WALLACE, No, mother.  I wasn’t afraid of what they could call me. 
That was easy.

HILDA (proudly).  You are your father’s son!

WALLACE.  Mother, I can’t stand the thought of killing, you know that.  And I couldn’t forget all you’ve told me.  That’s why I’ve had to think this out all these months alone; why I’ve hesitated longer than most fellows.  The only thing I was really afraid of was being wrong.  But now I know I’m right and I’m going clean through to the limit.

HILDA.  As your father said, I ’ll stand by you—­whatever it is—­if only you feel it’s right.

WALLACE.  Will you?  Will you, mother?  No matter what happens? (She nods.) I knew you would. (Taking her hand) Then, mother, listen.  I’ve volunteered.

HILDA (shocked).  Volunteered!

WALLACE.  Yes.  I leave for training-camp to-night.

HILDA.  To-night?

WALLACE.  Yes, mother.  Once I made up my mind, I couldn’t wait to be drafted.  I wanted to offer myself.  I didn’t want to be made to go.

HILDA (hardly grasping it).  But you are too young.

WALLACE.  I lied about my age.  You and father can stop me if you tell the truth.  That’s why I’ve come back.  I want you to promise you won’t tell.

HILDA. You ask me to aid you in what I don’t believe?  WALLACE.  But you said you’d stick by me if I thought it was right.

HILDA.  But—­

WALLACE (with fervor).  And I tell you, mother, I do feel it was right for America to go in.  I see now we ought to have declared war when they crushed Belgium.  Yes; we ought to have gone in when the Lusitania was sunk.  But we’ve been patient.  The President tried to keep us out of it until we had to go in to save our self-respect.  We had to go in to show we were men of honor, not pussy-cats.  We had to go in to show the world the Stars and Stripes wasn’t a dish-rag on which the Germans could dry their bloody hands!

HILDA (gazing at him incredulously).  You hate them as much as that?

WALLACE.  Hate?  No, mother, no. (As if questioning himself) I really haven’t any hate for the German people.  People are just people everywhere, I suppose, and they’re tricked and fooled by their rotten government, as the President says.

HILDA.  Then why fight them?

WALLACE.  Because they’re standing back of their government, doing what it says.  And they’ve got to be licked to show them what kind of a government they have.

HILDA.  At least you have no hate in your heart—­that’s something.

WALLACE.  Oh, yes, I have, mother.  But it isn’t for the poor devils I’ve got to shoot.  It’s for the stay-at-home fellow here in America who sits in a comfortable armchair, who applauds patriotic sentiment, cheers the flag, and does nothing for his country but hate and hate—­while we fight for him.  That’s the fellow I’ll hate all right when I sit in the trenches.  And that’s why I couldn’t look myself in the face if I stayed out a day longer; why I’ve got to go in; why I’m going to die if I must, because everybody ought to be willing to die for what he believes.