Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-18

ing in a fre-panic they tore and trampled
one another down, and blocked the way to
their own deliverance, through the very
frenzy of their passion to escape.
But the downward trend had already be-
gun.
Everybody attempted to unload. Outside
orders to follow the movement promptly
poured in. What before had been unrest
was soon panic, and then pandemonium.
Men and youths bending over saloon tckers,
women at quiet home telephones. plungers
and .'occasionals" watching bulletin boards,
miles and miles away-all took up the star
tied cry.
Warehouses promptly heard Of the I'M
loading movement, of the abdication Of the
bull king, and a mad stream Of selling Or
derS added to the rout Of the day.
Curry had started the current; he let 1t
take its course. Through its own great vol
ume. he knew. it could easily carry all OPP
position down with it. He even ostenta-
tiously drew on his tan-colored gloves. and
took up his overcoat, as he announced,
laughingly. that he was out Of the market,
and that he was OF to Florida for holi-
day.
Then a second panic-frenzied, irrational.
desperate, self-destroying panic-took hold
Of that leaderless mob, tramplng out their
last hope with their own feverish feet.
Curry had liquidated his entire holdings!
He was going south for the winter! He was
carrying out his old threat to take the bears
by the neck! He had caught the pool on
the eve of betraying him!
1Hcy lldO NdTEeu uiIIi tudt Hc Wouiu lIuo
no mercy If he did not draw in with his
manipulations. He had found treachery
used against him. and as he had promised.
he was giving them dose of their own
medicine.
July. in the mad rush, dropped fifty points,
then a ruinous one hundred more, then wilt
ed and withered down another fifty, until it
stood 1T3 points below it's high quotation
mark. The rout was absolute and COM
plete.
Seeing. of a sudden. that the market might
even go utterly to pieces, without hope of
redemption. the old-time bull leader. now
with pallor on his plump face, leaped into
the pit, and tried to hold the runaway
forces within bounds.
But his voice was lost in the din and tu-
multi. He was mere cork on the grim
tide Of disaster. Even his own frantic eff
forts were in vain. The coup had been eff
fected. The day had been won and lost!
Durkin did not wait for the gong to sound
He hurried round to Robinson & Titles
offices. racing past disheveled men as ex-
cited himself
Neither member of the distraught firm of
Robinson & Little was to be seen. But a
senior clerk, with pale face and wilted
collar quickly and nonchalantly counted
Durkin out his money, after verifying the
slip, and speaking brief word or two with
his master over the telephone.
When his brokerage commission had been
deducted, Durkin was still able to claim as
his own some forty-eight thousand dollars.
1t had been game, for once, worth the
candle.
He walked out into the afternoon sun
light, pausing a moment at the doorway to
drink in the clear wintry air of the open
street. After all. it was worth while to be
alive in such world, with all it's stir, with
all its
His line of thought was suddenly dis
| rupted. Jingle of apprehension minute
but immediate, was speeding up and down
his backbone.
That's your man." voice had said from
the shadow of the doorway.
Durkin took the two stone steps as one,
| and, without turning. hurried on. His eyes
were half-closed he went counting his
| own quick footballs and wondering how
many Of them might safely be taken to
mean escape.
He walked blndly, with no sense of direc-
ton, each moment demanding of himself If
it meant defeat or freedom.
At the twentieth step he felt hand catch
at the slack in his coat sleeve. He jerked
| a startled and indignant arm forward, but
the clutch was one of steel.
Il guess we want you, Jimmie Durkin. "
said grim but genial and altogether COM
monplace voice to him over his averted
shoulder.
Then Durkin turned 1t was Doogan's
plain-clothes man, O'Reilly. Beside him
corner of his detective bureau badge.
''Well?" said Durkin. vacuousy.
The men drew in closer, sandwiching him
compacty between them. 1t a COM
monplace enough movement, but it made
suddenly and keenly tangible to his mind
the fact that he had lost his freedom.
For Gods sake, boys. whatever it is,
don't make a scene here!' cried the pris-
oner, passionately. ''IH go easy enough,
but don't make show of me-
Come on then, quck?" said the ce:t trail
office plain clothes man, wheeling him
about, and heading for the Old Slip Station.
Quick as you like laughed Durkin very
easily but very warily, as he calculated the
time and distance between him and the SER
geant's desk. and told himself a second
time admonitvely that he was indeed under
arrest
Go be Continued Tomorrow