The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1908-12-18

plunged wildly into the crowd that sur.
rounded his rival.
The bids and offers came back and
forth with shouts and banks, yet they
made but a murmur compared to the
whirlwind of sound that had arisen
from the pit at the former struggles
| had witnessed. There seemed but q
few blocks Of the stock on the market.
This Is great" chuckled Wall.
bridge, taking post before me. There
hasn't been anything like it since
Decker captured Chollar in the cleo.
ton Of '73. You don't remember that,
l guess?"
Il wasn't in the market then" I ad.
mitted.
Lord! Just to hear that" cried
the stout little man, hopping his glist-
ening head frantically and quivering
with nervous excitement. "Doddridge
Knapp bids 1900 for the stock and
only gets five shares. Oh, why amt l
a chance to get into this?"
l heard a confused roar, above
which rose the fierce tones Of Dodd-
ridge Knapp.
How many shares has he got to
day." l asked.
Not 40 yet"
"And the others?"
There's been about 1000 sold"
/ gripped the rail in nervous tension.
The battle seemed to be going against
the King of the Street.
"Oh!" gasped Wallbridge, trembling
with excitement. did you hear that?
There! It's 1,7OO-now it's 1,775!
Whew!"
! echoed the exclamation.
"Oh, why haven't l got 10, 900
shares?" he groaned.
who is getting them?"
Knapp got the last lot. Ooh, look
there! Did you ever see the like of
that"
I looked. Decker, h~atless, with hair
~disheveled, had leaped the rail and
was hurrying into the throng that sur.
rounded Doddridge Knapp.
There was never two of 'em on the
floor before" cried Wallbridge.
AT Decker's appearance the brokers
opened a lane to him, the cries fell
and there was an instant of silence as
the kings of the market thus came
came face to face.
shall never forget the sight. Dodd
ridge Knapp, massive, calm, forceful
surveyed his opponent with ~unruff1ed
composure. He vas dressed in a light
gray-brown suit that made him seem
1aroar than avar Dacl-ar woo par,o,,c
d~isheveled, his dress of black setting
off the pallor of his face, till it seemed
as white as his shirt bosom, as he
fronted the King of the Street.
The foes faced each other. watchfu
as two wrestlers looking to seize al
opening, and the Board-room held IT
breath. Then the crowd of brokers
closed in again and the clamor ros,
ono more.
could not make out the progress O
the contest, but the trained ear o
Wallbridge interpreted the explosion.
of inarticulate sound.
"Phew! listen to that! Two thou
sand, 2,100, 2,150. Great snakes! Sc,
her jump" he cried. "Decker's get
ting it,"
My heart sank. Doddridge KNAPP
must have smothered his brain one,
more in the Black Smoke, and wa
paying the price of indulgence
And his plans of wealth we're a sacr
flee to the wild and criminal schem
into which he had entered in his cor
test against the Unknown.
The clang of the gong recalled m
from the reverie that had shut out tn
details Of the scene before me.
"There! Did you hear that?
groaned Wallbridge. omega close
at $500 and Decker takes every tricl
Oh, why didn't you have me on tn
floor out there? By the great hor
spoon, I'd "a had every share of tina
stock, and wouldn't "a paid more tina
half as much for it, neither"
l sighed and turned. sick at hear
to meet the King of the Street as h
shouldered his way from the floor.
D There vas not a trace OF his mi
t fortune to be read in his face. BIZ
Decker. the victor. moved away lk
D a man oppressed, pale, staggerin,
half-fainting, as though the nervou
strain had brought him to the edge
collapse.
Doddridge Knapp made his way
the doors and signed me to folio
him, but spoke 40 word until we stoo
beside the columns that guard the el
trancS.
THAT was warm work." said bod
ridge Knapp after a moments halt.
Il was very sorry to have 1t tur
t out So" l said.
A grim smile passed over his face.
t 81 wasn't" he growled good hume
eddy. II thought it was rather neat
l done"
l looked at him in surprise.
"Oh, l forgot that l hadn't seen you
he continued. And like enough
shouldn't have told you If I had. II
truth is, l found a block of 1000 shar,
on Saturday night. and made a col
o bination with them"