.

"I was just thinking what I should read next; I am _so_ glad you
have come."

"Never mind her, Bobby; all she wanted was the book," interposed
Squire Lee, laughing.

"Now, pa!"

"Then I shall bring her one very often."

"You are too bad, pa," said Annie, who, like most young ladies 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 anything 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 ten
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