Page:Ruth of the U.S.A. (IA ruthofusa00balm).pdf/80

 isfied your smug soul that everyone who's fighting the beast is just your sort, they weren't Americans and I'm not an American either, thank God!"

He arose from beside her in his overwhelming emotion; and she, without knowing what she did, put out a hand, and caught his sleeve, and pulled him down beside her again.

"Wait!" she almost commanded him. "I can't have you misunderstand me so! This morning when I woke up—it was before I knew I was to meet you—I tried to imagine knowing you!"

"To tell me what you have?"

"To thank you for what you have done!"

"You're a strange person!"

"Oh, I can't explain everything even to myself!" Ruth cried. "I only know that you—and the men you've mentioned—had the wonderful right to do, of yourselves, fine and brave things before our country had the right!"

That was sheer stupidity to him, she saw; and she could not make it clearer. He wanted to leave her now; but he did not forget himself as he had the moment earlier. He waited for her to rise and he accompanied her to the other rooms. They separated without formal leave-taking as others claimed him, and Hubert Lennon found her. Hubert and his aunt took her back to the hotel, where Aunt Emilie—Ruth yet had no name for her—offered an invitation for luncheon tomorrow or the day after. Ruth accepted for the second day and went up to her room, where she locked herself in, took off the yellow dress, and flung herself face downward across the bed.