go through it honorably and without flinching.

Up to that very hour, no thought of Leo Frazer's love had crossed
the mind of Ethel Dent. They had been friends, good comrades,
meeting often and always with much pleasure. She had acknowledged to
herself, long since, that he was a man among men; she honored him,
admired him, cared for him as she might have cared for an only
brother. Beyond that, she could not go. Moreover, it had never
occurred to her that Captain Frazer could mistake her attitude to
himself, could differentiate her light, bright cordiality from the
cordiality she showed to other men. When she had met him first, she
had been a mere girl in character and experience; love had had scant
place in her girlish dreams. Later, Weldon had come into her life.
His coming had changed many things for her; but it had made no
change in her attitude to the Captain. She was now, as always, his
loyal, admiring friend, no less, no more. She had supposed that he
had felt the same loyal friendship for her. Too late, she realized
her mistake.

"You must have known it all, Ethel," the Captain was saying
steadily; "how my whole life has seemed to go into yours. I have
never told you. I was sure you knew it, without any telling, and I
have been waiting until the war was over, before asking you to go
home with me, as my wife. The--" he caught his breath sharply, "the
war is over for me now, dearest. I can't ask you to go home with me;
but--Tell me, Ethel, I have not been mistaken, all these months? You
have cared for me, as I have cared for you?" The last words came out
with the roundness of tone he had used in health; but there was a
weary drag to the hand that drew her hand still nearer to his cheek.
Ethel faltered. Then, soldier-like, she braced herself to fight to a
finish. It was not her fault that the man had mistaken her friendly,
cordial liking for something deeper, infinitely more lasting. She
had never consciously played with him, never sought to win his love.
Blame there was none; it was all only a mistake, albeit a terrible
one. Nevertheless--

Desperately she glanced up from the blue eyes, still so wishfully
fixed upon her own, up to the drawn, white face of the haggard man
on the farther side of the bed. In that instant, the girl fought
madly with herself. Then her eyes dropped back to the bed once more.
Eternity and time; a final short, comforting word to the one, a long
explanation to the other. The mistake, if