A Charmed Life.docx

A Charmed Life.docx

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ACharmedLife

ACharmedLifebyRichardHardingDavisShelovedhimso,thatwhenhewentawaytoalittlewarinwhichhiscountrywasinterestedshecouldnotunderstand,norquiteforgive.

Asthecorrespondentofanewspaper,Chestertonhadlookedonatotherwars;whentheyellowracesmet,whentheinfidelTurkspankedtheChristianGreek;andonehehadwatchedfrominsideaBritishsquare,wherehewasgreatlyalarmedlestheshouldbetrampleduponbyterrifiedcamels.Thishadhappenedbeforeheandshehadmet.Aftertheymet,shetoldhimthatwhatchanceshehadchosentotakebeforehecameintoherlifefelloutsideofherjurisdiction.Butnowthathislifebelongedtoher,thistalkofhisstandinguptobeshotatwaswicked.Itwasworsethanwicked;itwasabsurd.

WhentheMainesankinHavanaharborandtheword"war"wasappearinghourlyinhystericalextras,MissArmitageexplainedherposition.

"Youmustn'tthink,"shesaid,"thatIamoneofthosesillygirlswhowouldbegyounottogotowar."

Atthemomentofspeakinghercheekhappenedtoberestingagainsthis,andhisarmwasabouther,sohehumblybenthisheadandkissedher,andwhisperedveryproudlyandsoftly,"No,dearest."

Atwhichshewithdrewfromhimfrowning.

"No!

I'mnotabitlikethosegirls,"sheproclaimed."ImerelytellyouYOUCAN'TGO!

Mygracious!

"shecried,helplessly.Sheknewthewordsfellshortofexpressingherdistress,buthereducationhadnotsuppliedherwithexclamationsofgreaterviolence.

"Mygoodness!

"shecried."Howcanyoufrightenmeso?

It'snotlikeyou,"shereproachedhim."Youaresounselfish,sonoble.

Youarealwaysthinkingofotherpeople.Howcanyoutalkofgoingtowar--tobekilled--tome?

Andnow,nowthatyouhavemademeloveyouso?

"

Thehands,thatwhenshetalkedseemedtohimlikeswallowsdartingandflashinginthesunlight,clutchedhissleeve.Thefingers,thathewouldratherkissthanthelipsofanyotherwomanthateverlived,clungtohisarm.Theirclaspremindedhimofthatofadrowningchildhehadonceliftedfromthesurf.

"Ifyoushoulddie,"whisperedMissArmitage."WhatwouldIdo.

WhatwouldIdo!

"

"Butmydearest,"criedtheyoungman."MydearestONE!

I'veGOT

togo.It'sourownwar.Everybodyelsewillgo,"hepleaded.

"Everymanyouknow,andthey'regoingtofight,too.I'mgoingonlytolookon.That'sbadenough,isn'tit,withoutsittingathome?

YoushouldbesorryI'mnotgoingtofight."

"Sorry!

"exclaimedthegirl."Ifyouloveme--"

"IfIloveyou,"shoutedtheyoungman.Hisvoicesuggestedthathewasabouttoshakeher."Howdareyou?

"

Sheabandonedthatpositionandattackedfromonemorelogical.

"Butwhypunishme?

"sheprotested."DoIwantthewar?

DoIwanttofreeCuba?

No!

IwantYOU,andifyougo,youaretheonewhoissuretobekilled.Youaresobig--andsobrave,andyouwillberushinginwhereverthefightingis,andthen--thenyouwilldie."Sheraisedhereyesandlookedathimasthoughseeinghimfromagreatdistance."And,"sheaddedfatefully,"Iwilldie,too,ormaybeIwillhavetolive,tolivewithoutyouforyears,formanymiserableyears."

Fearfully,withgreatcaution,asthoughinhisjoyinherhemightcrushherinhishands,theyoungmandrewhertohimandheldherclose.Afterasilencehewhispered."But,youknowthatnothingcanhappentome.Notnow,thatGodhasletmeloveyou.Hecouldnotbesocruel.Hewouldnothavegivenmesuchhappinesstotakeitfromme.Amanwholovesyou,asIloveyou,cannotcometoanyharm.AndthemanYOUloveisimmortal,immune.Heholdsacharmedlife.Solongasyoulovehim,hemustlive."

Theeyesofthegirlsmiledupathimthroughhertears.Sheliftedherlipstohis."Thenyouwillneverdie!

"shesaid.

Sheheldhimawayfromher."Listen!

"shewhispered."Whatyousayistrue.Itmustbetrue,becauseyouarealwaysright.I

loveyousothatnothingcanharmyou.Mylovewillbeacharm.

Itwillhangaroundyourneckandprotectyou,andkeepyou,andbringyoubacktome.Whenyouareindangermylovewillsaveyou.For,whileitlives,Ilive.Whenitdies--"

Chestertonkissedherquickly.

"Whathappensthen,"hesaid,"doesn'tmatter."

Thewargamehadrunitshappy-go-luckycoursebrieflyandbrilliantly,with"gloryenoughforall,"evenforChesterton.

For,innopreviouscampaignhadgoodfortunesopersistentlystoodsmilingathiselbow.Ateachmomentofthewarthatwascritical,picturesque,dramatic,bysomeluckyaccidenthefoundhimselfamongthosepresent.Hecouldnotlose.EvenwhenhispressboatbrokedownatCardenas,aYankeecruiserandtwoSpanishgun-boats,apparentlyforhissolebenefit,engagedinanimpromptuduelwithinrangeofhismegaphone.Whenhishorsewentlame,thecolumnwithwhichhehadwishedtoadvance,passedforwardtothefrontunmolested,whiletherearguard,towhichhehadbeenforcedtojoinhisfortune,foughtitswaythroughthestiflingunderbrush.

Betweenhisnewsdespatches,whenhewasnotsingingthepraisesofhisfellow-countrymen,orcopyinglistsoftheirkilledandwounded,hewrotetoMissArmitage.Hisletterswerescrawledonyellowcopypaperandconsistedofrepetitionsofthethreewords,"Iloveyou,"rearranged,illuminated,andintensified.

Eachletterbeganmuchinthesameway."Thewarisstillgoingon.Youcanreadaboutitinthepapers.WhatIwantyoutoknowisthatIloveyouasnomanever--"Andsoonformanypages.

Fromheronlyoneofthelettersshewrotereachedhim.ItwaspickedupinthesandatSiboneyafterthemedicalcorps,inanefforttowipeouttheyellow-fever,hadsetfiretothepost-

officetent.

ShehadwrittenitsomeweeksbeforefromhersummerhomeatNewport,andinitshesaid:

"Whenyouwenttothefront,IthoughtnowomancouldlovemorethanIdidthen.But,nowIknow.AtleastIknowonegirlwhocan.Shecannotwriteit.Shecannevertellyou.Youmustjustbelieve.

"EachdayIhearfromyou,forassoonasthepapercomes,Itakeitdowntotherocksandreadyourcables,andIlooksouthacrosstheoceantoCuba,andtrytoseeyouinallthatfightingandheatandfever.ButIamnotafraid.ForeachmorningIwaketofindI

loveyoumore;thatithasgrownstronger,morewonderful,morehardtobear.AndIknowthecharmIgaveyougrowswithit,andismorepowerful,andthatitwillbringyoubacktomewearingnewhonors,'bearingyoursheaveswithyou.'

"AsthoughIcaredforyournewhonors.IwantYOU,YOU,YOU--onlyYOU."

WhenSantiagosurrenderedandtheinvadingarmysettleddowntoarrangetermsofpeace,andimbibefever,andGeneralMilesmovedtoPortoRico,Chestertonmovedwithhim.

Inthatprettylittleislandacommandofregularsunderageneraloftheregulararmyhad,inanightattack,drivenbacktheSpaniardsfromAdhuntas.Thenextafternoonasthecolumnwasinlineofmarch,andthemenwereshakingthemselvesintotheiraccoutrements,adusty,sweatingvolunteerstaffofficerrodedownthemainstreetofAdhuntas,andwiththeauthorityofafieldmarshal,helduphishand.

"GeneralMiles'scompliments,sir,"hepanted,"andpeaceisdeclared!

"

Differentmenreceivedthenewseachinadifferentfashion.Somewhirledtheirhatsintheairandcheered.Thosewhosawpromotionandthenewinsigniaontheirstrapsvanish,sworedeeply.

Chestertonfelluponhissaddle-bagsandbegantodistributehispossessionsamongtheenlistedmen.Afterhehadremobilized,hiseffectsconsistedofachangeofclothes,hiscamera,water-bottle,andhismedicinecase.Inhispresentstateofhealthandspiritshecouldnotbelievehestoodinneedofthemedicinecase,butitwasagiftfromMissArmitage,andcarriedwithitapromisefromhimthathealwayswouldcarryit.Hehad"packed"itthroughoutthecampaign,andforothersithadprovedofvalue.

"Itakeityouareleavingus,"saidanofficerenviously.

"Iamleavingyousoquick,"criedChestertonlaughing,"thatyouwon'tevenseethedust.There'satransportstartsfromMayaguezatsixto-morrowmorning,and,ifIdon'tcatchit,thisponywilldieonthewharf."

"TheroadtoMayaguezisnothealthyforAmericans,"saidthegeneralincommand."Idon'tthinkIoughttoletyougo.Theenemydoesnotknowpeaceisonyet,andtherearealotofguerillas--"

Chestertonshookhisheadinpityingwonder.

"Notletmego!

"heexclaimed."Why,General,youhaven'tenoughmeninyourcommandtostopme,andasfortheSpaniardsandguerillas--!

I'mhomesick,"criedtheyoungman."I'msodamnedhomesickthatIamliabletodieofitbeforethetransportgetsmetoSandyHook."

"Ifyouareshotupbyanoutpost,"growledthegeneral,"youwillbeworseoffthanhomesick.It'sfortymilestoMayaguez.Betterwaittilldaylight.Where'sthesenseofdying,afterthefighting'sover?

"

"IfIdon'tcatchthattransportIsureWILLdie,"laughedChesterton.Hisheadwasbentandhewastuggingathissaddlegirths.Apparentlytheeffortbroughtadeepershadowtohistan,"butnothingelsecankillme!

Ihaveacharm,General,"heexclaimed.

"Wehadn'tnoticedit,"saidthegeneral.

Thestaffofficers,accordingtoregulations,laughed.

"It'snotthatkindofacharm,"saidChesterton."Good-by,General."

Theroadwashardlymorethanatrail,butthemoonmadeitaslightasday,andcastacrossitblacktracingsoftheswingingvinesandcreepers;whilehighintheairitturnedthepolishedsurfaceofthepalmsintoglitteringsilver.AsheplungedintothecooldepthsoftheforestChestertonthrewuphisarmsandthankedGodthathewasmovingtowardher.Theluckthathadaccompaniedhimthroughoutthecampaignhadhelduntiltheend.

Hadhebeenforcedtowaitforatransport,eachhourwouldhave