The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1882-09-02

SDeculaung on MS own account. llAO
best to let people speculate through me.
1t pays best in the long run, and you
sleep much sounder when rising or
falling market don't make a difference
of q thousand or so to you. But Bob
bett couldn't keep out of it. The eX-
element was everything to him, and
must say he was very clever, seldom
making bad mistake. He gave all his
time to it and had the most marvellous
way of picking up information before
other people. | never knew where ne
got his tips. but when he strolled into
the Office of a morning and said: bet
ter sell or buy North British Brighton
AS or what else it might be, l knew he
had heard something, and there would
be move one way or another in the
stocks he named. | tell you, | used to
get very frightened at first, especially
when he did make losses; but at each
years end | found the balance the right
side, so at last | came to trust Bobbett
implicitlv-let him do Just as he liked;
and if he had told me Consuls were going
to drop to eighty | think | should have
believed him Poor old Bobbettn'
IlDIlhlllo DtlNiStu lltlCi IL liO
been from the emotion caused by the
recollection of tender commercial pass
ages between himself and the lamented
Bobbett; but if so his face said nothing:
Frank drew the back of his hand
across his eyes and murmured;
This is all very interesting-very
pathetic, but where's the promised
ghostP'
Our stolid friend took no notice, brf
went on like one commencing fresh
chapter of a novel.
Zone day my partner told me he was
going to the North of England on some
private business: There was very little
doing on the Exchange at that time, or,
| am sure, no private business would
have called him away, Better not oper-
ate until my return, he said. unless you
hear from me. If l think anything
worth doing, orpick up any news, l will
wire All right | said, pleasant
journey to you And so he went out
of the office never to return. Poor old
Bobbettr'
Hopkins seemed almost in tears, and
we, who had never given him credit for
such tender feelings, tempered our sur
prise with sympathy.
1.-The next day but one came a tele-
gram from John Bobbett, Crossleigh
Road Station. Itcontained these simple
words: Sell thirty thousand Marthas.
l was thunderstruck as read it,
"Walt a minute, " said Blair; ''you are
going beyond us again. What did he
mean? Were you Slave jobbers as well
as stock jobbers"
1--WE call stocks by nicknames. Cal
edonian deferred are 'Claras,' Brighton
deferred are 'Berthas,' Northern as
'NoraS,' so that Manchester and Dundees
are 'Marthas."
Il see, said Blair; "what ingenuitym
" was thunderstruck, say; and as |
read the telegram my first thought was,
it must be forgery; but a secret word,
known to us alone, put its authenticity
beyond doubt. And yet, in spite of
my high opinion of Bobbett'S cleyerness
| hesitated for some minutes. | could see
no possible reason to expect a fall in the
stock named. The traffic return was
good, and large dividend was natur-
ally expected. All rails were high, and
all the knowing people said must 90
higher, There was lots of public money
for investment, and the outside public
dearly loves to buy on u rising market,
and yet, with all these facts before me,
/ am proud to say | trusted nv old part
ner, although it was with q heavy heart
| followed his instructions. | sold at the
best price could get, and, Just as had
placed the last five thousand, became
aware of great excitement in the market.
You will scarcely credit it. but kilograms
came in running so: &" Terrible accident
on Manchester & Dundee Line. Two
trains completely wrecked. Fifty per-
sons killed and wounded" You must
remember the collision. 1t was an awful
smash-up, and nearl y swamped the div
idend on the deferred shares for that
half-year.
AS soon as the first excitement sub
sided began to think of Bobbett. knew
he was somewhere up that way, and for
the moment felt anxious about him, and
then laughed at my fears as | remem-
bered the telegram had received a short
time before. He, at least, must be all
right, or he could not have sent me that
line; but what an artful old rascal-fel-
low, mean-to manage to fOreStall ev-
cry one in the intelligence! He must
have sped to the nearest station, dis
patched his message and perhaps bribed
the telegraphist to keep back the official
news until | had time to complete the
transaction. However, he had managed,
it was very clever. and ought to be lot
of money in our pockets, and thankful |
was | had trusted him.
dare say you two in your hearts
think this very wrong, but it is diamond
cut diamond on the London Stock Ex-
change can tell YOU"
Frank and made polite disclaimers,
and rs we were growing rather inter-
estcd in this iniquitous exploit of Bob
belts pressed Hopkins to 90 on without
fear of wounding our susceptibilities.
''Of course | was very sorry for the
poor people killed, but | could not help
feeling as | went back to my office that
| had done very good days work.
4 won't close, said until Bobbett re-
turns. | should think, with this trans
action open, he is sure to get back to-
morrow. Even as | made this resolu-
ton, clerk put telegram in my hand.
1t came from some railway official, and
informed me that John Bobbett had been
killed in the smash. Ny surprise at the
llrst message was nothing to what felt