“Then your application does not fit a football-game. Brad, you know it is not right to meet dishonesty with dishonesty. That is not the way to combat it.”
“It’s about the only way to combat it successfully.”
“I don’t know about that.”
“You’ll find it is.”
“I don’t believe any fellow can afford it, Brad.”
“Afford it?”
“Yes.”
“Why, what——”
“Every little dishonest thing a chap does weakens his moral nature. It is not often a burglar becomes a burglar at a single step. He descends to that level by degrees. He does some little crooked act in the first place; then he does something worse, and step by step he goes down the hill, until at last he is a thorough criminal.”
“Great goodness!” exploded Brad. “You didn’t fancy I was taking my first step in crime, did you?”