9lity he had
gradually exhausted. Willard Geddle
and Paula cantcred past him with tho
coolest Of mods, returning from their
daily horseback ride along the old In
dian road. Keogh passed pim nj another
corner, whistling cheerfully and bearin z
prize OF newly-laid eggs for the break
fast OF himself and Clancy The jovial
scout Of fortune was one Of Blythe's vic
tins who had plunged his hand oftenest
into his pocket to aid him. But now IT
seemed that Keo2h. too had fortified
himself against further lnvasions. His
curt greeting and the ominOus light in
lis full gray eve Qulckened the stems OF
''Beezelbub,' whom desperation had al
most melted to attempt an additional
loan"
Three drinking shops the forlorn one
next visited in succession. In all OF
these his money, his credit and his vel
come had long since been spent; but
Blythe felt that he would have fawned
in the dust at the feet Of any enemy that
morning for one draught OF aRunrdiente.
In two Of the pulperias his cOurageou
petition for drink was met with refusal
so polite that IL stung worse than abuse.
The third establishment had acquired
something Of American methods: and
here he was seized bodily and cast out
upon his hands and knees.
This physical indignity caused a sin
gular change in the man. As he picked
himself up and walked away. an express
sion Of absolute relief came upon his
features The speciOus and conciliatory
smile that had been craven there was
succeeded by a look Of calm and sinister
resolve. "Beezelbub" had been founder
ing in the sea Of improbity. holding by a
slender lifeline to the respectable world
that had cast him overheard He must
have felt that with this ultimate shock
the line had snapped, and have expert
enced the welcome ease of the drowning
swimmer who has ceased to struggle.
Blythe walked to the next corner and
stood there while he brushed the sand
from his garments and repolished his
glasses.
I've got to do it-oh. I've got to do
it." he told himself, aloud 'If l had n
quart of rum I believe I could stave It
off yet-for a little while But there
no more rum for-'Beezelbub, MS they
call me. By the flames of Tartarus! il
somebody has got to pay the court ex-
penses. You'll have to pony up, air
Frank Goodwin. You're a good fellow !:
but a gentleman must draw the line at
} being kicked into the gutter. Blackmail
isn't pretty word, but it's the next
station on the road I'm travelling"
| With purpose In his steps Blythe now
moved rapidly through the town by way
Of its landward envirOns He passed
through the squalid quarters Of the i'm
provident negroes and on beyond the
picturesque shacks Of the poorer mestizos
From many points along his course he
could see, through the outrageous
/ its wooded hill And as he crossed the
. little bridge over the lagoon he saw the