Charlevoix county herald., 1907-01-05
Nv.
TRAPPED AND TRIMMED.

power, and so make us easy victims
of the others. | thought | knew my
self pretty thoroughly, apd believed
there was nothing that could tempt
me to neglect my business. With TINS
delusion of my strength firmly IN
mind. when Anita became tempta-
ton to neglect business, said 10 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 Ike
neglect of business, and would be so
in some men. But l couldn't neSlecI
business. | do them because my al
fairs are so well ordered that a te"
hours of absence now and then make
no difference-probably send me pack
Tresher and clearer.
When | left the office at half-pasI
Twelve on that fateful "Wednesday III
lime nv business was never in better
shane. Textile common had dropped
= point and quarter in two days
evidently it was at last on us way
SLOWLY down toward where l could
free myself and take profits. AS LOT
the coal enterprise nothing could pos
.sibly happen to disturb it; was all
readv for the first of July announce
ment and boom. Never did l nave
tighter heart than when | joined Anita
and her friends at Sherrys. IL seeineu
TO me her friendliness was less per-
-sunctory. less a matter of appearances.
And the sun was bright, the air dell
.cious, my health perfect. 1t TOOK ali
the strength of all the straps Monsoon
had nut on my natural spirits to Keep
me from being exuberant.
had finally intended to be back at
my Office half an hour before the eA-
change closed-this in addition 10 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 so comfort
able did my vanity make me that
forgot to look at my watch untli
quarter to three. | had momentary
oualm; then, treasured, l asked ANITA
TO take walk with me. BEFORE we
set ont | telephoned my rlght-hanu
man and partner, Ball. AS | mad
thought everything was quiet; the
exchange was closing with textile slug
gish and down quarter Anita anu
took a car to the park.
We walked for an hour, talking wltn
teee constraint and more friendllness
than ever before, and when lett mel
I for the first time, felt that l mac
left a good impression.
When | entered my Offices, l, IRON
force of habit, mechanically went Oil
rect to the ticker-and dropped all II
an instant from the pinnacle o
heaven into a boiling inferno. For tn'
ticker was just spelling out THESE
words: "Mowbray Langdon, presiden
of the Textile association, sailed un
exnectedly on the Kaiser Wilheim
moon 2 per cent raise OF the divi
dend rate of textile common, IRON
the present per cent to has Deei
determined upon
And I had staked up to, perhaps De
vond my limit of safety that textil
would fall!
Ball was watching narrowly loi
some sign that the news was as pa
as he feared But it cost me no eifor
to keen nv face expressionless; l wa
like a man who has been killed o
lightning and lies dead with the 100
on his face that he had just beior
the bolt struck him.
"Why didn't you tell me this sal
to Ball, when | had you on IN
'phone?" My tone was quiet enough
but the very question ought to nav
shown him that my brain was like
schooner in cyclone.
1--WE heard it just after you ran
off" was his reply. We've been tr
ing 10 get you ever since. I've gor
everywhere after textile stock. Ver
few will sell. or even lend, and the
.ask-the best price was ten POM
above to-day's closing. A strong tip
out that textiles are to be rocketed
Ten points up already-on the mel
runor! Already ten dollars to pay c
every share ! was "short" and sho
more than two hundred thousand!
fe1t the claws of the fiend Ruin Sir
into the flesh of my shoulders "Ba
doesn't know how I'm fixed, | remel
her I thought, anu ne HusIh hiiO"
lit a cigar with steady hand al
waited for Joe's next words.
81 went to see Jenkins at once,
went on. Jenkins was then first vic
president of the textile trust. He
ALI cut up because the news got out
saws Langdon and he were the on
ones who knew, so he supposed--sa
the announcement wasn't to ha
been made for a month-not till Ian
don returned. He has had to confir
e. though. That was the only way
free his crowd from suspicion of
tending to rig the market"
"All right" said |.
"Have you seen the afternoon
ner7" he asked. AS he held it out
IL Toy