The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1923-09-18

"sure-,Aks him gun" shs said
Got any Shells"
Bess shook her head. Her heart
paused in her breast.
Maybe him got shells. He took
'em all out when he saw your canoe
como In"
XIV.
n. rks her husband. the brown
squaw waa n devotco OF cruelty. she
must have received great satisfac'
ton from the sight OF that slender.
girlish figure standing in tho gloom
Of the cabin. Tho fact that there
were no shells in the rifle-other.
wise a desperate agent Of escape---
seemed nothing less than the death |
OF hope. The strength born OF the
crisis departed swiftly from hsr.'
and her only impulse was to yield
10 bitter tears. Her erect body /
seemed 60 wilt. her sensitive lspr.
so straight and firm before. dropped
like those OF a child in sonn utter.
uncon5olAbls tragedy Of childhood.
1, was a curious thing how the
light died in her eyes. All NJ once
they seemed 10 be at some strange.
bolow.Esro point Of darkncss,---like
black wounds In the utter white
ness Of her face. Yet the Squaw
gave no sign that Hho had seen.
Her face was impssslYe. that OF an
impcrturbobls Buddha that ats for.
ever In a far templs.
Great terror IL nothing moro or
less than temporary loss OF hope. In
that moment Beas was finding out
what real hopeicsaness meant 80 far
as II Is ever possible for human be-
ings 20 know. For that moment she
couldn't rec riff in tho darkness
that EMBODIED hor. In the first place
she felt infinitely alone: Knutscn was
dead: Lenorc s,ili sat yielding TO self
pity: Ned still extended TO her his
soIlcitous care. The thing went be-
yond nero fear Of death. She could
conceive OF possibilities now wherein
death would be n thing desired and
prayed for; n deliverance from a Nv
ing hell that was infinitely worse.
The terror that was upon her was In
comparable with any previous ex-
perience OF her life.
Yet her eyes remained dry. Some
way. she was beyond the beneficence
Of tears: partly because OF hor ter
ror. partly. perhaps. because the IN
stinct was with her yet to hide the
truth from Ned and I,cnorc so long
az possible. Thus she was not, In the
last analysis. absolutely bereft OF
hope. II might DO. since Ned was n
man and she woman. he would
never become tho prey Of Doomsdorf
TO such n degree as she herself And
now there was no time TO try to
formulate other plans. 60 seek some
other gateway OF escape: no time
more TO listen to Ned's complaints OF
her inattention 10 Lenore. She heard
Doomsdorfs heavy step nj the door.
The man came in. for an instant
standing framed by the doorway, the
light Of morning behind him. Ned
looked up. expecting some Inquiry as
to his own and IGNORES condition.
some word OF greeting on his lips II
came about, however. that his
thought fell quickly into other chan
neis Doomsdorf closed the door be-
hind him.
The man turned CONTEMPORARY 70
Ned. Whats the matter7" he asked.
Startled and indignant at the tone.
Ned lnstinctively Strengthened. Il
didn't say anything was the matter
Where's Knutsen7"
''Knutsen--has gone on. Hell didn't
suit him. He went against Its man
dates the first thing. hope II
doesn't happen again--I would hate
TO lose any more OF you. I've other
plans in mind"
Ned hardly understood. yet his face
went white. Partly II was anger be-
cause Of the unmlstakable insult and
contempt in Doomsdorf's tone. Partly
IL was vague fear that his good
sense would not permit him to credit
II DON'T don't understand. I'm
afraid" no remarked coldly. Wen
talk II over later. At present want
to know where we can put this girl
to bed. She's in serious condition
from her last nights experience"
The lips curled under the great
blond beard. II may put her TO bed.
all right--if I like her looks" he an
swored evenly. 1T won't DO your
bed. either"
Appalled,. unbelieving. yet obcylng
n racial instinct that goes back to
the roots of time, Ned dropped the
girl from his arms and lcapcd 10 his
feet His eyes blazed with q mag