Probably not, for it
had come before his birth. He only wondered
that the secret had never got out before. There
must be many persons who had known her as
a prisoner, and could identify her now. She
had certainly been fortunate with the fear
of discovery always haunting her. Carl could
not understand how she could carry her head
so high, and attempt to tyrannize over his father
and himself.
What the result would be when Dr. Crawford
learned the antecedents of the woman
whom he called wife Carl did not for a
moment doubt. His father was a man of very
strict ideas on the subject of honor, and good
repute, and the discovery would lead him to
turn from Mrs. Crawford in abhorrence. Moreover,
he was strongly opposed to divorce, and
Carl had heard him argue that a divorced person
should not be permitted to remarry. Yet
in ignorance he had married a divorced
woman, who had been convicted of theft, and
served a term of imprisonment. The discovery
would be a great shock to him, and it
would lead to a separation and restore the
cordial relations between himself and his son.
Not long after his settlement in Milford;
Carl had written as follows to his father:
"Dear Father:--Though I felt obliged to
leave home for reasons which we both understand,
I am sure that you will feel interested
to know how I am getting along. I did not
realize till I had started out how difficult it is
for a boy, brought up like myself, to support
himself when thrown upon his own exertions.
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