“I am sorry, but you know how some of these land company people are,” he returned.  “This money must be paid in order to clear the land.  If it is not cleared the company has the right to sell your father’s interest to others.  As I said before, he has paid fifteen thousand dollars.  What his interest would bring if sold to somebody else, I do not know.”

“Probably not very much,” returned Dick, quickly.  “Probably some of the land company people would buy it in for a song,” he added, bitterly.

“Well, Mr. Rover, that is not my affair,” and Mr. Aronson shrugged his shoulders.  “I came in only to serve you notice that the twenty thousand dollars will have to be paid one week from to-day.”

“Where are your offices, Mr. Aronson?”

“You will find my address on the card,” was the answer.  “If you wish any more information, I shall be pleased to give it to you;” and then the visitor bowed himself out.

It was a great blow, and the two youths felt it keenly.  Ever since the loss of the sixty-four thousand dollars in bonds they had been struggling with might and main to cover one obligation after another.  To do this had taxed about every resource that Dick could think of aside from borrowing from friends without putting up any security—­ something the youth shrank from doing.

“Say, Dick, this is fierce!” exclaimed Tom.  “What are we going to do about it?”

“I don’t know yet,” was the slow reply. can’t understand why father didn’t mention this investment to me.”

“He must have felt so sick that he forgot all about it.  You don’t imagine that there is anything wrong about it?”

“Oh, no!  I guess it is all straight enough.  Aronson must know that he couldn’t get any such money out of us unless everything was as straight as a string.”

“Perhaps Mr. Powell could get the twenty thousand dollars for us.”

“Maybe he could.  But that isn’t the point, Tom.  I told you before that we want to ‘stand on our own bottom.’  Besides, it isn’t a fair thing to ask any one to put up money like that without offering good security.”

“But we don’t want to lose the fifteen thousand dollars that father has already invested.”

“I know that, too.  It’s a miserable affair all around, isn’t it?” And Dick sighed deeply.

When Sam came back from his errand he brought news that under ordinary circumstances would have interested his brothers very much.

“I was coming through Union Square Park when whom should I see on one of the benches but Josiah Crabtree!” he exclaimed.

“Crabtree!” cried Tom.  “Then he must be out of the hospital at last!  How did he look?”

“He looked very pale and thin, and he had a pair of crutches with him,” answered Sam.  “I didn’t see him walk, but I suppose he must limp pretty badly, or he wouldn’t have had the crutches.”

“Did you speak to him?” questioned Dick.