The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1907-11-01

my ears. I thought he had quit the
market"
AS had never heard Of Mr.. Decker
before that moment this was not ex-
actly the truth, but thought It would .
serve me better.
Decker out Of IT." gasped Wall l
bridge. his bald head positively glist.
ening at the absurdity of the idea /
He'll be out Of it when he's carried |
out"
Il meant out Of Omega. Is he get !
| ting up a deal?'
The little broker looked vexed, as
| though # crossed his mind that he
had said too much.
"Oh, no Guess not. Don't think he
is" he said rapidly. Just wanted to
save the market, l guess. II Omega
/ had gone FIVE points lower there would
have been the sickest times in the
/ Street that we've seen since the Bank
! of California closed and the shop
across the way"-pointing his thumb
at the Exchange-'had to be shut up.
But maybe it wasn't Decker. you
know. That's just what was rumored
| on the street, you KNOW.
l suspected that my little broker
knew more than he was willing to
tell. but forbore to press him further.
and gave him the order TO buy all the
Omega stock he could pick up under
fifty.
In the Exchange all was excitement,
and the first call brought roar OF
struggling brokers. 1 could make
nothing Of the clamor but my nearest
neighbor shouted in my ear:
A strong markell"
1T looks that way" shouted back.
1t certainly was strong in noise.
made out at last that prices were
being held to the figures Of the morn
ing's session, and in some cases were
forced above them.
Forty-fve- forty-seven -fifty-fve-
Omega was going up by leaps l
blessed the forethought that had sug-
gested to me to put limit on Wall
bridge at fifty. The contest grew
warmer. l could follow with difficulty
the course of the proceedings, but
knew that Omega was bounding up
ward.
The call closed amid animation; but
the excitement was nothing COM
pared to the scene that had followed
the fall in the morning. Omega stood
at eighty asked, and seventy-eight bid,
and the ship Of the stock gamblers
was again sailing on an even keel.
The session was over at last, and
Wallbridge and Eppner handed me
their memoranda of purchases.
You couldn't pick Omega off the
bushes this afternoon, Mr. Wilton,
said Wallbridge, wiping his bald head
vigorously. There's fools at all times
and some Of EN- were here and ready
to drop what they had; but not many
| gathered in six hundred for you, but
l had to fight for it."
l thanked the merry broker, and
gave him a check for his balance
Eppner had done better with q
wider margin, but all told had added
but three thousand one hundred
shares to my list. 1 wondered how
much of this had been sold to me By
my employer. Plainly, if Doddridgt
Knapp was needing Omega stock h'
would have to pay for 1t.
There was no one to be seen as
reached Room Is. The connecting dool
was closed and locked, and no sounC
came from behind it. 1 turned to ar
: range the books. to keep from a baC
{ habit of thinking over the inexplicable
An hour passed and no Doddridgt
Knapp. 1t was long past Office hours
Just as l was considering whether m!
. duty to my employer constrained mt
wait longer, 1 caught sight of an en-
velope that had been slipped unde
the door. 1t was in cipher, but /
, yielded to the key with which Dodd
5 ridge Knapp had provided me.
4 made 1t out to be this:
Come to my house tonight. Brin,
: your contracts with you. Knapp"
was thrown into some perplexit,
: by this order. For little suspecte,
trap, but on second thought thi
: seemed unlikely. The Office furnishes
5 as convenient a place for homicida
y diversions as he could wish, If thes
q were in his intention, and possibly
visit to Doddridge Knapp in his ow
house would give me a better clue Z
his habits and purposes, and a bette
/ chance of bringing home to him hi
awful crime, than month together o.
the Street.
The clocks were pointing past eigh
when mounted the steps that led t
3 Doddridge Knapp's door. I had some
thing OF trepidation. after all. as ram
{ the bell, for / was far from being sur,
that Doddridge Knapp was above car
rying out his desperate purposes IL
his own house. and l wondered whetb
er should ever come out again, once
| was behind those massive door.
had taken the precaution TO find
smaller revolver, suitable for an ey
ening CALL" as assured myself. but II