Aladdin and Company Part 25

And he threw down on the desk a folded doc.u.ment in a legal wrapper.

"The family," said Jim gravely, "must be told of the condition of things. It is a hard thing to do, but it must be done. Then conveyances must be obtained of all the property, subject to debts; and we must take the property and pay the debts. That also will be a hard thing to do--in several ways; but it must be done. It must be done--do you all agree?"

"Let me first ask," said Mr. Cornish, turning to Mr. Hinckley, "how long would it be before there would have to be trouble on this paper?"

"It couldn't possibly be postponed more than sixty days," was the answer.

"Is there any prospect," Cornish went on, addressing Mr. Elkins, "of closing out the railway properties within sixty days?"

"A prospect, yes," said Jim.

"Anything like a certainty?"

"No, not in sixty days."

"Then," said Cornish reluctantly, "there seems to be no way out of it, and I agree. But I feel as if I were being held up, and I a.s.sent on this ground only: that Halliday and Pendleton will never deal on equal terms with a set of financial cripples, and that any trouble here will seal the fate of the railway transaction. But, lest this be taken as a precedent, I wish it to be understood that I'm not jeopardizing my fortune, or any part of it, out of any sentimental consideration for these supposed claims of any one who holds Lattimore paper, in the East or elsewhere!"

Jim sat drumming on the desk.

"As we are all agreed on what to do," said he drawlingly, "we can skip the question why we do it. Prepare the necessary papers, Mr. Lattimore.

And perhaps you are the proper person to apprise the family as to the true condition of things. We'll have to get together to-morrow and begin to dig for the funds. I think we can do no more to-night."

We walked down the street and dropped into the opera house in time to hear the grand finale of the last piece by the band. As the great outburst of music died away, Captain Tolliver radiantly stepped to the footlights, dividing the applause with the musicians.

"Ladies and gentlemen," said he, "puhmit me to say, in bidding you-all good-night, that I congratulate the republic on the possession of a citizens.h.i.+p so awake to theiah true interests as you have shown you'selves to-day! I congratulate the puhchasers of propahty in the _Herald_ Addition upon the bahgains they have secuahed. Only five minutes' walk from the cyahs, and well within the three-mile limit, the time must soon come when these lots will be covahed with the mansions of ouah richah citizens. Even since the sales of this afternoon, I am infawmed that many of the pieces have been resold at an advance, netting the puhchasers a nice profit without putting up a cent. Upon all this I congratulate you. Lattimore, ladies and gentlemen, has nevah been cuhsed by a boom, and I pray G.o.d she nevah may! This rathah brisk growth of ouahs, based as it is on crying needs of ouah trade territory, is really unaccountably slow, all things considered. But I may say right hyah that things ah known to be in sto' foh us which will soon give ouah city an impetus which will cyahy us fo'ward by leaps and bounds--by leaps and bounds, ladies and gentlemen--to that highah and still mo' commandin'

place in the galaxy of American cities which is ouahs by right! And now as you-all take youah leave, I propose that we rise and give three cheers fo' Lattimore and prosperity."

The cheers were given thunderously, and the crowd bustled out, filling the street.

"Well, wouldn't that jar you!" said Jim. "This is a case of 'Gaze first upon this picture, then on that' sure enough, isn't it, Al?"

Captain Tolliver joined us, so full of excitement of the evening that he forgot to give Mr. Elkins the greeting his return otherwise would have evoked.

"Gentlemen," said he, "it was glorious! Nevah until this moment have I felt true fawgiveness in my breast faw the crime of Appomattox! But to-night we ah truly a reunited people!"

"Glad to know it," said Jim, "mighty glad, Captain. The news'll send stocks up a-whooping, if it gets to New York!"

CHAPTER XX.

I Twice Explain the Condition of the Trescott Estate.

Nothing had remained unchanged in Lattimore, and our old offices in the First National Bank edifice had long since been vacated by us. The very building had been demolished, and another and many-storied structure stood in its place. Now we were in the big Grain Belt Trust Company's building, the ground-floor of which was shared between the Trust Company and the general offices of the Lattimore and Great Western. In one corner, and next to the private room of President Elkins, was the office of Barslow & Elkins, where I commanded. Into which entered Mrs. Trescott and her daughter one day, soon after Mr. Lattimore had been given his instructions concerning the offer of our syndicate to pay the debts of their estate and take over its properties.

"Josie and I have called," said the widow, "to talk with you about the estate matters. Mr. Lattimore came to see us last night and--told us."

She seemed a little agitated, but in nowise so much cast down as might be expected of one who, considering herself rich, learns that she is poor. She had in her manner that mixture of dignity and constraint which marks the bearing of people whose relations with their friends have been affected by some great grief. A calamity not only changes our own feelings, but it makes us uncertain as to what our friends expect of us.

"What we wish explained," said Josie, "is just how it comes that our property must be deeded away."

"I can see," said I, "that that is a matter which demands investigation on your part. Your request is a natural and a proper one."

"It is not that," said she, evidently objecting to the word investigation; "we are not so very much surprised, and we have no doubt as to the necessity of doing it. But we want to know as much as possible about it before we act."

"Quite right," said I. "Mr. Elkins is in the next office; let us call him in. He sees and can explain these things as clearly as any one."

Jim came in response to a summons by one of his clerks. He shook hands gravely with my visitors.

"We are told," said Mrs. Trescott, "that our debts are a good deal more than we can pay--that we really have nothing."

"Not quite that," said Jim; "the law gives to the widow the home and the life insurance. That is a good deal more than nothing."

"As to whether we can keep that," said Josie, "we are not discussing now; but there are some other things we should like cleared up."

"We don't understand Mr. Cornish's offer to take the property and pay the debts," said Mrs. Trescott.

Jim's glance sought mine in a momentary and questioning astonishment; then he calmly returned the widow's look. Josie's eyes were turned toward the carpet, and a slight blush tinged her cheeks.

"Ah," said Jim, "yes; Mr. Cornish's offer. How did you learn of it?"

"I got my understanding of it from Mr. Lattimore," said Mrs. Trescott, "and told Josie about it."

"Before we consent to carry out this plan," said Josie, "we ... I want to know all about the motives and considerations back of it. I want to know whether it is based on purely business considerations, or on some fancied obligation ... or ... or ... on merely friendly sentiments."

"As to motives," said Mr. Elkins, "if the purely business requirements of the situation fully account for the proposition, we may waive the discussion of motives, can't we, Josie?"

"I imagine," said Mrs. Trescott, finding that Jim's question remained unanswered, "that none of us will claim to be able to judge Mr.

Cornish's motives."

"Certainly not," acquiesced Mr. Elkins. "None of us."

"This is not what we came to ask about," said Josie. "Please tell us whether our house and the insurance money would be mamma's if this plan were not adopted--if the courts went on and settled the estate in the usual way?"

"Yes," said I, "the law gives her that, and justly. For the creditors knew all about the law when they took those bonds. So you need have no qualms of conscience on that."

"As none of it belongs to me," said Josie, "I shall leave all that to mamma. I avoid the necessity of settling it by ceasing to be 'the richest heiress in this part of the West'--one of the uses of adversity.

But to proceed. Mamma says that there is a corporation, or something, forming to pay our debts and take our property, and that it will take a hundred thousand dollars more to pay the debts than the estate is worth.

I must understand why this corporation should do this. I can see that it will save pa's good name in the business world, and save us from public bankruptcy; but ought we to be saved these things at such a cost? And can we permit--a corporation--or any one, to do this for us?"

Mr. Elkins nodded to me to speak.

"My dear," said I, "it's another ill.u.s.tration of the truth that no man liveth unto himself alone--"

She shrank, as if she feared some fresh hurt was about to be touched, and I saw that it was the second part of the text the antic.i.p.ation of which gave her pain. Quotation is sometimes ill for a green wound.