For Love of Country | Page 5

in the event. She hesitated. Why was it no merry
quip came to the lips usually so ready with repartee? Alas, she must
answer.
"I--I--oh, Mr. Seymour," she said softly and slowly, with a downcast
face she fain would hide, he fain would see. "I--yes," she murmured

with great reluctance; "that is--I think so. You see, when you defended
father, in the fight with the brig, you know, and got that bullet in your
shoulder you earned a title to my gratitude, my--"
"I don't want a title to your gratitude," he interrupted. "I want your love,
I want you to love me for myself alone."
"And do you think you are worthy that I should?" she replied with a
shadow of her former archness.
He gravely bent his head and kissed her hand. "No, Katharine, I do not.
I can lay no claim to your hand, if it is to be a reward of merit, but I
love you so--that is the substance of my hope."
"Oh, Mr. Seymour, Mr. Seymour, you overvalue me. If you do that
with all your possessions, you will be-- Oh, what have I said?" she
cried in sudden alarm, as he took her in his arms.
"My possessions! Katharine, may I then count you so? Oh, Kate, my
lovely Kate--" It was over, and over as she would have it; why struggle
any longer? The landing was a lonely little spot under the
summer-house, at the end of the wharf; no one could see what
happened. This time it was not her hand he kissed. The day died away
in twilight, but for those two a new day began.
The army might starve and die, battles be lost or won, dynasties rise
and fall, kingdoms wax and wane, causes tremble in the
balances,--what of that? They looked at each other and forgot the
world.
CHAPTER II
The Country First of All
"Oh, what is the hour, Mr.--John? Shall I call you Seymour? That is
your second name, is it not? But what would people say? I-- No, no,
not again; we really must go in. See! I am not dressed for the evening
yet. Supper will be ready. Now, Lieutenant Seymour, you must let me

go. What will my father think of us? Come, then. Your hand, sir."
The hill from the boat-landing was steep, but Mistress Kate had often
run like a young deer to the top of it without appreciating its difficulties
as she did that evening. On every stepping-stone, each steep ascent, she
lingered, in spite of her expressed desire for haste, and each time his
strong and steady arm was at her service. She tasted to the full and for
the first time the sweets of loving dependence.
As for him, an admiral of the fleet after a victory could not have been
prouder and happier. As any other man would have done, he embraced
or improved the opportunity afforded him by their journey up the hill,
to urge the old commonplace that he would so assist her up the hill of
life! And so on. The iterations of love never grow stale to a lover, and
the saying was not so trite to her that it failed to give her the little thrill
of loving joy which seemed, for the moment at least, to tame her
restless spirit, that spirit of subtle yet merry mockery which charmed
yet drove him mad. She was so unwontedly quiet and subdued that he
stopped at the brow of the hill, and said, half in alarm, "Katharine, why
so silent?"
She looked at him gravely; a new light, not of laughter, in her brown
eyes, saying in answer to his unspoken thought: "I was thinking of what
you said about your orders. Oh, if they should come to-day, and you
should go away on your ship and be shot at again and perhaps wounded,
what should I do?"
"Nonsense, Katharine dear, I am not going to be wounded any more. I
've something to live for now, you see," he replied, smiling, taking both
of her hands in his own.
"You always had something to live for, even before--you had me."
"And what was that, pray?"
"Your country."
"Yes," he replied proudly, taking off his laced hat, "and liberty; but you

go together in my heart now, Kate,--you and country."
"Don't say that, John--well, Seymour, then--say 'country and you.' I
would give you up for that, but only for that."
"You would do well, Katharine; our country first. Since we have
engaged in this war, we must succeed. I fancy that more depends, and I
only agree with your father there, upon the issue of this war than men
dream of, and that the battle of liberty for the future man is being
fought right