The Owosso times., 1911-07-14
CHAPTER v.

| tne WOrlu. tnat nelQ subject to IL.
whim the destinies not only of thu
100000 human beings directly OF
indirectly employed by him. but nov
In this extremity the destinies of 90.
100000 Of people! Pellman was far
seeing. If this calamity could not bt
nipped in the bud it was likely to be
felt all over the world. And one mar
could do 1t. could this very day make
or mar fortunes. promote or destroy
commerce. ,prolong or end lives. And
one man could do it! 1t was too much
power.
"Breedr commanded Pellman sharp
ly.
The owner of countless millions
looked around at him almost vacantly
but before he could reply. had he been
minded to do SO. tall. gaunt man
with protruding cheek bones and bris.
tling red hair and dropping sandy
mustache came In with a slip Of vel
low paper In his hand. He glanced
at Pellman inquiringly. and a CLEAN
Of recognition flashed upon his coun-
tenance, although Pellman could have
sworn that he had never seen the man
before. For only an instant the mans
gaze swept Pellman. Then he ad.
vanced to Breed.
"A wireless for you. sir" said he in
a voice of so deep range that It
seemed to jar all the air in the room
and set II quivering.
| Rreed glanced at the message almost
indinerently and handed 1t back.
''Tell him that there is to be no COM
promise with that firm. Blagg." he d.
rected.
The wireless operator smiled grimly
| and turned away. AS he started out
the door the young woman Pellman
had seen in the hall came in. accom-.
panied by an elder woman. Pellman
saw Blagg's eyes flame as they rest
ed on the girl. and the man turned
to look after her to the last as he
closed the door.
The elder woman was rather stout.
with her head thrown back in a gen.
eral attitude of contempt. Pellman
remembered her vaguely as Mrs.
Rensselaer,. one Of the long since i'm
poverished exclusives of old Manhat-
tan. but still a power in the inner cir
cles, and he idly wondered what she
could be doing here. The girl came
and stood behind Breeds chair. her
hand resting lightly upon his shoulder.
and stared at Pellman with frank i'm
pertinence. Her attitude angered him.
Breed" he again commanded sharp
ly.
"Well?" asked Breed alphabetically.
"You must listen to me-" insisted
Pellman. Half a dozen times under
emergency you have come to the front
and helped to smooth things out. Once
you even saved the government Now
we have n worse condition than auy
that has ever confronted us. The
whole country Is going to smash. The
Stock Exchange will be swept out of
existence before the weeks end.
There will be more bank failures than
have ever occurred in the United
States in any one year. Breed, you
must do something. I am not going
away from here until you do. Call OF
your absurd casn dram. announce IL
to the public and so with us to bolster
up the market"
Breed looked around him slowly, and
his eve caught that of Dr. Zelphan.
take me away" said he. II am tired.
Lillian.'
Zelphan stepped Immediately to his
side. took his arm and started toward
the door on the other side Of the fire.
place. the girl supporting his other
arm.
"WaitW almost shrieked Pellman.
"You are not so Ill that you cannot
talk this matter over. You were well
enough just now to put the screws on
some concern unlucky enough to be
under your thumb. Listen to me!'
Breed only hastened his shutting
footsteps. Pellman strode after them.
but just as they reached the door DR..
Zelphan opened 1t. and the girl cast
back at PelIman glance Of derision
from her dark eyes. She took Breed
into the room beyond, and as the door
closed behind her she laughed an inso-
lent laugh Of amusement
Zelphan stood before the door. 1T
told you just how it would be-" he
declared. 1.-THE man is in no condition
to talk business and must not be both
cred again."
Pellman left the house fuming. and |
his Ill humor was in no degree lessen
ed when he saw two figures crossing |
the glade armed with golf sticks. They |
were some distance away. but he was |
sure they were the doctor and Henry |
Breed.
Overnight. merely from the impetus |
Of their descent. stocks went down not
less than fifteen points. Every newspa.
per in the United States fairly dripped
with sensational stories based upon
the fact that there was no money in
Banks guarded their cash
reserves with a life and death despera-
hon. Men who had been about to pay
small bills kept the money in their
pockets. and a universal stagnation set
n. In another day arrangements were
made in a dozen cities to issue clear
ng house certificates to take the place
If money. In the meantime pandemo-
mum had foreclosed its long overdue
mortgage upon the New York Stock