In Mills v. Wyman 20 Mass. 207 (Mass. 1825), a man, far from home, gets ill.A woman takes him in and gives him
medicine.After he
recovers and leaves, he writes her a letter thanking her and promising her
$1k.He doesn't give the
money.In this case, there is no bargained
for exchange, and she can't sue.She gave him a gift, and he makes her a naked promise.She
did not perform the actions in exchange for the $1k. "Past consideration
is no consideration."How is
this case different from Hamer v. Sidway?