Though if
I thought I was goin' to live, I'd cut my tongue out sooner'n offend
you--Oh,"--he gave a kind of groan--"When the news come about Mrs.
Warren bein' dead an' you p'raps without money and at the mercy of
these Germans ... well!--all I wonder at is I didn't steal an
airyplane, and come in that. I tell you I had to exercise great
self-control to stay week after week fiddling with the food
distribution and pretendin' to be an American....
"Well! There it is! We must all die sooner or later. It's a wonder I
ain't dead already. I've bin in some tight places since I come out
for the Y.M.C.A....
"And talkin' about the Y.M.C.A., miss, I do _beg_ of you, if you get
out of this--an' I'm sure you will--they'll never kill _you_," said
Bertie adoringly, looking up at the grave, beautiful face that bent
over him--"I do _beg_ of you to make matters right with the
Y.M.C.A. I ain't taken away one penny of their money--I served 'em
faithfully up to the last day before I saw my chance of hooking it
across the lines--They must think me dead--and so must poor Nance,
my wife. For I haven't dared to write to any one since I've bin in
Belgium. But I did send her a line 'fore I started, sayin', 'Don't
be surprised if you get no letter from me for some time. I'll turn
up all right, you bet your boots--'
"That may 'ave kept 'er 'opin'. An' soon you'll be able to let 'er
know.
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