Louis Joseph Vance

“ It drew on toward the end of the afternoon—an hour when all Tangiers lay seething in the fierce, oblique rays of a westering sun. Few but natives would be abroad at such an hour; the foreign residents would keep to the hotels until the cool of evening. Clifford, off his guard, came stumbling out of a narrow, reeking alleyway, into the main thoroughfare of Tangiers, and all but ran into a little group of tourists—a glare of white garments, immaculate against the purple-shadowed façade of a Moorish junk bazaar. ”

“ But—perhaps intentionally—she failed to mention them; and finally he had to ask, with an embarrassed and apologetic laugh:
"And—and Archer and Evelyn Taylor? They're married long since, I suppose?"
"No," she began slowly.
"Not married?"
"No. I didn't mention it, Tommy, because——"
"I understand—and thank you. But—not married! I must know, Miriam."
"Will Archer," she said after a pause, "is dead."
Clifford's cigarette fell whirling to the garden below the veranda.
"Dead!" he whispered incredulously. "Dead!" He drew a long breath; there seemed to be a haze before his eyes. ”

“ The girl rose with a little low cry, and for an instant her soul was in her eyes as she faced him. Then the radiance died, and she looked very weary and worn; but Clifford did not notice it.
"Then I'll go!" he cried. "I'll go! Miriam, Miriam, I don't know how to thank you! I'm off in the morning by that mail steamer. Home! You won't mind my hurrying off to pack, will you? She sails at sunrise—and just think, in ten days I'll see Evelyn——"
"No," she said softly, "I don't mind. Hurry—hurry!" She . smiled bravely into his face for an instant, then drew away her hands. "Good-night," she said. ”