so very, VERY much. Oh, PLEASE believe that! But I love him, too. And I
could not give him up. You will see why when you know him, really know
him. If it were not for you I should be SO happy. I know you can't
forgive me now, but some day I am sure you will forgive us both."

Captain Zelotes was far, far from forgiveness as he read that letter.
His first mate, who was beside him when he opened and read it, was
actually frightened when he saw the look on the skipper's face. "He went
white," said the mate; "not pale, but white, same as a dead man, or--or
the underside of a flatfish, or somethin'. 'For the Lord sakes, Cap'n,'
says I, 'what's the matter?' He never answered me, stood starin' at
the letter. Then he looked up, not at me, but as if somebody else was
standin' there on t'other side of the cabin table. 'Forgive him!' he
says, kind of slow and under his breath. 'I won't forgive his black soul
in hell.' When I heard him say it I give you my word my hair riz under
my cap. If ever there was killin' in a man's voice and in his looks
'twas in Cap'n Lote's that night. When I asked him again what was the
matter he didn't answer any more than he had the first time. A few
minutes afterwards he went into his stateroom and shut the door. I
didn't see him again until the next mornin'."

Captain Zelotes made no attempt to follow the runaway couple. He did
take pains to ascertain that they were legally married, but that
was all. He left his schooner in charge of the mate at Savannah and
journeyed north to South Harniss and his wife. A week he remained at
home with her, then returned to the Olive S. and took up his command and
its duties as if nothing had happened. But what had happened changed his
whole life. He became more taciturn, a trifle less charitable, a little
harder and more worldly. Before the catastrophe he had been interested
in business success and the making of money chiefly because of his plans