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-
| ary
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 a
final and decisive blow, had no doubt
! contributed in some measure toward I'M
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
the change in him was after alp no
dream, for he saw in Margaret's eyes
NONNOSSA
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! I 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 I am going mad!''
my poor boy?' said Margaret, you
want rest and quiet. We VIII put off our
Observation-Disclosures If you wish, and
YOU shall stay at the manor and I Will
nurse you back to health and strength
again.
He shook his head gloomily, 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
garet's 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 a strange but blissful
sense of rest and peace.
It seemed to him that that strong light
was chasing away the gloomy shadows
from his brain and exercising the pllan-
toms which had haunted him for 50 long.
The church bells rang out hopefully on
the morning air, and gave joyous note
to his musings.
"All clear, all clear! he murmured
my sweet, sweet Margaret"
at was a magnificent operation. Sir
James," said DR.. Dale, looking at his
watch; "just two minutes and a quarter
from first to last"
"Rather smart, I think. Dale" sad Sir
James. well, nurse, how is her"
''Tfe is dead, sir" said the nurse.