ts. That was the
case with my father."

"What did you do?"

"Do? I borrowed from him."

"How could you do that? Was he willing?"

"He didn't know it."

"Didn't know that you borrowed money of him?"

"No. You are an only child, are you not?"

"Yes."

"So am I. You will be sole heir to your father's property, won't you?"

"Of course," answered Philip, with an air of consequence.

"Then, really, the property may be considered yours now--at least in
part."

"I suppose so."

"That's the way I look at it. Well, I happened to know where my father
kept his government bonds, and I borrowed one."

"Wasn't that stealing?" asked Philip.

"It would have been if the bond had belonged to a stranger, but, as it
was likely to be mine some day, of course, that made it different."

"What did your father say?" asked Philip, anxiously.

"Oh, he made a fuss; but the bond wasn't registered, and he hadn't a
memorandum of the number, so he couldn't do anything. I sold it through
a friend, and while the money lasted I was in clover."

"My father has got some government bonds," said Philip; "but I shouldn't
dare to take one, although, as you say, they will be mine some day."

"Suppose your father did find it out--which is not at all likely--you
are his son, and you could tell him plainly that your small allowance
compelled you to do it."

"I shouldn't know how to dispose of the bond, if I did take one."

"Oh, I would manage that for you! That is the only thing there would be
any risk about; but you are a friend of mine."

"Yes, I know you are a good friend," said foolish Philip, who, it is
needless to say, could hardly have had a worse enemy than the one who
offered him such bad advice.

"So I am, but I don't take any credit for that," answered wily Congreve.
"People are apt to deceive themselves about such things, you know, as a
son's appropriating what really belongs to him; but I know the world
better than you, and understand how to look at things."

"It may be as you say," said Philip, growing nervous at the idea of
robbing his father, "but I don't think I like the plan."

"Oh, very well; I only suggested it for your good," said Congreve,
preparing to draw the net around his victim.

"If you have any other way of paying me the twenty-three dollars you owe
me, it's all the same to me."

"But I thought," said Philip, in alarm, "that you were in no hurry about
it. You said I might win it back."

"So you may, a