The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1908-07-02
CHAPTER XI.-Continued.

The call closed amid animation; but
the excitement was nothing COM
pared to the scene that had followed
the fall in the morning. Omega stood
at eighty asked, and seventy eight bid,
and the ship of the stock gamblers
was again sailing on an even keel.
The session was over at last, and
Wallbridge and Eppner handed me
their memoranda of purchases.
You couldn't pick Omega off the
bushes this afternoon, Mr. Wilton"
said Wallbridge, wiping his bald head
vigorously There's fools at all times,
aud some of 'em were here and ready
to drop what they had but not many.
| gathered in six hundred for you, but
| had to fight for it,"
thanked the merry broker, and
gave him check for his balance
Eppner had done better with a
wider margin, but all told | had added
but three thousand one hundred
shares to my list. wondered how
much of this had been sold to me by
my employer, Plainly, if Doddridge
Knapp was needing Omega stock he
would have to pay for it,
There was no one to be seen as 7
reached Room L.. The connecting door
was closed and locked, and no sound
came from behind it. | turned to ar.
range the books, to keep from a bad
habit of thinking over the inexplicabIe
An hour passed and no Doddridge
Knapp. 1t was long past office hours.
Just as | was considering whether NV
duty to my employer constrained me
wait longer caught sight of an en-.
velope that had been slipped under
the door. 1t was in cipher, but it
yielded to the key with which Dodd-
ridge Knapp had provided me. II
made it out to be this
come to my house tonight. Bring
your contracts with you. Knapp"
| was thrown into some perplexitv
by this order. For little | suspected
trap, but on second thought this
seemed unlikely. The office furnished
as convenient place for homicidal |
diversions as he could wish, if these
were in his intention, and possibly a
visit to Doddridge Knapp in his own
house would give me a better clue to
his habits and purposes, and a better
chance of bringing home to him his
awful crime, than month together on
the Street.
The clocks were pointing past eight
when | mounted the steps that led to
Doddridge Knapp's door. l had some
thing of trepidation, after all, as rang
the bell, for I was far from being sure
that Doddridge Knapp was above car
rying out his desperate purposes il
his own house, and | wondered wheth-
er | should ever come out again, once
was behind those massive door.
had taken the preCaution to md a
smaller revolver, suitable for an ev-
ening call" as | assured myself, but it
lid not look 20 be much of rrotec-
ion in case the house held a dozen
'uffians of the Terrill brand. How
ever | must risl. it. | gave my name
o the servant who opened the door.
This way" he said quietly, and in
/ moment | was ushered into a small.
room; and at desk
covered with papers sat Doddridge
Knapp, the picture of the Wolf in his
len
Sit down, Wilton" said he with
grim affabi!ity giving his hand. You
won't mind If an old man doesn't get
lp."
| made some conventional reply.
Sorry to disappoint you this after
.OOn, and take up your evening"" he
aid, but found some business that ;
eeded more immediate attention. :
here was little matter that had to !
e looked after in person" And the ;
Volts fangs showed in a cruel smile, 6
Thich assured me that the little mat.
Or" had terminated unhappily for the q
thOr man.
airily professed myself happy to a
. at his service at any time. :
Yes. yes" he said; but let's see
our memoranda. Did you do well
lis afternoon"
moo" returned apologetically
Not SO well as | wished" g
He took the papers and looked over n
lem carefully
"Thirty-one hundred" he said re. (,