They talked from heart to heart, as father and son.
At last all the household gathered on the veranda to watch the afterglow in the sky. Esther slipped her arm through Wathemah's, and they stood facing the west.
"And so my boy is to enter the Indian service," she said.
"Yes," he answered. "You know I majored in anthropology and education. My summers among various Indian tribes were to help me know the Indian. My thesis for my doctorate is to be on 'The Education of the Indian in the United States.' When I have my material ready, I'll return to Harvard and remain until I complete my work for my doctorate."
"What next, Wathemah?" There was a thrill in Esther's voice.
The Indian youth squared his shoulders, lifted his head, and said, as though making a solemn covenant:
"The uplift of my race!"
And Esther's face was shining.
FOOTNOTES:
[1] Pronounced hé la.