Page:American Boy's Life of William McKinley.djvu/220

184 Of course Governor McKinley's chief anxiety was about the notes he had indorsed. He soon learned that none of them had been taken up and that instead of being surety for $15,000, as he supposed, he was surety for about $100,000. He could scarcely believe his own eyesight, but there it was before him in black and white.

"I cannot understand it," he said, almost brokenly. "But whatever I owe shall be paid dollar for dollar."

When he went home, his wife questioned him concerning the particulars of the failure, and he told all he knew.

"But you cannot pay $100,000," said she.

"I will do the best I can. No man can do more than that," he answered. "The people all know I had nothing to do with Mr. Walker's enterprises. I merely tried to help him along because he had been a friend to me."

"This failure shall not tarnish our name," said the noble wife. "If you give up all your property, I will give up mine, too. Then we shall be honest even though poor, and you can take a fresh start in life."