The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1923-10-13

The Ideal sustained her no more. II
brought no fire TO her frozen heart.
u was an empty word. nothing that
could thrill and move one OF her kind
ana creed Its meaning illckrrcd out
for her, and terror, Infinite ana IRE.
sEtihlc, seized her like storm
There were no depths OF lsnominy
beyond her now. She cried out
shrllly and ineohcrently. thcn stun,
bling thru the snow. caught pooms.
doris arm NO. no" she cried,
tawnlng with lips and hands. Don't
so IN they're going Go try 10
klll YOU. | didn't have anything 10
do With i'll swear / didn't and
don't make me suffer when I've
saved YOU"
tic shook her roughly, until the
torrent OF her words had ceased. and
she was silenccd beneath his lurld
gaze
You say-thcy'ye gat trap laid
for mcsr he demanded
Tier hands claspcd before him.
Yes. hut l Say I'm not guilty"
lie pushed her eoutemptuously
from him, and she fell In tho snow.
Then, with a half,anlmal suarl that
revealed all too plainly his murder0ua
rage. he drew his pistol from his hol
sier and started on
NNfN
Watching thru the crack In the
door Ned saw the glrl's act: and her
treason WAS immediately evident 10
him. Whatever darkness cngrosscd
him az the sight OF the lKnobic girl.
hegslng for her little life even at tho
COS, Of her lovers, showed not al all
IN his white. set face Whatever un.
spcakahle despair came upon INN al
this ruin OF his ideals, this dcsIruc.
ton OF all his hopes. 1t was evidenced
neither IN his actions nor IN the clear,
cool quality OF his thought.
No other crisis had ever found him
better disciplined Ills mind seemed
to eircumseribc the whole. dread
situation in an instant. lie turned.
met Beers straightforward Fazo. saw
her halfsmile OF complete under.
standing. As she leaped toward him.
he snatchcd up their two hooded
outer coats. and his arm half en-.
c'rcling her. he guided her thru tho
door.
Whether or not she realized what
had occurred he did not know. but
there was no time "a tell her now.
Nor were explanations necessary;
trusting him 90 the last she would
follow where he led. Wen have 10
run for H." he whispered simply.
Fast as you can.
Ned had taken In the situation.
made his decision. SEIZED the parkas.
and guided Bess thru the door all in
que breath; the drama OF IGNORES
tragic dishonor was s,iIl in progress
IN the glare Of tho Northern Lights.
Doomsdorf. standing hack to them.
did not sec the two slip out OF the
door. snatch up their snowahoes and
Ms, Otherwise his pistol would have
been quick TO halt them. Almost nj
once they were concealed. except for
their strange Pickering shadows in
The snow. behind the frs, fringe OF
gtunied spruce.
Ned led her straight toward this lce.
bound SEA He realized al once TINT
heir least shadow OF hone lay in fas,
Tight that might take them 10 some
Inhabited island before Doomsdorf
could oyertake them. never In giving
him chase across his own tundrns
Even this chance was traEicaiiy
small. but Il was all they had. To
stay. 90 finger but moment. meant
ieaih from Doomsdorrs plstoi--or
perhaps from some more ingenious
engine that his halfmad cunning
might devise.
onlY the miles Of empty ice
stretched before them. covered deep
with snow and unworldly in the giim. /
ner OF the Northern Lights that stu /
flickered waniy in the sky: yet no
other path was open. They halted a
single instant in the shelter Of the
.hickets. slipped on their snowshoes. |
hen mushed as fast as they could on
10 the beach. In scarcely moment
hey were venturing out on the ice
bound wastes.
Doomsclorf encountered tracks as he /
reached the cabin door. and guessing I
heir intent. raced for the higher /
ground just above the cabin. But
yhen he caught sight of the fugitivcs.
hey were already out OF effective 1
pistol range. He fired impotently un.
III the hammer clicked down against !
m empty. breach. and then. still I
scnseless with fury. darted down to
he cabin for his rifle.
But he halted before he reached the |
ioor. After ALL there was no particu
AR hurry He knew how many 4
miles Of ico--some OF Il almost i'm. |
between hts isinnd and |
rzar island. far to tho east. II was
not the journey for man and WON.
IN. travelling without supplies. There
vaa M need Of sending hIa sfup,fy,.> /