"And you'll give Ben a place when he gets home?"

"Certainly; that is, if you indorse my note. I am ready to pay you the
ten dollars down."

He drew a crisp bank-note for ten dollars from his pocket, and Job
Stanton yielded, for it was a great deal of money to him. I think,
however, that he was more influenced by the prospect of obtaining a good
place for Ben that would keep him from wandering farther away from home.
If he had been shrewder, it would have occurred to him that a prosperous
business-man, such as Richmond claimed to be, was unusually anxious for
a small accommodation. However, to him five hundred dollars represented
a large sum, and it didn't seem at all strange.

So Uncle Job took off his leather apron, ushered his visitor into the
sitting-room, and sitting down at the table indorsed the note.

"Thank you," said Richmond. "Here is the ten."

"I don't know as I ought to ask you so much," said Job, with
conscientious scruples.

"Oh, that's all right. Now, I'll go into the shop, and you may take my
measure for a pair of shoes."

"This has been a lucky day for me," thought Job Stanton. "I've got ten
dollars for writing my name, and it isn't often I earn as much as that
in a week."

The trader seemed equally pleased, and the two parted in mutual good
spirits.

The note was for three months, or ninety days, and Job Stanton thought
no more about it. Why should he? Richmond had expressly told him that it
was a mere form, and he supposed that this was the case. The ten dollars
went to buy new dresses--not very expensive, of course--for his wife and
Jennie, and that seemed to be the end of it.

But Job was destined to be undeceived, and that very rudely.

One day he was surprised by a call from his dignified fellow-townsman,
Major Sturgis.

"Good-morning, Mr. Stanton," said the major, condescendingly.

"Good-morning, major. I hope your family are quite well."

"Quite well, I thank you."

"What's he come about?" thought Job, wonderingly.

"You indorsed a note for Richmond, the dry-goods man, three months
since."

"So I did. Is it really three months?"

"Close upon it, Mr. Stanton. I regret to say that I shall be obliged to
call upon you to pay it."

"Me! to pay it!" ejaculated Uncle Job, thunderstruck. "Why, I only
indorsed it."

"Precisely. That means that you are to pay it if Richmond doesn't."

"But he will pay it," said the poor shoemaker, eagerly. "He said it was
only a matter of