第1章

Shelovedhimso，thatwhenhewentawaytoalittlewarinwhichhiscountrywasinterestedshecouldnotunderstand，norquiteforgive。

Asthecorrespondentofanewspaper，Chestertonhadlookedonatotherwars；whentheyellowracesmet，whentheinfidelTurkspankedtheChristianGreek；andonehehadwatchedfrominsideaBritishsquare，wherehewasgreatlyalarmedlestheshouldbetrampleduponbyterrifiedcamels。Thishadhappenedbeforeheandshehadmet。Aftertheymet，shetoldhimthatwhatchanceshehadchosentotakebeforehecameintoherlifefelloutsideofherjurisdiction。Butnowthathislifebelongedtoher，thistalkofhisstandinguptobeshotatwaswicked。Itwasworsethanwicked；itwasabsurd。

WhentheMainesankinHavanaharborandtheword"war"wasappearinghourlyinhystericalextras，MissArmitageexplainedherposition。

"Youmustn"tthink，"shesaid，"thatIamoneofthosesillygirlswhowouldbegyounottogotowar。"

Atthemomentofspeakinghercheekhappenedtoberestingagainsthis，andhisarmwasabouther，sohehumblybenthisheadandkissedher，andwhisperedveryproudlyandsoftly，"No，dearest。"

Atwhichshewithdrewfromhimfrowning。

"No！I"mnotabitlikethosegirls，"sheproclaimed。"ImerelytellyouYOUCAN"TGO！Mygracious！"shecried，helplessly。Sheknewthewordsfellshortofexpressingherdistress，buthereducationhadnotsuppliedherwithexclamationsofgreaterviolence。

"Mygoodness！"shecried。"Howcanyoufrightenmeso？It"snotlikeyou，"shereproachedhim。"Youaresounselfish，sonoble。

Youarealwaysthinkingofotherpeople。Howcanyoutalkofgoingtowar——tobekilled——tome？Andnow，nowthatyouhavemademeloveyouso？"

Thehands，thatwhenshetalkedseemedtohimlikeswallowsdartingandflashinginthesunlight，clutchedhissleeve。Thefingers，thathewouldratherkissthanthelipsofanyotherwomanthateverlived，clungtohisarm。Theirclaspremindedhimofthatofadrowningchildhehadonceliftedfromthesurf。

"Ifyoushoulddie，"whisperedMissArmitage。"WhatwouldIdo。

WhatwouldIdo！"

"Butmydearest，"criedtheyoungman。"MydearestONE！I"veGOT

togo。It"sourownwar。Everybodyelsewillgo，"hepleaded。

"Everymanyouknow，andthey"regoingtofight，too。I"mgoingonlytolookon。That"sbadenough，isn"tit，withoutsittingathome？YoushouldbesorryI"mnotgoingtofight。"

"Sorry！"exclaimedthegirl。"Ifyouloveme——"

"IfIloveyou，"shoutedtheyoungman。Hisvoicesuggestedthathewasabouttoshakeher。"Howdareyou？"

Sheabandonedthatpositionandattackedfromonemorelogical。

"Butwhypunishme？"sheprotested。"DoIwantthewar？DoIwanttofreeCuba？No！IwantYOU，andifyougo，youaretheonewhoissuretobekilled。Youaresobig——andsobrave，andyouwillberushinginwhereverthefightingis，andthen——thenyouwilldie。"Sheraisedhereyesandlookedathimasthoughseeinghimfromagreatdistance。"And，"sheaddedfatefully，"Iwilldie，too，ormaybeIwillhavetolive，tolivewithoutyouforyears，formanymiserableyears。"

Fearfully，withgreatcaution，asthoughinhisjoyinherhemightcrushherinhishands，theyoungmandrewhertohimandheldherclose。Afterasilencehewhispered。"But，youknowthatnothingcanhappentome。Notnow，thatGodhasletmeloveyou。Hecouldnotbesocruel。Hewouldnothavegivenmesuchhappinesstotakeitfromme。Amanwholovesyou，asIloveyou，cannotcometoanyharm。AndthemanYOUloveisimmortal，immune。Heholdsacharmedlife。Solongasyoulovehim，hemustlive。"

Theeyesofthegirlsmiledupathimthroughhertears。Sheliftedherlipstohis。"Thenyouwillneverdie！"shesaid。

Sheheldhimawayfromher。"Listen！"shewhispered。"Whatyousayistrue。Itmustbetrue，becauseyouarealwaysright。I

loveyousothatnothingcanharmyou。Mylovewillbeacharm。

Itwillhangaroundyourneckandprotectyou，andkeepyou，andbringyoubacktome。Whenyouareindangermylovewillsaveyou。For，whileitlives，Ilive。Whenitdies——"

Chestertonkissedherquickly。

"Whathappensthen，"hesaid，"doesn"tmatter。"

Thewargamehadrunitshappy-go-luckycoursebrieflyandbrilliantly，with"gloryenoughforall，"evenforChesterton。

For，innopreviouscampaignhadgoodfortunesopersistentlystoodsmilingathiselbow。Ateachmomentofthewarthatwascritical，picturesque，dramatic，bysomeluckyaccidenthefoundhimselfamongthosepresent。Hecouldnotlose。EvenwhenhispressboatbrokedownatCardenas，aYankeecruiserandtwoSpanishgun-boats，apparentlyforhissolebenefit，engagedinanimpromptuduelwithinrangeofhismegaphone。Whenhishorsewentlame，thecolumnwithwhichhehadwishedtoadvance，passedforwardtothefrontunmolested，whiletherearguard，towhichhehadbeenforcedtojoinhisfortune，foughtitswaythroughthestiflingunderbrush。

Betweenhisnewsdespatches，whenhewasnotsingingthepraisesofhisfellow-countrymen，orcopyinglistsoftheirkilledandwounded，hewrotetoMissArmitage。Hisletterswerescrawledonyellowcopypaperandconsistedofrepetitionsofthethreewords，"Iloveyou，"rearranged，illuminated，andintensified。

Eachletterbeganmuchinthesameway。"Thewarisstillgoingon。Youcanreadaboutitinthepapers。WhatIwantyoutoknowisthatIloveyouasnomanever——"Andsoonformanypages。

Fromheronlyoneofthelettersshewrotereachedhim。ItwaspickedupinthesandatSiboneyafterthemedicalcorps，inanefforttowipeouttheyellow-fever，hadsetfiretothepost-

officetent。

ShehadwrittenitsomeweeksbeforefromhersummerhomeatNewport，andinitshesaid:"Whenyouwenttothefront，IthoughtnowomancouldlovemorethanIdidthen。But，nowIknow。AtleastIknowonegirlwhocan。Shecannotwriteit。Shecannevertellyou。Youmustjustbelieve。

"EachdayIhearfromyou，forassoonasthepapercomes，Itakeitdowntotherocksandreadyourcables，andIlooksouthacrosstheoceantoCuba，andtrytoseeyouinallthatfightingandheatandfever。ButIamnotafraid。ForeachmorningIwaketofindI

loveyoumore；thatithasgrownstronger，morewonderful，morehardtobear。AndIknowthecharmIgaveyougrowswithit，andismorepowerful，andthatitwillbringyoubacktomewearingnewhonors，"bearingyoursheaveswithyou。"