The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1907-04-27

ltWOthirds Of the way from the cen
ter. Every other active floor member
WAS there, too Even Ike Bioomen
gtein and Joe Barnes, who seldom
went into the big crowds, we're on
lhAhd, perhaps to catch a f1ier for their
Thanksgiving turkey money, perhaps
TO get as near the killing as possible
JBob was not trading, although on the
day before. ne never took his eye on
Bhrry Conant. ! said to myself: He
is trying to fathom Barry Conants
movements" but for what purpose
pnssled me. The hands of the big
iclock on the wall showed that trading
had been 80 minutes under way, and
still Barry Conant was pushing up the
price. His voice had Just rung out
"26 for any part of 5000" when, like
an echo, It sounded through the hall:
Sold" II was Bob He had worked
his way to the center OF the crowd
and stood In front of Barry Conant
He was not the Bob who had taken
Barry Conant's gaff that afternoon a
few weeks before. i never saw him
cooler, calmer, more self-possessed.
He was the incarnation of confident
power. A cold, cynical smile played
around the corners OF his mouth as
he looked down upon his opponent.
The effect upon Barry Conant was
different from that of Bob's last bid
on the day when Beulah Sands hopes
went skyward In dust II did not
rouse in him the wild, furious desire
for the onslaught that he showed
then, but seemed to quicken his alert,
prolific mind to exercise all its Gun
ming. l think that In that one mo,
ment Barry Conant recalled his suspi.
cions OF the day before, when he had
wondered what Bob's presence in the
crowd meant, and that he saw again
the picture OF Bob on the day when
4 he himself had ditched Bob's treasure.
train. He hesitated for just the frac.
ton Of a second, while he waved with
4 ilightling-like rapidity set of finger
lsignals to his lieutenants. Then he
squared himself for the encounter.
"26 for 5000" Cold, cold as the voice
of a condemning Judge rang Bob's
i"Sold." "26 for 5000" Sold" "26
for 5000" Sold" Their eyes were
lnxed upon each other, in Barry's de,
nant glare, In Bob's mingled pity and
contempt. The rest of the brokers
: 'hushed their own bids and offers un,
I'll It could have truthfully been said
that the floor of the stock exchange
was quiet, an almost unheard-of thing
In like circumstances. Again Barry
Conant's voice, "25 for 5000" sold"
"26 for 5000" "Sold." Barry Conant
had met his master. Whether II was
that for the nrst time In all his won.
derful career he realized that the
"system" was to meet its Nemesis,
or what the cause, none could tell,
perhaps not even Barry Conant him
self, but some emotion caused his
olive face for an instant to turn pale,
and give his voice tell-tale culver.
Once more pealed forth "2b for 5000"
That Bob saw the pallor, that he
caught the culver. was evident to all,
for the instant his sold" rang out, he
followed 1t with 5000 at "a, 20, 22,
20." Neither Barry Conant nor any
OF his lieutenants got In a take it,"
although whether they wanted to or
not was an open question until Bob
allowed his voice to dwell Just like a
4 pendulum swing Of time on the 20
1t was as II he were tantalizing them
into sticking by their guns. BY the
time he paused, Barry Conant's nerve
was back, for his piercing take It"
had linked to It "20 for any part OF
$4,000" The bid was yet on his lips
when Bob's deep voice rang out
s"sold." Any part of $4,000 at 10. 1s.
Is, TO-" He'll was now loose. Back
and forth, up against the rail, around
the room and back and around again
the crowd surged for 15 of the widest,
crasiest minutes in the history of the
tl New York stock exchange, a history
replete with records of wild and crazy
scenes.
At last from sheer exhaustion there
came a ten minutes lull, which was
( used In comparing trades. At the be.
ginning of the respite Sugar was sell.
Ing At 165, for in that quarter hour Of
madness It had broken from 210 to
166. but when the ten minutes had
elapsed, the stock had worked back
TO l67. Barry Conant had again taken
the center Of the crowd, after hastily
scanning the brief notes handed him
by messenger-boys and giving orders
70, his lieutenants. He had evidently
Z received reenforcements in the form
Il OF renewed orders from his principals
B Many Of the faces that fringed the
4 inner circle of that crowd weSe fright
ful to look upon. some white as
though just lifted from hospital pill
lows. others red to the verge of apo
. plexy-all strained as though await
4 1nG the coming OF the jury with
\ life or death verdict. They all knew
fnAt Bob had sold more than hun
dred thousand shares OF Sugar upon
n which the profits must be more than
Z Ql,000,0OO. Would he resume selling.
os was he through? Was It short
iOtpck. which must be bought back. or
y long stock; and II long, whose stock?
Were the insiders selling out ON one
(, oDother. or were they all selling to-
okher. and under cover OF Barry Con-
<t:s, movements were Camemeyer