man said "no" to the proposition to surrender up his household
furniture.

"Let that remain untouched. We will not visit your misfortunes upon
your family."

After all his goods had been sold off to the best advantage, a
little over sixty cents on the dollar was paid. The loss to all
parties would have been light, had Grasper not sacrificed so much to
secure his own debt.

Regarding Layton as an honest man, and pitying his condition, with a
large family on his hands to provide for, a few of his creditors had
a conference on the subject of his affairs, which resulted in a
determination to make an effort to put him on his feet again. The
first thing done was to get all parties to sign a permanent release
of obligations still held against him, thus making him free from all
legal responsibilities for past transactions. The next thing was to
furnish him with a small, saleable stock of goods, on a liberal
credit.

On this basis, Layton started again in the world, with a confident
spirit. The old store was given up, and a new one taken at about
half the rent. It so happened, that this store was next to the one
occupied by Grasper, who, now that he had got his own, and had been
made sensible of the indignation of the other creditors for what he
had done, felt rather ashamed to look his neighbour in the face.

"Who has taken your store?" he asked of the owner of the property
next to his own, seeing him taking down the bill that had been up