"
"Do you know, Auntie Sue," said the banker, reflectively, "I never did
believe that Brian Kent was a criminal at heart."
"I know he is not," she returned stoutly. "But, tell me, Homer, how did
it ever happen?"
"Well, you see," he answered, "young Kent had a wife who couldn't
somehow seem to fit into his life. Ross never went into the details with
me, fully, because that, of course, had no real bearing on the fact that
he stole the money from the bank. But it seems that the youngster was
rather ambitious,--studied a lot outside of business hours and that sort
of thing. I know he made his own way through business college before he
came to us. The wife didn't receive the attention she thought she should
have, I suppose. Perhaps she was right at that. Anyway, she wanted a
good time;--wanted him to take her out more, instead of spending his
spare time digging away at his books. And so it went the usual way,--she
found other company. Rather a gay set, I fancy; at least it led to her
needing more money than he was earning, and so he helped out his salary,
thinking to pay it back before he was caught, I suppose. Then the crash
came,--some other man, you know,--and Brian skipped, which, of course,
put us next to his stealing. I don't know what has become of the woman.
The last Ross knew of her she was living in St. Louis, and running with
a pretty wild bunch,--glad to get rid of Brian, I expect.
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