“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 assent 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.”