"How can I? The law would hold me at fault if I should allow the bank to close to-day with that loan unsecured. I have no right to give you time." "You are persecuting me!" "No, I am not. If I were minded to do that, I should call the loan in at once. As it is, I only ask you--as I must--to secure it as the law requires. I will accept any fairly good collateral you may have to offer. There is surely no hardship in that--no persecution in demanding that you shall temporarily leave with the bank enough of the bonds or stock certificates that you hold in plenty, to comply with the law concerning loans by national banks. I have simply no choice but to insist upon that." "But I tell you," answered Tandy, "that at present I have no bonds or stocks conveniently available for such a purpose." "I will accept your insurance stock." "I've parted with that." "Well, as I certainly have no disposition to be hard upon you, I'll accept your stock in the Atlantic and Mississippi Steamship Company, or even your Mississippi Valley Transportation Company stock, though neither can be reckoned a first-class security." "I've sold out of both companies," answered Tandy. By this time Duncan began to wonder what had happened to Tandy, in a financial way, just as Hallam had done. "Wonder where he has been putting his money," he thought. "For surely he had plenty of it a little while ago. He's been buying property along the new railroad, but that isn't sufficient to tie up a man of Tandy's wealth. Something must be the matter. I must be cautious." "I'll put up a hundred thousand in Memphis and Ohio River stock----" began Tandy. "You know I can't consider that," said Duncan; "no sane banker could. But if you choose, the bank will accept stock in your coal mine--reckoned at fifty cents on the dollar--as security." "That's out of the question. I'm negotiating a sale of my interests there, and it would embarrass me to have the stock hypothecated just now." "Very well, then. What do you propose to do? Of course you have a large block of stock in this bank. Why not put that up as security, and give yourself all the time you need? Or if you don't want to hypothecate the stock with this bank, you can arrange a loan on it with Stafford or Hallam." Tandy hesitated for a time before answering. At last he said: "I've only thirty-three shares left. Why shouldn't the bank buy it outright, putting the loan in as a principal part of the purchase money?" "At what price will you sell?" "At 103. It's worth that and more." "I'll consider the offer. Come back in an hour for your answer." Duncan sent at once for Hallam and Stafford, as the principal stockholders in the bank, other than Tandy, and told them all that had happened. They advised the purchase, but suggested 102 as the price, and an hour later Napper Tandy ceased to be a stockholder in the X National Bank.