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 "No."

"She'd be likely to go with you?"

"Yes, she'd go anywhere I chose, I guess."

"She must be the right sort."

There was a pause, and Jason struck suddenly at the thing that had been hanging over both of them like a shadow. "Out there, you'd be where your Ma couldn't put her nose in."

"Oh, I'm going away. . . . I'm not going to stay here."

Jason suddenly brightened. "Then come along with me. I'd even wait till you could get away. We ought to get better acquainted, Philip, and you'd like it out there." He laid a hand suddenly on Philip's arm. "I'll tell you something, if you promise not to tell your Ma . . . at least not till I'm gone."

He looked searchingly at Philip, who asked, "What is it?"

"You mustn't tell. You've got to promise."

"No, I won't tell."

"You've got brothers and sisters out in Australia!"

Jason looked at him with an air of expectancy, but Philip only looked puzzled.

"What on earth do you mean by that, Pa?"

"You wouldn't be alone out there. You see I've got a family there too. . . . You'd have brothers and sisters there."

"But you're married to Ma."

"That's all right. I ain't a bigamist. I've just never been married to Dora—that's my other wife. She knows about Em. I told her everything. I guess she always liked me so much that not being married didn't matter." 