The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1906-11-09
CHAPTER XXYI.

he could not be reckOneu as quite mat
may sometimes find 1t inconvenient to
raise money In considerable sums upon
the instant. So it happened that just
at this time Tandy's means were all
employed and his credit stretched al
most to the point OF breaking by rea-
son Of his excessive and largely con-
cealed investments I'm number of en-
terprises.
On the moral side ii would have been
difficult even for Tandy himself to say
just what measure of suffering he en-
dured. His conscience was caseharden-
ed, but his financial reputation was not
only a valuable, but an absolutely nee
essary, part of his equipment for the
businesses In which he was engaged
That reputation was now In great dan
ger. He wondered if Duncan would
tell the story Of that scrap of paper
He wondered still more whether Dun
can might not report the matter to the
comptroller of the currency at Wash
ington and thus bring about criminal
prosecution, even after the sum IT.
regularly borrowed had been repaid.
Then he remembered, with something
like spasm around his heart, that the
bookkeeper Leftwlch, had heard the
whole conversation, and he remember
ed also that he had been, as he put 1t,
rather hard on Leftwich" upon sew
eral occasions in the past. If Leftwich
cherished resentment on that account
his malice now had its opportunity.
On the whole, Napier Tandy could
not recall another day In all his life
on which he had suffered so much in
spirit as he did now, but there was no
time for brooding or lamentlng He
felt that he was in Guilford Duncan's
clutches, and while he knew little Of
conscientious scruples by virtue of any
soul experiences of that kind on his
own part, he had SO far learned TO I'M
derstand Duncan as to know that he
would, as Il matter of conscience alone,
enforce the strict letter of his demand.
He FASTENED to find Captain Will
Hallam, and to him he made almost II
piteOus appeal for a loan of $4,000
through the Hallam bank.
$50 Duncan carries too many guns
for you. eh?" was the hippant remark
with which Captain Hallam received
the appeal.
"Will you let me have the money!"
almost frantically pleaded the now
thoroughly frightened man. You see,
time Is precious. I've less than an hour
in which to raise the sum. You must
help me out, Hallamw
Il really don't know whether | can
arrange it or not. I'll see Stafford and
find out how far our loans are extend
ed. What security can you give? You
know, Stafford is very exacting as to
the character of the security on which
he lends the banks funds"
Eyes, know, and that is very awk-
ward just now. I'm q good deal tied
up you know. I've been buying prop
erty along the line Of our proposed
railroad. I've bought rather heavily,
upon to raise money just now l have
gone in pretty deep on credit. You
know how impossible it is to realize on
such property, even at a loss, when a
man must have money at once"
Then what can you offer?"
We'll I've a pretty large block of
stock in the Memphis and Ohio River
railrOad"-
mot good collateral till the road Is
finished You know we couldn't touch
that"
Tandy mentioned some other securi-
ties that Hallam deemed insecure, and
by this time Hallam had begun TO won
der what was the matter with Tandy.
He knew, or thought he knew, that the
man must have greatly more money In
vested somewhere than these things
represented. He had great curiosity
10 know what the other investments
were, but he did not find out, for at
last, within brief while Of the end OF
his hour of grace, the troubled man
said
There Is nothing for 1t but to by
pOthecate n part of my stock In the X
National. You know that is good"
"Oh, yes: that's good Stafford will
accept that as collateral If the bank is
in a position TO extend its loans. I'll
go and see"
When he told Stafford what the situa-
ton was that astute banker who had
been In many financial fisticuff with
Tandy, quietly said:
81 don't see why we should make the
loan. Why not refuse IL and then have
you offer to buy the stock outright at
about par? He must sell, for If have
correctly sized up our friend Duncan
he'll never let up on his demand In this
case. A man with a conscience like his
simply can't let up In such matter"
That's the way well fix It," an
swered Hallam, with an amused twin
kle In his eye. Hes obviously In need
Of little more education at my hands,
and he can afford to pay for It. I'll
buy the stock at par-not a cent more.
I suppose IT'S worth 1887
Yes, all Of that. and IL will be worth
more presently under Duncap's man.
agement What a fellow that is, any
howp
81 imagine Tandy thinks so by this
time"
AS there was no other bank In Cairo