The Storyteller THE DERELICTS

New Zealand Tablet, 1 November 1906, Page 3

The Storyteller

THE DERELICTS

Dr. Ogden Moore leaned back" in his official chair and let^ his clear gray eyes rest critically'- upon "- the rows of pathetic faces * before him. - . The clinical hour was almost up, the day sweltering hot, and the patients, victims for the most -part of the - persistent sultriness and the lack s of that potent " itherapeutic agent, a little brightness in their dreary_ lives, must soon make their way through' the ~~ furnace-like - streets to the suffocating kennels where they had their wretched beings. "- -!'• His eye picked out several of his old. ' chronics ' — a -little broken-down ex-officer ofc the \ French army; a pretty.' woman of not more than twertty-two, -who gave her name as 'Mrs. Morel I,'. and who was recovering from a father- suspicious case of gas poisoning'; two little shopgirls, ' with pale, pathetically cheerful _ faces ; a tough old adventurer and gold-seeker racked from dissipation; a- poor but handsome student, with a ' pleasant voice and- wonderfuL.eyes. r lhe fine brow of the doctor. corrugated.' - Personally, he was in stiiking contrast -to his patients : strong, handsome, elegant, a product of * the .best in the land. Immaculate, from the top of his aristocratic head to the, tip of his polished boot, he seemed as .impregnable to the "assault' of vulgar germs as might a crystal. globe. • - „-..' A thought flashed through his alert mind, was dismissed with a frown, crawled back, then was gathered up and put in action. 1 The following patients will please remain.' His voice was as cool as the whirr of the fan -above his head. He called a dozen names; the other trooped out.' • 1 I have asked you- to remain,' he said, ' because I • feel that~ you all need a little" outing .to , assist ' niytreatment, and" I wish to ask you if: you -\vill be my-guests-to-morrow en a trip down the.. Sound.*" - There <.was an astonished silence. . ' -"I *- ~- 1 I should like to have you meet jne to-morrow at eight o'clock on ' the pier at the; footc of East Twentysixth street. I will make ail the arrangements^ an* iff" any of you wish to bring a member of- your \fahiilyi _or some friend I shall be glad to have y6u~do-so. "To-morrow is Sunday, you know.' „ There was' a pause, then the little Frenchman, M. • j Lajoux, stepped forward with a - bow. • " . " ' Mr-le Docteur honors us. Me, it- will give -me great ' pleasure to accept the invitation.' , " 1 Good,' replied Ogden heartily. J Mlow about the rest of ,you ? j\ve will have the boat all to Ourselves ' -The astonished patients having by "that time recovered, there was aya v unanimous acceptance. ' That's first-raie,' said Ogden. ' I'll look for you all to-morrow morning., Mind you don't disappoint me. Its a part of your treatment, you rinow,' he added with a kindly smile. The Japanese lanterns that fringed the verandah of the club house at Sachem Harbor were burning a pale yellow in the white blaze of a great mid-summer moon. In the intermissions_of the dances there -were wafted across the still -water the tinklings of mandolin and guitar, musical laughter and deeper' voices, mellowed by the amplitude of space, from the fleet of little yachts at anchor in the basin.-' ' Miss Gladys Harte rested her round elbows on the rail of the rustic summer-house on the point of rocks and gazed long and thoughtfully at the great moon whose counsels are so fraught with danger.--'That is right, ' observed Dr. Moore, wb 0 was standing at her shoulder. ' Look^at the-" moon 1 ' ' Why ? ' she demanded, glancing around" at him with a defiance out of keeping with the glamor of the night. " . ' Because the moon is the best ally- a" man can have in a case like this.' ' I have heard that H is supposed to be the cause of insanity,' she replied saucily ; « but I suppolfed that your specialty was diseases of the heart.' - ; ' Then I fear that- my time has been wasted ' he replied mournfully. ' Look at the moon Some more please ; quick— before it gets behind that cloud ' ' ' She shivered slightly and drew the cashmere scarf about her bare neck and shoulders. The moon had vanished and a pale shadow enveloped them, -but he could see that she was regarding him seriously - ' ThaV is the trouble, Ogden,' she replied ; ' there is always a cloud in the background. I must look quickly—before the shadow falls.' She turned' from him until he could see only the contour of brow and ehppk and firm little chin. ' But that is natural, dear 'he began.