live, and
I am going to board with you."

"The boy's crazy!" exclaimed Mrs. Bradford.

"Then there is a method in my madness, Aunt Jane. But I won't keep
you in suspense any longer. Uncle Matthew isn't dead at all. He's
taken a fancy to me, and is going to allow me an income of a
thousand dollars a year. He will take care of you and Tony, too. He
is going to hire or buy a house in Boston, and we are all going to live
together. What do you say to that? Will you go, or do you prefer to
go to the poorhouse?"

Mrs. Bradford made up her mind at once to go to Boston. No one
had ever seen her so cheerful as she was for the remainder of the
day.

Not to dwell upon details, in less than a month the little family was
installed in a comfortable house in Boston. Tony had commenced
attending school near-by, and Ben had been admitted to the Latin
School, where he began to prepare for college in earnest. Porter &
Jones were sorry to lose him, but agreed that he had chosen wisely in
abandoning business for a school.

Ben is now an undergraduate at Harvard College, with a high rank
for scholarship. He has not decided upon his future course; but it
is possible that his uncle may purchase an interest for him, at
graduation, in the firm where he served as a boy.

I cannot close without recording, with satisfaction, the great
improvement that has taken place in Sam Archer. Always a bright
and smart boy, in adversity he has gotten rid of his disagreeable
traits and developed a business capacity which promises well for
his future success. Ben has done him many favors, and the two
are excellent friends. Of Mr. Archer nothing has been heard. It
is rumored that he is living in an obscure town in France, on the
proceeds of his defalcation. Sam promises to redeem the name
which his father has sullied.

Uncle Matthew is several years older than when we first met him, but
happiness has had the effect of making him look younger. He
probably has several years of life yet before him. He is attached to
his niece and Tony, who is now a bright schoolboy of twelve; but
his chief attachment is to Ben, whose college career he follows with
pride and satisfaction.

THE END

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