raised
me to fifty a week for my fancy bookkeeping, and he knows it, and, what's
more, he knows I know he knows it."

"The fellers that are goin' to college next term have to register for the
High School College Society, pop--dollar dues."

"Well, you aren't going to college, and that's where you and I save a
hundred cents on the dollar. Little more gravy, mother."

The muscles of Edwin's face relaxed, his mouth dropping to a pout, the
crude features quivering.

"Aw, pop, a feller nowadays without a college education don't stand a
show."

"He don't, don't he? I know one who will."

Edwin threw a quivering glance to his mother and gulped through a
constricted throat.

"Mother says I--I can go if only you--"

"Your mother'd say you could have the moon, too, if she had to climb a
greased pole to get it. She'd start weaving door-mats for the Cingalese
Hottentots if she thought they needed 'em."

"But, Harry, he--"

"Your mother 'ain't got the bills of this shebang to worry about, and your
mother don't mind having a college sissy a-laying around the house to
support five years longer. I do."

"It's the free City College, pop."

"You got a better education now than nine boys out of ten. If you ain't man
enough to want to get out after four years of high school and hustle for
a living, you got to be shown the way out. I started when I was in short
pants, and you're no better than your father. Your mother sold notions and
axle-grease in an up-State general store up to the day she married. Now cut
out the college talk you been springing on me lately. I won't have it--you
hear? You're a poor man's son, and the sooner you make up your mind to it
the better. Pass the chow-chow, mother."

Nervousness had laid hold of her so that in and out among the dishes her
hand trembled.

"You see, Harry, it's the free City College, and--"

"I know that free talk. So was high school free when you talked me into
it, but if it ain't one thing it's been another. Cadet uniform, football
suit--"

"The child's got talent for invention, Harry; his manual-training teacher
told me his air-ship model was--"

"I got ninety in manual training when the other fellers only got seventy."

"I guess you're looking for another case like your father, sitting
penniless around the house, tinkering on inventions up to the day he died."

"Pa never had the business push, Harry. You know yourself his churn was
ready for the market before the Peer