The mother gave a sob of joy.
"I thank you, Mr. President," was the firm reply, "for your generous offer for my mother's sake, but I cannot take your oath. I have sworn allegiance to another Government in the righteousness and justice of whose cause I live and am ready to die——"
"Ned—Ned!" the mother moaned.
"I must, Mother, dear," he firmly went on. "Life is sweet when it's worth living. But man can not live by bread alone. They have only the power to kill my body. You ask me to murder my soul."
He paused and turned to the President, whose eyes were shining with admiration.
"I believe, sir, that I am right and you are wrong. This is war. We must fight it out. I'm a soldier and a soldier's business is to die."
The tall figure suddenly crossed the space that separated them and grasped his hand:
"You're a brave man, Ned Vaughan, the kind of man that saves this world from hell—the kind that makes this Nation great and worth saving whole! I wish I could keep you here—but I can't. You know that—good-bye——"
"Good-bye, sir," was the firm answer.
The mother began to sob piteously until Betty spoke something softly in her ear.