106 TOMS EXPERIENCE 
was a time when you hesitated to work late at night, 
or before daylight in the morning. when my interests 
seemed torequire it. Now [ have the opportunity of 
paying you back in kind, and am going %o do it. It 
will simply be paying a debt I owe you, and there is. 
nothing like charity in that, ’m sure. While your 
family remains here they shall want for nothing.” 
[f Jim hadn’t accumulated any money in those 
eight years, he had certamly made a good deal of 
capital in the way of true friends. 
ANOTHER PROBLEM. 
My problem had now changed somewhat, and could 
be stated as follows: Given, a man in Central [h- 
nois with a wife and two children, and $300 borrowed 
money, to be paid back in two years, with interest at 
ten per cent; how can he and his family be trans- 
ferred to Dakota, put in a way to get a home of their 
own, and repay this money when due? 
James Hardy would follow my advice implicitly. 
Indeed he would look to me for advice, and expect it, 
for some time to come, until he should be fairly 
started and able to take care of himself. Experience 
in anew country counts for a good deal, and he 
knew it. If there had been any government land 
in my neighborhood I could have settled the matter 
very easily. But there was none, and with Jim’s 
$300 the purchase of a relinquishment was out of 
the question. I could send him out some place where 
government land could be had, but feeling responsible 
