The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-02-17

side my head when he took that tumor
ampton he was in a fever to see Mar
garet once more, and fight the struggle
out with her.
Perhaps the sight of her, the touch of
her hands, of her lips, would put him
right again. But If not, if these doubts
still assailed him, why he must frankly
tell her so.
After all, the change which he feared
had taken place in him might be imagin-
airy.
He had gone through a good deal dur
! ing these last few months, and the ex.
| element of a campaign pushed forward
at express speed, in order to strike
| final and decisive blow, had no doubt
contributed in some measure toward un-
! Ringing him.
| When he alighted at Waterloo he had
! almost persuaded himself that his doubts
and fears were nothing more substantial
than the unwelcome memories of a bad
dream, and when he found himself in the
| train once more on the way to the
Moors he was within an ace of being
| his old, light-hearted self again.
He had telegraphed the time Of his ar
rival, and at the little wayside station
he found Margaret awaiting him, and
with dull sense Of pain he realized that
dream, for he saw in Margarets eyes
| that she detected 1t even while greeting
| him.
AS he took his seat beside her in the
| phaeton he found himself asking, almost
mechanically, how she had passed the
time, how Gen. Orme was, and dozen
| commonplace questions, her replies to
| which were scarcely needed.
He saw her glance at him again and
again with pain and wonder in her eyes,
until at last 1t seemed that she could bear
it no longer.
Dearest she said very tenderly,
what is the matter? You are not your
self What is it?"
"Oh, my darling girl" he groaned, 81
don't know 1 would give ten years OF
my life to know what it is. I am only
conscious that since that operation some
subtle change has been in progress with
In me- There are two souls at war. To
one. you are as dear as you ever were
nay, infinitely dearer. To the other, you
are indifferent One soul loves you still;
the other soul does not know you as my
Margaret at all, as my betrothed, and,
heaven help me, Margaret, but between
the two I think am going mad!''
''My poor boy! said Margaret you
want rest and quiet. We VIII put off our
you shall stay at the manor and I will
nurse you back to health and strength
again"
He shook his head gloomiy. and they
spoke no more OF these intimate con-
Germs.
The general was delighted to welcome
his daughters lover home again, and
express no wonderment when Margaret
told him that Gilbert was feeling the eff
fects of the campaign, and that the we'd
ding would therefore be postponed
The next two or three days passed
quietly and uneventfully; save for Mar
garets unfailing tenderness, they would
have passed for Gilbert very sadly, for
as the hours went by he became mourn
fully conscious that the joy of being
with the woman he had so fondly loved
was growing less and less.
He woke late on the Sunday morning,
and the sunlight streaming through his
window gave him strange but blissful
sense Of rest and peace.
was chasing away the gloomy shadows
from his brain and exercising the phan-
toms which had haunted him for so long.
The church bells rang out hopefully on
the morning air, and gave a joyous note
to his musings.
"All clear, all clear!" he murmured
my sweet sweet Margaret!
''It was a magnificent operation, Sir
James," said DR.. Dale, looking at ms
watch; Gust two minutes and quarter
from first to last"
Rather smart. think, Dale" sad Sir
James. well. nurse. how is her.
'IIe is dead, sir" said the nurse.