ce, broken only by a dry laugh from Hinckley, and
the remark that Barslow and Cornish must be getting dyspeptic from high
living.

"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."

He hung up the telephone, and turned to Elkins inquiringly. Jim was
walking up and down on the rug, his hands clasped behind him.

"Since we've spread out into that string of banks," said he, still
keeping up his walk, "and made Mr. Hinckley the president of each of
'em, he's reverting to his old banker's timidity. Which consists, in all
cases, in an aversion to any change in conditions. To suggest any
change, even from an old, dangerous policy to a new safe one, startles a
'conservative' banker. If we had gone on a little longer with our talk
about shutting off steam and taking the nigger off the safety-valve,
you'd have seen him scared into a numbness. But, now that the question
has been brought up, let's talk it over. What's your notion about it,
anyhow, Al?"

"I'm seeking light," said I. "The peopl