When Adam entered the house his mother was very busy. She was
mixing more biscuit dough, she was laughing like a girl of
sixteen, she snatched out one of their finest tablecloths, and put
on many extra dishes for supper, while Uncle Robert, looking like
a different man, was helping her. He was actually stirring the
gravy, and getting the water, and setting up chairs. And he was
under high tension, too. He was saying things of no moment, as if
they were profound wisdom, and laughing hilariously at things that
were scarcely worth a smile. Adam looked on, and marvelled and
all the while his irritation grew. At last he saw a glance of
understanding pass between them. He could endure it no longer.
"Oh, you might as well SAY what you think," he burst forth. "You
forgot to pull down the blinds."
Both the brazen creatures laughed as if that were a fine joke.
They immediately threw off all reserve. By the time the meal was
finished, Adam was struggling to keep from saying the meanest
things he could think of. Also, he had to go to Milly, with
nothing very definite to tell. But when he came back, his mother
was waiting for him. She said at once: "Adam, I'm very sorry the
blind was up to-night. I wanted to talk to you, and tell you
myself, that the first real love for a man that I have ever known,
is in my heart to-night."
"Why, Mother!" said Adam.
"It's true," said Kate, quietly. "You see Adam, the first time I
ever saw Robert Gray, I knew, and he knew, that he had made a
mistake in engaging himself to Nancy Ellen; but the thing was
done, she was happy, we simply realized that we would have done
better together, and let it go at that. But all these years I
have known that I could have made him a wife who would have come
closer to his ideals than my sister, and SHE should have had the
man who wanted to marry me. They would have had a wonderful time
together."
"And where did my father come in?" asked Adam, quietly.
"He took advantage of my blackest hour," said Kate. "I married
him when I positively didn't care what happened to me. The man I
could have LOVED was married to my sister, the man I could have
married and lived with in comfort to both of us was out of the
question; it was in the Bates blood to marry about the time I did;
I had seen only the very best of your father, and he was an
attractive lover, not bad looking, not embarrassed with one single
scruple -- it's the way of the world. I took it. I paid for it.
Only God knows how dearly I paid; but Adam, if you love me, stand
by me now. Let me have this eleventh hour happiness, with no
alloy. Anything I feel for your Uncle Robert has nothing in the
world to do with my being your mother; with you being my son.
Kiss me, and tell me you're glad, Adam."