Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1907-04-26
the VOYAGE. went with Oscard, who
ia out there still after Big game"
CO., IL, A,nrndifh nnIln1

is out there still AFTER Dc gahie'
Sir John Meredith nodded.
81 like that man." he said. "He is
tough. | like tough men. He wrote
me a letter before he went away. IL
was the letter Of one gentleman 10
another. Is he going to ,,pend the rest
of his life after big gaEY:
Jack laughed.
at seems rather like it. lie Is cut
out for that sort Of life. He is too Dig
for narrow streets and cramped
houses"
"And matrimonyT
eyes, and matrlmony."
Sir John was leaning forward in his
chair. his two withered hands clasped
on his knees.
"You know" he said slowly, blink
ing at the fire, che cared for that girl
more than you did, my boy"
"Yes," answered Jack softly.
Sir John looked toward him, but he
said nothing. His attitude was inter
rogatory. There were thousand cues
tons in the turn Of his head; questions
which one gentleman could not ask an
other.
Jack met his gaze. They were still
wonderfully alike, these two men,
though one was in his prime while the
other was infrm. On each face there
was the stamp of long drawn silent
pride. Each was a type of those
naughty conquerors who stepped, mail
clad, on England's shores 500 years
ago. Form and feature, mind and
heart, had been handed down from
father to son, as great types are.
zone may have the right feeling and
bestow it by mistake on the wrong
person." said Jack.
Sir Johns fingers were at his lips.
eyes," he said rather indistinctly,
"while the right person is waiting
for it,"
Jack looked up sharply, US If he
either had not heard or did not under
stand
"While the right person is waiting
for it," repeated Sir John deliberately.
"The right person.
"Jocelyn Gordon" explained Sir John,
sis the right person"
Jack shrugged his shoulders and
leaned back so that the freight did not
shine upon his face. $50 l found out
eighteen months ago." he said, when
it was too late"
'There Is no such thing as too late
| for that" said Sir John in his great
wisdom. "Evcn if you were both quite
old it would not be too late. have
known it longer than you. | found it
out two years ago."
Jack looked across the room into the
keen, worldly wise old face.
"HowW he inquired.
'From her. 1 found it out the mo-
ment she mentioned your name. ICON
Quoted the conversation in such man
ner that she had frequently to say it.,
and whenever your name crossed her
lips she gave herself away"
Jack shook his head with an incredu-
lous smile.
Moreover" continued Sir John, 81
maintain 1t is not too late"
There followed silence. Both men
seemed to be wrapped in thought, the
same thoughts with a difference OF
forty years of life in the method Of
thinking them.
81 could not go to her with lame
story like that" said Jack. 81 told her
all about AIillicent."
at is Just a lame story like that that
women understand" answered Sir
John. "When was younger l thought
as you do. / thought that man must
needs bring q clean slate to the woman
he asks to be his wife. 1t is only his
hands that must be clean. Women see
deeper into these mistakes Of ours than
we do. They see the good OF them
where we only see the wound to our
vanity. Sometimes one would almost
be inclined to think that they prefer a
few mistakes In the past because it
makes the present surer. Their ro-
| nance is different thing from ours. 1t
| is better thing, deeper and less selfish.
They can wipe the slate clean and
never look at it again. And the best of
them rather like the task"
Jack made no reply. Sir John Mere
dith's chin was resting on his vast
necktie. He was looking with failing
eyes into the fire. He spoke like one
who was sure Of himself-confdent in
his slowly accumulated store of that
knowledge which is not written in
books.
evil you eblige me?" he asked.
Jack moved in his chair, but he made
no answer. Sir John did not indeed
expect it, He knew his son too well.
"Will you," he continued, ego out
to Africa and take your lame story to
Jocelyn-just as it Isl?
IT, 10 Confipuad