The Washington herald., 1912-02-18

the club And, as he bounded through
the swinging doors that led to the
street, he looked supremely happy As
Tor nle-my head was buzzing like a
bee-hive-but | looked wise, said moth
ing, and undoubtedly made the impress
sion that l was an old war-horse, for
on paper was 1000 pounds the winner.
That afternoon bedlam broke loose
in our stock. There was nothing the
matter with the general trend OF busi-
ness. There was nothing the matter
with Merrie England. She was still
pursuing her unchecked course OF CO.
lonial expansion and financial aggran-
dizemept, with eomplacent effrontery to
other nations, and her red blood was
still pushing the commerce of her fac
tories into every Granny Of two hemi-
spheres. where the khaki and kits were
holding bayonets over what she held.
But some one turned heavy hand, in
spite OF this, against Towner and
Wickes, Dobbins and Craven, magnih
cent Iower--and your humble servant.
The price of London Electric began TO
craclde and burn like tinder. 1t stag
Rered and began to recede. II Jumped
up and then back farther than Il had
come. II swung forward an eighth and
then Il cringed and palpitated around
that figure. The public was decidedly
not in, ard some enemy to the deal was
knihng our profits to such degree that
j wanted to get out / was a winner
and ! wished to take profits, but Tower
said with bland smile, Usual course
of events. Wait until 3 go And re-
assured. waited.
When 3 go came the stock went of
a full point and we knew that-tempor-
arily--we were beaten. Some one had
taken all the stock that Dobbins could
offer and had bought in all that Wickes
had, too. They seemed 70 be able TO
overbuy and to undersell when neees-
sary.
Tower said nothing, but smoked in
calm and obdurate silence, and when
Wickes came into the Office his collar
was undonc and he looked pale.
What's the matter? asked the
general of this financial movement
Some one is on our trail and they
have got more money than we have
WHO is itS
Dunno
Can't be Barring
"'No'
Cant be Goldstein & Co
"'No.'
who are the floor brokersi'
One man
"'You don't know himg
He dresses in gray, has brown
whiskers, is about thirty years OF age,
wears a red carnation in his button
hole. and button with No u on it,.
He is very pale and says nothing. He
never appears until | begin to sell or
buy; then he comes through the crowd,
is at my elbow, and takes all / offer.
When Dobbins tries to buy he sells him
everything at a lower price than / can
offer IL and he has US and our wash
sales on the run
Anything else you noticed about
that mani
eyes; he wears an elk tooth, sus-
pended from large ring on his watch
Chain
Tower sat down hard in chair
and his cigar dropped from his mouth.
"'D-d-d-did he have a small cut on
the side of his nose. A j-j-jagged
scarf?
"'Yes. right below the eye and ex-
tending TO the end. Of the nose, Why,
man, what's the matter.
"AlI the color had left Towers face
and he was gasping. His eyes closed
and he sank back in his chair, which
fell over backward, for he was a heavy
man.
Brandy shouted Wickes. Here,
boy, its in my desk. Quickp He was
undoing Towers collar and began to
fan him with the Times In moment
we had brandy to his lips and he
opened his eyes
"G-g-good God, he gulped. 'Wjckes,
think we're beaten. Come around
10 my house tomorrow night and Ill
explain think you'd better unload
tomorrow, and take what profit you
can. I'm out of this Sorry, boys. Call
a hanson. for | want to 60 to the sta
ton. He looked ike a changed in
dividual. No longer the aggressive,
confident man OF affairs no longer the
clustering general Of finance, but now
the crippled leader OF the rear guard,
the beaten captain of industry, the Bull
Ter of the stock exchange. The spark
OF aggressive FIRE seemed 10 have left
him, and he appeared to be lame wolf