“Now, I suppose this may interfere with your plans about getting married. You are still young. I was thirty myself when I married mother. The world is still before you. There’s no hurry. Some day I know you will want to choose your road. If you care to take up a profession, there’s plenty to send you through. If you’re interested in business, I may still have some influence and, perhaps, a little cash, although all I have is tied up. As for myself, I’m too old to go into a new business now. I was nearly forty when you were born.”
“Of course I’ll want to do something now,” said Robert.
“You might talk it over with Pinkney. He’s a factor in Corinth today. He’s talked to me about you several times.”
“He seems to be interested in the Tribe mainly.”
“Yes, Robert, there are many influential Corinthians interested in the Tribe. It’s their hobby. I—I don’t know. I joined, of course. I think its objects are splendid, commendable, in fact. But after you’ve seen ten or twelve initiations the glamor wears off. Perhaps I shouldn’t talk to you like this. But you’re my son and you’ll understand. The ceremonial is not for us. It’s to impress others. And I’m a bit of a skeptic about any organization of human beings. Perhaps this may work the miracle. I hope it can. If you can prove useful in propagating its message, so much the better. Patriotism. Regard for laws. Chivalry. White supremacy. They’re all fine ideals.”
“Yes, they are, governor.”
“If you can prove valuable now to the Tribe, because of your personality or war experience or whatever it is, you will win the friendship of the most influential men in Corinth. This work will simply be a stepping stone. Pinkney’s a young man. He lacks certain qualities you have. He may not be all that you or I would seek in our ideal man, but he has brains enough to appreciate you. With the family name, the slight financial assistance I can give you and the good will of the best element of Corinth, the future is anything you care to make it. I don’t want you to be merely a successful man, but success is not to be despised and it may prove the open sesame to the life that we planned.”
“Yes, governor, I understand.”
They stood up. Robert had never quite understood his father before, it seemed. Smiling to the last. Well, he could be like that too.