yes, Don, or you could
not have said to me what you have."

He flung out his arms, impatient. "I am having a fine start, am I not?
I'm a beggar, a pauper, and worse than that. I've got to pay you and
Miss Julia. I've got to go on through life, with that secret on my mind.
I can't confront that man and tell him. You and I--just today
meeting--why, we begin to argue. And now I've got to face Anne Oglesby
with that secret. It can't be a secret from her. I'd never ask her to
join her life to one like mine. And--God! a woman like her.... I can't
tell you.... Death--why, I believe this is worse."

"Don't tell me, Don, don't try." She turned to him, her voice hoarse and
low. "It's a wrong thing for you to talk to me about things of that
sort. Birds out of the nest begin all over again--this must begin again,
I suppose--but it's too awful--too terrible. I don't want to hear any
more talk about love. But rather than see you live with her, rather than
see you talk that way of her, it seems to me I'd rather die. Because,
she knows all about _me_--or will. What made you come? Why didn't you
stay away? Why couldn't you find some other girl to love, away from
here?"

"Which shows how much you really care for my happiness! I suppose, like
many women, you are stubborn. Is that it, mother?"

She winced under this, wringing her hands. "If I could only lie--if I
only could!"

"And if I only could, also!" he repeated after her. "But she's coming
tomorrow, Mother--I've made her promise she'd come to see you. She said
she'd make some excuse to come down and see her guardian. I'm going to
meet her tomorrow. And when I do, I've got to tell her what I've learned
today--every word of it--all--all! And I'll be helpless. I'll not be
able to fight. I'll have to take it."

"That's right, Don, that's right. Even if I loved her as you do, even if
it were the best thing in the world for you if you could marry her, I'd
say that you should not. Don, whatever you do, don't ever be crooked
with a woman. She's a woman, too. No matter what it cost, I couldn't see
her suffer by finding out anything after it was too late."

"It won't take long," said he, simply. "We'll part tomorrow. But oh! Why
did you save me--why did Miss Julia come that night? My place was under
the water--there! Then the door would have been closed indeed. But now
all the doors are closed on ahead, and none behind. I'll never be happy
again. And I'm making her unhappy, too, who's