k, her mouth fallen open and her head still back, could see
the sinews of him ripple under khaki and the diaphragm lift for voice.

There was a shift of speakers then, this time a private, still too rangy,
but his looseness of frame seeming already to conform to the exigency of
uniform.

"Come on, Jimmie. I--I'm cold."

They worked out into the freedom of the sidewalk, and for ten minutes, down
blocks of petty shops already lighted, walked in a silence that grew apace.

He was suddenly conscious that she was crying, quietly, her handkerchief
wadded against her mouth. He strode on with a scowl and his head bent.
"Let's sit down in this little park, Jimmie. I'm tired."

They rested on a bench on one of those small triangles of breathing space
which the city ekes out now and then; mill ends of land parcels.

He took immediately to roving the toe of his shoe in and out among the
gravel. She stole out her hand to his arm.

"Well, Jimmie?" Her voice was in the gauze of a whisper that hardly left
her throat.

"Well, what?" he said, still toeing.

"There--there's a lot of things we never thought about, Jimmie."

"Aw!"

"Eh, Jimmie?"

"You mean _you_ never thought about it?"

"What do you mean?"

"I know what I mean alrighty."

"I--I was the one that suggested it, Jimmie, but--but you fell in. I--I
just couldn't bear to think of it, Jimmie--your going and all. I suggested
it, but--but you fell in."

"Say, when a fellow's shoved he falls. I never gave a thought to sneaking
an exemption until it was put in my head. I'd smash the fellow in the face
that calls me coward, I will."

"You could have knocked me down with a feather, Jimmie, looking at it his
way all of a sudden."

"You couldn't knock me down. Don't think I was ever strong enough for the
whole business. I mean the exemption part. I wasn't going to say anything.
What's the use, seeing the way you had your heart set on--on things? But
the whole business, if you want to know it, went against my grain. I'll
smash the fellow in the face that calls me coward."

"I know, Jimmie; you--you're right. It was me suggested hurrying things
like this. Sneakin'! Oh, God! ain't I the messer-up!"

"Lay easy, girl. I'm going to see it through. I guess there's been fellows
before me and will be after me who have done worse. I'm going to see it
through. All I got to say is I'll smash up the fellow calls me coward. Come
on, forget it. Let's go."

She was close to him