The Major [161]
of the war, its appalling losses, made it increasingly doubtful that he should ever see her face again. What her answer would be he could not surely say. But to-night he would have it from her. If "yes" there was time to-morrow to be married; if "no" then the more gladly he would go to the war.
After dinner the Doctor and the Colonel took their way to the study to smoke and talk over matters connected with military organisation, in regard to which the Doctor confessed himself to be woefully ignorant. Jane led Larry into the library, where a bright fire was burning.
"Awfully jolly, this fire. We'll do without the lights," said Larry, touching the switch and drawing their chairs forward to the fire, wondering the while how he should get himself to the point of courage necessary to his purpose. Had it been a few months ago how easy it would have been. He could see himself with easy camaraderie put his arm about Jane with never a quiver of voice or shiver of soul, and say to her, "Jane, you dear, dear thing, won't you marry me?" But at that time he had neither desire nor purpose. Now by some damnable perversity of things, when heart and soul were sick with the longing for her, and his purpose set to have her, he found himself nerveless and shaking like a silly girl. He pushed his chair back so that, unaware to her, his eyes could rest upon her face, and planned his approach. He would begin by speaking of Helen, of her courage, of her great loss, then of her supreme regret, at which point he would make his plea. But Jane would give him no help at all. Silent she sat looking into the fire, all the vivacity and brilliance of the past hour gone, and in its place a gentle, pensive sadness. The firelight fell on her face, so changed from what it had been in those pre-war days, now so long ago, yet so familiar and so dear. To-morrow at this hour he would be far down the line with his battalion, off for the war. What lay beyond that who could say? If she should refuse--"God help me then," he groaned aloud, unthinking.
"What is it, Larry?" she said, turning her face quickly toward him.
"I was just thinking, Jane, that to-morrow I--that is--" He paused abruptly.
"Oh, Larry, I know, I know." Her hands went quickly to her breast. In her eyes he saw a look of pain so acute, so pitiful, that he forgot all his plan of approach.
"Jane," he cried in a voice sharp with the intensity of his feeling.
In an instant they were both on their feet and facing each other.
"Jane, dear, dear Jane, I love you so, and I want you so." He stretched out his arms to take her.
Startled, her face gone deadly pale, she put out her hands against his breast, pushing him away from her.
"Larry!" she said. "Larry, what are you saying?"
"Oh, Jane, I am saying I love you; with all my heart and soul, I love you and I want you, Jane. Don't you love me a bit, even a little bit?"
Slowly her arms dropped to her side. "You love me, Larry?" she whispered. Her eyes began to glow like stars in a pool of water, deep and lustrous, her lips to quiver. "You love me, Larry, and you want me to--to--"
"Yes, Jane, I want you to be my wife."
"Your wife, Larry?" she whispered, coming a little closer to him. "Oh, Larry," she laid her hands upon his breast, "I love you so, and I have loved you so long." The lustrous eyes were misty, but they looked steadily into his.
"Dear heart, dear love," he said, drawing her close to him and still gazing into her eyes.
She wound her arms about his neck and with lips slightly parted lifted her face to his.
"Jane, Jane, you wonderful girl," he said, and kissed the parted lips, while about them heaven opened and took them to its bosom.
When they had come back to earth Larry suddenly recalled his conversation with her father. "Jane," he said, "when shall we be married? I must tell your father."
"Married?" said Jane in a voice of despair. "Not till you return, Larry." Then she clung to him trembling. "Oh, why were you so slow, Larry? Why did you delay so long?"
"Slow?"
After dinner the Doctor and the Colonel took their way to the study to smoke and talk over matters connected with military organisation, in regard to which the Doctor confessed himself to be woefully ignorant. Jane led Larry into the library, where a bright fire was burning.
"Awfully jolly, this fire. We'll do without the lights," said Larry, touching the switch and drawing their chairs forward to the fire, wondering the while how he should get himself to the point of courage necessary to his purpose. Had it been a few months ago how easy it would have been. He could see himself with easy camaraderie put his arm about Jane with never a quiver of voice or shiver of soul, and say to her, "Jane, you dear, dear thing, won't you marry me?" But at that time he had neither desire nor purpose. Now by some damnable perversity of things, when heart and soul were sick with the longing for her, and his purpose set to have her, he found himself nerveless and shaking like a silly girl. He pushed his chair back so that, unaware to her, his eyes could rest upon her face, and planned his approach. He would begin by speaking of Helen, of her courage, of her great loss, then of her supreme regret, at which point he would make his plea. But Jane would give him no help at all. Silent she sat looking into the fire, all the vivacity and brilliance of the past hour gone, and in its place a gentle, pensive sadness. The firelight fell on her face, so changed from what it had been in those pre-war days, now so long ago, yet so familiar and so dear. To-morrow at this hour he would be far down the line with his battalion, off for the war. What lay beyond that who could say? If she should refuse--"God help me then," he groaned aloud, unthinking.
"What is it, Larry?" she said, turning her face quickly toward him.
"I was just thinking, Jane, that to-morrow I--that is--" He paused abruptly.
"Oh, Larry, I know, I know." Her hands went quickly to her breast. In her eyes he saw a look of pain so acute, so pitiful, that he forgot all his plan of approach.
"Jane," he cried in a voice sharp with the intensity of his feeling.
In an instant they were both on their feet and facing each other.
"Jane, dear, dear Jane, I love you so, and I want you so." He stretched out his arms to take her.
Startled, her face gone deadly pale, she put out her hands against his breast, pushing him away from her.
"Larry!" she said. "Larry, what are you saying?"
"Oh, Jane, I am saying I love you; with all my heart and soul, I love you and I want you, Jane. Don't you love me a bit, even a little bit?"
Slowly her arms dropped to her side. "You love me, Larry?" she whispered. Her eyes began to glow like stars in a pool of water, deep and lustrous, her lips to quiver. "You love me, Larry, and you want me to--to--"
"Yes, Jane, I want you to be my wife."
"Your wife, Larry?" she whispered, coming a little closer to him. "Oh, Larry," she laid her hands upon his breast, "I love you so, and I have loved you so long." The lustrous eyes were misty, but they looked steadily into his.
"Dear heart, dear love," he said, drawing her close to him and still gazing into her eyes.
She wound her arms about his neck and with lips slightly parted lifted her face to his.
"Jane, Jane, you wonderful girl," he said, and kissed the parted lips, while about them heaven opened and took them to its bosom.
When they had come back to earth Larry suddenly recalled his conversation with her father. "Jane," he said, "when shall we be married? I must tell your father."
"Married?" said Jane in a voice of despair. "Not till you return, Larry." Then she clung to him trembling. "Oh, why were you so slow, Larry? Why did you delay so long?"
"Slow?"