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

give me great lift, and Melville and
his bank don't need prestige. My daily
letters to the public on investments
have, as you know. got me a big fol
lowing that would help me make the
fotation an even bigger success than
it's bound to be. no matter who an.
nounces it and invites subscriptions.
AS thus proposed that ! be in
1iffy caught up from the extremely
humble level of reputed bucket-shop
dealer into the highest heaven of high
finance, that | be made the official
spokesman of the financial gods, his
expression was so ludicrous that | al
most lost my gravity. l suspect, for
moment he thought / had gone mad.
His manner, when he recovered him
self sufficiently to speak, was GER
tainly not unlike what it would have
been had he found himself alone be-
fore a dangerous lunatic who was
armed with a bomb.
you know how anxious l am TO
help you, to further your interests,
Matthew" said he wheedlingly. Il
know no man who has a brighter fu-
ture. But-not so fast, not so fast,
young man. OF course, you will ap-
pear as one of the recognizing com
mittee-but we could not afford 10
have the announcement come through
any less strong and old established
house than the National Industrial
bank
AT least, you can make me joint
announcer with Them" l urged.
Perhaps = yes = possibly = well
see," said he soothingly. There is
plenty of time"
PLENTY of time" l assented, as II
quite content. 81 only wanted to put
the matter before you" And arose
to go.
Have you heard the news of textile
common" he asked.
YES" said 1 carelessly. Then, all
in an instant, plan took shape in my
mind. Il own a good deal sof the
stock, and must say, 1 don't like
this raise"
''Why?" he inquired.
Because I'm sure it's a stock-job
bling scheme" replied 1 boldly. u
know the dividend wasn't earned. /
don't like that sort of thing, Mr.. Roe
buck. Not because it's unlawful-ths
laws are so clumsy that a practical
man often must disregard them. But
because it is tampering with the repu
tation and the stability of a great en-
terprise for the sake of a few millions
of dishonest profit. I'm surprised al
Langdon."
Il hope you're wrong, Matthew"
was Roebuck's only comment He
questioned me no further, and went
away, confident that, when the crash
came in the morning, if comes it must,
there would be no more astonished
man in Wall street than Henry J.. Roe
buck. How he must have laughed; or,
rather, would have laughed, if his sort
of human hyena expressed its emo
tions in the human way.
From him, straight to my lawyers,
Whitehouse & Fisher, in the Mills
building.
Il want you to send for the news
paper reporters at once" said l to
Fisher, "and tell them that in my be-
half you are going to apply for an in
junction against the textile trust, for
bidding them to take any further
steps toward that increase of divi-
| dend. Tell them I, as a large stock
holder, and representing a group of
large stockholders, purpose to stop
the paying of unearned dividends"
Fisher knew how closely connected
my house and the textile trust had
been; but he showed, and probably
felt no establishment. He was too ex.
perienced in the ways of finance and
| financiers. 1t was a matter of in.
difference to him whether was trying
to assassinate my friend and ally, or
was feinting at Langdon, to lure the
public within reach so that we might,
together, fall upon it and make a
battue.
Not without some regret did l thus
arrange to attack my friend in his alb
sence. IT'LL" 1 reasoned, his blum
der in trusting some leaky person
with his secret is the cause of my
portland I'll not have to justify my.
self to him for trying to save myself.
What effect my injunction would have
could not foresee. Certainly it could
not save me from the loss of my for.
tune; but, possibly, it might check the
upward course of the stock long
enough to enable me to snatch myself
from ruin, and to cling to firm ground
until the coal deal drew me up to
safety.
My next call was at the Interstate
Trust company. l found Corey wait.
ing for me in most uneasy state of
mind.
rs there any truth in this story
about your" was the question he
| pumped at me.
What story?" said l, and hard
fight had 10 keep my confusion and
alarm from the surface. For, appar-
emily, my secret was out.
THAT you're on the wrong side OF
the textile"
So it was outi Some truth" l ad.
mitted, since denial would have been
useless here. And I've come to you