aid fur your two years at
college. Now you know."

For a long half minute she stared at him, her face whitening and the
great tears beginning to run down her cheeks. They ran faster and
faster. She gave a great sob and then she threw her arms about the old
Judge's neck and buried her face on his shoulder.

"Oh, I never dreamed it! I never dreamed it! I never had a suspicion!
And I've been so cruel to her, so heartless! Oh, Judge Priest, why did
you and Doctor Lake ever let her do it? Why did you let her make that
sacrifice?"

He patted her shoulder gently.

"Well, honey, we did try at first to discourage her from the notion, but
we mighty soon seen it wasn't any use to try, and a little later on,
comin' to think it over, we decided mebbe we didn't want to try any
more. There're some impulses in this world too noble to be interfered
with or hampered or thwarted, and some sacrifices so fine that none of
us should try to spoil 'em by settin' up ourselves and our own wills in
the road. That's how I felt. That's how Lew Lake felt. That's how we
both felt. And anyhow she kept p'intin' out that she wouldn' never need
that there little house, because so long ez she lived she'd have a home
with you two girls. That's whut she said, anyway."

"But why weren't we allowed to know before now? Why didn't we
know--Mildred and I--ten days ago, so that she might have been spared
the cruel thing I've done? Why didn't she come out and tell us when we
went to her and I told her she must get off the place? Why didn't you
tell me, Judge, before now--why didn't you give me a hint before now?"

"Honey, I couldn't. I was under a solemn promise not to tell--a promise
that I've jest now broken. On the whole I think I'm glad I did break
it. . . . Lemme see ef I kin remember in her own words whut she said to us?
'Gen'l'mens,' she says, 'dem chillens is of de quality an' entitled to
hole up they haids wid de fines' in de land. I don't want never to have
dem demeaned by lettin' dem know or by lettin' ary other pusson know dat
an old black nigger woman furnished de money to help mek fine young
ladies of 'em. So long ez I live,' she says, 'dey ain't never to heah it
frum my lips an' you must both gimme yore word dat dey don't never heah
it frum yourn. W'en I dies, an' not befo' den, dey may know de truth. De
day dey lays me in de coffin you kin tell 'em both de secret--but not
befo'!' she says.

"So you see, child, we were under a pledge, and ti