n view of this, was it not rather a source of secret satisfaction to
look ahead to the possibility of his daughter's future? Matthew's father
was the most wealthy man in town, and president of the bank in which the
doctor held a large amount of stock. Matthew would probably succeed his
father in a few years, and would not only be very rich, but would be
connected with a very desirable business--that of banking.

Dr. Dutton, like almost every other man, would have been proud to have
his daughter become the wife of a wealthy and promising young man, and,
so far as he knew, Matthew bade fair to become such. To be sure, people
said he was a little wild, but that would wear away.

"He, of course, like many other boys, had to sow a few wild oats," said
the doctor to himself, when he had been thinking of the subject, "but he
will come out all right."

Herein the doctor erred in his judgment, for the sowing of "wild oats,"
so called, is never safe; and it has been the dangerous license granted
to thousands and thousands of boys which has caused their ruin.

Whatever a boy practises becomes after a time a habit; and the rooting
up of such a habit is a matter that requires no little attention and
force of will. The average person finds himself unable to grapple
successfully with what has at last become a second nature, thus proving
beyond peradventure that it is never safe to tamper with anything that
is evil.

I would not wish to give the impression that Dr. Dutton knew how corrupt
Matthew was. He simply overlooked the boy's evil tendency; but when he
came to listen to Mr. Farrington's story, which went into the details
and related in full all that occurred in the barroom, and then described
the contemptibly mean trick of enticing Fred to his house with the
promise of entering with him, it put quite another face on the matter.
Moreover, it raised Fred to a height in the doctor's estimation which
contrasted strongly with the depth to which Matthew sank.

XXIX.

Jacob Simmons had received his first lesson at his new employment.
Fred's ready way of imparting instruction did much to facilitate his
progress. After the cloth had been placed on the machine and everything
fixed for a long run, Fred left him to watch it and keep it in its
proper place, while he went up to the other room to give attention to
that portion of the business.

Once alone he had a chance to think, unhindered by the presence of any
one.

"What