You were given your instructions and put to work.

By your reports it appears that you have expended the sum of $9,610 upon the said work.

Two months salary to you two officers amounts altogether to $2,400--about one-eighth of your ten per cent.

assessment, you see; which leaves you in debt to the company for the other seven-eighths of the assessment--viz, something over $8,000 apiece.

Now instead of requiring you to forward this aggregate of $16,000 or $17,000 to New York, the company voted unanimously to let you pay it over to the contractors, laborers from time to time, and give you credit on the books for it.
And they did it without a murmur, too, for they were pleased with the progress you had made, and were glad to pay you that little compliment -- and a very neat one it was, too, I am sure.