Bobby studied this over thoughtfully.
“Let it revert,” said he. “I’ll sink or swim right here.”
The next day he went to his bank and tried to borrow money. They liked Bobby very much indeed over at the bank. He was a vigorous young man, a young man of affairs, a young man who had won a great public victory, a young man whom it was generally admitted had done the city an incalculable amount of good; but they could not accept Bobby nor the Bulletin as a business proposition. Had they not seen the original fund dwindle and dwindle for two years until now there was nothing left? Wouldn’t another fund dwindle likewise? It is no part of a bank’s desire to foreclose upon securities. They are quite well satisfied with just the plain interest. Moreover, the Bulletin wasn’t such heavy security, anyhow.
Bobby tried another bank with like results, and also some of his firm business friends at the Traders’ Club. In the midst of his dilemma President De Graff of the First National came to him.
“I understand you have been trying to borrow some money, Burnit?”
It sounded to Bobby as if De Graff had come to gloat over him, since he had been instrumental in dragging De Graff and the First National through the mire.
“Yes, sir, I have,” he nevertheless answered steadily.
“Why didn’t you come to us?” demanded De Graff.
“To you?” said Bobby, amazed. “I never thought of you in that connection at all, De Graff, after all that has happened.”
De Graff shrugged his shoulders.