For a moment I lost the firmness of mind that had supported me in the trials of the situation. Between the affection I had conceived for Wharton Kendrick and the thought of the confusion in which his affairs would be left, the apprehension of his death threw me into mental distraction. I was recalled by the voice of Partridge: "Well, we must get down to business. Here’s a list of men who will call for loans. There’ll be plenty of others. By the way, Hampden, I got pledges of seven hundred and twenty-five thousand more to go into the pool. You can deposit it, if you like, with the rest of the syndicate fund." And he tossed me a bundle of checks. This simple act of confidence pleased me more than words. These men treated me as one of them. I was trusted as Wharton Kendrick would have been trusted under the same circumstances, and at this certificate of confidence I was warmed by a pardonable glow of pride. The morning was a repetition of its predecessor, as the elements of the city’s commercial woes trickled in concentrated form through the office. It was a depressing business, as the line of embarrassed merchants, brokers and speculators passed rapidly before us. Some were snatched from the brink of ruin. Some were sent about their business as frauds, seeking to use the syndicate’s funds in speculation. Some--too unimportant to affect the commercial fabric in their failure--were left to stand or fall as their own strength should determine. "I never supposed there was so much rotten timber afloat," said Partridge. William T. Coleman joined us at the lunch hour, and the sight of his face, masterful and calm, renewed our spirits. "You are keeping things pretty near even in the markets," he said. "We shall weather the gale if there isn’t another outbreak." "Well, that’s on the cards," I said. "The circulars are out for another meeting on the sand-lots." "Come with me, and tell what you know about this, while we have a bite of lunch," he said. I was more than pleased at this request, but looked doubtfully at the accumulation of papers before us with the feeling that I was the indispensable man at the desk. Coleman interpreted my unspoken thought, and said: "Oh, sign a dozen checks in blank, and Partridge and Nelson can attend to everything necessary while you are gone."