The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-03-21
As DEATH DREW NEAR.

couch, what is the verdict2'
Frankly"
you know Of old; I can bear ii. whatever
it IS. Is 1.-THE Beyond?n
Why, no Inderwick, 1 trust not; ]
/ trust not. But Sir James agrees with
me that only an operation on the brain
can save your reason. perhaps your
life
And you doubt If it viii do either?
Come, Dale, old fellow, be honest with
me-
My dear Gilbert, the fact is I don't
think there is more than about one
chance in a thousand that you'll pull
through. MACPHERSON says the ODDS are
a great deal more in your favor; but
you know what Sir James is"
I see, said Captain Inderwick; his
| optimism is bred OF the opportunity of
| demonstrating his skill. Wen, suppose
We abandon the operation, what them"
Gilbert, old chap" said Dale. the one
| circumstance in your case about which
| there is no doubt whatever is that II the
! tumOr is not removed nothing on earth
| can possibly save your reason
And If it is removed 7 have about
one chance in thousand Of surviving
it,"
Yes. I may be wrong and Mac may
! be right. but you asked me for my frank
and honest opinion, and We given il"
Thanks old man. That's what want
ed"
Invalided home from the war before It
! had well begun, by reason of this con-
/ founded tumor or whatever it was, which
/ mad suddenly manifested Itself in his
( brain; cheated out OF the glory he might
! have won during the campaign, and
/ cheated, too, perhaps, out of the great
/ joy Of his life, his union with Margaret
| Orme, which if all went well was TO have
! taken place in the early summer. or, at
/ any rate, as soon as possible after the
/ trouble in South Africa was over.
Better be dead than mad-what? Much
| better; much better; much better. Mar
garet would sorrow over him dead; mad,
| ne would be a haunting nightmare to
! her
When can it be done, DaIe?" he said.
You have decided, then, Gilbert?
"Oh, yes, there's nothing else for It..
1T could be done on Friday; but you
would nave to come up > the hospital
for it.
aen. old chap, arrange it for me. will
your
He shook hands with Dale just before
the chloroform was administered, and
Dale was moved to say. Good. old chapi
Not tremor, upon my wordr
wen, I'm in good hands," said In
berwick 'and hoping for the best. and
after ali a man con only die once, wheth-
er it's by Boer bullet or surgeon s
knife, Ell? If it is to be hte Beyond, wei,
good-by old fellow, and God bless you.
Tell Margaret that her name was the last
word on my lipsp'
Then Oblivion, and the trepanning saw.
Sir James Mcpherson did not belle his
great reputation. He had located the
situation of the tumor with marvellous
precision, and he extracted it with the
deftness Of a magician.
Serious though the operation was, Gill
bert, somewhat to his surprise, suffered
no inconvenience from it nor was the
process Of recovery either long or tedi-
Gus.
He had but one thought in his mind,
and that was to get back to South Africa
before the fighting was over, and this
idea took such firm possession Of him
that the sense Of time left him. and when
Dale pronounced him out of danger it
seemed to him that the operation had
taken place no longer ago than the day
before.
He had no difficulty in persuading Dale
to get him certified as fit for duty; or In
obtaining permission from the war Office
to rejoin his regiment at the 'front.'
He found himself in good, company on
board the Tantallon Castle, for troops
We're still being sent out to Africa, and
among the officers on board were sew
eral old friends, all of them in high
spirits at the prospect of active service
after a long spell OF idleness at home.
AS it turned out it was very active ser
vice indeed, and Gilbert had many on
portunities Of distinguishing himself.
With the capitulatiOn of Pretoria, how
ever, the campaign came to an end, and
his regiment was one Of the first to come
home again.
It was with a light heart Gilbert told
himself. that he was setting out on the
voyage home. for he was down for the
Victoria Cross. as well as for promotion,
and Margaret had written out to say that
she was so proud of him that she was
willing to let their marriage take place
Immediately after his return.
But was he, after all, as happy as no
should be?
Within a few days Of his arrival the
dream Of all his later life would become
reality; yet as he told himself that this
was so he was conscious that there was
no enthusiasm, no responsive throb in his
heart. and before the voyage was over
he realized with a sense Of dumb misery
that the thought Of Margaret no longer
had the power to stir him as Of old
what on earth is the matter with
me?' he asked himself. Il seem to be
able to watch this struggle between two
of my inner selves just as one does in
dreams sometimes, when the Eye seems
TO detach itself and become irnpersonal.
I wonder what old MACPHERSON put in
side my head when he took that tumor
OUT Upon my word, I believe I'm going
mad, after alli"
By the time the Iivadia reached South
ampton he was in a fever to see Marga-
ret once more and fight the struggle out
with her.
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
ught-hearted self @ gain
He had telegraphed the time Of his ar
rival. and at the little wayside station he
found Margaret awaiting him and with
dun sense Of pain he realized that the
change in him was. after all, no dream.
for he saw in -,aargarets eyes that she
detected il even while greeting him.
He saw her glance at him again and
again with pain and wonder IN her eyes
until at last it seemed that she could
bear 1t no logger.
Dearest" She said. very tenderly.
what IS the matter? You are not your
self. What IS it?"
ON. my darling girl" he groaned. II
don't know I would give ten years Of
n1y life TO know what Il 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 sou
are Indifferent. One soul loves sou still:
the other soul does not know v0n as nay
Margaret ri ALL as nv betrothed. ard. /
heaven help ne Margaret. but between
the two think an going mad
sly poor boy said Margaret 'you
want resi- ard quiet. we VIII put or Cur