"Squire Haynes chooses to impute to me interested motives. I need
enter into no defense before an audience to whom I am well known.
I will only inquire whether interested motives have nothing to do
with his opposition to voting bounties to our soldiers?"

This was such a palpable hit that Squire Haynes winced under it,
and his red face turned redder as he saw the smiles of those
about him.

"Impudent puppy!" he muttered to himself; "he seems to forget
that I have a mortgage of eight hundred dollars on his farm. When
the time comes to foreclose it, I will show him no mercy. I'll
sell him out, root and branch!"

Mr. Frost could not read the thoughts that were passing through
the mind of his creditor. They might have given him a feeling of
uneasiness, but would not in the least have influenced his
action. He was a man loyal to his own convictions of duty, and no
apprehension of personal loss would have prevented his speaking
in accordance with what he felt to be right.

The considerations which had been urged were so reasonable that
the voters present, with very little opposition, voted to pay one
hundred and fifty dollars to each one who was willing to enlist
as one of the town's quota. A list was at once opened, and after
the close of the meeting four young men came forward and put down
their names, amid the applause of the assembly.

"I wanted to do it before," said John Drake, one of the number,