ALL through the night, the mind of Ellis was haunted with troubled dreams; but, on waking, he felt calm, and good purposes were in his heart.

The manner of Cara still being tender and considerate, he went forth feeling the strength of her love, and resolving, for her sake, and the sake of his children, to free himself from his present entanglements, cost what it would.
Seven hundred dollars was the sum he had lost at the gaming-table and for over five hundred of this, Carlton held his obligations, payable on demand.

Besides this, he owed on account of temporary loans, from business friends, about an equal amount.

Moreover, on that day, a note of three hundred dollars fell due; and in the coming ten days, about a thousand dollars had to be paid into bank.

The aggregate of all these obligations, to be met within two weeks, was two thousand three hundred dollars.
As Ellis looked at this formidable amount, and calculated his resources, he felt, for a time, utterly discouraged.