Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 152: what you’re looking at

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142 which could be heard and smelled certain peculiar and mysterious evidences of what might be presumed to be a laboratory—and finally into the third room, where, behind a@ massive mahogany desk sat Mr. Selwyn Eddy himself! Sam seated the caller with the utmost deference—to the right of the desk and directly facing the diamond merchant; and then withdrew. ‘““T came in answer to your advertisement concerning a loan of fifty thousand dollars,” said Appleby. Mr. Selwyn Eddy bowed. ‘“‘ May I ask what bank you de your principal business with?” “The National Trust and Savings Bank,” replied Appleby. “Very good,” signified Mr. Eddy, whose tone might be described as conservatively affable, and unconsciously yet pleasantly convincing. “TI have an account with the Wheat Exchange Bank. In case you wish, you are at liberty to ask them if my busi- ness with them has been satisfactory, I am about to back a new diamond store, or palace as it will be called, here in Chicago. To make the proper showing, we must buy a large quantity of perfect diamonds. These stones will be bought mostly on credit. In order to establish that credit without tying up my own independent operations in pre- cious stones all over the world, I wish to have in the National Trust and Savings Bank, in my name, the sum of fifty thou- sand dollars. Not as a checking account, understand. The fifty thousand dollars will remain intact. I desire that you go to the bank with me, draw out fifty thousand dol- Jars with which I shall buy a certificate of deposit in my name, indorsing it over to you to hold as your security.” ‘Well, I'll be damned!” remarked Mr. Appleby, quietly. Then smiling: “ Pardon the interruption, Mr. Eddy—pray proceed.” “That is all,” continued Mr. Eddy, “ ex- cept that I propose to pay you one per cent per month advance interest. I want the accommodation for ninety days with the privilege of an extension of ninety days.” Mr. Bertram Appleby looked at Mr. Sel- wyn Eddy, and then he allowed his glance ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. to encircle the room, finally coming to rest at some point upon the ceiling. Mr. Apple- by appeared to be thinking. Suddenly he let his eyes fall and encounter the steady gaze of his companion. “ By thunder, I like your nerve! do it.” Appleby rose from his chair, and Mr. Vl Eddy rose with him. The two men shook — hands as gray-headed Sam, in response to an invisible buzzer, opened the door for the visitor to pass out. “ Meet you at ten to-morrow morning, at my bank,” said Mr. Appleby, and he was gone. Ti. THE diamond palace blazed its glittering way into business prominence, near Madi- son and State. The Andover twins under the name of Cahill, with Selwyn Eddy as their partner and private backer, garnered the coin of the realm, and gave value re- ceived. The business thrived. When the stock was bought, after certain selections were made by the twins, who were experts, all questions of terms were referred to their silent partner, Mr. Selwyn Eddy, that mys- terious but evidently world renowned con- noisseur in jewels. “« As to this question of credit,’ Mr. Eddy would, without exception, reply to the sales- men from Maiden Lane, “I never have and I never will make written statements concerning my affairs. It is against my principles. It is true that I am backing this firm. If you wish to know whether or not I am good for these orders, take a walk with me down to the bank and we'll ask the cashier about it.” Arrived at the bank, Mr. Eddy perhaps unconsciously engineered the conversation to suit himself. With the salesman he would approach the cashier, and ask the lat- ter kindly to state approximately how much money, he, Mr. Eddy, had in the bank. The cashier would invariably reply that Mr. Eddy had in the bank right at that particu- Jar time something over fifty thousand dol- lars! Each and every time this happened, the salesman was satisfied, and in turn sat- isfied the house he represented and the dia- monds flowed into the diamond palace direct CoOmicbooks-:co