There appeared to be three avenues open to me. I could be a governess,
domestic servant, or dressmaker. I had already earned something at the
latter occupation, and I thought if I could set up in business for
myself, there was a greater chance of gaining an independence along
that line than either as a governess or servant. But to do this I
needed at least a little capital.

"Although there had been no communication between the two brothers for
many years, I had my uncle's address, and I wrote acquainting him with
the fact of my father's death, and asking for some assistance to set
up in business for myself, promising to repay the amount advanced with
interest as soon as I was able, for although my father had never said
anything against his elder brother, I somehow had divined, rather than
knew, that he was a hard man, and his answering letter gave proof of
that, for it contained no expression of regret for his brother's
death. My uncle declined to make the advance I asked for, saying that
many years before he had given my father two hundred dollars which had
never been repaid. I was thus compelled, for the time at least, to
give up my plan for opening a dressmaking establishment, even on the
smallest scale, and was obliged to take a situation similar to that
which I hold here. In three years I was able to save the two hundred
dollars, which I sent to my uncle, and promised to remit the interest
if he would tell me the age of the debt. He replied giving the
information, and enclosing a receipt for the principal, with a very
correct mathematical statement of the amount of interest if compounded
annually, as was his legal right, but expressing his readiness to
accept simple interest, and give me a receipt in full."

"The brute!" ejaculated Katherine, which remark brought upon her a
mild rebuke from her mother on intemperance of language.