Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-06-21


Innumerable burrows or basement offices
| on Wall or Williams street were now
closed and deserted, and their tenants, the
| human woodchucks,' lowered on the out
skirts of the gathering timorous. awed.
| ready at any moment to frisk back into
1 their holes. Young men with old heads
looked older: the Oily Gammons wore a
| mask of suffering A number of bubble
| companies had exploded with scarcely
| pop" and many bankers and brokers
| spawned IN overgorgeous panoply were
! wiped out in a breath
| With face like that of a Roman senator
set and firm the rugged commodore strobe
| into the street and walked toward his office
But Few days before he had been driving
! with his fair bride of six weeks; bowling
along, care free. in his light wagon drawn
! oy TWO Diooded trotters. Now. perforce he
| turned from the solace of the myrtle to the
aggraVations of finance, exchanging the
true lover knot for the entanglements of
! the market. Behind him came another fig
| ure' bent, old. moving with difficulty, as if
| scarcely able to bear up beneath the weight
| OF broken fortunes and years AS he clat-
tered and shuffied along with the assistance
| OF hickory cane the burden of his thoughts
! found trembling utterance:
| Frisky boys!-didn't gold bile ?-Lord-
| Lord help us!''
Pausing before the office of Richard
| otrong he stood. wagging his head uncer-
! talnly Tor a moment then slowly began to
mount the steps. The destination of many
others mat morning lay at the place of
! business of that financier, for when the
| smoke of battle had cleared the day before
| 1t was discovered that Mr.. Strong as chair
| man OF the pool organized to preserve nor
NAL conditions, held tn his srasp the con-
troi OF the situation. Yet at what a risk he
fa0 gained this mastery none knew but him
sen sen HAD Grant not become, after reach
| ing the bedside of his comrade suddenly
dlstrustful of the zeal of his friends and of
| the influences that had been brought to
bear upon him; had he not thereupon re-
solved for his own peace of mind 10 tele-
| fp1v tn
! the latest news of the situation, the gold
cirque would have succeeded. Then it was
| Grant had made the disquieting discovery
| ne was twenty miles removed from tele-
| graphic communication. At once he had
| acted with great prompttude, his suspicious
| thoroughly aroused, and, calling for con-
| veyance. he had driven post haste to the
! nearest telegraph station, wired to Wash
| lrgton and to Richard Strong
me strain of Black Friday. however had
| iett lts impress upon the face of Mr. Strong
HIS expression was that of a seafaring man
who had brought his vessel through a crisis
| and now would fafn leave the bridge But
| there was yet work to be done
| In the outer hall Uncle Samuel with
quaVerlng accents, asked to see the finan-
| cler-
Just say, it's Mr.. Brewster and-he's
| come to settle
For some time the old mamie who had
| once directed the destinies of great ..nools,'
| ana corners -was kept waiting with
out: He twitched in his chair I'M
| easily and often raised his hand to
| his wrinkled forehead About him sha,n
| faced boys with messages, appeared and
! disappeared. Regarding him curiously. the
| clerks nudsed one another
That's Uncle Sam'l.'' The Ursa Ma iorrr
| The Old Bear
| In his day how many men had danced at
tendance at his beck and call, Now he
| himself, had become a patient Ioiterer he
lore the offices of Others. But oblivious
ankle OF the attention he attracted and
OF his surroundings, his thin lips continued
| TO mutter in aimless fashion: 1T was like
the old days in Rock Island and Southern
when We squeezed EN- both WAYS"
Mr.: Strong will see you now
Uncle Samuel arose, followed the speaker
| and few moments later stood in a door
| way, leaning on his cane and blinking a lit
tie in the light
How dye do, Mr. strong?" In the
shadow he dimly OWNED the countenance.of
man near the window. I've come to set
tie. Again he wiped his glasses. adjusted
OF the situation As he spoke he rubbed
his wthered hands. Master of the sit}la
tlon. he repeated and seemed to sink into
half-reverie.
We'll. sir?'
short, implacable voice caused hin, tn
| straighten suddenly
What's your price," said Uncle Samuel
| IN accents he endeavored to make equally
| hard and incisive
Time was when the shrewd old miser driy-
| ing bargain presented formidable figure
but now his tones, despite the ancient habit
| of cut-and-dried bartering BETRAYED a way
! ering weakness and anxiety
Il callate you kin dictate" he went on
ram much, this time, though Since
| you cleaned me out before my credit Amt
| been the best
! What do you expect?"
The old man rubbed his chin refectiveIv.
| The conspiracy of the church required ia
nm forclbly; the part he had played agains;
Il don't expect nuthin'," he answered.
No, faint mercy I've come for''-with a
| rough gesture-"only to settle."
question; Uncle Samuel shifted his
| cane; his face become more twisted. scanned
and furrowed
Why did l buy? 1t was on account If a
note gave the little church at home 1t
mad come due and they wrote me. 1t seemed
IKE chance for me to make the money
to pay the note before-but faint no ,sa
giving reasons. The little church can't real
lZe on that"
His voice drew to close; he le.nc7 bis
chn on his cane Perhaps in Imagination
he heard the comments of the country folk
of his old home: Uncle Samuel cav IN
the Lord and then took it back again. He
let his note be dshonored'
The old man clasped his hands owe
been niggardly. grudgin old critter.'' he
went on But it's been In my mind ever
slnceLsince you cleaned me out, to make
enough to take up that note. When | was
rich kept putin it off. 1t seemed an easy
thing to put off the Lord. But when | was
down, 1t ha nted me. l couldn't read the
Good Book for it. On every page 7 saw.
You've cheated the Lord; you've cheated
the LORD: So l sot out to get 1t back
peddlln in a few sheers. But luck has
been ag In me. l kinder feel now as If
I'd never settle it, -
To this rambling discourse Mr.. Strong
returned no response.
It may De he was recalling a day In the
distant past when he had first visited the
street; that early impression of the ex-
chanse and the men who had controlIed
the reins of affairs; when head and shonl-
ders above them all was the little man
whose thumb resembled the wizards wand
Samuel says: Thumbs up'!' and the mar
ket had swayed at his words But men
come and 60 Now the erstwhile shrewd
old gentleman sat bowed down; his eyes
lack-luster; age pressing heavily upon his
bent shoulders.
The man at the window leaned over his
desk; hastily wrotea few lines
Take this to Mr. Taplin.'
The words dissipated the visitors all
straction. Recalled to sense of his sur
roundings, mechanically he grasped the
paper The old instinct to haggle feebly
reasserted itself He remembered he had
been this mans relentless although lnstIc-