Motion Picture Story Magazine (Aug 1911-Jan 1912)

84 TEE MOTION PICTURE STORY MAGAZINE and Mary sat in the strangers' room of the old mission — a cool, clean chamber, simply furnished, that opened directly to the outside world. The old man held in his hands a violin, to the sweetly sad music of which the girl gave enraptured heed. Neither heard the hurried, the uncertain footsteps that drew near, nor observed the shadow that fell across the floor. For a moment Captain Courtesy stood entranced by the wonderful music, the while his eyes rested with a sudden softening upon the dreaming girl. Then he staggered, and Father Julian and Mary sprang up just in time to catch him as he reeled and fell. They placed him in Father Julian's great chair, and Mary sped to bring him a cup of wine, pausing only for one frightened glance at his white face, deathlike in his swoon. Father Julian, grown old in this land, looked shrewdly at the stranger, then shook his head. " 'There is none to plead thy cause, that thou mayest be bound up : thou hast no healing medicines,' " he muttered. "Who am I, that I should judge you?" So, asking nothing as to who he was, whence he came or how he received his wound, Father Julian and the others nursed Captain Courtesy back to life, for the eagle was sorely wounded. And when he was convalescent, Mary would sit beside him, reading in her soft voice the Word of promise, of forgiveness and of peace. "Let the child speak with him," Father Julian had said, "for, as it is written, out of the mouths of babes . . . and he hardeneth his heart against our words. ' ' Because she had been for so many years a child, and because nothing had occurred to open their eyes, the good fathers failed to realize that Mary was a child no longer, but a maiden grown, with the heart of a maiden. None heeded the soft light that glowed deeply in her dark eyes, or saw how her cheek would suddenly flame scarlet when the stranger's glance rested broodingly upon her. Only Father Julian, seeing that her health was likely to suffer thru too close confinement — for rarely did she leave the wounded man's room — would beguile her into long walks with him in the sunshine. On one of their rambles they observed at a cross-roads a newly posted sign, and with idle curiosity the girl read it. The law had put a price upon the head of the man who defied it — would fill with gold the hand of that other man who should hunt him down. In rude print the wording ran: "$5,000 in Gold! will be paid for the body of 'Captain Courtesy.' The outlaw can be recognized by a crescent-shaped scar on forehead." Father Julian shook his head sadly as he, too, read the sign. "Look you," he said, "the judges and the rulers in high places call not for the captivity of this robber, but for his body, and say not that it shall not be dead. Doubtless there is blood upon that outlaw's hands, but should another, in the name of the law, and in lust for gold, attain a like stain? 'The law entered, that the offense might abound ! ' " The girl pondered with troubled brow. "But, father, is it not written, 'When thou sawest a thief, then thou consentedst with him'? If you should see this outlaw, or know his place of hiding, would you not carry word to the sheriff ? ' ' The old padre smiled fondly. "Truly, my daughter, it is written even as you say, but it is likewise written, 'Thou shalt not go up and down as a tale-bearer among thy people; neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy neighbor. ' This outlaw is our neighbor, tho one we might not care to meet. Let the men of law look after their own affairs, which do not concern us, being men of peace." ' ' Oh, I did not intend to go hunting for Captain Courtesy," the girl exclaimed with a sudden burst of girlish laughter.