A week later, a letter, with the following address was brought to the
post-office by the mail-rider,--

_"To Mr. Gilbert Potter, Esq.
Kennett Square P. O.
These, with Care and Speed."_

Gilbert, having carefully cut around the wafer and unfolded the sheet of
strong yellowish paper, read this missive,--

"Sir: Yr respd favour of ye [Footnote: This form of the article, though
in general disuse at the time, was still frequently employed in
epistolary writing, in that part of Pennsylvania. [ed note: The r in Yr
and e in ye, etc. are superscripted.]] 11th came duly to hand, and ye
proposition wh it contains has been submitted to Mr. Jones, ye present
houlder of ye mortgage. He wishes me to inform you that he did not
anticipate ye payment before ye first day of April, 1797, wh was ye term
agreed upon at ye payment of ye first note; nevertheless, being required
to accept full and lawful payment, whensoever tendered, he hath
impowered me to receive ye moneys at yr convenience, providing ye
settlement be full and compleat, as aforesaid, and not merely ye payment
of a part or portion thereof.

"Yr obt servt,

"ISAAC TRAINER."

Gilbert, with his limited experience of business matters, had entirely
overlooked the fact, that the permission of the creditor is not
necessary to the payment of a debt. He had a profound respect for all