In a period of twenty-five years, the middle-aged couple had managed to get themselves deep in debt. The thing to do, the wife's father advised, was to sell their home in the suburbs and move to a rural area where life would simpler and they could pay off their creditors.

South Pomfret, Vermont was not quite prepared for the arrival of Helga and Amit. Helga was an exotic dancer, and Amit was a jazz bassist. During their first winter in Vermont, Helga found employment as a ski instructor at Suicide Six Ski Area, and Amit worked at the Sugar Bush sugar house. In the summer, Helga worked as a kayak instructor on the White River, and Amit as a tour guide at the Rockerfeller National Historic Site (the only National Park area in Vermont aside from the Appalachian Trail).

After a year in stubbornly independent Vermont, they took stock of their situation. �Helga, I really like it here. This is a great place to live.� �I know, my honey, I love it too. But we�re not making enough money to live on, much less pay off the interest on our credit card bills. My father must have been crazy to think that this would work. He�ll be visiting in a few weeks. We�ll ask him what to do next.�

After Horace arrived, he visited his favorite daughter and his son-in-law at their places of employment. He went kayaking with Helga on the White River. Unfortunately, he did not remember how to do the Eskimo Roll after his kayak hit the bridge stanchion. Before help could come to his rescue, he drowned. Horace carried a large accidental death policy with his daughter as beneficiary.

�See, Amit,� said Helga, �I knew that father would come through for us in the end.�