ine a gentleman on the subject of money. For a minute,
Jack felt like backing out. But then he contrasted his mother's pinched
circumstances with Francis Gray's abundance, and a little wholesome
anger came to his assistance. He remembered, too, that his cherished
projects for getting an education were involved, and he mustered courage
to speak.

"Mr. Gray, my name is John Dudley."

Jack thought that there was a sign of annoyance on Gray's face at this
announcement.

"You borrowed a thousand dollars of my father once, I believe."

"Yes, that is true. Your father was a good friend of mine."

"He released a mortgage so that you could sell a piece of property when
you were in trouble."

"Yes, your father was a good friend to me. I acknowledge that. I wish I
had money enough to pay that debt. It shall be the very first debt paid
when I get on my feet again, and I expect to get on my feet, as sure as
I live."

"But, you see, Mr. Gray, while my mother is pinched for money, you have
plenty."

"It's all Mrs. Gray's money. She has plenty. I haven't anything."

"But I want to go to school to Port William. My mother is too poor to
help me. If you could let me have twenty-five dollars----"

"But, you see, I can't. I haven't got twenty-five dollars to my name,
that I can control. But by next New Year's I mean to pay your mother the
whole thousand that I owe her."

This speech impressed Jack a little, but remembering how often Gray had
broken such promises, he said:

"Don't you think it a little hard that you and Mrs. Gray are well off,
while my mother is so poor, all because you won't keep your word given
to my father?"

"But, you see, I haven't any money, excepting what Mrs. Gray lets me
have," said Mr. Gray.

"She seems to let you have what you want. Don't you think, if you coaxed
her, she would lend you twenty-five dollars till New Year's, to help me
go to school one more term?"

Francis Gray was a little stunned by this way of asking it. For a
moment, looking at the entreating face of the boy, he began to feel a
disposition to relent a little. This was new and strange for him. To pay
twenty-five dollars that he was not obliged by any self-interest to pay,
would have been an act contrary to all his habits and to all the
business maxims in which he had schooled himself. Nevertheless, he
fingered his papers a minute in an undecided way, and then he said that
he couldn't do it. If he began to pay creditors in that