Soon after the first of the month I paid off all my creditors except Bates & Hotchkin, the Boston jobbing house with which I did the bulk of my business. I wrote them a letter saying that I had overbought, and told them that, as they were the largest creditor, I had paid the others and would send them a check as soon as I could. They had always been so decent I didn't expect any trouble at all, and what was my surprise the next day to have a Mr. Peck call on me and tell me that he was the credit man for Bates & Hotchkin! "Glad to see you," I said, although mentally I was not at all glad to see him. I had a feeling as if dicky birds were walking up and down my spine. "What can I do for you?" For reply he handed me a statement of their account, the amount of which was $1,079.00. "Oh," said I, "I wrote you about this yesterday." "I know," said Peck calmly. "I'm the answer to your letter. I have come for a check." "But I told you," I replied, rather irritably, "that I couldn't give it to you just now, and that you would have to wait a little!" "Mr. Black," he returned, "will you tell me if there is any reason why we should wait for our money when you pay every one else?" His voice retained its even tone. "Yes, I will," I replied, getting hot, "because you are getting the bulk of my business, and, as I am doing as much as I can for you, you have got to do as much as you can for me!" "Suppose I should tell you, Mr. Black," he said, "that we gave you credit, in the first place, merely because Mr. Barlow spoke so well of you. We certainly didn't give it to you on the reputation of the store you bought." I winced at this. "Remember," he continued, "that Simpson deceived us the same as he did everybody else, so that the business, as such, doesn't justify any credit, does it?" I turned around sharply, and said: "I am not asking you to give credit to the business. I am asking you to give credit to me, and--" "And all you can show us, by way of credit rating, is the fact that your old employer speaks well of you!" "Well," I returned, thoroughly vexed, "the long and short of it is that I can't pay you just now, and you have just got to wait for your money! But let me tell you this--it's the last red penny of my money you'll ever get!" Still Mr. Peck replied with his calm demeanor: "Under those circumstances, Mr. Black, can you give me any reason why we should wait for our money? If you were in my place, wouldn't you be inclined to force collection?" Before I could reply, he continued: "I have come down here, Mr. Black, to try to help you, and perhaps I can, but you have got to realize first of all that you haven't treated us fairly." I was about to protest against this, when he put up his hand and said: