Shelovedhimso，thatwhenhewentawaytoalittlewarinwhichhiscountrywasinterestedshecouldnotunderstand，norquiteforgive。
Asthecorrespondentofanewspaper，Chestertonhadlookedonatotherwars；whentheyellowracesmet，whentheinfidelTurkspankedtheChristianGreek；andonehehadwatchedfrominsideaBritishsquare，wherehewasgreatlyalarmedlestheshouldbetrampleduponbyterrifiedcamels。Thishadhappenedbeforeheandshehadmet。Aftertheymet，shetoldhimthatwhatchanceshehadchosentotakebeforehecameintoherlifefelloutsideofherjurisdiction。Butnowthathislifebelongedtoher，thistalkofhisstandinguptobeshotatwaswicked。Itwasworsethanwicked；itwasabsurd。
WhentheMainesankinHavanaharborandtheword\"war\"wasappearinghourlyinhystericalextras，MissArmitageexplainedherposition。
\"Youmustn\'tthink，\"shesaid，\"thatIamoneofthosesillygirlswhowouldbegyounottogotowar。\"
Atthemomentofspeakinghercheekhappenedtoberestingagainsthis，andhisarmwasabouther，sohehumblybenthisheadandkissedher，andwhisperedveryproudlyandsoftly，\"No，dearest。\"
Atwhichshewithdrewfromhimfrowning。
\"No！I\'mnotabitlikethosegirls，\"sheproclaimed。\"ImerelytellyouYOUCAN\'TGO！Mygracious！\"shecried，helplessly。Sheknewthewordsfellshortofexpressingherdistress，buthereducationhadnotsuppliedherwithexclamationsofgreaterviolence。
\"Mygoodness！\"shecried。\"Howcanyoufrightenmeso？It\'snotlikeyou，\"shereproachedhim。\"Youaresounselfish，sonoble。
Youarealwaysthinkingofotherpeople。Howcanyoutalkofgoingtowar——tobekilled——tome？Andnow，nowthatyouhavemademeloveyouso？\"
Thehands，thatwhenshetalkedseemedtohimlikeswallowsdartingandflashinginthesunlight，clutchedhissleeve。Thefingers，thathewouldratherkissthanthelipsofanyotherwomanthateverlived，clungtohisarm。Theirclaspremindedhimofthatofadrowningchildhehadonceliftedfromthesurf。
\"Ifyoushoulddie，\"whisperedMissArmitage。\"WhatwouldIdo。
WhatwouldIdo！\"
\"Butmydearest，\"criedtheyoungman。\"MydearestONE！I\'veGOT
togo。It\'sourownwar。Everybodyelsewillgo，\"hepleaded。
\"Everymanyouknow，andthey\'regoingtofight，too。I\'mgoingonlytolookon。That\'sbadenough，isn\'tit，withoutsittingathome？YoushouldbesorryI\'mnotgoingtofight。\"
\"Sorry！\"exclaimedthegirl。\"Ifyouloveme——\"
\"IfIloveyou，\"shoutedtheyoungman。Hisvoicesuggestedthathewasabouttoshakeher。\"Howdareyou？\"
Sheabandonedthatpositionandattackedfromonemorelogical。
\"Butwhypunishme？\"sheprotested。\"DoIwantthewar？DoIwanttofreeCuba？No！IwantYOU，andifyougo，youaretheonewhoissuretobekilled。Youaresobig——andsobrave，andyouwillberushinginwhereverthefightingis，andthen——thenyouwilldie。\"Sheraisedhereyesandlookedathimasthoughseeinghimfromagreatdistance。\"And，\"sheaddedfatefully，\"Iwilldie，too，ormaybeIwillhavetolive，tolivewithoutyouforyears，formanymiserableyears。\"
Fearfully，withgreatcaution，asthoughinhisjoyinherhemightcrushherinhishands，theyoungmandrewhertohimandheldherclose。Afterasilencehewhispered。\"But，youknowthatnothingcanhappentome。Notnow，thatGodhasletmeloveyou。Hecouldnotbesocruel。Hewouldnothavegivenmesuchhappinesstotakeitfromme。Amanwholovesyou，asIloveyou，cannotcometoanyharm。AndthemanYOUloveisimmortal，immune。Heholdsacharmedlife。Solongasyoulovehim，hemustlive。\"
Theeyesofthegirlsmiledupathimthroughhertears。Sheliftedherlipstohis。\"Thenyouwillneverdie！\"shesaid。
Sheheldhimawayfromher。\"Listen！\"shewhispered。\"Whatyousayistrue。Itmustbetrue，becauseyouarealwaysright。I
loveyousothatnothingcanharmyou。Mylovewillbeacharm。
Itwillhangaroundyourneckandprotectyou，andkeepyou，andbringyoubacktome。Whenyouareindangermylovewillsaveyou。For，whileitlives，Ilive。Whenitdies——\"
Chestertonkissedherquickly。
\"Whathappensthen，\"hesaid，\"doesn\'tmatter。\"
Thewargamehadrunitshappy-go-luckycoursebrieflyandbrilliantly，with\"gloryenoughforall，\"evenforChesterton。
For，innopreviouscampaignhadgoodfortunesopersistentlystoodsmilingathiselbow。Ateachmomentofthewarthatwascritical，picturesque，dramatic，bysomeluckyaccidenthefoundhimselfamongthosepresent。Hecouldnotlose。EvenwhenhispressboatbrokedownatCardenas，aYankeecruiserandtwoSpanishgun-boats，apparentlyforhissolebenefit，engagedinanimpromptuduelwithinrangeofhismegaphone。Whenhishorsewentlame，thecolumnwithwhichhehadwishedtoadvance，passedforwardtothefrontunmolested，whiletherearguard，towhichhehadbeenforcedtojoinhisfortune，foughtitswaythroughthestiflingunderbrush。
Betweenhisnewsdespatches，whenhewasnotsingingthepraisesofhisfellow-countrymen，orcopyinglistsoftheirkilledandwounded，hewrotetoMissArmitage。Hisletterswerescrawledonyellowcopypaperandconsistedofrepetitionsofthethreewords，\"Iloveyou，\"rearranged，illuminated，andintensified。
Eachletterbeganmuchinthesameway。\"Thewarisstillgoingon。Youcanreadaboutitinthepapers。WhatIwantyoutoknowisthatIloveyouasnomanever——\"Andsoonformanypages。
Fromheronlyoneofthelettersshewrotereachedhim。ItwaspickedupinthesandatSiboneyafterthemedicalcorps，inanefforttowipeouttheyellow-fever，hadsetfiretothepost-
officetent。
ShehadwrittenitsomeweeksbeforefromhersummerhomeatNewport，andinitshesaid:\"Whenyouwenttothefront，IthoughtnowomancouldlovemorethanIdidthen。But，nowIknow。AtleastIknowonegirlwhocan。Shecannotwriteit。Shecannevertellyou。Youmustjustbelieve。
\"EachdayIhearfromyou，forassoonasthepapercomes，Itakeitdowntotherocksandreadyourcables，andIlooksouthacrosstheoceantoCuba，andtrytoseeyouinallthatfightingandheatandfever。ButIamnotafraid。ForeachmorningIwaketofindI
loveyoumore；thatithasgrownstronger，morewonderful，morehardtobear。AndIknowthecharmIgaveyougrowswithit，andismorepowerful，andthatitwillbringyoubacktomewearingnewhonors，\'bearingyoursheaveswithyou。\'
