Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-10-25

oDStihiiie anu " Ill nave MS own way; DIT at
heart he's as good as gold, as you will one day
discover for yourself
Next morning Alice went up to LONDON By the
early train, and drove at once 70 Sir Charles
StOFfOrdS. 1t was Just eleyea O'Clock and ne
was still lounging over his breakfast He wei
coined his god-daughter warmly, and ordered up
some fresh chocolate
told him all the news, us your broHer-yoJr
man who buys and sells for you in the city-she
same man that is employed by papa"
"No. Boucher is my man. Your fathers
man is Simmonds-a fellow that l don't like at
all"
"Then perhaps you won't mind giving me a
note to your Mr.. Boucher?"
Why, now! A note. indeed! What kind of
a note?"
the bearer is MIR. Crewdson's daughter, and that
any commission / may ask him to do for me
must have the same attention as If it were for
yourself"
Sir Charles gave long low whistle. Why.
now, you don't mean to say that you are going
to speculate on the Stock Exchange?"
why should l not do a little in that line as
Wen as you or papa?" asked Alice with smile
When l used TO act as papa's secretary,
learned to take quite an interest in the different
kinds OF stocks, and the rise and fall OF the
LAY, ay; that's all very well. But that's very
different from buying or selling on your own a.
count. You would be sure to burn your fingers
before very long,
Il should hardly do that. 1 think. god-paDa
In any case. have NOT much to lose, SO shall
not venture into very deep water.'
why, nov, it's just the sort OF thing one
might expect from your fathers daughtef My
friend Crewdson made every penny of his fortune
on the Stock Exchange, and suppose there is a
sort of mania in ii that runs in the family. But
if you could only have the benefit Of your fathers
advice now?"
''Ihat is quite out Of the question. Had it not
been so, there would have been no occasion for
my GRAND here this morning"
"Quite true my pretty lOgician Then sup
pose l must give you what you ask for"
''Of course you must. The idea of your re-
fusing your god daughter such tritile!"
Sir Charles she drove at once to Plummer's
court Cornhill She was fortunate enough to
find Mr.. Boucher in his Office. When he had
read the note he said: Il need hardly tell you
always be at your disposal. l have had many
transactions with your father at one time or
another"
~ am married" said Alice, land my name is
Mrs. Gerald. Any communications may have
to make to you will reach you in the form OF
kilograms from Leaswood Station; but when
ever telegram from me reaches you, it must be
acted upon with the utmost promptitude; not
an hour must be thrown away
II will give special instructions that any mes
sage from you shall be brought to me, wherever
l may be, Immediately on its arrival. and you
may depend upon its having my most prompt
attention"
Day passed after day till several weeks had
come and gone, during which time a consider
able number OF kilograms reached LeaSwoOd
Station for Mr.. CrewdSOn, each one OF which
was shown to Alice by her husband before being
sent on by special messenger to BrOoktieid.
More than one OF these kilograms was in cipher
but that fact did not seem to cause Mrs. Rivers
much difficulty. Before her marriage, and dur
ing her fathers frequent attacks OF govt she
had often acted as his secretary, and the keys to
the two different kinds OF cryptogram made use
of by certain of his Geographic Correspondents
were thoroughly understood by her.
At length one day there came message ad-
dressed to her father, which, when translated by
Alice, caused her check to flame, and her eyes to
light up with sudden fire, and set her whole
frame aglow with intense excitement. Gerald
who had been out to attend to one of his trains
while his wife interpreted the message, looked
and wondered, but said nothing. waiting quietly
for the explanation whfche he knew a few min
utes must bring. The message was headed
50 From Edgar CrewdSOn, New York, to Edward
B. Crewdson, Brookfield, near Ieaswood Station,
Midlandshire England" 1t had been sent by
submarine cable to London in the first instance.
and thence forwarded to LeaSwood. sit is from
my Uncle Edgar, in America" said Alice; fact
which Gerald had guessed already. Then she
rose suddenly from her seat and flung her arms
round her husbands neck, and burst into tears
Surely the sunshine is coming at last
inlay l read it?" asked Gerald. The answer
with her head still on his shoulder was pressure
OF her arms; so Gerald took up the paper, on
which his wife's writing was still wet, and read
as follows:-' Buy up all the Deep Lips you can
lay hands on. Struck oil once more This may
in the dark yet" Gerald was puzzled, and his
face betrayed it.
"You darling old ignoramus." said his wife,
between laughing and crying.
.'tconfesS that can make neither head nor
tail of it," he said.
"And yet it is very, very simple"
..To clever little wives like YOU perhaps; but
not to stupid husbands like me. Pray, what may
be the meaning of Deep Lips?"
"Deep Lips is the name of a silver minein Col
orado, the shares in which can be bought or sold
on the London Stock Exchange like any other
scrip. These shares have beee quoted at v cry
Ow figure for the last two years, as it was be
lieved that the mine was all but worked out
The phase struck Oil once more can have but
one meaning-that the miners have uneXpect-
edly come across fresh lode or vein of silver
doubtless very rich enc, Judging from my uncles
emphatic request to papa to tbuy up all the shares
he can lay hands on. The words wall street in
the dark yet mean that the news embodied in
the telegram is not yet known to the buyers and
sellers In New York. The moment it is known to
them, a score Of kilograms will flash across the
Atlantic to the same purport as this one. In a
case like this an hour will often make all the diff
ference in the world, and IL we We're only TO-
tunate enough to be first in the field why then.
| think But never mind just now what I
think. Every moment is precious, and l must
telegraph Boucher Slick away"
Selling pen, ink and paper, Alice dashed OF
the following message: ''From Mrs. Gerald, Leas-
wood to Mr.. Boucher, No II Plummers court,
CornhilL Buy up i'll my name all the Deep
Lip stock now in the market. Not moment
must be lost. Twill be with you at 10 tomorrow
mot another word till you have dispatched
my message" said Alice, as she gave the paper
into her husbands hands. Like the sensible
man he was, Gerald simply nodded, and left the
room. Five minutes later he was back again.
''Sent it," asked Alice, anxiouSly.
every word. And now, perhaps, you Will
explain still further?"
"Willingly."
sBut first 1 had better send the message to
your father at BrOoktield.
Alice looked at her watch. at Is now one
thirty" she said. 1t will take the man an hour
to get to BrOOkfeld, and another hour to return
by which time it will be three-thirty. Allowing
another half-hour for telegram from papa 10
reach Mr.. SimmondS, his broker, that will bring
the time to four o'clOck-too late in the day for
business on the Stock Exchange. Yes, you may
send the message; Boucher will have had a fair
start. If he does his duty, there will not be
Deep Lip share to be had for love or money by
morning."
(Which means,'. said Gerald, s'that you are
taking advantage OF your knowledge of the In
formation conveyed In your uncle'S telegram. to
forestan your fathers action in the matter, and
make the information worthless so far as he Is
''That is precisely what 1 am DOING" said
Alice with emphasis. 81 was not my fathers
secretary for SO long a time without learning
He has refused to forgive me or to
condone my marriage unless l can go to him
with six thousand pounds He does not ask me
the kind OF man have made my husband. He
simply says:-'Bring me six thousand pounds,
Ind all shall be forgiven To meet his mercena-
nv views I must become mercen3ry myself