As soon as Aunt Susan received the note, she handed it to Grace, saying:
“I will give you this now on account, and the rest as soon as I get it.”
“All right,” answered Grace, laughing, “and since we all seem in the humor of paying our debts, I will follow suit. Frank, I owe you something for music you bought me; here is part of it,” and she threw the bank-note across the table to her brother, who sat opposite.
We were all highly amused to see how the note wandered around the table.
“This is a wonderful note,” said Mr. Baker; “I only wish somebody owed me something, and I owed somebody something, so that I might come into the ring.”
“You can,” said Frank. “I owe Mrs. Baker—or you, it’s all the same—for my board; I herewith pay you part of it.”
Amid general laughter, Mr. Baker took the note and playfully threw it to his wife again, saying:
“It’s yours again, Lucy, because what belongs to me belongs to you. It has completed the round, and we have all had the benefit of it.”
“And now it must go around again,” replied she gayly. “I like to see money circulate; it should never lie idle. Aunt Susan you take it. Now I have paid you ten dollars.”
“Dear Grace, here is another five dollars on my account,” said Aunt Susan, handing it to Grace.