"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