The circular, shortly after sent out to all the names upon the list, stated succinctly that financial and labor conditions had been such that it had been found impossible to operate the mine profitably for several years, that it had depreciated greatly in value owing to the water which had accumulated in its lower levels, that it had exhausted its surplus, that a heavy indebtedness had accumulated, that the corporation's outstanding notes had been protested and that the property would be sold under foreclosure unless money was immediately raised to pay them, the interest due and taxes; that half a million dollars was needed to put the property in operation and that there was no way to secure it, as nobody was willing to loan money to a bankrupt mining concern. That under these circumstances no practical method had been proposed except to organize a new corporation capitalized at one million instead of ten, to the stock of which each shareholder in Horse's Neck might subscribe in proportion to his holdings, at par, and to which the assets of the old corporation should be transferred practically for its debts. That this, in a word, was the only way to save the situation and possibly make a go of a bad business, and that it was a gamble in which the old stockholders had a right, up to a certain date, to participate if they saw fit. Those that did not would find their stock in Horse's Neck entirely valueless as it would have no assets left which had not been transferred to Lallapaloosa. Stockholders who were dissatisfied could protest against the enabling resolution to be offered at the annual meeting of the stockholders of Horse's Neck to be held the following week at Wilmington, Delaware, and could avail themselves of the right to have their equity assessed under the laws of Delaware, but as the liabilities practically equaled the present value of the property that equity would naturally be highly problematical.
Now, as a matter of morals or of law the only thing that made the proposed reorganization unethical or inequitable was the single trifling fact that those responsible for it were the only ones who knew of the existence and proximity of the Amphalula vein. When a mining company, a railroad, an oil well or any other enterprise is down and out it is only fair that the majority stockholders, who are obliged to protect their investment, should have the right to call upon the rest to come forward and do their share or else drop out. A minority stockholder cannot appeal to any canon of fair play whereby he should be entitled to sit back and let the majority take all the risks and then claim his share of the profits.
The imponderable element of injustice in the situation consisted in the suppression of a fact which the directors concealed but concerning which, however, they made no representation, false or otherwise. They were going to risk half a million dollars of their own money and they wanted the whole gamble for themselves. They sincerely felt that nobody else was entitled to take that risk with them. Once they had floated Horse's Neck they had come to look upon it as their own private affair. The minority had no rights which they, the majority, were bound to respect. The minority were nothing but a lot of piking gamblers, anyway, who bought or sold for a rise or fall of a few cents. They knew nothing of the property and cared less for its real value. They were merely traders and if they lost they forgot it or tried to. On the other hand Scherer, Hunn, Greenbaum &Beck were promoters, who contributed something to the economic advancement of the nation.
“Regarding my hat, which you suggested this morning should be pressed at a cost of fifty cents,” remarked Mr. Tutt to Miss Wiggin when he returned to the office upon the adjournment of court in the afternoon and replaced that ancient object in its accustomed resting-place -“regarding that precious hat of mine”-he eyed it affectionately -“I can only say that I would as soon send myself to a dry-cleaning establishment as to permit its profanation by the iron of a haberdasher.”
Miss Wiggin laughed lightly.
“That doesn't explain your cryptic statement that it would probably cost you a hundred thousand dollars,” she replied. “Still-”
Mr. Tutt turned suddenly upon his heel and held her with an upraised hand, the bony wrist of which was encircled, after an intervening space of some five inches, by a frayed cuff confined with a black onyx button the size of a quarter.
“Behold,” he cried in the deep resonant voice that he used in addressing juries at the climax of a peroration, “the integuments of my personality-the ancient habiliments of an honorable profession-the panoply of the legal warrior. Here, my corslet”-he touched his dingy waistcoat with his left hand; “my greaves”-he brushed the baggy legs of his pantaloons; “my halberd”-he raised his old mahogany cane with its knot of yellow ivory; “my casque”-he indicated his ruffled stove-pipe “Arrayed in these I am Mr. Ephraim Tutt, attorney and counselor at law-the senior partner in Tutt &Tutt-a respected member of the bar duly accredited and authorized to practise before the Supreme Court of the State of New York, the Court of Appeals, the District Court of the United States, the Circuit Court of Appeals, the Supreme Court of the United States, the Court of Claims-”
“-the Police Court and the Coroner's Court,” concluded Miss Wiggin, making him a mock curtsy.
“Without these indicia of my profession and my individuality I should be like David without his sling or Samson without his hair. I should be merely Tutt, a criminal lawyer-one of a multitude-regarded perhaps as a shyster. But in these robes of my high office I am a high priest of the law; just as you, my dear girl, are one of its many devoted and worthy priestesses. Can you imagine me going to court in a bowler hat or arguing to the jury in a cutaway coat or bobtail business suit? Can you picture Ephraim Tutt with his hair cut short or in an Ascot tie, any more than you can envisage him in riding breeches or wearing lilacs? No! There is but one Mr. Tutt, and these are his only garments. He who steals my hat may steal trash, but without it I should be like a disembodied spirit unable to return to my earthly dwelling-place.
“A paltry hundred thousand?
“Nay, without my hat-my helmet!-I should be valueless to myself and everybody else; so estimate my worth and you can assay the value of my hat. What am I worth in your opinion?”
And then Miss Wiggin, having glanced cautiously if quickly round, made a most astonishing declaration.
“Just about a million times more than anybody else in the whole world, you old dear!” she whispered and rising upon her toes she kissed his wrinkled cheek.
“Dear me! You really mustn't do that!” gasped Mr. Tutt.
“Well,” she retorted, “you can discharge me if you like. But first sit down, light a cigar and let me tell you something.”
Mr. Tutt did as he was bid, chuckling.
“Well,” said Miss Wiggin, “there is such a thing as Horse's Neck Extension after all!”
“Um-you don't say?” he answered, struggling to make his stogy draw.
“And it has an office with about a hundred other corporations of various kinds-most of them with names that sound like the zoo-Yellow Wildcat, Jumping Leapfrog, and that sort of thing. It seems Horse's Neck is played out and they are going to reorganize it-”
“Who are?” demanded her employer, suddenly sitting erect.
“Scherer, Hunn, Greenbaum &Beck.”
“The dickens they are!” he ejaculated. “That bunch of pirates? Not if I know it!”
“Why not?”
“Reorganize! Reorganize? Reorganization is my middle name!” cried Mr. Tutt. “So Scherer, Hunn, Greenbaum &Beck are going to reorganize something, are they? Let 'em try! Not so long as I've got my hat!”