Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-09-18

takingly located the required holding.
of the three stocks. Some of them were
in Chicago, but the greater number of the
men to be bargained with were local cap
italists living in the smaller cities along
the lines of the three short railroads.
In his bag was a carefully compiled list
of these stockholders, with their addresse:
and the amounts of their respective hold
ings. At the worst. he concluded. Il
should mean nothing more formidab biz
than deal of quick travelling. some anx
ious bargaining, perhaps. and a little
finesse to keep his object In securing the
options safely in the background
This was how it appeared in the pros
poet: and the young engineer had yet tt
learn that the securing of options is g
trade by itself-a trade by no means &c
be caught UP in passing, even by the mos,
gifted of tyros.
Hence il was extremely fortunate fol-
this particular tyro-more fortunate thar
he could possibly know at the moment
that his telephone message sent from the
first telephone he could reach after his
train stopped in the union station caught
Kenneth at the Green Bag Club. 1t was
a mere chance that he knew that Ken
meth. the senior member OF the firm OF
attorneys having general oversight of the
Pacific SOuthwesterns legal department
was at the moment in Chicago: a chance
hanging upon the fact that he had met
Kenneth as he was passing through on
his way eastward. But it was not by
chance that the first familiar face he saw
on entering the rotunda of the Grand
Pacific Hotel was that of Kenneth. The
sight was merely the logical result OF
Ford's urgent request telephoned to the
lawyers club.
by Jove, Kenneth. this comes within
two inches of being a miracle--my catch
ing YOU here before you had started
west" Ford calculated. And then: when
are you going back?"
Il am supposed to be on the way now
was the lawyers reply. Il had made all
on the slow train. but / dined with some
friends on the North Side and made a
miss. Where have you been?'
I'm just in from New York. Let me
register and get room, and you put
away any lingering notion you may have
have your ear for a few hours to begin
with. and the whole of you for the next
few days. No. don't probe me here. Wait
and I'll unload on you gradually. You
won't be sorry you missed your train"
Fifteen minutes later Ford had his ad-
wiser safely behind a closed door, and
had put him succinctly in possession OF
the world-subverting facts. as far as they
went. When he concluded the lawyer
was shaking his head obviously, just as
Auditor Evans had done.
Ford, have you any adequate idea of
what a tremendous proposition you are
up against" he asked, quietly, helping
himself to a cigar out of the engineer S
freshly opened box.
II don't believe l have moderated the
difficulties. any of them said Ford,
matching the attorneys gravity. There
are bones all the way along. but / think
1 have struck the biggest Of them just
here ought to be in a dozen places at
once and not later than tomorrow noon.
That's something / can't quite compass
Getting these options. you mean? That
is very true: but ii isn't all Of 1t by long
odds There are the thousand and one
mechanical details to be worked out-the
coupling up of these three local lines at
their connecting points; the securing of
proper trackage or trackage rights at
these functions; the general ordering OF
things so that a through line may be
opened Immediately when the stock is Sc
cured. If there were ten of you You
couldn't get things licked into shape in
time To get in on the grain carrying this
season."
Ford had relighted his cigar, which had