THE PRICE OF FOLLY John North occupied the front rooms on the first floor of the three-story brick structure that stood at the corner of Main Street and the Square.

The only other tenant on the floor with him was Andy Gilmore, who had apartments at the back of the building.

Until quite recently Mr.North and Mr.Gilmore had been friends and boon companions, but of late North had rather avoided this neighbor of his.
Mount Hope said that North had parted with the major portion of his small fortune to Gilmore.

Mount Hope also said and believed, and with most excellent justification for so doing, that North was a fool--a truth he had told himself so many times within the last month that it had become the utter weariness of iteration.
He was a muscular young fellow of twenty-six, with a handsome face, and, when he chose, a kindly charming manner.

He had been--and he was fully aware of this--as idle and as worthless as any young fellow could possibly be; he was even aware that the worst Mount Hope said of him was much better than he deserved.