“Oh, she meant it, I’m sure. She asked me how much it would take to see him through college, and I told her two thousand. It was her own idea. There wasn’t anything actually said to that effect, mother, but I think it was sort of understood that Will was to have that money and that we weren’t to expect anything more. And there wasn’t any reason why we should. She’d have done quite enough for us if—if she’d done that. As it is, Clara and Alice get it all.”
“I suppose that’s my fault, George. You see, I always wanted her to think we had—had plenty. Mother was always pretty hard on folks that couldn’t get along. And then Clara and Alice both marrying men that couldn’t support them——”
“I know. I’m glad you did. And I’m not begrudging the money to your sisters. They need it more’n we do, even if—— Anyway, we’ve always managed to get along pretty fair so far, haven’t we? Maybe we haven’t had many luxuries, Jenny, but we’ve managed, eh?”
“Of course we have. You and I don’t need luxuries. I’ve always had everything I really wanted, George. I’d have liked Will to go to college, seeing he’s set his heart on it, but maybe this is for the best, too. Maybe he will be more help to you in the shop.”
Willard, staring distastefully at his plate, frowned impatiently. “That’s fine, isn’t it?” he demanded. “Here I’ve been telling all the fellows that I was going to college in the fall; and I’ve gone and taken the college course, too; and Mr. Chase has been helping me with my Greek! And now—now I can’t go after all! I think it’s”—he gulped—“too bad!”
“Maybe you’ll get there, son, although I don’t see much chance of it next fall. Maybe, though, if business picks up——”
He stopped with a hopeless shake of his head. Willard scowled.
“I’ve heard that before,” he muttered, “about business picking up. It never has, and I guess it never will.”
“Son, you’ve said about enough,” replied his father sternly. “If I can find the money to send you to college, you’ll go. If I can’t, you’ll have to buckle down at the shop. There’s plenty of men doing well who never went to college. I wanted you should go, but maybe it wasn’t intended so.”