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 may be able in
time to do something, but his defalcation amounts to twenty thousand
dollars."

"We must try to make the best of it, father. You have been spending
three hundred dollars a year for me, besides the expense of my clothes.
If that is saved, it will make up your loss of income."