Why, this was Allen, and he was going away! He might be killed over there!
She might never see him again! "And," she added, looking up into his eyes
with a shy recklessness, "I--I'd say it again, Allen, if you asked me--"
With a little cry he drew her to him, and for one unbelievable, breathless
second his lips rested on hers.
"Betty, Betty, I love you," he whispered unsteadily. "I'll be dreaming of
you always. Whatever I do 'over there' will be because of you--" The
whistle shrieked a rude warning and his hands tightened on hers. They
were both trembling a little.
"Good-bye," he whispered hoarsely. "I--love--you--" then he tore himself
away, swinging up the steps and into the car.
The train began to move amid a great storm of cheering and waving of
service hats. Betty saw it all dimly, through a mist of tears. She pressed
her hand against her lips to still their trembling.
"Good-bye, dear," she murmured brokenly.
CHAPTER XVIII
AFTER THE BOYS LEFT
"Well--it's--over," sighed Grace, as they made their way slowly down the
platform to where the machine stood waiting. "I feel as though I'd like to
go home and cry for a week without stopping."
"Favorite indoor sport," retorted Mollie, wiping her own eyes impatiently.
"I'm sure the boys would admire us for doing that."
"I don't think they'd admire us very much if they could see us now,"
sighed Amy, dabbing a rather red nose with a generous portion of talcum
powder.
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