104 TOW'S EXPERIENCE 
at 10 per cent interest, on good security. Now, make 
a note for $300, payable two years after date, sign it 
vourself, and then see if you can’t get five of your 
friends to endorse it. You may count meas one. [ 
think Sam Bright will be another; Squire McCreary 
another, Rob Snyder the fourth, and I guess you can 
find the fifth. It will not be much foreach if we should 
happen to have it to pay, and I am sure you have 
four friends besides myself who are willing to take 
that slight risk for the purpose of giving you a 
chance to get a start in life and secure a home for your- 
self and family.” 
The tears came into his eyes as he took my hand 
and said: “Thank you, Tom; a thousand thanks. 
This is the first gleam of sunshine that has bright- 
ened my future for a long time, and if I only can get 
this chance to work out and up, and secure a foothold 
once more, I will show you and all my friends that Jim 
Hardy is worthy of their confidence, and knows how 
to appreciate a favor.” 
That afternoon he came to me with a note properly 
made out. He had seen Squire McCreary and stated 
the case to him. 
“Tl not sign the note, Jim,’ the Squire said, 
‘because I don’t endorse notes for anybody; but I 
will lend you sixty dollars for two years on your own 
note, without any security, and you just make the 
other note for $240, get four names to it instead of 
five, as you proposed, bring it to me and I will let you 
have the money.” 
