The Portland daily press., 1900-04-20

take cars OF MN " fose hAAs W W MAJ
~ him."
The nurse spoke with low and pas
sionate tremor. The other toyed with the
end OF the rope, nor raised her eyes
while she spoke In wooden tones.
ut il all odd, unreal, but Il does not
occur. to me to doubt you. Strange
though you are, am sure you are hon
est. He loves you. He will marry you.
As for me. what shall dot" she ended
In a whispered sob to the sea, but the
waters were busy with their endless
striving, and q screaming eagle Knocked
them both.
The nurse came softly and sat beside
her. "You have left all for him, and so
have /, and now we have both lost him.
We have only each other"
Thank you," said the newcomer SIM
ply. But II Is only l who need suffer.
only I who am to blame. l should not
have come But / thought he would
want me-would need me-" and there
was q pitiful note OF extenuation In her
voice as she rose and paced the deck,
''but see now that l was wrong, for this
IL the end"
"But you love himr
"Spare me! He loves you"
The nurse went to her and took her
hand. How do know that he loves
mel know that he sent for me; that he
asked me to be his wife; to 60 to the
lands of gold with him. promised, be-
lieving him free, believing that i was
dear to him as Is the half Of life to me.
But now, ali, he may-nay, he ought still
love you, and
"Iet us see," the other interrupted,
and, the nurse following, she led the way
nor paused until they stood again at the
door OF the sick mans room. 1--WE viii
20 In together, and then She said no
more, for at that moment mans voice
was heard, high, querulous: Margaret!
Margaretw
Both women entered. The nurse adj
vanced.
"Yes; am here. Do You want any
thing?"
"Only you stay with me, dearest" His
voice quavered, but with tender cadence.
His eyes were glazed with delirium. She
brought him q glass of water and slipped
her arm under his head that he might
drink His eyes roved restlessly about the
room. They alighted on the still, gray
clad figure by the door. His teeth clatter-
ed against the goblet. The water dripped
from his nerveless lips. Pointing with one
bony hand, he said hoarsely: "Who Ia 1t,
Margaret? Look therei Who Is itr The
figure sank into chair out Of his sight,
and the sufferer fell back on his pillow
with moan of relief-'"rhank GodW
That night he raved with fever, and
neither woman left his bedside. "Marga-
ret" he would gasp, send her away II
she comes again" Then to the other: Il
don't know you, but you look like ghost.
When you meet that other one. her ghost,
tell her--when / heard she-was dead
was sad. Then l was sick and Margaret
came. and-was l sad still, Margaretr'
Eyes, very much grieved, DEAR"
"Of course l did not want her to die,
for l loved her once. but now-ah, now
love you, don't I, Margaretp And he
held both her hands and cried over them
like a tired child. And Margaret wept,
too, but the ghost only grew whittier and
slipped out and up to the deck. Low
hung and wan the moon cleaned sickly
through a window sheet up at her with
dry, wide open eyes. "You brave old
thing.- the woman said. "Your heart is
dead and yet you smile and shine. Well.
so shall r.
In a day or two his fever was broken.
You do not need my help now" she said
20 Margaret. He is out of danger. He
will soon be well. and you will be happy"
Then she made her eyes shine and her
lips smile And when-some time-let
him know he was mistaken. | did not
die. But do not tell him yet. The ghost
must trouble him no more"
At Sitka, on the site Of old Baranoff
castle, there is high knoll overlooking
the sea. One evening at sunset woman
stood there and watched small boat put
out from shore. 1t was the Dora, bound
for Cooks inlet. On the forward deck
stood two figures. The man seemed lean
ing. as if for support, upon the shoulder
of the woman in nurses garb. Both
faced the sun, copper globe on the hori-
zon. Before them, all the western sea
and sky a glowing caldron; behind. the
dim mountains. the darkening east, and
the lonely watcher on the castle hill.
When the boat was a mere speck and the
sun down, she turned to go. The bell
from the convent called to prayer, the