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coming from if it doesn't come out of the work I do? Even if your father's business wasn't profitable he'd have to draw out money every week to support his family."

The logic of the situation was all with Sam. "How much are you going to draw?" Bert asked weakly.

"Ten dollars a week. That means you draw five dollars every Saturday. Two-thirds of the weekly account for me; one-third for you."

Bert paid Sam his money and took his own share. The amount to be deposited on Monday had shrunk to thirty-seven dollars.

"We . . . we lost money on the week's business," he said.

"We'll be showing a profit within two more weeks," Sam said confidently.

But, as the weeks passed, each Monday morning saw less money deposited than had been spent the week before. Slowly, but inexorably, the account of The Shoppers' Service at the bank grew slimmer and slimmer.

In September the high school reopened, and Bert went back for his second year. The call went out for football candidates, but he did not respond—he had no time for athletics. Sam was coming to the store very early each morning, going through the newspapers and telephoning prices to customers so that they might take an early train to the city. In the afternoon, as soon as classes