ecome an inveterate
gambler, and had lost his money at cards, and went away from college
leaving many debts unpaid.

"The father of the boys was a manufacturer, and was also president of
the bank in the little city where they lived. A bank is a place where
other people's money is kept for them, and whenever the people who keep
money there need any, they come and get what they need. When Tom left
college he was taken into the bank, and before Bill's graduation had
been advanced to the position of cashier, and had married a very fine
young woman. The cashier is the man that has charge of the money in the
bank.

"It was thought best also for Bill to enter the bank, which he did a few
months after his return from college, as assistant to his brother.

"Things went on very well until, one day, a man came to examine the bank
and to see if all the money was safely there, and the examiner, as the
man was called, discovered a shortage. That is, there was not as much
money in the bank as there should have been. The shortage lay between
the two brothers. Tom, in terrible distress, admitted to Bill that he
had 'just borrowed' the money to invest in stocks--which is a way
people speak of one kind of gambling--but that the investment had
failed, and he had lost it.

"You do not know, Partner, what stocks are, but I'll tell you some other
time.

"When this happened Tom had a little baby boy at home, about two months
old. Bill loved his brother, and he loved his brother's baby very much.

"'Tom,' said Bill, 'I've always stood by you since we were little boys
and played in the garden together, and I'm going to stand by you now. If
the loss is laid to you it will ruin not only your life but the lives of
your wife and your baby. I'll say that I took the money and you must not
say I did not.'

"'No,' said Tom, 'I can't let you do that! It's too much! It's too big a
sacrifice!'

"'Yes, you will,' said Bill. 'It will likely ruin my life, I know, but
I'm only one. If it's laid on you, three lives will be ruined. Just
promise me you'll live straight after this, and never gamble again.'

"Tom promised, and Bill was sure he meant it, and when their father, who
had been sent for by the examiner, arrived at the bank, Bill, as agreed,
told his father he had taken the money.

"Of course there was a terrible scene. Bill was not arrested for his
father did not wish the family disgraced, but he was driven from home,
with very little money