"Has he any idea of doing it?" asked Dean, quickly.
"Not if you behave yourself—that is, not at present."
"Thank you! You are very kind to give me warning."
In the evening Dean spoke to his uncle about the matter.
"Uncle Adin," he said, "Squire Bates holds a mortgage on this place, doesn't he?"
"Yes, Dean," answered his uncle, sadly.
"For how much?"
"Eight hundred dollars. I meant to pay off the mortgage with the thousand dollars that I was robbed of. I always feel uneasy when I think of our home being at the mercy of any one, no matter who it is."
"Do you think the squire wants you to pay up the mortgage?"