dies just
entering their teens, resented any imputation upon the immaculateness
of human love, or human friendship.

"I have got a little money for you, Squire Lee," continued Bobby,
thinking it time the subject was changed.

He took out his gilded memorandum book, whose elegant appearance rather
startled the squire, and from its "treasury department" extracted the
little roll of bills, representing an aggregate of ten dollars which he
had carefully reserved for his creditor.

"Never mind that, Bobby," replied the squire. "You will want all your
capital to do business with."

"I must pay my debts before I think of any thing else."

"A very good plan, Bobby, but this is an exception to the general rule."

"No, sir, I think not. If you please, I insist upon paying you tea
dollars on my note."

"O, well, if you insist, I suppose I can't help myself."

"I would rather pay it, I shall feel so much better."

"You want to indorse it on the note, I suppose."

That was just what Bobby wanted. Indorsed on the note was the idea,
and our hero had often passed that expression through his mind. There
was something gratifying in the act to a man of business integrity like
himself; it was discharging a sacred obligation,--he had already come
to deem it a sacred duty to pay one's debts,--and as the squire wrote
the indorsement across the back of the note, he felt more like a hero
than ever before.

"'Pay as you go' is an excellent idea; John Randolph called it the
philosopher's stone," added Squire Lee, as he returned the note to his
pocket book.

"That is what I mean to do just as soon as I can."

"You will do, Bobby."

The young merchant spent nearly the whole forenoon at the squire's, and
declined an invitation to dinner only on the plea that his mother would
wait for him.

CHAPTER XIII.

IN WHICH BOBBY DECLINES A COPARTNERSHIP AND VISITS B---- AGAIN.

After dinner Bobby performed his Saturday afternoon chores as usual.
He split wood enough to last for a week, so that his mother might not
miss him too much, and then, feeling a desire to visit his favorite
resorts in the vicinity, he concluded to go a fishing. The day was
favorable, the sky being overcast and the wind very light. After
digging a little box of worms in the garden back of the house, he
shouldered his fish pole; and certainly no one would have suspected
that he was a distinguished travelling merchant. He was fond of
fishing, and it is