She had wanted to wait until he was old enough to understand, so that she should not lose his love when he came to know the truth.

There had been, moreover, always this fear--would he love her for shielding his mother, or would he hate Lucy when he came to know?
She had once talked it all over with Captain Holt, but she could never muster up the courage to take his advice.
"Tell him," he had urged.

"It'll save you a lot o' trouble in the end.
That'll let me out and I kin do for him as I want to.

You've lived under this cloud long enough--there ain't nobody can live a lie a whole lifetime, Miss Jane.

I'll take my share of the disgrace along of my dead boy, and you ain't done nothin', God knows, to be ashamed of.