Nolan’s chair was turned toward the garden, but he was obviously engrossed in the letter he held in one hand. “A letter from home or a business matter?” Jasmine inquired as she drew near his chair and gently grasped his shoulder. Nolan started at her touch. “I didn’t hear you approach,” he said, placing the letter on his desk. “The letter is from Albert Cameron at the Lowell Savings Bank, along with a note from Paddy that he included.” “Is Paddy having problems with the farm?” she asked, taking a seat opposite her husband. “No, nothing like that. Paddy could care for the farm and horses without a second thought. However, it seems the economy is much worse in the North—at least for the present time. Albert explains problems that have occurred and his prospects for the future. . . . It’s rather dim, I fear. He says he recently reviewed a number of Southern newspapers and was surprised at the lack of coverage regarding what he describes as a full-blown panic that has now thrown large portions of the country into a recession.”
