In an office the boy owed one of the clerks threepence, the clerk
owed the cashier twopence, and the cashier owed the boy twopence. One
day the boy, having a penny, decided to diminish his debt, and gave
the penny to the clerk, who in turn paid half his debt by giving it
to the cashier, the latter gave it back to the boy, saying, “That
makes one penny I owe you now;” the office boy again passed it to the
clerk, who passed it to the cashier, who in turn passed it back to
the boy, and the boy discharged his entire debt by handing it over to
the clerk, thereby squaring all accounts.