but it's hard to overcome a bad start,
Judge."

"I've politely turned over my court-room for a meeting of the furniture
company employees this afternoon. Alec's going to holler; they say he's
going to pitch into the traction company and dust off the banks and
capital generally."

"Good for Alec! He'll do a good job of it. Shouldn't wonder if he'd lead
a mob down Main Street, hanging all the merchants, bankers, and judges
of courts."

"That would require more energy than Alec has; his love of the
downtrodden is purely vocal."

The county treasurer who followed the judge found Amzi disposed to be
facetious over the reports that other failures were likely to follow the
embarrassment of the furniture company.

"Worst's over. Just a little flurry. When there's a rotten apple in the
barrel, better get it out."

The treasurer jerked his head in the direction of the First National.

Amzi met his gaze, took the cigar from his mouth, and looked at the ash.

"Thunder! It's all right."

"How do you know that!"

"I just guess it; that's all."

"They say," the treasurer whispered, "that Bill has skipped."

"Bill's over there in his bank right now," Amzi replied impatiently.

"How do you make that out?"

"Because I was talking to him on the 'phone ten minutes ago. If he's
skipped, it must have been sudden. Tell people not to borrow trouble
when they can borrow money. Money's easy on Main Street."

Amzi wobbled his cigar in his mouth the while he smoothed his new
waistcoat with both hands. He was feeling good. His house was in order;
failures and rumors of failures could not disturb him.

This was Saturday, and their spring needs had brought an unusual number
of farm-folk to town. The proximity of interest-paying day made an acute
issue of Sycamore Traction. Amzi had by no means gathered up all the
bonds held by small investors. Book learning has not diminished the
husbandman's traditional incredulity: if Sycamore traction bonds were
worth seventy to Amzi Montgomery, they were undoubtedly worth eighty, at
least, to the confiding original purchasers. Those who had clung to
their bonds were disposed to ridicule those who had sold; and yet no one
was wholly comfortable, either way. The collapse of the furniture
company might prelude a local panic, and farmers and country merchants
collected in groups along Main Street to discuss the situation.

The Saturday half-holiday in the various Montgomery industries added to