The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1908-03-12
Their business was fly catching.

tne fourth was tine secretary, anu ne
did not count. The three we're Gold
stein, the stout Jew; Jefferson. the
lean American. and Bludgeon, an
Englishman. who looked as II he had
kept door at boxing club and pros
pered to higher but not necessarily
holier things.
The secretary was meek, cool. eff
flcient and unobtrusive. He aid as
he was told, trembled when he was
spoken to and looked afraid.
Goldstein was a resplendent per-
son. His hat and boots were OF the
glossiest; his coat was immaculate;
his taste in fancy waistcoats was
doggy to degree, but did not get
dangerously doggy; his trousers hung
with an accuracy which is only seen
on the musical comedy stage and in
the higher walks of shady finance
His tailoring was good. But no tailor
could discount the face, with its
pendulous rolls Of unhealthy flesh;
the dull eye that cleaned snakelike.
though dim with drink and good
living, and the predatory mouth,
lIOm WuiCu lGclH SldTleu--DuCk
teeth, fanglike, and stained with to-
bacco. He sat over the web and
watched the flies come, talked to
them as they hung on the net, and
wove the silken death strands round
them.
Jefferson was the very reverse.
His spare frame was clothed in blue
serge. His face had something of
the hawk in it-a cold, calculating
expression, as of one who preyed for
pleasure. He stood in the background
and wove the net that caught the
fly. He wrote the advertisements.
Bludgeon was the bully. His brass
voice frightened women and intlmi-
dated men. It was he who challenged
assault and brazened things out when
the Jews heart failed him before the
bigger and angry insects who pro-
tested at their treatment in the net.
They were partners, and daily put
the fear of death by starvation into
the head of the secretary, Dobbs.
They delighted to believe they kept
his nerves quivering. It was a part
OF their creed that man works best
who can be kept at the nice ex-
treme which draws nerves to their
highest tension without inducing
prostration. So they kept him on the
rack.
They did everything-the three
partners. They swindled people M
nocent of the city by dealing in op-
tions they never bought. Thoy had
nice pickings on fictitious margins.
They played battledore and shuttle
COCK with all sorts of people over
borrowed money and they didn't start
lending under fifty per cent, and
usually finished off somewhere about
T. 800. They carried on a nice little
game over packets of shares, selling
good line or two for Appearances
sake with three or four lines, ho-
cussed in pre-prospectus days, for
the sake of profit. They would lend
you money on houses or land, and
you were lucky If you had either
money, houses or land in the end.
Sometimes they would rig out little
company of their own and collar
everything-selling nothing to the
subscribers at genuine diamond
mine price, and getting further fat
by the process of buying in and SELL
ing out until the company was so
much like financial carrion that not
even the most innocent fly could
stand the odor.
For headquarters they had a hand
some place in Doobrown street. near
the Mansion House, and we'll in the
charmed circle of the Eastcheap dis
trict, packed full of clerks and type
writer's, boys in buttons and men in
livery. To the unsophisticated 1t
looked like a money making mill for
the clients. but to the people who
knew 1t was mill which ground not
slowly but exceeding sure, its food
being the fool, and its purpose being
TO separate him from Lis money.
Their biggest effort was happening
at the time this story opened. The
hedsand looked like being a boom.
Boys" said Goldstein, in his fat
voice, to his partners, may l die IL
this amt a good thing, If 1t aint the
best thing that ever vas"
Bludgeon stood listening with his
mouth open.
Jefferson's thin lips crinkled.
Three hundred thousand pounds. by
gosh, in one handful, out OF the Brit
ish public" he said.
An all for nothink," snuirel
Bludgeen.
Haven't told you,Y scowled
Goldstein, mot to speak the truth?
!. Is not for nothink-it's pinch for
the public. Vat l say is, we give 'em
gold mine, and. If do, we do"
we give the mugs a gold mine.
OF course" said Bludgeon, as IL re-
peatsng lesson.
And a very good gold mine, too.
1 tnink," Jefferson added. -It's true
.nere amt enough gold In 1t to tin a
cigarette Without only three men
Know that, and they are round this
table"
me secretary came in, noiselessly
ana laid card ON the table in front
OF Goldstein.
He is waiting"
Soidstein picked up the card.
Abel Storm, publisher" was the
name 1t bore. NV
STORM" sniffed Goldstein. "don't
Anow MIN from Abraham.
"nat Is heY" asked Jefferson.