The Princeton union., 1907-05-09

Wuelner II deserved II. You KNOW
whether in all my life Up to the day
those dollar-frenzied hounds tore my
soul, ] had done any 'uan, woman, or
child a wrong. You know whether
had, and now you are going to sneak
OF and leave me as though were
breed gone mad!"
He was standing over me, ter
rible yet magnificent figure. AS he
hurled these words at me, was sure
he had really lost his mind; that I
was in the presence of a man truly
mad. But only for an instant; then
my horror, my anger turned to
great, crushing, all-consuming agony
of pity for Bob, and I dropped my
head on my hands and wept It is
hard to admit it, but it is true-I
wept uncontrollably. In an instant
the room was quiet except for the
sound of my own awful grief. I heard
1t, was ashamed Of it, but I could not
stop. The telephone rang again and
again, wildly, shrilly, but there was
no answer. The stiffness became so
oppressive that even my own sobs
quieted. 1 gasped as the lump in my
throat choked me, then I slowly raised
my eyes.
Bob's towering figure was in front
of me. His head had fallen forward,
and his arms were folded across his
breast. But that he stood erect I
should have thought him dead, so
still was he. jumped to my feet and
looked into his face, down which great
tears were dropping silently. I
touched him on the shoulder
Bob, my dear old chum, Bob, for
give me. For Gods sake, forgive me
for intruding on your misery"
looked at him. I will never forget
his face. No heartbroken woman's
could have been sadder. He slowly
raised his head, then staggered and
grasped the ticker-stand for support
Don't, Jim, don't-don't ask me to
forgive you. Oh, Jim, Jim, my old
friend, forgive me for my madness;
forget what I said to you, forget the
brute you just saw and think Of me as
of old, when I would have plucked
| out my tongue if I had caught it say
ing a harsh word to the best and
truest friend man ever had Jim, for
get it all. I was mad, I am mad,
have been mad for a long time, but it
cannot last much longer. I know it
! can't, and, Jim, by all our past love,
by the memories of the dear old days
| at st. Paul's and at Harvard, the
dear old days of hope and happiness,
when we planned for the future, try
to think of me only as you knew me
then, as you know that I should now
be, but for the Systems curse
The clerks were pounding on the
door; through the glass showed many
forms. They had been gathering for
minutes while Bob talked in his low,
sad tone, tone that no one could be-
! lieve came from the same mouth that
| few moments before had poured
| forth a flood of brutal heartlessness.
Bob went to the door. The Office
was in an uproar. Twenty or 30 Of
Bob's brokers were there, aghast at
| not getting reply to their calls.
Many were pouring in through the
outer Office. Bob looked at them cold
| ly. well, what is the trouble? IS
it possible we are down to a point
where the stock exchange rushes
over to a mans Office when his wire
happens to break DOWN."
They saw his bluff You cannot de-
ceive stock exchange men, at least
not the kind that Bob Brownley en-
ployed on panic days, but his COOL
ness reassured them, and when they
saw me it was odds-on that they
guessed to man why Bob had ig-
nored his wires-guessed that I had
been pleading for the life of ''the
street."
| well, where do you stand?"
FRANK swan answered :cr III.
crowd: "The panic is in full swing.
She's cellar-to-ridge-pole ripper.
They're down 40 or over on an av-
erage. AntiPeople's is down to 35,
and still coming like sawdust over a
broken dam. Barry Conant's house
and dozen other of Reinhart's have
gone under. His banks and trust
companies are going every minute.
| The whole street will be overheard
| before the close. The governing COM
mittee has just called a meeting to see
| whether it will not be best to adjourn
the exchange over to-day and to-mor-
row.
Bob listened as if he had been a
master at the wheel in a gale, re-
ceiving reports from his mates.
There was no trace now of the
! scene he had just been through. He
was cold, masterful, like the seasoned
sea-dog who knows that in spite of
the oceans rage and the winds howl,
the wheel will answer his hand and
the craft it's rudder. Jim, come over
to the exchange" The crowd fol-
lowed along. 1--WE have but minute
and I want to have you say you for
give me-" he said to me. II know,
Jim, you understand it all, but I must