The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1923-12-06

BLOOD
tContlnucd rrpm Yesterday

Continued From Yesterday
That he should ever NEE, hcr again
had not entered his calculations, had
found no place In hts dreams. They
We're. ho conceived. irrovoc0hly and
forever parted Yet. In spite OF this,
IN spite even OF the persuasion that
90 her this reflection that was his
torment could bring no regrets. no
had kept tho thought OF her ever be-
fore him In all those wild years OF
filihustering. Ho had used II as a
curb not. only upon himself. but also
upon those who followed him, Never
had buccaneers been so risidly held
In hand. never had they been so
firmly restrained. never so doharrcd
from the excuses of rapine and lust
that were usual in their kind as those
who sailed with Captain Blood. II
was, YOU viii remember stipulated In
their articles that in these as In other
matters they must submit 20 the COM
mands OF thel- leader, And because
4 OF the singular good fortune which
nd attended hts leadership. no had
Zen able 10 impose that stern eondi'
non of a discipline unknown before
among buccaneers. How would not
these men laugh al him now II no
were TO tell them that this no had
done out OF respect for slip OF a
GIRL OF whom he had fallen romantic
alty enamoreds How would not that
laughter swell II no added that this
girl had that day informed him that
she did not number thieves and
pirates among her acquaintance.
Thief and pirate.
How the words chung. how they
stung and burnt his brainl
Il did not occur TO him. being no
psychologist. nor learned In the tortu-
Gus workings OF the feminine mind.
that tho fnct that she should bes,ow
upon him those epithets in the very
moment and circumstances Of their
meeting was in itself curious. He did
not perceive the problem thus pre-,
sentcd: therefore he could not probe
Il. Else he might have concluded
that II In moment In which by do.
livering her from captivity he de-
served her gratitude. yet she express
ed herself in bitterness. II must be be-
cause that bitterness was anterior to
the gratitude and deep-seated. She
had been moved 10 Il by hearing OF
the course he had taken. Why II
was wha, he did not ask himself. or
some ray Of light might have come
10 brighten his dark. his utterly evil
despondency. Surely she would never
have been so moved had she not
czred-had she not felt that in what
he did there was a personal wrong 10
erselT. Surely. he might have rea.
nothing short OF this could
have moved her TO such a degree OF
bitterness and scorn as that which
she had displaced.
That Is how you win reason. MOI
60. however, reasoned Captain Blood
indeed. that night he reasoned not a,
all. His soul was given up TO con.
ylict between the almost sacred love
no had borne her Ia all these years
and the evil passion which she had
now awakened In him. Extreme.
touch. and In touching may for a
spacs become confused. indistinguish,
able. And tho extremes OF love and
hate were tonight 70 confused IN the
soul OF Captain Blood that IN their
fusion they made up a monstrous
passion.
Thief and pIratel
That was what she deemed him
without qualification. Obvious OF the
deep wrongs he had suffered. the des
peratc case in which he found him
self after his escape from Barbados
and all the rest that had gone e
make him what he was. That he
should have conducted his fiIibus,er
Apg with hands as cisan as were pos
kble TO a man engaged In such un
dertakings had also not occurred e
her as a. charitable thought with
which to mitigate her judgment Of q
man she had once esteemed She hat
10 charity for him. no mercy. Sin,
had summed him up. convicted him
and sentenced him in that ont
DliAo@. Alt NaA AAlAel EAAttkJ ~
her eyes nothing more. nothing less
What, then, was she? What arr
those who have no charity? he asket
the stars.
Well. as she had shaped him hith
srto. SO let her shape him now. THE
and pirate she had branded him. Sh'
should be justified. Thief and plratr
should he prove henceforth no NOR
nor less as bowelicss. as remorseless
as all those others who had deserve,
those names. He would cast out tn
maudIin ideals by which he hat
sought to steer course put an ent
to this idiotic struggle TO make III
best Of two worlds. She had shown
him clearly 10 which world no be
longed. Let him now justify her. Shi
was aboard his ship, in his power
and he desired her.
He laughed softly. jseringly. as h
leaned on the taffrail. looking dow
At the phosphorescent gleam in IN,
ships wake, and his own Laughter
startled him by its evil note. HI
checked suddenly. and shlvered. 4
sob broke from him 70 end that ribalt
burst Of mirth. He took his face ir
his hands and found chill moistur,
~