il.
The fall in the price of the stock, as we have already notified you,
exhausted the money you placed in our hands as margin.

"Yours respectfully,"
"BIRD & BRANT."

"I hope, Cousin Hamilton, you won't be too hard on the poor boy," said
the housekeeper. "He thought he would be able to replace the money."

"You and Conrad have done your best to prejudice me against Ben."

"You are mistaken," said the housekeeper quickly, showing some
evidence of agitation.

"I have learned that the letter which lured Ben to a gambling house
was concocted between you. The letter I have in my possession."

"Who told you such a falsehood? If it is Ben--"

"It is not Ben, Mrs. Hill. He is as much surprised as you are to
learn it now. The letter I submitted to an expert, who has positively
identified the handwriting as yours, Mrs. Hill. You were very
persistent in your attempts to make me believe than Ben was addicted
to frequenting gambling houses."

"I see you are determined to believe me guilty," said Mrs. Hill.
"Perhaps you think I know about the opera glass and this stock
gambling?"

"I have no evidence of it, but I know enough to justify me in taking a
decisive step."

Mrs. Hill listened apprehensively.

"It is this: you and Conrad must leave my house. I can no longer
tolerate your presence here."

"You send us out to starve?" said the housekeeper bitterly.

"No; I will provide for you. I will allow you fifty dollars a month
and Conrad half as much, and you can board where you please."

"While that boy usurps our place?" said Mrs. Hill bitterly.

"That is a matter to be decided between Ben and myself."

"We will go at once," said the housekeeper.

"I don't require it. You can stay here until you have secured a
satisfactory boarding place."

But Conrad and his mother left the house the next morning. They saw
that Mrs. Hamilton was no longer to be deceived, and they could gain
nothing by staying. There was an angry scene between the mother and
son.

"Were you mad, Conrad," said his mother, "to steal, where you were sure
to be found out? It is your folly that has turned Cousin Hamilton
against us?"

"No; it is that boy. I'd like to wring his neck!"

"I hope he will come to some bad end," said Mrs. Hill malignantly.
"If he had not come to the house none of this would have happened."

Meanwhile Ben and his patroness had a sat