“Only for a little while.”
“A little while? My son, I’m living now by only little whiles.”
“You’re getting stronger every day,” said Barnes. “I want to see you sitting up when I come back.”
The old gentleman shook his head.
“I don’t know. I don’t know,” he answered.
“Listen,” said Barnes, earnestly. “Life is beginning new, in more ways than one, for all of us here. Your happiest days are coming. If you’ll hold tight till I get back, I’ll prove it.”
“I’ll try,” he answered submissively.
“You must do more than that. You must fight. Will you promise?”
“Yes, boy, yes.”
“I’ll write to you every day. I’m only going as far as New York.”