Two weeks later Venna and Walter stood smiling into one another's eyes with the rapture of a great love.
Suddenly Walter's eyes clouded. "Even if I had not volunteered, Venna, I would have nothing to offer you until I had proved myself, but this war—God knows when it will end, and then every man has to start life again, perhaps blind or crippled."
As he spoke, Venna trembled with a fearful premonition of the world's future sorrows, but when he finished, she looked her love into his soul, smiling bravely.
"How better can a woman show her love than when a man needs her most? You know a Mormon girl marries for eternity, not just for the few years of this life—and if you come back from the war afflicted, who could better care for you than I? As for money, I've been thinking a great deal about my wealth to-day. It seems wicked to be rich, when so many are starving. I shall keep a very little for the future. The rest of my wealth I'll give to the Belgians and French. So you see, Walter, neither of us will have money after the war. With so great a love in our hearts, should we think of material things?"
"I have determined to go to France also, Walter," she added, smiling.
"You go to France?" he asked, surprised.
"And why not? Should I not be as patriotic as you? Women are needed badly. I am quite a Red Cross nurse now, you know."
"Yes, you're right," he answered seriously. "But I had never thought of you going. What a world of sacrifice we are now living in!"
"Let us try to hold our heads high and smile at adversity," she replied, smiling back at him.
"For God and America!" he added, taking her tenderly in his arms. "O Venna," he said, passionately, "what have I done to deserve such a woman as you! For all eternity! How little the outside world realizes the inspiration of that word. Shall we go through the temple together, Venna? Shall we be married there before we go to Europe?"