She met his eyes with the courage, dark, flashing, and kind, he loved so much.
"I couldn't do that, Ernie," she said so gently that he loved her all the more.
"Why not then?"
"I'm afraid."
"What of?"
"Afraid you might ask me more'n what I can give."
"I'll run the risk!" cried Ernie. "I'm ready!"
She shook her head.
He took her hand.
"I'm a good man, Ruth," he said with the almost divine simplicity of the class to which he now belonged.