RELIEF: A Doctor & His Debts

In the midnight solitude of his office, John Doctor, smalltown physician, spread his books out on the desk, began casting up his accounts. He owed his landlord $700 in back rent. His bill at the grocers was $200. Other stores about town had claims of $600 on him for household furnishings, clothes, books, jewelry. Against him was pending a $1,000 deficiency judgment because his home, on which he had a $5,000 mortgage, brought only $4,000 at forced sale. A friend held his unsecured note for $500. That made his total indebtedness $3,000...