The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-03-26

low" said Douglas, quickly. looking down
plty1ngly on his cousin. 81 hope you are no
very bad"
Bad enough. This COMPOUNDED nalarial
fever keeps on coming back. 1t would no
matter; only, the doctors say my heart is af
fected, and NAY give way under the strain.
oh, don't talk like that doctors otter
make a mistake said Douglas warmly, bu
the sick man was not looking at him, but a.
Cora, who was gazing at him with strange.
ly fascinated gaze.
But it would be a good thing for yor
and Cora if they were right, wouldn't it?'
said EVAN, with savage sheer in his voice
You would come in for most of the property
you know, my good Douglas
Come, Evan; you know that is the last
thing in my thoughts" said Douglass, hur
ring in his voice. Hang it all man! 1 an
not ghoul and Cora and I are quite con-
tent with prospects, aren't we, darlng?'
"Oh, quite
She lnvoluntarily moved a little nearer
Douglas, under the look of those dark eyes
"Oh! remember you were never fatterine
to me- said Evan, with an unmirthfu
laugh. you preferred Douglas with all his
drawbacks. Well, WELL that is all past now
A sick man forgets the follies he perpetrated
when he was strong, and L did not send fol
you to reproach you, but to ask you to bury
the past, and to only think of me as a we'll
wishing friend. 1 hear the wedding day is
fixed; but, as things go now, 1 may not be
alive then, and so l thought, Douglas, that
you would not have any objection to my pre-
senting Cora a wedding present a little il
advance"
The dark eyes were fixed on them with
something almost like anxiety in their
depths, but Douglas never saw It as he ans
wered, greatly touched
"Of course not, my dear old fellow 1t is
aWfully good of you to think of it, but hope
you will not only be alive at our wedding
but at your own, one of these days.
Evans lips parted slightly in a smile.
T Of fayx
but those I hold to very firmly. You have
no need to be jealous when 1 say that there
never was and never will be but one woman
in the world for me-
He was feeling feebly under his pillows as
he spoke, and now drew out queer Oriental
looking bag Of soft leather, worked with en-
broideries in crimson and gold.
It's queer looking jewel-case. isn't it?'
he said, looking up at Cora. But out where
| got this they don't go in for morocco boxes
lined with velvet. But, perhaps, the contents
are not the less valuable. Here, Cora, tell
me what you think Of this
He put his fingers in the bag and drew out
a necklace, made Of green stones, cut in small
obiongs, and set in gold rudely beaten and
chased.
why, whatever are those stones?" quered
Douglas, looking over Coras shoulder with
interest. "They can't be emeralds that size -
ON, yes! they are: but of course they are
not SO valuable as properly cut, and polished
stones of that size would be- said EVAN. 1T
is rather quaint than valuable, but it took my
fancy and l thought I should like Cora to
have 1t as remembrance of me. I picked it
up ever so far up in the Himalayas. and I
brought it home on purpose for you, Cora. Do
you care for it, little grip
Il think it is lovely, and it is very very
good of you to have thought of me in this
way, said Cora, slowly, looking from the
dull-green stones to the pale, eager face
above them.
There was the most unreasonable reluct-
ance in her mind to accepting the gift, though
she blamed herself greatly for the want of
generosity in the matter
Perhaps Evan read her thoughts, for he
went on
You cannot guess how much have want
ed you to have this. 1 know that. when we
parted, was very unreasonable man. and
in my pain, said a lot Of things I had no right
to say at all; but Cora, will you not forgiye
me for that madness now?"
"Oh, Of course 1 will" said the girl swift
ly, her vague, unformulated misgivings s,id-
denly melting away. and warm contrition
following.
"And so, you will take this from me. and in
days to come you will look on this as the
sign of our reconciliation, will Won not?''
He had caught her hand and held il in his
own round the necklace, almost as if if were
the symbol on which they were swearing
faith.
Yes. I WILL said Cora, simply. and then