It is better to answer such questions when the young ask them.
And over it all she pondered and pored, and used a dictionary and shuddered, frightening herself into a morbid condition until, desperately scared, she even thought of going to Duane about it; but could not find the hardihood to do it or the vocabulary necessary.
Now Duane was gone; and the book lay there between her knees, all its technical vagueness menacing her with unknown terrors; and she felt that she could endure it alone no longer.
She wrote him: "You have not been gone an hour, and already I need you.

I wish to ask you about something that is troubling me; I've asked Kathleen and she doesn't know; and Dr.Bailey was horrid to me, and I tried to find out from Scott whether he knew, but he wasn't much interested.

So, Duane, who else is there for me to ask except you?
And I don't exactly know whether I may speak about such matters to you, but I'm rather frightened, and densely ignorant.
"It is this, dear; in a medical book which I read, it says that hereditary taints are transmissible; that sometimes they may skip the second generation but only to appear surely in the third.

But it also says that the taint is very likely to appear in _every_ generation.
"Duane, is this _true_?
It has worried me sick since I read it.
Because, my darling, if it is so, is it not another reason for our not marrying?
"Do you understand?
I can and will eradicate what is threatening _me_, but if I marry you--you _do_ understand, don't you?
Isn't it all right for me to ask you whether, if we should have children, this thing would menace them?
Oh, Duane--Duane! Have I any right to marry?
Children come--God knows how, for nobody ever told me exactly, and I'm a fool about such things--but I summoned up courage to ask Dr.Bailey if there was any way to tell before I married whether I would have any, and he said I would if I had any notion of my duty and any pretence to self-respect.

And I don't know what he means and I'm bewildered and miserable and afraid to marry you even when I myself become perfectly well.