"Has your mother told you?" he asked.
"Yes, father." Then he added with indignation: "What a wicked man Mr. Lawrence must be!"
"I suppose he was tempted," said Mr. Grant, slowly. "Here is a note I received from him this morning."
Andy took the envelope from his father's hand, and, opening it, read the following lines:
"OLD FRIEND: Perhaps by the time you receive this letter you will
have heard of the wrong I have done you and yours, and the loss I
have brought upon you. It is to me a source of the greatest sorrow,
for I fear you will never recover from it. I am just ready to go
away. I cannot stay here to receive punishment, for it would tie my
hands, and prevent my making reparation, as I hope some day to do.
Why did I go wrong? I can't explain, except that it was infatuation.
In a moment of madness I took some of the funds of the bank and
risked them in Wall Street. I lost and went in deeper, hoping to be
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."