“I am your father. Willetts would take only the two hundred shares he had promised to take for his children. I knew your heart was set upon raising the money, and that you would have been disappointed with your certain failure with your other friends, so I--I told Willetts to subscribe for the whole two thousand shares and to tell you he would distribute them later. I would take the rest. I knew you wanted it, Thomas. And being himself a father, he understood. I spoke to some friends and they were willing, but they were not your friends; and then I thought, 'Why shouldn't my only son own that stock himself?' And so it's your stock. It's paid for and nobody can take it away from you.” He paused. Then he repeated. “Nobody can take it away from you!” and looked defiantly at his only son. Tommy's heart sank; but he shook his head kindly and, as one speaks to a child, said: “Well, I'll have to give it up. Mr. Thompson said he would buy the stock back himself--” “Certainly not!” interrupted Mr. Leigh, decidedly. “At an advance of five per cent., father.” “Certainly not. It's your stock, bought and paid for--” The stubborn look on Mr. Leigh's face made Tommy interrupt sternly: “Yes, but paid for with what money?” The old man started. He seemed suddenly to remember something now for the first time. He waved his hand as though he were brushing away an annoying insect. Then he said, firmly: “Willetts got his money. It was arranged that the stock would be transferred to whatever name I gave him. He didn't give the money to you. I gave it to him--a hundred and eighty thousand dollars, as I had agreed.” Tommy was so sure now that he was right in all he had surmised that his own resolutions came back to him.. He looked at his father steadily and forgivingly. What he had planned to do must be done. The secret must become public property. Then the agony would be ended. “I understand perfectly, dad; but it makes a difference where the money came from.” “It came from your father,” retorted Mr. Leigh, sternly. “Yes, I know all that. But where did my father get it?” said Tommy, patiently. The old man took a step toward his son and checked himself abruptly. “I took it,” he spoke in a low voice, “from the bank.” Tommy's heart stopped beating. He had known there could be no other explanation, and yet this was really the first as it was the final confirmation. That his father was not in his right mind Tommy knew now. Long years of brooding--and the habit of taking! Unfortunate success in averting discovery had made him feel safe. Tommy craved to ask Thompson for advice. If Thompson were only here he would know what questions to ask and what remedies to suggest. If Thompson were only in New York! But he wasn't and Tommy was, and Tommy must fight alone. He must fight the president of the bank--but not his own father! “Then we'll have to put the money back in the bank, dad--don't you see?” “Put it back?” repeated Mr. Leigh.