"It falls due next week," said Squire Bates, promptly.
"Just so, and I am sorry to say that for the first time I shall be unable to meet it."
"Indeed!" returned the squire, his voice stiffening. "That is very unfortunate!"
"So it is, squire, but I hope, as it is the first time, you will overlook it," said Adin Dunham, anxiously.
"My dear sir," said the squire, "it is hardly necessary to say that I truly sympathize with you. You believe that, I hope?"
"I thought you would squire. I didn't believe you'd be hard on me."
"But—you misunderstand me a little, neighbor Dunham—I cannot be as considerate as I would like to be. The fact is, I am very short of money, embarrassed in fact, and I depended on that payment. Perhaps you can borrow it?"
"There's no one in the village likely to accommodate me with a loan unless it's you, squire."
"And I am very short of cash. Indeed it would hardly do for me to lend you money to pay me, would it now?"
"I am afraid not," said the carpenter, ruefully.