"

He seemed suddenly grown graver, more mature, strong, masterful, his eye
threatening. She almost smiled as she looked at him, goodly as he was,
her pride that she had borne him overpowering all, her exultation that
she had brought a man into the world, a strong man, one fit to prevail,
scornful of hurt--one who had fought for her! For the first time in her
life a man had fought for her, and not against her.

But on the soul of Aurora Lane still sat the ancient dread. She saw the
issue coming now.

"Mother----" said he, throwing his hat upon the table and walking toward
her quickly.

"Yes, Don." (She had named her son Dieudonne--"God-given." Those who did
not know what this might mean later called him "Dewdonny," and hence
"Don.")

"I didn't thrash them half enough, those fellows, just now."

"Don't say that, Don. It was too bad--it was terrible that it had to be
today, right when you were first coming here. I had been waiting for you
so long, and I wanted----"

"Well, I tell you what I want--I want you just to come away with me. I
want to get you away from this town, right away, at once, as quick as I
can. I'm beginning to see some things and to wonder about others. I am
ashamed I have cost you so much--in spite of what Dad left, you had to
live close--I can see that now--although I never knew a thing about it
until right now. I feel like a big loafer, spending all the money I
have, while you have lived like this. Where did you get it, Mom?"

She swept a gesture about her with both hands. "I got it here," said she
suddenly. "It _all_ came from--here. You father sent you--nothing! I've
not let you know all the truth--you've known almost nothing of the
truth."

Then her native instinct forced her to amend. "At least half of it came
from here. It was honest money, Don, you know it was that, don't
you--you believe it was honest?"

"Money that would have burned my fingers if I had known how it came. But
I didn't. What's up here? Have you fooled me, tricked me--made a loafer
of me? I supposed my father set aside enough for my education--and
enough for you, too. What's been wrong here? What's under all this? Tell
me, now!"

His mother's eyes were turned away from him. "At least we have done it,
Don," said she, with her shrewd, crooked smile. "We've not to do it
over again. You can't forget what you have learned--you can't get away
from your college education now, can you? You've got it--your diploma,
your deg