InthisconscientiouswayweretheshacklesofthatunhallowedrelationshipslowlyrivetedontheunfortunateProssy。Inhisintercoursewithhiscomradesduringthenexttwoorthreedaystheirattitudewasshowninfrequentandostentatiouspraiseofhismother，andsuggestiveadvice，suchas:“Iwouldn’tstopatthesaloon，Prossy；youroldmotheriswantin’ye；“or，“Chuckthat’eretarpolinoveryourshoulders，Pross，anddon’ttakeyourwetdudsintothehousethatyeroldmother’sbinmakin’tidy。“Oddlyenough，muchofthisadvicewasquitesincere，andrepresented——foratleasttwentyminutes——thehonestsentimentsofthespeaker。
　　Prosperwastouchedatwhatseemedarevivalofthesentimentunderwhichhehadacted，forgothisuneasiness，andbecamequitehimselfagain——afactalsonoticedbyhiscritics。“Ye’veonlytokeephimuptohisworkandhe’llbethewidder’sjoyagin，“saidCyrusBrewster。CertainlyhewassofarencouragedthathehadalongconversationwithMrs。Pottingerthatnight，withtheresultthatthenextmorningJoeWynbrook，CyrusBrewster，HankMann，andKentuckyIkewereinvitedtospendtheeveningatthenewhouse。
　　Asthemen，cleanshirtedanddecentlyjacketed，filedintotheneatsittingroomwithitsbrightcarpet，itscheerfulfire，itssidetablewithasnowyclothonwhichshiningteaandcoffeepotswerestanding，theirheartsthrilledwithsatisfaction。Inalargestuffedrockingchair，Prossy’soldmother，wrappedupinashawlandsomemysteriousillhealthwhichseemedtoforbidanyexertion，receivedthemwithgenteellanguorandanextendedblackmitten。
　　“Icannot，“saidMrs。Pottinger，withsadpensiveness，“offeryouthehospitalityofmyownhome，gentlemen——youremember，Prosper，dear，thelargesalonandourstaffofservantsatLexingtonAvenue！——butsincemysonhaspersuadedmetotakechargeofhishumblecot，Ihopeyouwillmakeallallowancesforitsdeficiencies——even，“sheadded，castingalookofmildreproachontheastonishedProsper——“evenifHEcannot。“
　　“I’msureheoughtertobethankfultoye，ma’am，“saidJoeWynbrookquickly，“formakin’abreaktocomeheretolive，jestezwe’rethankful——speakin’fortherestofthiscamp——foryerlightin’usupezyou’redoin’！IreckonI’mspeakin’forthecrowd，“headded，lookingroundhim。
　　Murmursof“That’sso“and“Youbet“passedthroughthecompany，andoneortwocastahalf-indignantglanceatProsper。
　　“It’sonlynatural，“continuedMrs。Pottingerresignedly，“thathavinglivedsolongalone，mydearProspermayatfirstbealittleimpatientofhisoldmother’scontrol，andperhapsregrethisinvitation。“
　　“Ohno，ma’am，“saidtheembarrassedProsper。
　　ButherethemercurialWynbrookinterposedonbehalfofamityandthecamp’sespritdecorps。“Why，Lord！ma’am，he’sjestbinlongin’forye！Timesandtimesaginhe’stalkedaboutye；sayin’
　　howefhecouldonlygetyeoutofyerFifthAvenuesaloontosharehishumblelotwithhimhere，he’ddiehappy！YOU’VEheardhimtalk，Brewster？“
　　“Frequent，“repliedtheaccommodatingBrewster。
　　“PartofthesimplerefreshmentIhavetoofferyou，“continuedMrs。Pottinger，ignoringfurthercomment，“isaviandtheexactqualityofwhichIamnotfamiliarwith，butwhichmysoninformsmeisagreatfavoritewithyou。IthasbeenpreparedbyLiSing，undermydirection。Prosper，dear，seethatthe——er——doughnuts——
　　arebroughtinwiththecoffee。“
　　Satisfactionbeamedonthefacesofthecompany，withperhapsthesoleexceptionofProsper。Asadishcontaininganumberofbrownglisteningspheresofbakeddoughwasbroughtin，themen’seyesshoneinsympatheticappreciation。Yetthatepicureanlightwasforamomentdulledaseachmangraspedasphere，andthensatmotionlesswithitinhishand，asifitwasaballandtheywerewaitingthesignalforplaying。
　　“Iamtold，“saidMrs。Pottinger，withaglanceofChristiantoleranceatProsper，“thatlightnessisconsidereddesirablebysome——perhapsyougentlemenmayfindthemheavy。“
　　“Tharistwokinds，“saidthediplomaticJoecheerfully，ashebegantonibblehis，sideways，likeasquirrel，“lightandheavy；
　　somelikes’emoneway，andsomeanother。“
　　Theywerehardandheavy，butthemen，assistedbythesteamingcoffee，finishedthemwithheroicpoliteness。“Andnow，gentlemen，“saidMrs。Pottinger，leaningbackinherchairandcalmlysurveyingtheparty，“youhavemypermissiontolightyourpipeswhileyoupartakeofsomewhiskeyandwater。“
　　Theguestslookedup——gratifiedbutastonished。“Areyesure，ma’am，youdon’tmindit？“saidJoepolitely。
　　“Notatall，“respondedMrs。Pottingerbriefly。“Infact，asmyphysicianadvisestheinhalationoftobaccosmokeformyasthmaticdifficulties，Iwilljoinyou。“Afteramoment’sfumblinginabeadedbagthathungfromherwaist，sheproducedasmallblackclaypipe，filleditfromthesamereceptacle，andlitit。
　　Athrillofsurprisewentroundthecompany，anditwasnoticedthatProsperseemedequallyconfounded。Nevertheless，thisawkwardnesswasquicklyovercomebytheprivilegeandexamplegiventhem，andwith，aglassofwhiskeyandwaterbeforethem，themenwerespeedilyattheirease。NordidMrs。Pottingerdisdaintomingleintheirdesultorytalk。Sittingtherewithherblackpipeinhermouth，butstillpreciseandsuperior，shetoldathrillingwhalingadventureofProsper’sfatherdrawnevidentlyfromtheexperienceofthelamentedPottinger，whichnotonlydeeplyinterestedherhearers，butmomentarilyexaltedProsperintheirmindsasthesonofthathero。“Nowyouspeako’that，ma’am，“
　　saidtheingenuousWynbrook，“there’sagooddealo’Prossyinthatyarno’hisfather’s；samekindo’keerlessgrit！Youremember，boys，thatdaythedambrokeandhestoodthar，thewateruptohisneck，heavin’logsinthebreaktillhestoppedit。“Briefly，theevening，inspiteofitsinitialculinaryfailureanditssurprises，wasadecidedsocialsuccess，andeventhebewilderedanddoubtingProsperwenttobedrelieved。Itwasfollowedbymanyandmoreinformalgatheringsatthehouse，andMrsPottingersofarunbent——ifthattermcouldbeusedofonewhoneveralteredherprimnessofmanner——astojoininagameofpoker——andevenpermittedherselftowin。
　　ButbytheendofsixweeksanotherchangeintheirfeelingstowardsProsperseemedtocreepinsidiouslyoverthecamp。Hehadbeenreceivedintohisformerfellowship，andeventhepresenceofhismotherhadbecomefamiliar，buthebegantobeanobjectofsecretcommiseration。Theystillfrequentedthehouse，butamongthemselvesafterwardstheytalkedinwhispers。TherewasnodoubttothemthatProsper’soldmotherdranknotonlywhathersonhadprovided，butwhatshesurreptitiouslyobtainedfromthesaloon。
　　Therewasthetestimonyofthebarkeeper，himselfconcernedequallywiththecampintheintegrityoftheRiggshousehold。Andtherewasanevendarkersuspicion。ButthismustbegiveninJoeWynbrook’sownwords:——
　　“Ididn’tmindtheoldwomanwinnin’andwinnin’reg’lar——forpoker’sanunsartingame；——itain’tthemoneythatwe’relosin’——
　　forit’sallinthecamp。Butwhenshe’sdevelopingahabito’
　　holdin’FOURaceswhensomebodyelsehezTWO，whodon’tliketoletonbecauseit’sProsper’soldmother——it’sgettin’rough！Anddangeroustoo，gentlemen，iftherehappenedtobeanoutsiderin，oroneoftheboysshouldkick。Why，IsawBilsongrindhisteeth——
　　heholdin’asequenceflush——acehigh——whenthedearoldcritterlaiddownherreg’larfouracesandrakedinthepile。Wehadtonearlykickhislegsoffunderthetableaforehe’dunderstand——nothavin’anoldmotherhimself。“
　　“SomeunwillhevtotackleherwithoutProssyknowin’it。Foritwouldjestbreakhisheart，arterallhe’sgonethroughtogetherhere！“saidBrewstersignificantly。
　　“OnlessheDIDknowitanditwasthatwhatmadehimsosorrowfulwhentheyfirstcame。B’gosh！Ineverthoughto’that，“saidWynbrook，withoneofhischaracteristicsuddenilluminations。
　　“Well，gentlemen，whetherhedidornot，“saidthebarkeeperstoutly，“hemustneverknowthatWEknowit。No，notiftheoldgalcleansoutmybarandtakesthelastscadinthecamp。“
　　Andtothisnoblesentimenttheyrespondedasoneman。
　　Howfartheywouldhavebeenabletocarryoutthatheroicresolvewasneverknown，foraneventoccurredwhicheclipseditsimportance。OnemorningatbreakfastMrs。PottingerfixedacloudedeyeuponProsper。
　　“Prosper，“shesaid，withfelldeliberation“yououghttoknowyouhaveasister。“
　　“Yes，ma’am，“returnedProsper，withthatmeeknesswithwhichheusuallyreceivedthesefamilydisclosures。
　　“Asister，“continuedthelady，“whomyouhaven’tseensinceyouwereachild；asisterwhoforfamilyreasonshasbeenlivingwithotherrelatives；agirlofnineteen。“
　　“Yea，ma’am，“saidProsperhumbly。“Butefyouwouldn’tmindwritin’allthatdownonabito’paper——yeknowmyshortmemory！
　　Iwouldgetitbyheartto-dayinthegulch。I’dhaveitallpatenoughbynight，ef，“headded，withashortsigh，“yewaskalkilatin’tomakeanyillusionstoitwhentheboysarehere。“
　　“YoursisterAugusta，“continuedMrs。Pottinger，calmlyignoringthesedetails，“willbehereto-morrowtomakemeavisit。“
　　ButherethewormProspernotonlyturned，butstoodup，nearlyupsettingthetable。“Itcan’tbedid，ma’amitMUSTN’Tbedid！“
　　hesaidwildly。“It’senoughformetohaveplayedthiscampwithYOU——butnowtorunin“——
　　“Can’tbedid！“repeatedMrs。Pottinger，risinginherturnandfixingupontheunfortunateProsperapairofmurkypiraticaleyesthathadoncequelledthesea-rovingPottinger。“Doyou，myadoptedson，daretotellmethatIcan’thavemyownfleshandbloodbeneathmyroof？“
　　“Yes！I’drathertellthewholestory——I’drathertelltheboysI
　　fooledthem——thangoonagain！“burstouttheexcitedProsper。