“Mind? Why, I can’t tell you how much I mind!”
“We know we have no business staying here indefinitely and we feel we must get to work. We are going to enlist for the Mexican border. We have got over our grouch against Uncle Sam for firing us from West Point and now that he needs us, we are determined to show him we are ready to serve him in any capacity. You know we are right, don’t you?”
“Ye-e-s, but——”
By that time Lewis had taken possession of Douglas’ hands and with a voice filled with emotion, he said:
“I can’t bear to leave you, but now Cousin Robert is here he will make it safe for you. I have tried to help some——”
“Oh, and you have! We couldn’t have done a thing without you and Bill.”
“I don’t know about that. I believe there is no limit to what you Carter girls can do—but, Douglas—honey—before I go to Mexico—I—I just have to tell you how much I love you. I don’t mean like a cousin—I’m not such close kin to you after all—I mean I love you so much that the thought of leaving you is agony. You knew all the time that it was no cousin business, didn’t you, Douglas?”
“Why, Lewis, I never thought of such a thing. You are almost like my brother,” and Douglas devoutly wished the moon would hurry up and get behind a big black cloud that was coming over the mountain.
“Brother much! I’m not the least little bit like a brother. Bill’s got sisters and I don’t believe he is bothering about leaving them one-tenth as much as he is leaving Tillie Wingo. Why, honey, ever since I can remember I have been meaning to get you to marry me when we both grew up. Of course, I can’t ask you to marry me now as I haven’t a piece of prospect and will have to enlist in the ranks and work up, but I mean to work up fast and be so steady that I’ll be a lieutenant before Carranza and Villa can settle their difficulty. Won’t you be engaged to me so I’ll have something to work for until I can see you again?”
“Engaged to you! Why, Lewis, I—I—how can I be when it is so sudden? You never told me before that you cared for me the least little bit.”