She laid her head on his breast and Alec passed his arm protectingly around her shoulders. "It isn't the oyster business at all, Alec. He has some other debts we never even suspected. I asked him what was the trouble and he told me everything. He said it would come easier if I could prepare myself for the crash."
"But tell me about it, Elsa. What are these debts? Has your father been speculating?"
"No, Alec. But he has made large investments on the partial payment plan. If the oyster business had kept up the way it was going for two or three years, he could have met his obligations nicely and canceled his indebtedness. Now he not only has no revenue from his oysters to meet the payments, but he is getting in debt deeper every day he runs his boats."
"Why doesn't he stop running them?"
"Oh! He can't, Alec, he can't. He doesn't dare let anybody know the situation, for nobody suspects it yet."
"But surely the banks will help him out. Why, if he has an equity in a valuable property, even if it isn't fully paid for, the banks will gladly lend him money."
"Oh, Alec! That's just where the trouble is. He's borrowed every cent that anybody will lend him. He's tried and tried, and he can't borrow another penny."
"But surely he can't be so desperately off as you think, Elsa."
"I'm afraid it's worse than I think. Mother has been crying all day. Father said flatly that he didn't think there was a particle of hope. He'll hang on as long as he can, in the hope that something may save him. By selling more oyster-beds and his boats, he says he can keep his head above water for a little while, but if he sells his grounds and his boats, how is he ever to pay the debts he owes? Oh, Alec! It's terrible!"
"Little girl," said Alec, "if I were to tell you that what you have just told me makes me almost happy, I suppose you'd never speak to me again."