Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1907-05-30
TRAPPED AND TRIMMED.

give us q raise notion OF u resisting
power, and so make us easy victims
of the others. l thought l knew my
self pretty thoroughly, and l believed
there was nothing that could tempt
me to neglect my business. With this
delusion of my strength firmly in
mind, when Anita became a tempta-
ton to neglect business, | said to my
self: ITO go up town during business
hours for long lunches, to spend the
mornings selecting flowers and pres
ents for her--these things look like
neglect of business, and would be so
in some men. But l couldn't neglect
business. I do them because my at
fairs are so well ordered that a few
hours of absence now and then make
no difference-probably send me back
fresher and clearer"
When l left the Office at half-past
twelve on that fateful Wednesday in
June, my business was never in better
shape. Textile common had dropped
a point and a quarter in two days
evidently 1t was at last on its way
slowly down toward where | could
free myself and take profits. As for
the coal enterprise nothing could pos
sibly happen to disturb 1t; l. was all
ready for the first of July announce
ment and boom. Never did l have a
lighter heart than when I joined Anita
and her friends at Sherry's. 1t seemed
to me her friendliness was less per-
functory, less a matter Of appearances.
And the sun was bright, the air deli
cious, my health perfect. 1t took all
the strength of all ths straps Monson
had put on my natural spirits to keep
me from being exuberant.
| had finally intended to be back at
my 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 il any
thing should occur about which they
had the least doubt. But sc comfort
able did my vanity make me that l
forgot to look at my watch until a
quarter to three. / had a momentary
uualm; then, treasured, l asked Anita
to take a walk with me. Before we
set out l t~elephoned 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 a 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 q good impression.
When | entered my offices, |, from
force of habit, mechanically went d.
rect to the ticker-and dropped all in
an instant from the pinnacle OF
heaven into a boiling inferno, For the
ticker was just spelling out these
words: "Mowbray Langdon, president
of the Textile association, sailed I'M
expectedly on the Kaiser Wilhelm at
noon. A 2 per cent raise Of the divi-
dend rate of textile common, from
the present 4 per cent to 6 has been
determined upon"
And I had staked up to, perhaps be-
You'd 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 1t cost me no effort
to keep my face expression.ess; | was
like a 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
I to Ball, when | 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.
I'VE heard 1t just after you rang
off" 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
above to-day's closing. A strong tips
out that textiles are to be rocketed."
Ten points UP already-on the mere
rumor! Already ten dollars to pay on
every share I was 'short"-and ! short
more than two hundred thousand! I
felt the claws of the fiend Ruin sink
into the flesh Of my shoulders. Ball
doesn't know how I'm fixed" remem-
Der | thought, "and he mustn't know"
| lit a cigar with a steady hand and
waited for Joe's next words.
81 went to see jenkins at once" he
went on. Jenkins was then first vice.
president OF the textile trust. He's
all cut up because the news got out
says Langdon and he were the only
ones who knew, SO he supposed-says
the announcement wasn't to have
been made for a month--not till Lang
don returned. He has had to confirm
it, though. That was the only way to
free his crowd from suspicion Of in
tending to rig the market"
"All right" said /.
"Have you seer the afternoon pa
PERI he asked. AS he held 1t out to
me, my eye caught big textile head
lines, then flashed to some others
something about. my going to marry
Miss Ellersly.
"All right" said I, and with the
paper In my hand, went to my outside
Office. I kept on toward my inner a.
fice, saying over my shoulder-to the
stenographer: Don't let anybody in
terrupt me-" Behind the closed and
locked door my body ventured to come
to life again and my face to reflect
as much as 1t could Of the chaos that
was heaving In me like ten thousand
warning devils.