ve to remind you that the amount due from you as under, in
respect of the above Rates, has not been paid, and to request that
you will forward the same within Fourteen Days from this date. You
are hereby informed that after this notice no further call will be
made, or intimation given, before legal proceedings are taken to
enforce payment.
By order of the Council.
JAMES LEAH.
Collector, No. 2 District.
District Rate .......................... L- 13 11
Special Rate ........................... 10 2
________
L1 4 1

The second communication was dated from the office of the Assistant
Overseer of the Poor. It was also a Final Notice and was worded in
almost exactly the same way as the other, the principal difference
being that it was 'By order of the Overseers' instead of 'the Council'.
It demanded the sum of L1 1 5 1/2 for Poor Rate within fourteen days,
and threatened legal proceedings in default.

Easton laid this down and began to read the third letter--

J. DIDLUM & CO LTD.
Complete House Furnishers
QUALITY STREET, MUGSBOROUGH

MR W. EASTON,

SIR:
We have to remind you that three monthly payments of four shillings
each (12/- in all) became due on the first of this month, and we
must request you to let us have this amount BY RETURN OF POST.

Under the terms of your agreement you guaranteed that the money
should be paid on the Saturday of every fourth week. To prevent
unpleasantness, we must request you for the future to forward the
full amount punctually upon that day.

Yours truly,
J. DIDLUM & CO. LTD

He read these communications several times in silence and finally with
an oath threw them down on the table.

'How much do we still owe for the oilcloth and the furniture?' he asked.

'I don't know exactly. It was seven pound odd, and we've had the
things about six months. We paid one pound down and three or four
instalments. I'll get the card if you like.'

'No; never mind. Say we've paid one pound twelve; so we still owe
about six pound.'

He add