"Oh, by the way, Ropes, I've got your old place," said Jasper in
exultation.

"I thought you would get it," answered Rodney, not without a pang.

"Come into the store some day, Ropes. It will seem like old times."

"I shall not enter the store till I am able to clear myself of the
charge made against me."

"Then probably you will stay away a long time."

"I am afraid so."

"Well, ta, ta! Come along, Philip."

As Rodney followed with his eye the figure of his complacent successor
he felt that his fate was indeed a hard one.

CHAPTER XV.

A RICH FIND.

As Jasper and his companion moved away, Carton said, "I'm sorry for that
poor duffer, Jasper."

"Why should you be sorry?" asked Jasper, frowning.

"Because he has lost a good place and good prospects, and all for no
fault of his own."

"You are getting sentimental, Philip," sneered Jasper.

"No, but I am showing a little humanity. He has lost all this through
you----"

"Through us, you mean."

"Well, through us. We have made him the scapegoat for our sins."

"Oh well, he is making a living."

"A pretty poor one. I don't think you would like to be reduced to
selling papers."

"His case and mine are different."

"I begin to think also that we have made a mistake in getting him
discharged so soon."

"We can't take anything more."

"Why not?"

"Because there will be no one to lay the blame upon. He is out of the
store."

"That is true. I didn't think of that. But I invited him to come around
and call. If he should, and something else should be missing it would be
laid to him."

"I don't believe he will call. I am terribly hard up, and our source of
income has failed us. Haven't you got a dollar or two to spare?"

"No," answered Jasper coldly. "I only get seven dollars a week."

"But you have nearly all that. You only have to hand in two dollars a
week to your uncle."

"Look here, Philip Carton, I hope you don't expect to live off me. I
have all I can do to take care of myself."

Carton looked at Jasper in anger and mortification.

"I begin to understand how good a friend you are," he said.

"I am not fool enough to pinch myself to keep you," said Jasper bluntly.
"You are a man of twenty five and I am only a boy. You ought to be able
to take care of yourself."

"Just give me a dollar, or lend it Jasper, and I will risk it at play.
I may rise from the table with a hundred. If I do I will pay you
handsomely for the loan."