urse, mother; but there are plenty of boys who
don't go to college. I shall be no worse off than they."

"I am glad you bear the disappointment so well, Andy. It is of you your
father and I have thought chiefly since the blow fell upon us."

"Who will advance father the money on mortgage, mother?"

"Squire Carter has expressed a willingness to do so. He will be here
this evening to talk it over."

"I am sorry for that, mother. He is a hard man. If there is a chance to
take advantage of father, he won't hesitate to do it."

CHAPTER II.

SQUIRE CARTER.

When Mr. Grant entered the room, he seemed to Andy to have grown five
years older. His face was sad, and he had lost the brisk, cheerful
manner which was habitual to him.

"Has your mother told you?" he asked.

"Yes, father." Then he added with indignation: "What a wicked man Mr.
Lawrence must be!"

"I suppose he was tempted," said Mr. Grant, slowly. "Here is a note I
received from him this morning."

Andy took the envelope from his father's hand, and, opening it, read the
following lines:

"OLD FRIEND: Perhaps by the time you receive this letter you will
have heard of the wrong I have done you and yours, and the loss I
have brought upon you. It is to me a source of the greatest sorrow,
for I fear you will never recover from it. I am just ready to go
away. I cannot stay here to receive punishment, for it would tie my
hands, and prevent my making reparation, as I hope some day to do.
Why did I go wrong? I can't explain, except that it was infatuation.
In a moment of madness I took some of the funds of the bank and
risked them in Wall Street. I lost and went in deeper, hoping to be
more fortunate and replace the stolen money. That is the way such
things usually happen.

"I can say no more, except that it will be my earnest effort to give
you back the money you will lose by me. It may take years, but I
hope we both shall live long enough for me to do it.

"NATHAN LAWRENCE."

Andy read this letter in silence and gave it back to his father.

"Do you believe he is sincere?" he asked.

"Yes; he has many good points, and I believe he really feels attached to
me."

"He has taken a strange way to show it."

"He was weak, and yielded to temptation. There are many like him."

"Do you believe he will ever be able to make up the loss?"

"I don't know. He is a man of fine business talent, and m