"Regretting very much that I should have troubled you, I have the
honor to be

"Very truly yours,
"ANTHONY BRONSON."

"What does it mean!" asked Mr. Franklin, when his wife had finished
reading the letters.

"I cannot imagine," said she, looking up, completely mystified.

"Did you lend him the money?"

"No, certainly not. I should have told you, John, if I had," she added,
reproachfully.

"I know," he said, as he walked up and down the room, "but I could not
account for it in any other way. It is extraordinary."

"Suppose we send for Neal and ask him about it."

When Neal came he was given the two letters to read. He did so, and laid
them down without a word.

"Well, what have you got to say for yourself?" asked his brother-in-law,
impatiently.

"Nothing."

"Neal dear, you must explain," said Hester.

"Why should I explain? I paid the debt. It doesn't make any difference
to either of you how I did it."

"It makes a great deal of difference," exclaimed Mr. Franklin, who was
rapidly growing angry. "In the first place, how did you come to be owing
fifty dollars so soon after the other debt was paid? What did you do
with the first fifty your sister gave you in the fall?"

"Spent it."

"Neal!" cried Hester. "Didn't you pay your debts then? Why didn't you?"

He said nothing.

"It is an abominable affair altogether," said Mr. Franklin. "You were in
debt, which you had no business to be. You obtained money from Hester to
pay the debt, and then, according to your own words, you spent it
otherwise. You get into a bad scrape and are suspended. And now you
obtain money in some peculiar way, and refuse to explain how."

"Hold on a minute, Mr. Franklin," said Neal, who was in a towering rage
by this time. "You go a little too far. I don't consider that it is at
all necessary for me to explain to you, but I am willing to do it on
Hessie's account. I did not say that I spent her money otherwise. I
merely said that I spent it, which was perfectly true. I spent it paying
half my debt. I owed a hundred dollars at that time, instead of fifty as
I told you. I paid half then, and the rest I paid a few days ago, and it
doesn't make any difference to you or any one else how I got the money.
As for the scrape, I was not in it. You can believe my word or not, as
you like. I've said all I am going to say, and if you don't mind I'll
leave you. I've had enough of this."

He stalked out of the library, and