“Too innocent,” retorted the Health Master. “And more than innocent; ignorant.”
“But Bartley Starr!” said Mr. Clyde. “Who would have supposed him such a scoundrel? And with his bringing-up, too!”
“The explanation lies in his bringing-up.”
“Nonsense! Henry Starr is as upright a man and as good a father as you can find in Worthington.”
“The former, perhaps. Not the latter, certainly. He is a worshiper of the False Veiled Goddess, I suspect. Hence Bartley’s tragedy.”
“Do you blame Bartley’s viciousness upon his father?” demanded Mrs. Clyde.
“In part, at least. I happen to know a good deal about this case. Bartley got his sex-education or miseducation from chance talk at school. He took that to college with him, and there, unguided, fell into vicious ways. I don’t suppose his father ever had a frank talk with him in his life. And I judge that little Mrs. Starr’s mother never had one with her, either. Look at the result!”
“But boys find out about such things some way,” said Mr. Clyde uneasily.
“Some way? What way? And from whom? How much has Manny found out?”
“I don’t know,” said Manny’s father.