Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1902-08-16

surgeons knife, Ell? If 1t is to be the
| Beyond, well, goodby, old fellow, and
God bless you. Tell Margaret that
her name was the last word on my
| lips!'
Then oblivion, and the trepanning
saw.
Sir James Macpherson did not belle
his great reputation. He had located
the situation of the tumor with mar
velous precision, and he extracted it
| with the deftness of magician.
Serious though the operation was,
Gilbert, somewhat to his surprise,
suffered no inconvenience from it nor
was the process of recovery either
long or tedious.
He had put 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 posses
him, and when Dale pronounced him
out of danger it seemed to him that
the operation had taken place no long
er ago that 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 start at once for the
Cape in order to rejoin his regiment
at the front
He found himself in good company
on board the 1antalion Castle, for
troops were still being sent out to
Africa, and among the officers on
board we're several old friends, all of
them in high spirits at the prospect
of active service after long spell of
idleness at home.
AS it turned out it was very ac-
tive service indeed, and Gilbert had
many opportunities of distinguishing
himself
With the capitulation OF Pretoria,
however, the campaign came to an
end, and his regiment was one of the
first to come home again.
1t 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
he should be?
1t was with many searchings of the
heart that Gilbert asked himself that
question on the way home.
Within d few days of his arrival The
dream of his later life would become
reality; yet as he told himself that
this was so he was conscious that
there was no enthusiasm, no respon-
sive throb in his heart, and before the
voyage was over he realized with q
sense of dumb misery that the thought
of Margaret no longer had the power
to stir him as of old, could no longer
rouse within him the fire which al
ways hitherto the very breathing of
her name had llindled.
What was it, what was the matter
with him? he asked himself a hundred
times day.
He had seen no other woman since
he and his promised wife had parted
less than three months before, had
dreamt of no other woman in that
tender relation toward him save Mar
garet; yet over her fair face heart
and intellect were at war within him.
Intellect still loved her, called her
by every endearing name, dwelt on the
soft music of her voice, recalled each
tone and look, and saw again the
lovelight in her sweet gray eyes.
Heart was cold and skeptical and
unmoved by any of these imaginative
raptures.
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 be-
come impersonal. l wonder what old
Macpherson put inside my head when
he took that tumor out! Upon my
word, I believe I'm going mad after
ALL"
| BY the time the Livada reached
Southampton he was in fever to see
Margaret 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 imaginary.
He had gone through a good deal
during these last few months, and the
excitement of a campaign pushed for
ward at express speed, in order to
strike final and decisive blow had
no doubt contributed in some measure
toward unhinging him.
When he alighted at Waterloo ne
had almost persuaded himself that his
doubts and fears were nothing more
substantial than the unwelcome mem
cries of a bad dream, and when ne
found himself in the train once more
on the way to the Moors he was within
an ace of being his old light-hearted