, and every one walked unashamed, because the great sorrow and need of
all had obliterated the little petty rules of life, and small passions
were laid aside, while hearts throbbed in a common cause.

He waited on them like a prince, seeming to anticipate every need, and
smooth every annoyance. He led them away from the throng to the quiet
hillside above the camp where spring had set her dainty foot-print. He
spread down his thick army blanket for them to sit upon and they held
sweet converse for an hour or two. He told them of camp life and what was
expected to be when they started over, and when they reached the other
side.

His mother was brave and sensible. Sometimes the tears would brim over at
some suggestion of what her boy was soon to bear or do, but she wore a
smile as courageous and sweet as any saint could wear. The boy saw and
grew tender over it. A bird came and sang over their heads, and the
moment was sweet with springing things and quiet with the brooding
tenderness of parting that hung over the busy camp. Ruth had one awful
moment of adjustment when she tried to think how her aunt Rhoda would
look if she could see her now; then she threw the whole thing to the
winds and resolved to enjoy the day. She saw that while the conventions
by which she had been reared were a good thing in general, perhaps, they
certainly were not meant to hamper or hinder the true and natural life of
the heart, or, if they were, they were not _good_ things; and she entered
into the moment with her full sympathy. Perhaps Aunt Rhoda would not
understand, but the girl she had brought up knew that it was good to be
here. Her aunt was away from home with an invalid friend on a short trip
so there had been no one to question Ruth's movements when she decided to
run down to Washington with a "friend from the Red Cross" and
incidentally visit the camp a little while.

He had them over the camp by and by, to the trenches and dummies, and all
the paraphernalia of war preparation. Then they went back to the Hostess'
House and fell into line to get dinner. As Cameron stood looking down at
Ruth in the crowded line in the democratic way which was the only way
there was, it came over them both how strange and wonderful it was that
they two who had seen each other so little in their lives and who had
come from such widely separated social circles should be there together
in that beautiful intimacy. It came to them both at once and flashed its