The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1903-11-28

mined on but two possible theories Either
an Underground railway existed among
the clerks, by which fragmentary informa-
tion was conveyed to Tony to be by him
pieced together, or else there was crack
or hole somewhere in the floor below. or
ceiling above, or walls round about, through
which a confederate caught the words Of
the president and the directors. TO in
vestigate the underground railway theory,
Ballaine asked the board to assemble in
evening session, when all the clerks would
| be absent This was done, and at the
meeting it was determined to buy heavily
of sugar in the opening hour of trade. But
all the buying of the Jenkins brokers
failed to bring Tony Wyatt to the market;
he knew Then Ballaine determined that
! it must be crack in the ceiling,
| Ballaine called the directors to meeting
at noon and reported.
"Meet again at ten tomorrow morning,
said Ballaine. ''Choose two of your men,
| bers to scout with me for the crack in the
ceiling, and at the close of your delibera
tions shall have something interesting to
tell you. Meantime, shall make pre-
liminary search today
All that day Ballaine searched for pos
sible crack in floor, wall, ceiling, or chin
ney. Beginning in the basement, he in
spected the big chimney which went up
through the rear wall of the directors
ROOM 1t was not only the main chimney
of the building, but was actually the out
let for the fires of the heating plant. No
human being could live in it five minutes
He inspected the irepl itself and found
it innocent of any clew. To be further
protected, he ordered fire to be kindled
therein, and kept bright through the next
days meeting Of the board. He inspected
walls and partitions inside and out, but to
no purpose. Floor and ceiling, searched
both from above and below, were sound
and sight proof He went home that
night tired, cross, and completely at sea.
The board Of directors of jenkins & Go.
met as usual the next morning. A bright
fire blazed in the CRATE. The doors were
inspected The cashier stood just outside
the president room, watching that no one
approached the partition at any point.
Director Penny, chosen by lot, patrolled
the basement beneath while Ballaine sat
in the room above, which had been Tony $
room, unmoved by the remarks of the dis
gusted tenants thereof
For thirty minutes the directors dis,
cussed important affairs. So sure were
they of secrecy that one very closely guarded
plan---that of merging three railroads under
one management-was canvassed, and the
gradual buying of those three stocks de-
clraed to be timely. 1t would be grand
deal, and if jenkins & Co. could consum-
mate it in normal market without any
Tony to worry them, then the house would
have indeed scored double victory.
At the adjournment the president re-
minded the directors that they had prom
ised Ballaine to remain in the room until
released by him. They remained, con-
versing about the proposed merger, while
the president sent upstairs for Mr.. Bal
laine, and downstairs for Director Penny
The cashier came in with papers to sign.
The president 5 private telephone rang, and
he turned to answer it. The attorney and
the director came in, laughing over their
experiences on guard duty. They were
quickly surrounded and apprised of the i'm
portant action the board had just taken.
They, in turn, were telling their experiences
when the president bounded in.
"Gentlemen, gentlemen ! [ fully be-
leve we have clew at last Mr. Bal
laine, am nearly ready to admit that you
are on the right track Gentlemen, that
unspeakable Tony has just been talking to
me over my private telephone =
''Tony p exclaimed the room with one
voice.
"The man himself! Audacious as ever, =
continued the president, ''he desired me to
say to you, Mr.. Ballaine, that if you would
leave that room overhead long enough to
60 over to his office, you would hear some
thing interesting"
The directors listened with glowing
sense of pleasure. Surely they had cut
Tony's wireless wire at last, and he was
about to make overtures of capitulaton.
To Ballaine the same thought came with a
keen sense of pride.
"Gentlemen, he said, ''remain here
ten minutes and l will tell you what Tony
says
Away he went, leaving them all aglow
with pleasant anticipations. Ten minutes
passed, but no Ballaine Fifteen--twen-
ty. They became anxious. 1t was thirty
minutes when he returned, pale, angry,
and profane. He dropped into chair
and the board gave him respectful silent
attention.
"Gentlemen: Yesterday | told you
that after your meeting today would have
something interesting to tell you. l have.
But, believe me, it is the opposite of what
l had hoped to tell. l went to Tony Wy
att Just now. He said he knew every
word that had hean snoken in this room