“Well,” said Elkins at last, ignoring Hinckley and facing Cornish, “get down to brass nails! What policy would you adopt?”
“Oh, our present policy is all right,” answered he of the Van Dyke beard—
“Yes, yes!” interjected Hinckley. “My view exactly. A wonderfully successful policy!”
“—and,” Cornish continued, “I would only suggest that we cease spreading out—not cease talking it, but only just sort of stop doing it—and begin to realize more rapidly on our holdings. Not so as to break the market, you understand; but so as to keep the demand fairly well satisfied.”
Mr. Elkins was slow in replying, and when the reply came it was of the sort which does not answer.
“A most important, not to say momentous question,” said he. “Let’s figure the thing over and take it up again soon. We’ll not begin to disagree at this late day. Mr. Hinckley has warned us that he has an engagement in thirty minutes. It seems to me we ought to dispose of the matter of the appropriation for the interest on those Belt Lines bonds. Wade’s mash on ‘Atkins, Corning & Co.’ won’t last long in the face of a default.”
Mr. Hinckley staid his thirty minutes and withdrew. Mr. Cornish went to the telephone and ordered his dog-cart.
“Immediately,” he instructed, “over here at the Grain Belt Trust Building.”
“Make it in half an hour, can’t you, Cornish?” said Jim. “There are some more things we ought to go over.”
“Say!” shouted Cornish into the transmitter. “Make that in half an hour instead of at once.”