The record-union., 1897-12-25
For to. day. dear old girl, goodby.
Yours affectionately. WALLACE"

For TO. day. dear old girl. goodby.
February 18th
My Dear Margaret: Fred has just
returned, and need not tell you I am
delighted with everything he has told
me about home. with the exception Of
your account OF yourself. OF course
questioned him very closely about you,
but he was very reticent about answer
ing me. At last / felt confident that
all was not well, and insisted that he
should answer me Straightforwardly
He said, of course, that you had con-
suited him professionally, and that II
would be a breach of confidence for
HIM 10 reveal what had been told him
conhdentially; but, after much discus
sion and trouble, have found out this
much-that you are very much out OF
health, and have been advised to lay
aside all work for awhile. so as to try
to pe ready TO do your duty as matron
OF st. Agnes Hospital. All this has
made me SO uneasy that / have made
arrangements TO take holiday for a
week or two and survey things myself
1 must have a talk with you about
many things now, and then, when l
am settled down permanently near you
once more, l shall keep my eye on you
and see that you keep yourself in
check. Dick says you have grown
much worse during the last few weeks.
But l will write no more, as I shall
follow this letter in a few days AS
ever, WAIL.ACE."
A dreary, cold February day found
me once more on my homeward way. /
was filled with impatience to reach my
journeys end-an unaccountable feel
ing, half-longing and half dread, had
taken possession of me. making me
both restless and impatient. / tried
to read, but found that impossible; all
KINDS of dismal and depressing thoughts
would drive all other impressions from
my mind The miserable sensation
as of impending disaster had laid it's
hand upon me, and refused absolutely
to be thrown off. But not being ac-
customed to much personal trouble, I
did not think seriously of this depres-
sion as a foreshadowing of evil, and
after laying all the blame on the shoul-
ders Of the weather man, I gave my
self up to settling myself for as COM
Portable nights rest as one can expect
on sleeping-car.
In due time my own little village was
reached, and / lost no time in getting
TO the dear ones / was so impatient to
see. In going to my mothers home, l
was obliged to pass the new st. Agnes
Hospital. The grounds still looked
very familiar. Even the old bench un-
der the apple tree where Margaret and
L spent our last hour together nearly
four years ago was still there. but the
house was a good deal enlarged and al
tered. / knew that the building was
not yet opened formally, and the only
part occupied was by Margaret's own
private apartments. 1t was with diff
Guilty that l resisted the temptation to
rush at once to my dear old friend,
but it was still quite early, and l
thought it best to leave her undis-
turbed for a few hours So I made
my other calls first-mother, Dick, and
Margaret-these were the ones whom /
had hurried home to see.
Things had changed good deal even
IN this quiet place, but still most things
seemed very natural, and I could al
most imagine myself little boy again.
l learned that the matron of st. Agnes
saw no visitors until after II O'clock
so it was not until five minutes past
noon that Dick and I wandered back
to the village, Ashamed as l am to
have to confess it, it was with a tremb-
ling hand / touched the bell. 1t was
answered by a very neat maid, who
told me that Miss Hazeltine was en-
gagged at present, but would see me
shortly. AS we were sitting in the
waiting-room, we could see her passing
to and fro, speaking to this person
then to that, but never still long enough
to give me opportunity to study her
face. I could, however, recognize the
same graceful movements as of old
She was a little thinner, which seemed
to add somewhat to her hight, and the
look like some angelic spirit moving
through the halls.
AT last our turn came-we had not
sent in our names, so she had come to
greet us as she would have met any
of her other visitors. AS she walked
along the long hall I had every oppor-
tunity of noting any change in her out
ward appearance. She walked per-
fectly unconscious of the fact that her
every movement was being watched.
But how beautiful she looked, She
had changed she was more delicate
looking than she had ever been. but at
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