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


He called few brokers to him, told them
of the jenkins plan, and through them
sent the three stocks skyward. 1t cost
jenkins & Co. Il pretty figure to gain con-
troll of the stocks. OF the million paid to
Tony and his friends, the man himself
calmly boasted of $500, 600 profit on the
day battle.
Tony Wyatt had accomplished more by
his frank proof Of possession of the Jen-
kins secrets than he could have done by the
most careful secrecy. Only man of cour
age would have dared it. Knowing that
he knew, jenkins & Co. were forced to
buy. Yet jenkins & Co. had no legal re-
course against the man. But after the
battle, the president Of Jenkins & Co.,
while detailing the action to Ballaine, sud
denly stopped.
''Ballaine,' said he, ~ have an idea
for you. During the last hour Of trade,
when things looked bad even for this re-
sourceful firm, | had one Of those moments
wherein man lives over his whole life.
Sees all the good and bad dished up quick
ly from his memory, you know. Well,
among ether things, there flashed over me
IL e, IL Io.n,,+nl thorn
rooms two years ago we closed a funnel
hole in the big chimney in the directors
room. 1t is covered with cloth and the
wallpaper put on over that. Perhaps
that $ your crack in the wall. -
Ballaine thought 50 too, and, after the
clerks had gone, he and the president secured
a ladder and made soundings on the chin
ney. The covering of the hole was soon
discovered and removed, and therein lay
the secret of Tony Wyatt wireless; tel
ephone receiver augmented by a small
megaphone to concentrate the sounds.
Ballaine could only explain in disgust
ssAn ear in the wall! | wouldn't have
thought of it in 4 thousand years! The
man has heard-literally heard-every
thing that has been spoken at your meet
ings
With the zest of two barefooted young
sters tracking Il coon, these two business
men clambered to the roof and there saw
how Wyatt's wireless wire was led up the
chimney in a small pipe, and then carried
along the cornice to the next roof to again
disappear down chimney toward Wyatt
Office.
The president, in the first excitement Of
the discovery, was for rushing to a tele
phone and calling the police. But Bal
lane had thought of something better
If Tony Wyatt wireless could hear but
could not see, there was way to win back
from Tony and his brokers the money they
had made from Jenkins & Co. ON the mer
GER battle Standing ON the roof of th'
jenkins building, high above the crowds
that thronged the streets in the late after
noon, Ballaine outlined his plan, his eye
swapping with enjoyment.
''Splendidr' said the president. Blu
he added, in sudden doubt, ''Suppose he
knows that we have discovered it? Sup
pose he heard our talk when we uncovered
the telephone?'
Ballaine saw at once that the success of
his plan hung by a chance.
sWe must take the risk, ;" said he. at
is our one chance to get back that money.
With grim determination the young at,
torney went about his preparations. The
paper was carefully replaced over the chin
ney-hole, and the offices locked for the
night. TO his offices, where no ear in the
wall could catch their words, the directors
were summoned early the next forenoon.
Ballaine had prepared mock meeting Of
the board, writing it out as dramatist
writes out play. A copy of this was fur
nished to each director, that he might read
his part.
Briefly, Ballane told the board Of the
telephone in the chimney hole. Each di-
rector laughed in sudden recollection of the
forgotten fue, and expressed surprise
that no one had recalled it sooner. Bal
laine then explained the purpose of the
mock meeting 1t would be held in the
usual place, and every word spoken would
be heard rd-actually heard-by Tony Wy
att. If, by any chance, the man had been
listening at his end of the wire when Bal
laine and the president had uncovered the
hole, then the play would be in vain. But
if Tony Wyatt was ignorant Of their dis
covery, then he would act on what he
neafu over HIS 'WHelcSS, Il GUILTY. duCc
by which he could hear the directors read
their parts in the mock meeting, but which
could not let him see that it was mock
meeting.
The directors entered into the spirit of
the thing like company of actors reading
for the first time long awaited manu-
script By devious ways they went from
Ballaine's Office to their own room in the
jenkins building At eleven promptly
the president called them to order Each
director held his copy of the play before
him. Each occasionally glanced inquir-
ingly at the mutilated paper on the Chin
ney.
Reading from the paper before him,
Mr.. Penny rose, and was heard to make
this sneech.