The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1904-03-02
MRGARETHE

had supercedether upon his arm.
A year ago he had jealousy invested
this man witfuualities whose nobleness
existed only iIthe intensity of her OWE
ideals. He ha rewarded her by losing
his head unde the fiattery of a pair OF
shallow blue des.
Margaret ha stood aloof. almost as an
outsider, and atched the thing from its
very beginnin+watched it with slow
death within erseIf which was as the
hard departursof youth.
Never by th.lifting of a hand did she
seek TO STAY hat she saw. Then came
the day when arrel asked to be released.
She realizedwith a quick glance in:n
the future tn. here was an experience
which time mht not gloss over. 1t lett
her d womarof clear vision, with no
vestige of tn inconsequent glamour Of
girlhood
Yet, as shewalked from the church.
when the brhl party had dispersed, a
deep thankfuess filed her heart. Her
life was yet II own. The bitterness she
had felt wasnore for the rude tearing
away Of the STEERING visions of girlhood
than for anydeeper hurt.
Now" shesaid, and threw back her
strong shoulds while she descended the
church stepsis though she would thus
throw off fo8er this phase of her life,
new work
And work was for three years, as
day by day. iher nurses dress, she trod
the ward of hospital 1t was also what
the pruning la careful gardener is to d
vine.
Under it afsaTets somewhat angular
figure grew f. a greciousness of wom-
anhood seldoi seen. Then she met Paul
Gerhardt, anaifeb lossomed for her with
a resplendendof JOY which at times held
her dumb
She stood e. evening by the bed in
private room oking down upon the wom-
an who lay lere. The patient had just
been brough. from the operating room
and given I'M Margaret's care.
on the Witness of the pillow and fair,
damp strand of hair showed strangely
familiar mite of the wasted features
beneath Mfgaret waited with locked
hands for ii heavy eyelids to life them
selves, Thershe looked up suddenly and
saw Darrell 1 the doorway and knew.
His anxief for his wife if such it
could be ca Cd. was swallowed up in his
amazement t Margaret. That the former
was perfuntory the nurse saw at
glance
And in tls eyes of Eleanor Darrell
when the sct of the ether had passed
there burrt a fearful eagerness. Even
the surprise IL finding herself in the care
of the woian she believed she had
wornged wa3immersed in it.
Margaret ! W that what little strength
her patient had was dissipated in the ef-
fort to drag one word Of real concern
from her II ehand, and followed Darrell
from the room.
barrels e!es narrowed to pin points
as he watcn I'll her. Suddenly he caught
4 fold of er apron. crushing its fine
y Wilderness ; d his hand.
"MargareJ1-his voice was iuslly-'I
zee now-Wlrit a mistake"
She looked at him duly. with knitting
1rows. vt was hard at a bound to bring
her mind o this Then. as she would
have avoided unnecessary contaeion, she
1rew her apron from his grasp.
Mistake" her eyes pierced the shift
ng ones sad held them. Mistake! You
lid but on wise thing in all your weak
yaciIating life, as far as ! know, and it
was when gu married Eleanor
His eyes writhed with hers, but she
would not release them.
why" he went on. "she loves you
IN spite of the fact that she knows YOU
rs YOU ar. To me it seems incredible.
It is incretable. She must be nearer the
divine thar we are"
Her look went beyond him to the door
Of the siclroom. and he breathed more
freely. N,gy-it came back
When J knew what he had saved me
rom bow do you suppose 1 thank him
now. when ] know what he has saved
ne for? Within a month l am to be the
wife Of Paul Gerhardt."
The great oculist's name was familiar
enough for Darrell. 1t was a pity that
Ierhardt himself. bending at that mo-
neut over pair Of sishtless eyes. could
rot have lifted his head and looked into
hose Of the woman he loved.
The man who did look into them Won
ltttA II. Il lti an rsatl III st'-Nh va -'AiA'
,aret's beauty. he has not had narrow
escape. nervousness was the one thing
n life to he avoided. His thoughts turned
@ his wifi with a sense Of relief
Henry The nurse conquered her
aversion enough TO touch his arm. Ever
,ince the operation your wife has yearned
-hungered for some sig nthat you really
'ared."
His weak under lip protruded itself sui
emily. It was the look which his wife
Knew hes on his face. To Margaret it
vas revealngly new.
Go in now" she said. quietly. and
live her What she has been craving for.
He shifted from one foot 20 the other
n hesitating uncertainty. Then. as it was
lIways easier for him 10 yield than 10 re-
DIST. he moved slowly back along the cor
fdor
His wife's eyes went quickly from one
ace TO the other as they re-entered the
Dom. Darrell took chair beside her.
You must hurry up and set well. he
aid. awkwardly. patting the white hand
which lay on the counterpane-
She scarcely seemed to breathe while
he waited her eyes fixed on his face
Still he hcsitated. feeling Marsavet's com
,elling eyes upon him.
The house-does ont seem-like home
without you-little girl"
The very utterance of the words moved
lin. for Darrell was easily moved emo
ionauy.
Slowly. N faint waves. the color rose
o Eleanor Darrers temples. seeming %
orce the moisture into her ewes as it
,ame. Margaret thought involuntariiy
II parched ground when healing rain
lad fallen upon il
The wife's fingers were clmging like