The Argosy, March 1907 — page 37: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

ie A ee same,” cheerfully. 2 THE PLACE, THE TIME, AND THE MAN. responded Gardiner “T believe TPH take the chance. Wouldn’t you?” “Yes,” with the same significant smile. ‘‘On the whole, I believe I would.” CHAPTER XIII. HOW THE ENEMY TOOK IT. SYLVESTER. BURNS, weather-wise old mariner of the financial seas that he was, yet found himself sorely perplexed and at a loss over the unaccountable be- havior of the ticker, that unfailing ba- rometer of conditions down in Wall Street. Assured by George that the “ Mollie Maguires” had duly accomplished the project entrusted to them, and that the one man who had threatened to balk his plans was out of the way for good and all, he had entered seriously upon the purpose he had so long held in view, of gathering in the Spring Creek line at his own figure. He had no doubt but that with their last prop gone the directors of the little road would be only too willing to let go their holdings, but when he came to make the attempt he found himself un- expectedly balked and obstructed. Somebody else had been in the market before him, and with obstinate tenacity withheld the stock he desired to buy. All that he could get hold of was at a steadily advancing premium, which his purchases only tended to increase, and for all his efforts he was still several thousand shares short of control. He adopted opposite tactics, and in an endeavor to depress the price sold ‘short’; but it did no good. All that he offered was immediately snapped up _by the mysterious interest that was op posing him. At the same time he was having seri- ous trouble with his Pennsylvania Mid- jand stock. For no accountable reason, large quantities of the usually sought- after securities of that road were being daily offered for sale, and old Burns had to dip heavily into his, resources to support their price against the deter- mined onslaught of the opposing clique. For over a week the battle had raged now, and the old fellow had been drawn 3. A - old man urged: in deeper than he liked to ‘think; but he = consoled himself with the assurance that he must come out on top in the end. _ These antagonists of his must be in- sane, he declared to himself, to go after the Pennsylvania Midland. Why, it . was as stable as the national govern- ment; nothing could permanently affect its value. Presently the tide would turn, and then he would exact a golden toll from the upstarts who had dared to pit themselves against him. He rubbed his hands and chuckled to himself at the thought of how he would shear the innocents when the day of reckoning finally came. At last he saw signs of the end of the conflict. The market opened one morning with a lull, and shortly afterward Pennsyl- vania Midland advanced half a point, while Spring Creek fell off three- eighths. It was a tentative effort on the part of Burns’s brokers to test the strength of their adversaries. at “Ah,” commented Sylvester, “ they’ve shot their bolt. The time has come to rush them to the ropes.” He caught up the telephone and issued sharp, imperative orders to his lieutenants. “ We've got ‘em on_ the run,” he said gleefully. “‘ Buy Penn- sylvania Midland and sell Spring Creek till the cows come home. You can go as far as you like.” But the other crowd was apparently not quite licked yet. Under the tre- mendous orders hurled at the market by his direction, the prices of the twa stocks respectively rose and fell, as was only natural. Still the opposition rallied effectively, and the changes were not as pronounced as might have been expected. By noon the variation on either stock had not exceeded five points, while Burns and his friends were involved to the extent of millions. And _ still the ‘“Unbelt for every cent we have. When the slump comes we will wipe them off the face of the earth.” It was at one o'clock that the ticker brought the first news of the astound- ing information that was to plunge the stock exchange into a maelstrom of ex- citement and sweep proud fortunes into a wreck of havoc and disaster. comicbooks. om = Ps el Me Hy iq ij is > o4 f ; > mad Ta 4 ot ts ti , eh ny