disapproval of his actions entered on the minutes and was in a position to point out some months later, that if they had held on to the land, the bank would have lost most of its original investment of one million. This demonstration of foresight did not endear him to Tony Simmons although it made the rest of the board conscious of William's uncommon perspicacity.
When William had liquidated everything the bank held in Max Brookes'
name, he turned his attention to Mrs. Brookes, who was under a personal guarantee for her late husband's debts. Although William always tried to secure such a guarantee on any loans granted by the bank, the undertaking of such an obligation was riot a course that he ever recommended to friends, however confident they might feel about the venture on which they were about to embark, as failure almost invariably caused great distress to the guarantor.
William wrote a formal letter to Mrs. Brookes, suggesting that she make an appointment to discuss the position. He had read the Brookes file conscientiously and knew that she was only twenty - two years old, a daughter of Andrew Higginson, the head of an old and distinguished Boston family, and that she had substantial assets of her owrL He did not relish the thought of requiring her to make them over to the bank, but he and Tony Simmons were, for once, in agreement on the line to be taken, so he steeled himself for an unpleasant cncounter.
What William had not bargained for was Katherine Brookes herself. In later life, he could always recall in great detail the events of that morning. He had had some harsh words with Tony Simmons about a substantial investment in copper and tin, which he wished to recommend to the board. Industrial deniand for the two metals was rising steadily, and William was confident that a world shortage was certain to follow. Tony Simmons could not agree with him, insisting they should invest more cash in the stock market, and the matter was still uppermost in William!s mind when his secretary ushered Mrs. Brookes into his office. With one tentative smile, she removed copper, tin and all other world shortages from his mind. Before she could sit down, he was around on the other side of his desk, settling her into a chair, simply to assure himself that she would not vanish, like a mirage, on closer inspection. Never had William encountered a woman he considered half as lovely as Katherine Brookes. Her long fair hair fell in loose and wayward curls to her shoulders, and little wisps escaped enchantingly from her hat and clung around her temples. The fact that she was in mourning in no way detracted from the beauty of her slim figure. 'Me fine bone structure ensured that she was a woman who was going to look lovely at every age.
Her brown eyes were enormous. They were also, unmistakably, apprehensive of him and what he was about to say.
William strove for his business tone of voice. 'Mrs. Brookes, may I say how sorry I was to learn of your husband's death and how much I regret the necessity of asking you to come here today., Two lies in a single sentence that would have been the truth five minutes before. He waited to hear her speak.
'Thank you, Mr. Kane.' Her voice was soft and had a gentle, low pitch.
'I am aware of my obligations to your bank and I assure you that I will do everything in my power to meet them.'
William said nothing, hoping she would go on speaking. She did not,,so he outlined how he had disposed of Max Brookes' estate. She listened with downcast eyes.
'Now, Mrs. Brookes, you acted as guarantor for your husband's loan and that brings us to the question of your per - sonal assets! He consulted his file. 'You have some eighty thousand dollars in investments - your own family money, I believe - and seventeen thousand four hundred and fifty - six dollars in your personal account!
She looked up. Tour grasp of my financial position is commendable, Mr.
Kane. You should add, however, Buckhurst Park, our house in Florida, which was in Max's name, and some quite valuable jewellery of my own. I estimate that all together I am worth the three hundred thousand dollars you still require, and I have made arrangements to realise the full amount as soon as possible!
There was only the slightest tremor in her voice; William gazed at