This was all that was said on the subject for another quarter, during which time the two young men alluded to as being in arrears, went off, cheating the widow out of fifty dollars each. But nothing was said about it to the other boarders, and none of them knew of the wrong that had been sustained. Their places did not fill up, and the promised weekly income was reduced to twenty-four dollars. At the end of the third quarter, Mr. Cameron again recollected that he had neglected to bring up a check from the counting-room, and blamed himself for his thoughtlessness. "I am so full of business," said he, "that I sometimes neglect these little things." "But it's a downright shame, Mr. Cameron, when it's so easy for you to draw off a check and put it into your pocket," remarked his wife. "O, it's not a particle of difference," Mrs. Turner volunteered to say, smiling--though, to tell the truth, she would much rather have had the money. "Well, I'll try and bear it in mind this very night," and Mr. Cameron hurried away, as business pressed. The morning after Mr. Cameron's fourth quarter expired, he walked out, as usual, with his wife before breakfast. But when all assembled at the table, they had not (something very uncommon for them) returned. "I wonder what keeps Mr. and Mrs. Cameron?" remarked Mrs. Turner. "Why, I saw them leave in the steamboat for the South, this morning," said one of the boarders. "You must be mistaken," Mrs. Turner replied. "O no, ma'am, not at all. I saw them, and conversed with them before the boat started. They told me that they were going on as far as Washington." "Very strange!" ejaculated Mrs. Turner. "They said nothing to me about it." "I hope they don't owe you any thing," remarked one of the boarders. "Indeed, they do." "Not much, ma'am; I hope." "Over five hundred dollars." "O, that is too bad! How could you trust a man like Mr. Cameron to such an amount?" "Why, surely," said Mrs. Turner, "he is a respectable and a responsible merchant; and I was in no want of the money." "Indeed, Mrs. Turner, he is no such thing." "Then what is he?" "He is one of your gentlemen about town, and lives, I suppose, by gambling. At least such is the reputation he bears. I thought you perfectly understood this." "How cruelly I have been deceived!" said Mrs. Turner, unable to command her feelings; and rising, she left the table in charge of Mary. On examining Mr. and Mrs. Cameron's room, their trunk was found, but it was empty. The owners of it, of course, came not back to claim their property.