Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1907-10-31
cHAprER m.-contlnued.

figure, occupying the very center of
that horde of gamblers who were only
awaiting the ringing clang Of the gong
to hurl themselves like madmen at
each other, was the hysterical man
who the night before was wildly pray
ing for this moment. Nearly every
man in that crowd was calm, but Bob
Brownley was the cafmest Of them all.
IT'S the exchange code that at any cost
of heart or nerye-tear a man must re-
tain good form until the gong strikes.
Then, that he must be as nea the I'M
Gagged tiger as human mind and body
can be made. Only l realized what
volcano ragged inside my chum's bosom.
III any other man of the crowd had
known, Bob's chances of success would
have been on par with a Canadian
canoeist short-cutting Niagara for Buff
lfalo. Nine-tenths Of the stock ex-
change game is not letting your left
brain lobe know what race your right
lis in until the winning numbers and
the also-rans are on the board. If one
iof those 800 thanksgiving thinkers
jor any of their 10000 alert associates
knew in advance the intentions of a
fellow broker, the word would sweep
Through that crowd with the sureness
of uncorked ether, and the other 299,
at gong strike, would be at each 9TH
Iers' threats far his vitals, and before
The knew tho game had started would
have his bones picked to a yulture-
finish cleanness.
Suddenly, as I watched the scene,
there rang through the great hall the
first sharp stroke of the gong. There
were no echoes heard that morning.
The metallic voice was yet shaping its
command to "at 'em, you flends' when
from 300 threats burst the wild sound
Iof the stock exchange yell. No other
sound in any of the open or hidden
places of all nature duplicates the
yell of a great stock exchange at an
exciting opening. 1t not only fills and
Irefills space, for the volume is terrific,
but it has al individuality all its own,
coming from the incisive "take-mine-
Tve.got yours" from the aggressive,
almost arrogant "you-can't-you-wont-
!have-your-way," the confident y""by-
Iheaven-I-will" individual notes that en-
ter into the whole, as they blend with
the shrill scream of triumph and the
idie-away note of disappointment, when
the floor men realize their success or
their failure. 1 picked Bob's magnii-
Gently resonant voice from the mass
$40 for any part of 10000 Sugar" 1t
' was this daring bid that struck terror
to the bears and filled the bulls with a
frenzy of encouragement. Again it
rang out-"45 for any part of 25,000;"
and a third time-'50 for any part of
tL0,000."
The great crowd was surging all
over the room. Hats were smashed
and coats we're being stripped from
their owners backs as though made of
paper, and now and then a particular
ily frantic buyer or seller would be
borne to the floor by the impetus of
those who sought to fill his bid or grab
his offer. Through all the wild whirl,
straight and erect and commanding
was the form of Bob, his face cold and
expressionless' as an iceberg. In five
+, minutes the human mass had worked
back to the Sugar pole and there was
the inevitable lull while its members
verified"
/ could see by the few entries Bob
was making on his pad that he had
been compelled to buy but little. This
meant that his campaign was working
smoothly, that he was driving the mar
iket up by merely bidding, and that he
had the greater part Of my $4,000 YET
unbought, which in turn meant he
could continue to push up the price
or in the event of his opponents at
tempting to run it down, he would be
under the market with big supporting
orders.
Suddenly the lull was broken. Bob's
voice rang out ~again-"153 for any
part of 10000 Sugar" Again the gam
Iblers closed in and for another five
minutes the opening scene was dupli
Gated, with only a shade less fierce
ness. After ten minutes mad trading
a mighty burst of sound told thai
Sugar was 100 bid. Then Bob worked
his way out of the crowd, and passing
by me fairly Kissed, BY heaven, Jim
i've got them cinched!"
/ went back to the office, In a>fev
minutes Bob without a word STROBE
through my Office and into the little
room occupied by Beulah Sands. HI
closed the door behind him, a thinf
that he had never done before. 1t wa!
only a minute till he opened it anS
called to me. In his ayes was a strange
look, a look that came from the blend
j ing of two mighty passions, one joy
the other + could not make out, unless
1t was that soft one, which suppressed
love, emerging from terrible uncer
tainty, generates In deep natures AMI
which usually finds vent In tears
Beulah Sands was a study. Her hear
was evidently swaying and tuggint
with the news Bob had brought her
She must have seen the nearness o
release from the torture that had beef
filling her soul during the past three
months, and yet such was the remark
able ~self-control Of the woman, sucl
her noble courage, that she refused i
show any outward sign Of her feelings
She was the reserved, digniled cir
i had yer seen her.
Jim, Miss Sands and | thought
best that we should have q little mattel
up at this stage of u deal" Bob be
gan. Il want to know II you both agre'
with me on adhering to the origina
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