ith the fever of speculation. I had
always been obliged to work hard for a moderate compensation, and had
not been able to do much more than support my family. This it seemed to
me, afforded an excellent opportunity of laying up a little something
which might render me secure in the event of a sudden attack of
sickness. I had but about two hundred dollars, however, and from so
scanty an investment I could not, of course, expect a large return;
accordingly I went to Squire Conant; you remember him, Paul?"

"Yes, father."

'I went to him and asked a loan of five hundred dollars. After some
hesitation he agreed to lend it to me. He was fond of his money and not
much given to lending, but it so happened that he had invested in the
same speculation, and had a high opinion of it, so he felt pretty
safe in advancing me the money. Well, this loan gave me seven hundred
dollars, with which I purchased seven shares in the Lake Superior Grand
Combination Mining Company. For some months afterwards, I felt like a
rich man. I carefully put away my certificate of stock, looking upon
it as the beginning of a competence. But at the end of six months the
bubble burst--the stock proved to be utterly worthless,--Squire Conant
lost five thousand dollars. I lost seven hundred, five hundred being
borrowed money. The Squire's loss was much larger, but mine was the more
serious, since I lost everything and was plunged into debt, while he had
at least forty thousand dollars left.

"Two days after the explosion, Squire Conant came into my shop and asked
abruptly when I could pay him the amount I had borrowed. I told him that
I could not fix a time. I said that I had been overwhelmed by a result
so contrary to my anticipations, but I told him I would not rest till I
had done something to satisfy his claim. He was always an unreasonable
man, and reproached me bitterly for sinking his money in a useless
speculation, as if I could foresee how it would end any better than he."

"Have you ever been able to pay back any part of the five hundred
dollars, father?"

"I have paid the interest regularly, and a year ago, just before I met
with my accident, I had laid up a hundred and fifty dollars which I had
intended to pay the Squire, but when my sickness came I felt obliged to
retain it to defray our expenses, being cut off from earning anything."

"Then I suppose you have not been able to pay interest for the last
year."

"No."

"Have you heard f