The Jasper news., 1907-06-13
CHAPTER 1.

be hell, but will see what l can do
The sound of my voice as l drop
ped the receiver seemed to part the
mists of five years and Usher me into
the world of Then as though it had
never passed on.
l had been sitting in MY Office, let
ting the tape slide through my fingers
while its every yard spelled panic
in a constantly rising yOice, when
they told me that Brownley on the
floor of the exchange wanted me at
the phone, and quick" Biownley was
cur junior partner and. floor man. He
talked with rush. Stock exchange
floor men in panics never let their
speech hobble.
"Mr Randolph, it's sizzling over
here, and it's getting hotter every Sec
ond. It's Bob-that is evident to all.
If he keeps up this pace for 20 min
utes longer, the sulphur will overflow
the street and get into the banks and
into the country, and no man can
tell how much territory will be burned
over by tomorrow. The boys have
begged me to ask you to throw your
self into the breach and stay him.
They agree you are the only hope
now"
Are you sure, Fred, that this Is
Bobs work?" | asked. Have you
seen him?"
yes, l have just come from his
office, and glad l was to get out.
He's ON the war-path, Mr. Randolph
uglier than ever saw him. The last
time he broke loose WAS child's play
to his mood to-day. Mother sent me
word this morning that she saw last
night the spell was coming. He had
been up to see her and sisters, and
mother thought from his tone he
was about to disappear again. When
she told me of his mood, and l re-
membered the day, was afraid he
might seek his vent here. Also l
heard OF his being about town till
long after midnight. The minute
opened his Office door he few at me
like panther. l told him l had only
dropped in on my rounds for an or
der, as they were running off right
smart, and l didn't know but he might
like to pick up some bargains. Bar
gains!' he roared, don't you know the
day? Don't you know it is Friday,
the 18th? Go back to that hell-pit
and sell, SELL Sell what and how
much?' ! asked Anything, every
thing. Give the thieves every share
they will take, and when they won't
take any more, ram as much again
down their crops until they spit up
all they have been buying for the
last three months!' Going out met
Jim Holiday and Frank Swan rush
ing in. They are evidently executing
Bob's orders, and have been pouring
Anti-People's out for an hour. They
will be ON the floor again in few
minutes, so l thought it safer to
call you before ] started to SELL Mr..
Randolph, they cannot take much
more of anything in here, and If l
begin to throw stocks over, it will
and that will be to announce dozen
failures. It's yet 20 minutes to one,
and God only knows what will hap.
pen before three. It's up to you, Mr..
Randolph, to do something, and un-
less | am on bad slant, you haven't
many minutes to lose"
1t was then l dropped the receiver
with Il thought as much!" AS /
had been lingering the tape, watching
five and ten millions crumbling from
price values every few minutes, was
sure this was the work of Bob Brown
ley. No one else in Wall street had
the power, the nerve, and the devil
ish cruelty to rip things as they had
been ripped during the last 20 min
utes. The night before / had pass
eG Bob in the theater lobby. / gave
of which l of all men best knew
.he meaning. The big brown eyes
were set on space; the outer corners
of the handsome mouth were drawn
hard and. tense as though weighted
AS / had my wife with me it was
impossible to follow him, but wheI
] got home l called up his house ant
his clubs, intending to ask him to rur
up and smoke a cigar with me, but
could locate him nowhere. / tried
again in the morning without success
but when just before noon the tap,
began to jump and flash and snarl,
remembered Bob's ugly mood, and al
it portended.
Fred Brownley was Bob's younges
brother, IL years his junior. He hat
been with Randolph C Randolph from
the day he left college, and for owe
year had been our most trustee
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