Ben. Alas!

"I'd do it in a minute Jim; but I've been trying a sort of experiment.
I had a chance to buy some capital stock, five hundred dollars' worth,
and I just scraped up everything I had, and borrowed, so I'm behind, and
must catch up. You've been pretty gay, haven't you, Jim?"

"I have been an idiot," replied Jim, sturdily. "But I have learned a
lesson."

"You just go to Joe. He's the best fellow in all the world. Don't worry
father about it; he takes such pride in his young collegian," and Ben
smiled with generous kindliness upon his younger brother.

That was the best thing certainly; yet it was days before Jim could
summon sufficient courage. And then he found, as he blundered a little
over the matter, that Joe thought it worse than it really was.

"Have you been gambling?" the elder asked gravely.

"No, not that, Joe. It's all been a silly sort of extravagance. I am mad
at myself when I think of it." He wouldn't say he had been tempted by a
girl into much unwise expenditure. How could he have been so weak!

"It will be all right," returned Joe. "I am glad it is not gambling
debts; though a hundred dollars wouldn't cover much. I hope you are
coming through in good shape."

"You may be sure of that. Oh, Joe, how kind you are!"

"What is brotherhood for, if not that?" said Joe gravely.

He would not put himself in the way of meeting Miss Ludlow, though she
did send him two rather plaintive notes. Early in June, the marriage
took place; and the bride's trousseau was quite magnificent, if it was
not made in Paris. Mrs. Nicoll was delighted with what she termed her
grandniece's good sense, and gave her a handsome set of rubies, beside
having her diamonds reset for her. And when she died, some two months
later, it was found she had made a new will on Lily's wedding day, in
which she bequeathed the bride all her personal effects and some
valuable bank-stock, if the amount was not very large. The next winter,
Mrs. Williamson took her place in society, and was quite a married
belle, managing her husband as adroitly as she had managed her lovers.

Jim studied day and almost night to make up for the dissipation of the
winter, and passed with honour, though Joe had hoped he would have one
of the orations. He went immediately into the law office of a friend of
Stephen's as clerk and copyist while he was waiting for the new term of
the law school.

Charles Reed did distinguish himself, and was one of the heroes