One day he ventured to remonstrate.

"But, dad, maybe I--I shan't be a great artist at all. Maybe I shan't
be even a little one. Maybe I shall be just a--a man."

Keith never forgot his father's answer nor his father's anguished face
as he made that answer.

"Keith, I don't ever want you to let me hear you say that again. I
want you to KNOW that you're going to succeed. And you will succeed.
God will not be so cruel as to deny me that. _I_ have failed. You
needn't shake your head, boy, and say 'Oh, dad!' like that. I know
perfectly well what I'm talking about. _I_ HAVE FAILED---though it is
not often that I'll admit it, even to myself. But when I heard you say
to-day---

"Keith, listen to me. You've got to succeed. You've got to succeed not
only for yourself, but for Jerry and Ned, and for--me. All my hopes
for Jerry and Ned and for--myself are in you, boy. That's why, in all
our walks together, and at home in the studio, I'm trying to teach you
something that you will want to know by and by."

Keith never remonstrated with his father after that. He felt worse
than ever now when his father talked of what great things he was going
to do; but he knew that remonstrances would do no good, but rather
harm; and he did not want to hear his father talk again as he had
talked that day, about Jerry and Ned and himself. As if it were not
bad enough, under the best of conditions, to have to be great and
famous for one's two dead brothers and one's father; while if one were