d from him an acknowledgment that he did not need the money
he so persistently demanded.

"I told you before," he said, "that it was not the amount of money, but
the principle, that I care for. You cannot have forgotten this."

"I don't see how any principle is involved, Squire Hudson."

"You look at the matter solely from a debtor's point of view. If you
held the mortgage, instead of myself, you would change your view very
quickly."

"I don't think I should," said the farmer, slowly. "I would be
considerate to a poor neighbor, even if it did inconvenience me a
little."

"The poor neighbor should not have borrowed money on which he was unable
to pay interest," said Squire Hudson, severely.

"How could I anticipate the drought that has diminished my crops?" said
Mark Nelson, with spirit.

"That is neither here nor there. You knew that the interest must be
paid, drought or no drought, crop or no crop."

"I cannot argue with you further, since you refuse to consider
circumstances over which I have had no control. You refuse to grant me
any delay?"

"I do."

"Since I have not the money to pay you, will you tell me what you
require?"

"How many cows do you keep?"

"Three."

"You can give me one of these, and I will consider it an equivalent for
the thirty dollars."

"Do you require this?" asked the farmer, uneasily.

"Yes; unless you have some other satisfactory arrangement to propose."

"I am afraid I have nothing else which you would regard as satisfactory.
The loss of a cow will diminish my income. Instead of three, I ought to
have four or five. I shouldn't like to be reduced to two."

"Very likely not; but an honest man is willing to make a sacrifice in
order to meet his just liabilities. Besides, you expect to have the
money, you say, in a couple of months. When it has come, you may have
your cow back, on paying two months' interest on the deferred payment.
That is only fair."

"Say no more, Squire Hudson," said the farmer. "I must, of course,
consent to this arrangement since you insist upon it. How soon do you
wish for the cow?"

"You had better let your son Walter drive it over this afternoon."

"He is losing no time," thought Mark Nelson, bitterly. "He does not even
appear to be willing that I should have the benefit of this night's
milking."

"You may send me Whiteface," continued Squire Hudson, who knew that this
was the most valuable of the three cows.

"That is my best cow," protes