"It certainly is in these hard times," answered Aaron. "I've been hit
rather hard in some of my investments lately, and this would do a good
deal toward helping me out of the hole."

"How is it that you never happened to mention this matter to me?" asked
Mansfield. "I never heard you speak of Montgomery or of any money that
he owed you."

"It was a long time ago, when I lent it to him," returned Aaron. "All of
fifteen years, I reckon."

"It seems to me that it was a good deal to put into one loan," remarked
Mansfield. "What security did he offer?"

"It wasn't a matter of security, so much as it was of friendship and
gratitude," was the answer. "James Montgomery was one of the most
upright men I ever met. His word was his bond, and when he borrowed
money it was his character that was the best collateral.

"He had lent me money when I was struggling to get ahead in the world. I
had expanded too rapidly in my desire to get ahead, and I was so tied up
and so in need of ready cash that I was right on the brink of failure. I
couldn't get a loan from the banks, and I was almost in despair when I
applied to James Montgomery. He went over my affairs with me, saw that I
was really solvent, and that the trouble was only that immediate cash
was needed to pull me through.

"He was doing well in business then, and he lent me the money and gave
me all the time I needed to pay it back. It wasn't long before I was on
my feet again, and the first thing I did was to pay him back the full
amount with interest.

"I vowed to myself then, that if the chance ever offered, I'd do the
same by him as he had done by me. And it wasn't a meaningless vow, for
I've never felt more warmly toward any one outside my own people before
or since.

"It was some years, though, before I got my chance. Then I learned that
he was in straits. He had built up a big business, but hard times came
and squeezed him, and a big bank failure put the finishing touch to his
ruin.

"I didn't know of his predicament until it was too late to save him. But
after he had recovered from the illness that followed his failure, I
went to him and offered him as much money as he needed to start over
again. His wife had a little property on the coast of Canada and with
enough money to develop it, it promised to yield big returns. All told,
I lent him about twelve thousand dollars.

"He paid the interest promptly every six months, and I never worried
about the principal.