Free A Hope Beyond by Judith Pella Page B

pain in his chest seemed to match the one in his foot. His doctor would no doubt offer him little remedy except to advise him to take to his bed and wait out the worst of it. Most likely it was nothing more than indigestion from thinking about James. Breathing deeply he tried to steady his nerves and dismiss all thoughts of his son. The boy had no idea what trouble he’d really caused in following his heart instead of his father’s direction. However, despite the congenial reception he had received at Oak-bridge, Leland still worried consequences might be forthcoming in the future. Leland would have to work hard to promote healing between the two families.
    There was simply too much at stake to find himself on the bad side of Joseph Adams. He was weaning himself rather rapidly away from the banking industry, knowing without a doubt that his days in that field were numbered. His bank was failing miserably, and it was only a matter of time until someone started a run on coins versus paper bank notes and the bank would fold altogether. And why? Because there simply wasn’t enough capital to back the bank drafts.
    He’d given it a good go, however. He’d managed to employ his brother Samuel to assist in locating a good counterfeiter and, with the aid of that man, had padded his losses with forged bank notes. It had been all too simple. The forgeries were of the highest quality, and because Leland owned the bank, no one questioned his operation. Of course, the forged drafts were drawn against other banks, and Leland had but to flood the marketplace with the counterfeits in order to benefit himself. As rival banks found themselves inundated with the forgeries, they had little choice but to fold up their operations, leaving more and more federal deposits to be placed with Leland. But now, even those days were numbered, and Leland knew the best thing to do was to move on.
    The pain in his chest subsided, and Leland shifted his weight gingerly to prop his foot on the carriage seat. He cursed his age and weight and then cursed his own foolishness at not taking better care of himself.
    Everything had gotten beyond his control. James. The bank. His life. It seemed as though everything had been tossed into the air and left to fall where it might. And that was something Leland could not afford to allow. He had to retain control. Especially of the railroad schemes.
    Railroads were the new rage of the age, and while Leland thought them a terrible waste of honest efforts, he could see a possibility of profit in dishonest dealings. He could still remember Joseph approaching him at the celebration of the B&O Railroad’s new Washington Branch.
    Had it really been only a year ago, last August? It seemed as though an eternity had passed.
    Joseph had taken an immediate liking to the railroad, but Leland had cautioned him to move slowly. Now Leland was the one pressing things forward, and that had all come about by the realization that there was a profit to be made with very little risk. Little risk, because Leland never intended for the investors’ money to pass any further than his own pockets. People were fools. They were greedy and hungry for “get-rich-quick” schemes. And Leland was only too happy to oblige them. It quickly became apparent that Leland could propose plans for a great many railroads. On paper, they would appear quite legitimate. On paper, he would have the facts and figures, surveys and designs, all arranged to present a perfectly ordered picture. And thus, Leland’s schemes were brought to life, and paper railroads became his new means of support.
    Even the proposed P&GF Railroad was nothing more than paper. Oh, he made it appear to be more. The certificates had been a nice touch, he thought, and they were a good means to promote the proposed line. With the prestigious names of Adams and Baldwin on the intricately designed stock, investors were not hard to talk out of their money. It was also to Leland’s benefit that