"You're the
bravest and best man I have ever met," she told him, "but I don't love
you."
"I should be glad to wait," said the poor Captain, "until you could
find something in me to like."
"I find a great deal to like," she said, "but it wouldn't be fair to
give you anything less than love."
"At least you'll let me have your friendship--to take back with me."
She looked at him, startled. "Oh, you are going back?"
"I may get my orders any day. There are things I can be doing over
there."
Some day she was to see him "over there," to see him against a
background of fire and flame and smoke, to see him transfigured by
heroism, and she was to remember then with an aching heart this moment
when he had told her that he loved her.
It was dark when Derry brought Jean home. There had been a sunset and
an afterglow, and a twilight, and an evening star to ravish them as
they rode, to say nothing of the moon--they came to the Doctor's door
quite dizzy with the joy of it.
Derry was loath to leave. "Can't we all go to a play tonight?" he
asked Jean's father. "You and Miss Bridges and the two of us?"
"Certainly not.
Pages:
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182