, her cheek crinkled against his with the frank kind of
social unconsciousness the park bench seems to engender.

"Come on, Gert. I got a hunger on."

'"Shh-h-h, Jimmie! Let me think. I'm thinking."

"Too much thinking killed a cat. Come on."

"Jimmie!"

"Huh?"

"Jimmie--would you--had you ever thought about being a soldier?"

"Sure. I came in an ace of going into the army that time after--after that
little Central Street trouble of mine. I've got a book in my trunk this
minute on military tactics. Wouldn't surprise me a bit to see me land in
the army some day."

"It's a fine thing, Jimmie, for a fellow--the army."

"Yeh, good for what ails him."

She drew him back, pulling at his shoulder so that finally he faced her.
"Jimmie!"

"Huh?"

"I got an idea."

"Shoot."

"You remember once, honey-bee, how I put it to you that night at Ceiner's
how, if it was for your good, no sacrifice was too much to make."

"Forget it."

"You didn't believe it."

"Aw, say now, what's the use digging up ancient history?"

"You'd be right, Jimmie, not to believe it. I haven't lived up to what I
said."

"Oh Lord, honey! What's eating you now? Come to the point."

She would not meet his eyes, turning her head from him to hide lips
that would quiver. "Honey, it--it ain't coming off--that's all. Not
now--anyways."

"What ain't?"

"Us."

"Who?"

"You know what I mean, Jimmie. It's like everything the soldier boy on the
corner just said. I--I saw you getting red clear behind your ears over it.
I--I was, too, Jimmie. It's like that soldier boy was put there on that
corner just to show me, before it was too late, how wrong I been in every
one of my ways. Us women who are helping to foster slackers. That's what
we're making of them--slackers for life. And here I been thinking it was
your good I had in mind, when all along it's been mine. That's what it's
been, mine!"

"Aw, now, Gert--"

"You got to go, Jimmie. You got to go, because you want to go and--because
I want you to go."

"Where?"

"To war."

He took hold of her two arms because they were trembling. "Aw, now, Gert, I
didn't say anything complaining. I--"

"You did, Jimmie, you did, and--and I never was so glad over you that you
did complain. I just never was so glad. I want you to go, Jimmie. I want
you to go and get a man made out of you. They'll make a better job out of
you than ever I can. I want you to get the yellow streak washed out. I want
yo