Aladdin & Co.: A Romance of Yankee Magic
reason, and therefore protested that, under all circumstances, it was
scarcely fair to blame me for the lady's unappropriated state.
"Under other conditions," said I, "I assure you that I should not
permit such an anomaly to exist--if I could help it."
The incident was then declared closed.
During this absence of Jim's, which, I think, was the real cause of
Alice's displeasure, the _Herald_ Addition sale went forward, with all
the "yellow" features which the minds of Giddings and Tolliver could
invent. It began with flaring advertisements in both papers. Then, on a
certain day, the sale was declared open, and every bill-board and fence
bore posters puffing it. A great screen was built on a vacant lot on
Main Street, and across the street was placed, every night, the biggest
magic lantern procurable, from which pictures of all sorts were
projected on the screen, interlarded with which were statements of the
_Herald_ Addition sales for the day, and quotations showing the advance
in prices since yesterday. And at all times the coming auction was cried
abroad, until the interest grew to something wonderful. Every farmer and
country merchant within a hundred miles of the city was talking of it.
Tolliver was in his highest feather. On the day of the auction he
secured excursion rates on all of the railroads, and made it a holiday.
Porter's great military band, then touring the country, was secured for
the afternoon and evening. Thousands of people came in on the excursions
and it seemed like a carnival. Out at the piece of land platted as the
_Herald_ Addition, whither people were conveyed in street-cars and
carriages during the long afternoon the great band played about the
stands erected for the auctioneer, who went from stand to stand, crying
off the lots, the precise location of the particular parcel at any
moment under the hammer being indicated by the display of a flag, held
high by two strong fellows, who lowered the banner and walked to another
site in obedience to signals wigwagged by the enthusiastic Captain. The
throng bid excitedly, and the clerks who made out the papers worked
desperately to keep up with the demands for deeds. It was clear that the
sale was a success. As the sun sank, handbills were scattered informing
the crowd that in the evening Tolliver & Company, as a slight evidence
of their appreciation of the splendid business of the day, would throw
open to their friends the new Cornish Opera House, where Porter's
celebrated band would give its regular high-class concert. Tolliver &
Company, the bill went on, took pleasure in further informing the public
that, in view of the great success of the day's sale, and the very small
amount to which their holdings in the _Herald_ Addition were reduced,
the remainder of this choice piece of property would be sold from the
stage to the highest bidder, absolutely without any reservation or
restriction as to the price!
I had received a telegram from Jim saying that he would return on a
train arriving that evening, and asking that Cornish, Hinckley, and
Lattimore be at the office to meet him. I was on the street early in the
evening, looking with wonder at the crowds making merry after the dizzy
day of speculative delirium. At the opera house, filled to overflowing
with men admitted on tickets, the great band was discoursing its music,
in alternation with the insinuating oratory of the auctioneer, under
whose skilful management the odds and ends of the _Herald_ Addition were
changing owners at a rate which was simply bewildering.
"Don't you see," said Giddings delightedly, "that this is the only way
to sell town lots?"
Jim came into the office, fresh and buoyant after his long trip, his
laugh as hearty and mirth-provoking as ever. After shaking hands with
all, he threw himself into his own chair.
"Boys," said he, "I feel like a mouse just returning from a visit to a
cat convention. But what's this crowd for? It's nearly as bad as
Broadway."
We explained what Giddings and Tolliver had been doing.
"But," said he, "do you mean to tell me that he's sold that Addition to
this crowd of reubs?"
"He most certainly has," said Cornish.
"Well, fellows," replied Jim, "put away the accounts of this as
curiosities! You'll have some difficulty in making posterity believe
that there was ever a time or place where town lots were sold with magic
lanterns and a brass band! And don't advertise it too much with Dorr,
Wickersham and those fellows. They think us a little crazy now. But a
brass band! That comes pretty near being the limit."
"Gentlemen," said Mr. Lattimore, "I shall have to leave you soon; and
will you kindly make use of me as soon as you conveniently can, and let
me go?"
"Have you got the condition of the Trescott estate figured out?" said
Mr. Elkins.
"Yes," said the lawyer.
We all leaned forward in absorbed interest; for this was news.
"Have you told these gentlemen?" Jim went on.
"I have told no one."
"Please give us your conclusions."
"Gentlemen," said Mr. Lattimore, "I am sorry to report that the Trescott
estate is absolutely insolvent! It lacks a hundred thousand dollars of
being worth anything!"
There was a silence for some moments.
"My God!" said Hinckley, "and our trust company is on all that paper of
Trescott's scattered over the East!"
"What's become of the money he got on all his sales?" asked Jim.
"From the looks of the check-stubs, and other indications," said Mr.
Lattimore, "I should say the most of it went into Board of Trade deals."
Cornish was swearing in a repressed way, and above his black beard his
face was pale. Elkins sat drumming idly on the desk with his fingers.
"Gentlemen," said he, "I take it to be conceded that unless the Trescott
paper is cared for, things will go to pieces here. That's the same as
saying that it must be taken up at all hazards."
"Not exactly," said Cornish, "at _all_ hazards."
"Well," said Jim, "it amounts to that. Has any one any suggestions as to
the course to be followed?"
Mr. Cornish asked whether it would not be best to take time, allow the
probate proceedings to drag along, and see what would turn up.
"But the Trust Company's guaranties," said Mr. Hinckley, with a banker's
scent for the complications of commercial paper, "must be made good on
presentation, or it may as well close its doors."
"The thing won't 'drag along' successfully," said Jim. "Have you a
schedule of the assets?"
"Yes," said Mr. Lattimore. "The life-insurance money and the home are
exempt from liability for debts, and I've left them out; but the other
properties you'll find listed here."
And he threw down on the desk a folded document in a legal wrapper.
"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."
We walked down the street and dropped into the opera house in time to
hear the grand finale of the last piece by the band. As the great
outburst of music died away, Captain Tolliver radiantly stepped to the
footlights, dividing the applause with the musicians.
"Ladies and gentlemen," said he, "puhmit me to say, in bidding you-all
good-night, that I congratulate the republic on the possession of a
citizenship so awake to theiah true interests as you have shown
you'selves to-day! I congratulate the puhchasers of propahty in the
_Herald_ Addition upon the bahgains they have secuahed. Only five
minutes' walk from the cyahs, and well within the three-mile limit, the
time must soon come when these lots will be covahed with the mansions of
ouah richah citizens. Even since the sales of this afternoon, I am
infawmed that many of the pieces have been resold at an advance, netting
the puhchasers a nice profit without putting up a cent. Upon all this I
congratulate you. Lattimore, ladies and gentlemen, has nevah been cuhsed
by a boom, and I pray God she nevah may! This rathah brisk growth of
ouahs, based as it is on crying needs of ouah trade territory, is really
unaccountably slow, all things considered. But I may say right hyah that
things ah known to be in sto' foh us which will soon give ouah city an
impetus which will cyahy us fo'ward by leaps and bounds--by leaps and
bounds, ladies and gentlemen--to that highah and still mo' commandin'
place in the galaxy of American cities which is ouahs by right! And now
as you-all take youah leave, I propose that we rise and give three
cheers fo' Lattimore and prosperity."
The cheers were given thunderously, and the crowd bustled out, filling
the street.
"Well, wouldn't that jar you!" said Jim. "This is a case of 'Gaze first
upon this picture, then on that' sure enough, isn't it, Al?"
Captain Tolliver joined us, so full of excitement of the evening that he
forgot to give Mr. Elkins the greeting his return otherwise would have
evoked.
"Gentlemen," said he, "it was glorious! Nevah until this moment have I
felt true fawgiveness in my breast faw the crime of Appomattox! But
to-night we ah truly a reunited people!"
"Glad to know it," said Jim, "mighty glad, Captain. The news'll send
stocks up a-whooping, if it gets to New York!"
CHAPTER XX.
I Twice Explain the Condition of the Trescott Estate.
Nothing had remained unchanged in Lattimore, and our old offices in the
First National Bank edifice had long since been vacated by us. The very
building had been demolished, and another and many-storied structure
stood in its place. Now we were in the big Grain Belt Trust Company's
building, the ground-floor of which was shared between the Trust Company
and the general offices of the Lattimore and Great Western. In one
corner, and next to the private room of President Elkins, was the office
of Barslow & Elkins, where I commanded. Into which entered Mrs. Trescott
and her daughter one day, soon after Mr. Lattimore had been given his
instructions concerning the offer of our syndicate to pay the debts of
their estate and take over its properties.
"Josie and I have called," said the widow, "to talk with you about the
estate matters. Mr. Lattimore came to see us last night and--told us."