At nine o’clock he breakfasted with his mother and at ten o’clock he was at the Barber Bank in Lee’s Court House, above which Major Carey had an office.
“I believe, Morey,” began Major Carey, “after giving this problem a great deal of thought, that the best thing to do, possibly, would be to let my son-in-law, Mr. Bradner, take charge of the matter.”
“A stranger,” exclaimed Morey.
“Well, you see,” explained Major Carey, “he knows the situation and he can talk to your mother. I confess that I can’t, and you are rather young to undertake it. It’s a business proposition now and he’s a business man.”
“We won’t talk to my mother at all. At least not yet. And, when we do, I’ll do it. There’s no call to bring in an outsider. I’m ready for business. Now what does this all mean?”
Major Carey sighed and pointed to a chair on one side of a dusty, paper-littered table.
“It means,” began the planter money-lender, “that your mother owes $14,092 with an additional $800 soon due.”
Morey, instead of sitting down, sprang to his feet.
“Why—why, we have never had all that money.”
“That’s it. It began when your father was alive. Eleven thousand of it he had. The rest of it is interest and—”