two in the morning
Till I met you the word ` Yankee ' seemed to me to be a stigma -- a name to be applied in derision to the people of the North . To my astonishment , I found you were proud to be called a Yankee , and then you explained to me that foreigners applied the name to all native-born Americans . You explained to me that in the early days of this country , when Northerner and Southerner fought for one common cause , freedom and independence , all who opposed the tyranny of our oppressors were termed Yankees . I remember the night when we sat up till two in the morning talking of these things . You did not tell me anything I had not considered before , but you revealed things to me in a new light . You showed me the North and South bound by ties of blood , and I think you aroused in me a broader feeling of patriotism than I had ever before known . '' The cloud passed from Merriwell 's face as his companion spoke , and , as Diamond finished , Frank reached out and took his hand .