The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-07-01
Maurice Gordon was liable to be called

Maurice Gordon was liable to be called
away at any moment thus BY the arrival
of a steamer. It was not long before he
rose from the table and lighted a cigar
preparatory to going down to his Office.
where the captain OF the steamer was by
this time probably awaiting him. 1t was
a full moon. and the glorious golden
light OF the equatorial night shone
through the high trees like new dawn.
Hardly star was visible; even those Of
the Southern Hemisphere pale beside the
Southern moon.
Maurice Gordon crossed the topen space
of cultivated garden and plunged into
the black shadow Of the forest. His
footsteps were inaudlble. Suddenly he
ran almost into the arms OF a man.
WHO the devil 1t that he cried.
.'Meredith.''l answered voice.
'Meredlth-Jack Meredith, Is that you!"
'.Yes."i d ~
Well. I'm blowcd!' exclaimed Maurice
Gordon, shaking hands lkewise glad.
What brought you out hero ngain.i'
"Oh, pleasure!" replied Jack with his
face In the shade.
Pleasures. you've come to the wrong
place for that. However. I'll let you
find out for yourself. Go OH to
the bungalow; I'll be back IN less
than an hour. You'll find Jocelyn in the
veranda."
When Maurice left her. Jocelyn Went
out3into the veranda. 1t was the begin
ming of the hot season. AT midday the sun
on his journey northward no longer cast
a shadow. Jocelyn could not go out IN
the daytime at this period of the year.
For fresh air she had to rely upon
long, dreamy evening In the veranda.
She sat down in her usual chair while
the moonlight, red and glowing, made
a pattern on the floor and on her wllite
dress with the shadows of the creepers.
The sea was very loud LAT night, rising
and falling like the breath of some huge
sleeping creature.
Jocelyn Gordon fell into a reverle. Life
was very dull at Loango There was too
much time for thought and too little
to think about. This girl only had the
past and her past was all comprised IN
a few months-the few months still known
at Loango as the Simiacine year. She
had lapsed into a bad habit of thinking
that her life was over, that the daylight
of 1t had waned. and that there was
nothing left now but the gray remainder p, g,
OF the evening. She was wondering now
why At had all conle-why there had
been any daylight at all, Above these
thoughts she wondered why the feeling
was still In her heart that Jack Mere
dlth had not gone out of her life forever
There was no reason why she should ever
meet him again. He was, so far as she
knew, married to Millicent Chyne more
than a year ago, although she had never
seen the announcement Of the wedding,
He had drlfted into Loango and into her
life by the merest accident; and now.
that the slmiacine Plateau had been
finally abandoned, there was no reason
why any of the original finders should
oome 20 Loango again,
And the creepers were pushed aside by
one who knew the method OF their GROWTH.
A silver glory OF moonlight fell on the
verandn floor, and the man Of whom she
was thinking stood before her.
''You!" she exclaimed. ia
yes"
She rose. and they shook hands, They
stood LOOKING at each other for few
moments, and a thousand things that had
never been said seemed to be understood
between them.
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