The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1904-11-10

"a N
war watched the man to whom
she had been engaged six
months before come down the aisle
with the woman who had superseded
her upon his arm.
s year ago she had joyously invested
this man with qualities whose noble
ness existed only in the intensity OF
her own ideals. He had rewarded her
by osing his head under the fattery Of
. pair of shallow blue eyes.
Margaret had stood aloof, almost as
an outsider, and watched the thing
from its very beginning-watched it
with slow death within herself
which was as the hard departure of
youth.
Never by the lifting of hand did
SIC seek to stay what she saw. Then
came the day when Darrell asked to
be released.
She realized with quick glance
into the future that here was all eI-
pericnce which time might not gloss
oNtI- II ielt hti 81 "oihoh VI >iN"A
vision, with no vestige of the inconse-
Quent glamour of girlhOod.
Yes, as she walked from the church,
when the bridal party had dispersed, a
deep thankfuiness filled her heart.
Her life was yet her own. The bitter
ness she had felt was more for the
ru6e tearing away Of the sheltering
visions of girlhood than for any deeper
hurt.
Now" she said. and threw back her
Strong shoulders while she descended
tie church steps as though she would
thus throw off forever this phase OF
her life, new work
And work it was for three years, as
day by day, in her nurses dress, she
trod the ward of hospital. 1t was
also what the pruning of careful
gardener is 10 a vine.
Under it Margaret's somewhat angu-
lar figure grew into graciousness Of
wonanhood seldom seen. Then she
met Paul Gerhardt. and life blossomed
for her with resplendence of joy
which at times held her dumb.
She stood one evening by the bed in
q private room looking down upon the
woman who lay there. The patient
! had just been brought from the Operat-
Ing room and given into Margarets
care.
On the whiteness of the pillow the
fair, damp strands of hair showed
strangely familiar in spite of the
wasted features beneath. Margaret
waited with locked hands for the
heavy eyelids to lift themselves. Then
she looked up suddenly and saw Darrell
il the doorway, and knew.
His anxiety for his wife, if such it
could be called, was swallowed up in
his amazement at Margaret. That the
former was perfunctory the nurse saw
at glance.
and in the eyes of Eleanor Darrell
when the effect of the ether had passed
there burned fearful eagerness.
Even the surprise of finding herself in
the care Of the woman she believed
she had wronged was immersed in 1t.
Margaret saw that what, little
strength her patient had was dissi-
pated in the effort to drag one word of
real concern from her husband, and
followed Darrell from the room.
D2rrei's eyes narrowed to pin points
as he watched her. Suddenly he
caught fold of her apron, crushing
its fine whiteness in his hand.
"Margaret"-his voice was husky
81 see now-what mistake
she looked at him duly. with knit
ting brows. 1t was hard at 4 bound
to bring her mind to this. Then, as
she would have avoided unnecessary
contagion, she drew her apron from
Lis grasp.
Mistake" her eyes pierced the shift
ing ones and held them. Mistake.
Yea did but one wise thing i'll all your
weak. vacillating life. as far as
know, and it was when you married
Eleanor
His eyes writhed under hers, but she
would not release them.
Why" she went on, ''she loves you
IL spite of the fact that she knows
you as you are. To me it seems in
credible, it is incredible. She must
be nearer the divine than We are"
Her look went beyond him to the
door of the sick room. and lie breathed
more freely. Now it came back.
what I knew what He had saved
,ns from how do you suppose 1 thank
Him now, when know what He has
saved me for? Within month l am
to be the wife of Paul Gerhardt."