The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1922-10-27

The sooner. the better
"Are you sure. monSieurf nut one
thought Il was tho tortoise who won
the famous race
Take all the time you need
Captain Monk conceded generously,
TO como 90 a sensible decision"
but how good you arc 10 me. mon.
sieurr'
THE MALCoNTENr
Singular tho tho statement may
seem. when one remembers the con.
dltion- that circumscrthed hts free.
dom OF action on board the syharite.
that he stood utterly alone In that
company OF conSrlrators and their
creatures. alone and unefmed. with
never a friend "a guard his back or
oven 20 whisper him ono word Of
counsel. warning or encouragement.
with only his naked wits and hands
20 for,ify and sustain his heart, u Il
stin no cxngEcration TO say that
Lanyard got an extraordinary
amount Of private diversion out OF
those last few days.
From tho hour when Lame De
iorme. Phlnuli and Captain Monk. m
conciave soicmniy assembled at tho
Instance OF tho ono laa;.nAmod. com.
inundated their collective mind IN
respect OF his interesting self. the
man was conscious OF Implicit con.
sidcnce In a happy outcome of the
business with a conacicn,iousness
less rational than simply felt. a sor,
~ hubbiing cxhiiara,lon IN HIS mood
that found It's most ineligible tx.
preston Of the phrase. which he was
won't often 20 iteratc TO himself. Ca
va bien--that goes WELT
Thnt--the progressive invoius,on Of
this insane imhroglio--went very well
indeed. In Lanyard's reckoning: he
could hardly wish. he could not rea.
sonably demand that II should go bet
ter.
lie knew now with what design
Lane DeiorTne had made him 4 party
20 this sea adventure and Intimate
with every detail Of the conspiracy.
and be knew 70 boot why she had
offered him the free gift Of her love:
doubt AZ 20 tho one. acrnpica inspired
by tho othcr--that reluctance which
map cannot hut feel 20 do hurt 20
heart that holds him dear. how.
ever scarty his response 10 its pas
sion--cnulf no longer Influence him
20 paiter IN dealing with tho woman.
The revelation had In effect stricken
shackies from fsanyard's wrists now
when he struck u would b. with
neither hesitation nor conjunction.
As 20 that stroke alone. its hour
and place and fashion. he remained
without decision. He had made
hundred plans for It's delivery. and
ono % them. that seemed the Wild.
est. he thought Of seriously. az some.
thing really feasible. But single
handed That made II difficult. II
only one could devise nnrie way 20
be tn two places ~ one time and the
aamc' An ifnpnsaihliityY lie wouldn't
deny that. But Lanyard had never
been one 70 be Discouraged BY the
grim. hard fncc OF an impoasihsilty.
, He hnd known too many such 70 dis.
sipase utterly. vanish into empty air.
when subjected 10 a bold and reso.
lutte assault He wouldn't say die.
Never that while he could ilft hand
or invent strntaecm. never that 80
long M fools played their game into
hts hands. as this lot wished 20 and
did. What imbccilityi what an
escape had been HIS when. IN that
time long since. he hnd made up his
mind 70 have done with crime once
and for al timri But for tina, mo-
ment ~ clear vision and high resolve
he might be today even a. these who
had won such clear title 20 his con.
tempt. who ssulfified themselves with
vain inaginings and the everlasting
concoctlon OF schemes whose sheer
intrinsic puerility forcdoomed them
10 farcicai failure.
Lanyard trod the decks for hours
NJ time. searching the stars for an
answer 20 the question: what made
tho law by whose decree man may
garner only punishment and disaster
where he has husbauded in inlqulty7
That law implacable. inexorabis In
It's ordained and msthodic workings.