Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1909-10-07

/ as an aoage or the sound hnaLciul
world that sooner or later he who
CANDLES on the tape is lost. But Dun.
can hung on. going deeper and deeper.
totally unable to break the shackles Of
the mania that had seized him, his
very blood mad to win back his dwin.
ding fortune. But the climax was
reached on the Tonopah preferred
deal
He was heavily long on Tonopah pre-
ferred, one-track system whose next
to worthless stock was flim-fiammed
up and fiim-fammed down, the price
mere decoy and fake. Now the wiz
ard was still solid in certain circles
where they pull the string. Topopah
preferred was good purchase at 40.
a gold brick twenty points higher.
Forty was low water. so high tide. 1t
was all very simple to his understand
ing, the A b of the game of stocks.
Two weeks after he bought he re-
ceived a telegram marked rush"
Sell quick! Fight on with Tonopah
directors. Going to wreck, merge,
freeZe-out."
And Duncan was up to his neck In
Tonopah preferred. 1t had seemed
such a safe play, such supreme
chance. But it hadn't been a chance.
1t had been q sure thing. And he had
succeeded in fooling even himself. He
would make a big haul and bid good
by to the ticker, bid farewell to tho
nerve-rackingS furious strife-forever.
But even now he wasn't afraid, disap
pointed. His brain, working smoothly,
naturally saw the easy way to hedge.
to still play trumps. He gave his
brokers instructions to sell twenty
thousand shares of Tonapah preferred
whereas before he had been long but
ten thousand. 1t wasn't smart. 1t was
the logical remedy. The telegram had
warned him and gone over his head
harmlessly.
That order came buzzing over the
wire into Andy Cages ear. Outside of
the booth of ringing phones. out on
the floor of the exchange rose the MUIR
muring shout of Wall streets pulse,
dust-laden, jumbled, incessant But
Gage shut out all else save that dron-
ing voice that came to him from the
office. 1t was the voice of opportun-
ty. Sell twenty thousand Tonopah
preferred. 1t was big order, nigh
ty big order, hampered by no price
limitations. Sell at the MARKET The
clerk at the other end was instructing
him 10 scatter the order around in
small lots, to sell by easy stages
Twenty thousand shares! Gage knew
for whose account the sale was for.
Something had happened. A break
was coming. Why, Duncan was sell
ing out, going short on Tonopah pre-
ferred,
He jingled the receiver back in
place, wrote down the order facetious-
ly, took long breath and-tore it into
long, thin strips.
The office of Newcomb & Hatch was
q scene of angry shouts, accusations
and denials. Duncan scented careless
ness of some sort on somebody's part
He could feel himself grow moist and
sick and desperate. Somehow the stock
hadn't been sold. Newcomb, floor
|
knowledge of the order. The wizards
margin was gone three times over.
The borrowed trust funds he had
staked were gambled away.
Keep cool half a minute" New
comb advised him strongly, seeing bad
breakers ahead. The firm can never
weather this broadside. We're all in
the same boat, rapids-bound But keep
cool. Well ask Andy and see He'll
know"
And Andy came walking into the
midst of them, into the midst of con-
fusion and mystery. He looked
straight at Duncan and-smiled, his
blood beating tattoo of victory. His
enemy faced him one brief, paralyzing
second in silence, white and stiff with
sudden amazement sudden under
standing. sudden, rekindled hate.
'You-herei" he strangled out.
Why, you"
Gage laughed mirthlessly. You're
whipped, beaten, squelchedl" he
Knocked him tauntingly and laughed
again in his face. He came closer to
the man he had beaten down. "Yes,
tore up the order, your order. Yes, |
sent fake reports on sales over here.
Turn about is fai. clay. and I've turned
ON you!"
Newcomb was gradually regaining
his poise, his power to act. He pushed
Andy Gage aside.
What's the meaning Of this out
rage!" he demanded roughly You
ungrateful young whipper-snapper,
what have you done? Well wiring the
inss ence out of you. You're fired, dis
charged, dyer hear?"
'Of course" nodded Gage evenly. 1T
doesn't matter But you won't suffer-
Newcomb & Hatch won't. That can be-
easily arranged. You see, heard from
jenkins yesterday. He's struck a mil.
lion-dollar oil gusher on his sisters
farm, and we're going to start up
again. He'll stand your losses in Ton
apah. Mr.. Newcomb-gladly. I'll write
him how | broke a traitors back"