The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1907-08-27
reApeEp AND TRIMMED.

give us a false notion of our resisting
mower. and so make us easy Vlctims
of the others | thought | knew my
self pretty thoroughly, and | believed
there was nothing that could tempt
me to neglect my business. with TINS
delusion of my strength hrmly III
mind, when Anita became tempea
ton to neglect business. SAID 10 my
self: ITO go up town during DuslneSs
hours for long lunches. to spenu the
mornings selecting flowers and pres
.ents for her-these things look Inc
oaglect of business, and would be so
In come men. But l couldn't neglect
business. I do them because my al
fairs are so well ordered that re"
bours of absence now and then MAKE
no ifference-probably send me BACK
stresher and clearer
When | left the office at haltpast
twelve on that fateful Wednesday IN
Iune nv business was never in better
shane Textile common had dropped
a point and quarter in two days
evidently It was at last on lts way
slowly down toward where could
fraa myself and take profits. AS Tor
tho coal enterprise nothing could pos
.sih1v hanpen to disturb it; | was all
ready for the first of July announce
mont and boom. Never did | have
Iigbter heart than when l Joined Anita
and her friends at Sherrys IL seemed
m me her friendliness was less per
functory. less a matter of appearances
And the sun was bright, the air dell
cious. my health perfect 1t TOOK an
the strength of all the straps Monson
had put on my natural spirits 10 Keep
me from being exuberant
had finally intended to be back at
nv office half an hour before the ex-
change closed-this in addition to the
obvious precaution of leaving orders
that they were to telephone me If any
thing should occur about which they
had the least doubt But so comfort
able did my vanity make me that
forgot to look at my watch until
quarter to three. had momentary
,aualm: then, treasured, l asked Anita
to take a walk with me. Before we
set out | telephoned my right-hand
man and partner. Ball. AS | had
thought. everything was quiet; the
exchange was closing with textile slug
gish and down a quarter. Anita and
| took car to the park.
We walked for an hour, talking with
less constraint and more friendliness
than ever before and when | left her
l, for the first time, felt that ! had
left good impression.
When l entered my offices. l. from
l., nj xrron /
rect to the ticker-and dropped all in
an instant from the pinnacle of
heaven into boiling inferno. For the
ticker was just spelling out these
words: "Mowbray Langdon, president
of the Textile association, sailed un-
expectedly on the Kaiser Wilhelm at
noon. A 2 per cent raise of the divi-
dend rate of textile common. from
the present per cent to has been
determined upon"
And ] had staked UP to. perhaps be
yond my limit of safety that textile
would fall
Ball was watching narrowly for
some sign that the news was as bad
as he feared. But it cost me no effort
to keep my face expressionless; l was
like man who has been killed by
lightning and lies dead with the look
on his face that he had just before
the bolt struck him
why didn't you tell me this" said
II to Ball when l had you on the
'phone?' My tone was quiet enough.
but the very question ought to have
shown him that my brain was like a
schooner in a cyclone.
we heard it Just after YOU rang
on was his reply. We've been try.
ing to get you ever since. I've gone
everywhere after textile stock. Very
Few will sell, or even lend. and they
ask-the best price was ten points
n ABOVE to-day's closing A strong tips
out that textiles are to be rocketed ."
Ten points up already-on the mere
a rumor! Already ten dollars To nav on
every share was Shorthand sheet
more than two hundred thousand! l
ielt the claws of the fiend Ruin sink
INTO the flesh of my shoulders. Ball
uoesnt know how I'm fixed" | remem-
ger | thought, "and he mustn't know +"
III cigar with a steady hand and
81 waited for Joe's next words.
went to see jenkins at once" he
Went on. Jenkins was then first vice.
president of the textile trust. He's
an cut up because the news got out
says Langdon and he were the only
unes who knew, so he supposed--says
sne announcement wasn't to have
zen made for month-not till Lang
:. IN returned. He has had to confirm
~ though, That was the only way to
nee MS crowd from suspicion OF in.
'enulng to rig the market"
All right" said l.
nave you seen the afternoon pa.
PER he asked. AS he held It out to
we my eye caught big textile head.
uues' then flashed to Soma others
%sUa a about my goiIN to marry
dlsa Enersly.