'',- -
-
Politics Their
OfllySnpport
Professional Politicians
Only Visible Means
of Livelihood.
By ERNEST McOAFFEY
Between Elections This Type Is
Everything from Ghoul
to Aeronaut.
THERE had grown up in our city
an army of men who followed
politics strictly as a means of
earning a livelihood. They
either expected to make a
living by holding office of some kind
or another, or they figured on making
both ends meet by attaching them
selves to the train of some "boss,"
who would dele out crumbs to them in
some way, direct or indirect. Some
times they figured on getting business
of some kind through their connection
with politics. But at any rate, there
they were, with "no visible means of
support" excepting politics. They
might be in the directory as taxi
dermists, astronomers, chemists, rat
catchers, lawyers, aeronauts, plumbers'
helpers, grave-diggers, clerks, or what
you like, but as a matter of fact they
depended en politics for a living.
Sometimes they were in one busi
ness, sometimes another, but you
could find them always at the ward
meetings, always at the primaries, al
ways at the conventions, caucuses
(when they could get in) at the city
hall, at ward headquarters, at down
town headquarters, in the saloons
where politicians might occasionally
be found, at the funerals, dances, pie
ales, and all social gatherings, and,
indeed, wherever acquaintance might
be made or self-interest fostered. They
were very busy individuals, and sim
ply whirlwinds of energy around about
election time.
If they had held a paying "job" for
some time, and a change of adminis
tration had brought with it the disa
greeable necessity of "resigning." they
were usually "waiting" until the next
municipal election. As these occurred
every two years. In my time, the wait
was over before the enforced "hand-to-mouth"
existence entirely broke
their spirits. Meantime, they skated
about, working every avenue to keep
alive and hold their own in "the or
ganization." Give them credit, you
-with the three square meals a day. for
their superb nerve. If you tackled
one of these "captains of hope" he
was as cheerful as a bumble bee on
a thistle top. Everything was lovely,
things never looked better, "the organ
ization" was in elegant shape, "we"
were going to win next time, etc. How
he would lay down the assurance of
victory with various tremendously sug
gestive chunks of wisdom, culled
from his ever-effervescent "bonnet."
How sanguine he was of glory and of
fices in the future. Well, even if it
was straight "bunk" there was a
gleam of possibility in it
And his airy, insouciant, diffident
"by the way. Bill, let me have a dol
lar till to-morrow" when the glittering
"dope" had been exhausted well, if
you had it why not let him have it?
The sands of every lucky office hold
er's career are strewn with the wrecks
of dollars that were cast away to
such siren invitations.
The evolution of such a politician
might be from the bench of a bright
young mechanic, ambitious to shine in
the difficult calcium glare of publici
ty. He might get elected as a dele
gate to a city convention and get the
"political bug" lodged under his hat.
(He might read up on'the election laws
and get so he could raise "a point of
order" at a ward meeting. He might
lectioneer for some alderman, and,
after the victory, get a bran new ten
dollar bill, which seemed like money
off a Christmas tree. Ho might get
elected secretary or president of the
iward club. He might get to be a sort
of political jackal to the "boss" who
controlled his district. There were a
great many ways in which he might
distinguish himself in this way, but
visually at the expense of his trade.
Or ho might be some young lawyer
with a gift for "the gab," who had
attracted the attention of the leaders
as having the nucleus of a "speaker"
in him. If he was making money in
his profession, so much the better. In
that event was "milked" for contribu
tions to the part' and sent broadcast
at night to split the tobacco-enveloped
empyrean of the halls where the
voters gathered to hear about the
"burning issues." These "voters," I
may remark in passing, were confined
to the garbage-wagon drivers, the
sewer-pipe extension men, the city
employes and others who had a real
interest in politics, and who could
stand all sorts of oratory if they
could only smoke.
1 Such a victim as I have described
was often held close to work and dis
bursement by promises, half-promises
or suggestions of some prominent gift
in the party nominations. Sometimes
as the years rolled on and he never
.realized his ambitions, even in the
shape of a nomination, he drew out a
sadder and a wiser man and let the
political will-o'-the-wisps alone.
But strange things happened in pol
itics sometimes. One young lawyer,
iwhose legal .qualifications were
jmeager to "rjuation, had been
(nominated and elected to a certain or
ifice, and at the end of his term cravad
jstill higher honors official. So he got
Art in Spanish Bank Notes
fo baffle the counterfeiters, who are
both numerous and cunning in Madrid,
the Bank of Spain has pursued the
spolicy of changing its notes with great
frequency and retiring each issue as
fast as passible.
The bank has now determined on a
new plan. It has placed an order for
a series of notes with an English con
cern, aad It will relr for safety upon
a special colpr process. In addition
a lawyer of bis acquaintance, a vener
able attorney of marked ability,' to
circulate a petition urging his nomi
nation for a still higher position. The
old lawyer circulated among the mem
bers of the bar of his acquaintance,
and it was considered such a good
joke that he got many prominent and
influential names of lawyers who
never gave a thought to the possible
nomination of the young fellow. The
petition aided the aspirant substan
tially; he got the nomination, and.
what's more, he was elected. He re
tired from office with 'fees of his of
fice aggregating about a quarter of a
million dollars.
And instances like these kept the
young lawyers on the qui vive for a
possible like happening in their cases.
But the reverse of the medal was in
the incident of a very bright young
lawyer of my acquaintance, who got a
nomination, lost the election, took to
whisky as a cure, established a
"touching route," where he collected
dollars, half-dollars and quarters for
awhile, and then died shortly after, a
victim to the "political bug" and the
"whisky bug" combined, than which
no more fatal and totally destructive
combination was ever invented.
The most successful of the local
politicians were those who had lived
in one ward all their lives, who had
made politics their life-game, and
who could "deliver the delegates." In
conventions, as the delegates made
the nominations, the more delegates
a man absolutely controlled the more of
a power he was. The young and am
bitious political worker always started
out to control the delegates in his pre
cint Then he reached out after other
precincts, and when the time came
that he could control his ward he had
arrived at the proud position of a
"ward boss." This, however, required
years of the most unremitting atten
tion to detail, an immense amount of
wire-pulling and strategy and a rigid
distribution on as even terms as pos
sible of all "patronage" which might
come his way. The delegates were
usually very much the same individ
uals from year to year. They might
be shifted from one convention ticket
to another, but the names of the
"faithful" would be pretty sure to
turn up annually, unless in case of
death, and in that event someone
would be selected who could be "con
trolled" like a tin soldier.
Politics as a profession develops
shrewdness, nerve, capacity to "stand
the gaff," oratory, conversational
powers, personal magnetism, and, in
fact, all the accomplishments of a
first-class confidence man. Although,
of course, all confidence men are not
politicians. Needless to say, no sug
gestion is here made to "statesmen."
These gentlemen do not mix with vul
gar municipal politics, but get elected
to senatorial and other offices and
never get their namas mixed up in any
scandal save one befitting their hon
orable positions. Politics loosens the
action of the pecuniary nerve, for no
successful politician can be a "tight
wad." He may think he can be eco
nomical, but he can't be. He may fig
ure on what it is going to cost as to
main outlay, but "perquisites" will eat
him up quicker than nitric acid will
cook an angleworm. The hardened
professional politicians know this only
too well, and the result implants in
To Hear About the "Burning 'Issues."
their bosoms a pardonable curiosity
in the question of "what there is In it
for them" if any political proposition
is unfolded to their longing gaze.
Politics as a profession has evolved
the "boss." He Is not "always the
coarse creature of the cartoonist's
fancy, nos the devouring lion of the
muck-rake romancer. Often he
dresses elegantly, and quite often he
is gentle-spoken and of few words at
that He just controls the "delegates,"
that's all. After all the fire and fury
of reform has spent its force, his
candidate is nominated and generally
elected, and he gets a few "contracts"
which enable him to keep the wolf
tribe so far from his premises that he
couldn't hear one howl if it used a
megaphone.
He is the man on whom the petty
politicians keep their eyes glued and
their ears tilted. Each one sees in his
dreams his own career growing to the
Aladdin like height of the "big boss."
And that subtle schemer nurses their
aspirations, and as someone must
necessarily take the place of the
mighty when the mighty are fallen, of
course there is a chance for all com
petitors. the notes are to present pictures of
well-known buildings in Spain, exe
cuted with a perfection that will defy
counterfeiting.
"The pictures are to be so beautiful
that amateurs will he tempted to
frame them," says one Spanish news
paper. "Hardly." rejoins another,
"the cost of the set will be 1.675
pesetas, you see." To the 8panish
mind X33S.50 is a great deal of money.
.Now as the mere mechanism of the
fjamo requires a verygreat familiarity
with methods as well as men, it fol
lows that the politician is a close stu-
dent of the various' cogs and wheels, I
the shafts and pulleys of political ma
chinery. He finds, if a novice, that
he cannot "butt in" and run things
"right off the reel," because he does
not know how. He finds that the nom
ination of candidates, the whole rou
tine of political life, is governed by
fixed rules and statutory laws, and
that he must of necessity familiarize
himself with these things else remain
a mere tyro in the art
This means that he will have to
study books, read up the laws, keep
posted in the changes which are con
tinually occurring in the laws relating
to elections and nominations, and in
various ways "get next" to the legal
aspects of politics. Then he will have
to learn his ward; know its various
precincts and their boundaries; know
the location of the polling places, and
who the people are in whose shops
or stores the polling places have been
placed, their politics, and everything
about them. He must serve as clerk
and judge of election, and learn the
duties of a challenger. He must know
Each One Sees in His Dreams His
Own Career Growing.
the poll list of his precinct as well as
his a, b, c.'and keep "tab" on deaths,
removals, new residents, etc.
Politics affords a shining example
of the wisdom of the rale about open
ing hostilities yourself. Never wait
for the other fellow to assail your abil
ity. Always start out by "soaking"
him. And by this is not meant by any
means to "throw mud" or indulge in
abuse. Far from it Do it in a gentle
manly way. Get him on the defensive
and keep him there if possible. One
of the surest ways to do this is to
prepare a lot of questions, no matter
how irrelevant to the questions at is
sue, if there happens to be any "is
sue," and keep hammering away at
him with these questions.
Never answer any question yourself.
Print your platform on your cards, if
you are a candidate, but don't answer
any questions about it. The platform
speaks for itself, don't it? A profes
sional politician ought to be able to
convince the most captious questioner
that "his platform" faces every way
to the four corners of the earth and
was meant for the blessing of all men.
When he starts on his career he must
expect to go slowly, as a rule, emerg
ing from one unimportant position to
another until he has either become a
power himself, or has been useful
enough to some "Boss" to be placed
on a ticket. Once fairly launched in
a political office, and he becomes a
target for the press and public criti
cism, and his native ability is sub
jected to the corrosive test of having
power placed in his hands.
A good politician must always be
on the alert to "catch the instant at
its forward top" and direct the cur
rent of any popular movement into the
proper channel. If there is a reform
movement in the air he must not only
champion it, but he mast be in the
lead of the crusaders. The public are
the sheep, the politician is the bell
wether. I remember a typical instance of
this kind.
A certain paving scheme was be
ing broached, and in the district
where It was proposed to introduce
it, there were a great many Swedish
American citizens who opposed the
improvement. Nearly all of them un
derstood the English language as
well their own tongue. A grand
mass meeting was called for and held
amid tumultuous enthusiasm. A well
known Swedish-American was select
ed as chairman, and a Swede sec
retary duly installed. Two speeches
were made in Swedish, and then a
popular Irish politician made a ring
ing address amid great applause. He
was followed by a German lawyer
who was even more fiery, if anything,
than his predecessor in denouncing
the outrage contemplated. The law
yer was also a politician.
A call for names was started and a
club formed. There were 367 Swedish-American
members of the club and
the Irishman and the German, 369 mem
bers in all. And at the next meeting,
postponed two weeks to elect officers,
the Irishman was elected president
and the German secretary and treas
urer. ERNEST M'GAFFET.
(Copyright, 190S, by Joseph B. Bowles.)
The first duty of a woman is her
duty to her parents, and afterward to
her husband and her husband's par
ents. M - - ""f"r-h-yijnj-u"u'u-uArin.rMMi
Graduated from ihe Bible.
Octave Thanet tells a story of an old
darky in Florida who was anxious to
learn to read, so that he could read
the Bible. He said that if he could
read the Bible he would want nothing
else. A friend of the narrator taught
him t read. Some time afterward she
visited his cabin and asked his wife
how his Bible reading was getting on.
"Laws. Miss Fannv " said this ner. :
son, "he jes suttinly kin read fine, j
He's done got outen de Bib'le an' mO j
de newspapers." i
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SYNOPSIS.
Giles Dudley arrived In San Francisco
to join his friend and distant relative
Henry Wilton, whom he was to assist
in an important and mysterious task,
and. who accompanied Dudley on the
ferry boat trip into the city. The re
markable resemblance of the two men
Is noted and commented on by passen
gers on the ferry. They see a man with
snake eyes, whlcli sends a thrill through
Dudley. Wilton postpones an explanation
of the strange errand Dudley is to per
form, but occurrences cause him to
know it is one of no ordinary meaning.
Wilton leaves Giles in their room, with
instruction to await his return. Hardly
has he gone than Giles is startled by a
cry of 'Help." Dudley is summoned to
the morgue and there finds the dead
body of his friend, Henry Wilton. And
thus Wilton dies without ever explaining
to Dudley the puzzling work he wa3 to
perform in San Francisco. In order to
discover the secret mission his friend had
entrusted to him. Dudley continues his
disguise and permits himself to be known
as Henry Wilton, Dudley, mistaken for
Wilton, is employed by Knapp to assist
in a stock brokerage deal. Giles Dudley
finds himself closeted in a room with
Mother Borton who makes a confidant
of him. He can learn nothing about the
mysterious boy further than that It Is
Tim Terrill and Darby Meeker who are
after him. He is told that "Dicky" Nahl
is a traitor, playing both hands in the
game. Dudley gets his first knowledge of
Decker, who is Knapp's enemy on the
Board. Dudley visits the home of Knapp
and is stricken by the beauty of I.uella.
his daughter. He learns the note was
forgery. He is provided with four guards.
Brown, Barkhouse, Fitzhugh and Porter.
He learns there is to be no trouble about
money as all expenses will be paid, the
hire of the guards being paid by one
"Richmond." The body of Henry Wilton
is committed to the vault. Dudley re
sponds to a note and visits Mother Bor
ton in company with Policeman Corson.
Giles Dudley again visits the Knapp
home. He is fascinated by I.uella and
bored by Mrs. Bowser. Slumming tour
through Chinatown is planned. The trip
to Chinatown. Giles Dudley Iearn3 that
the party is being shadowed by Terrill.
I.uella is dumbfounded when she and
Dudley see her father coming from an
opium den. Luella and Dudley are cut off
from the rest of the party and imprison
ed in a hallway behind an iron-bound
door. Three Chinese ruffians approach the
imprisoned couple. A battle ensues. One
is knocked down. Giles begins firing.
CHAPTER XVIII Continued.
"There's one fellow there," I said.
"But it's the one I knocked down."
"Can't you see the others?" inquired
Luella.
"No more in sight," said I, after a
bolder survey. "They've run away."
"Oh, I'm glad," said Luella. "I
should have seen them always if you
had killed them. Why did they at
tack us?"
Before I could reply to Luella's ques
tion, a tattoo was beaten upon the
door and a muffled shout came from
the other side. I stepped down from
the stair to listen.
"Are you hurt?" shouted Corson.
"What's the matter?"
"No damage," I returned. "I drove
them off."
Corson shouted some further words,
but they were lost in a sudden mur
mur of voices and a scuffle of feet that
arose behind.
"Look out!" cried Luella peremptor
ily. "Come back here!"
I have said that the passage opened
into a little court, and at the end a
lamp gave light to the court and the
passage.
As I turned I saw a confusion of
men pouring into the open space and
heading for the passage. They were
evidently Chinese, but in the gleam
of the lamp 1 was sure I saw the evil
face and snake-eyes of Tom Terrill.
He was wrapped in the Chinese
blouse, but I could not be mistaken.
Then with a chorus of yells there was
the crack of a pistol, and a bullet
struck the door close to my ear.
It was all done in an instant Be
fore the sound of the shot I dropped,
and then made a leap for the stair.
"Oh!" cried Luella anxiously; "were
you hit?"
"No, I'm all right," I said, "but it
was a close shave. The gang means
mischief."
"Well, tell me something I can do,"
she said.
I gave her my small revolver.
"Hand that to me when I want It,"
I said. "If I'm killed, get up the stairs
and defend yourself with it. Don't fire
unless you have to. We are short of
ammunition." I had but three shots
in the large six-shooter.
"Are they coming?" asked Luella,
as the wild tumult of shouts stilled for
a moment and a single voice could be
heard.
I peered cautiously around the cor
ner. "There's a gentleman in a billycock
hat who's rather anxious to have them
lead the way," I said; "but they seem
to prefer listening to fighting."
The gentleman whose voice was for
war I discovered to be my snake-eyed
friend. He seemed to be having dif
ficulty with the language, and was
eking out his Pidgin-English with pan
tomime. "There!" cried Luella with a start;
"what's that?"
A heavy blow shook the walls of the
building and sounded through the
passage.
"Good!" I said. "If our friends yon
der are going to make trouble they
must do it at once. Corson's got an
ax, and the door will be down first
they know."
"Than Heaven!" whispered Luella.
And then she began to tremble.
The blows followed fast upon each
other, but suddenly they were
drowned in a chorus of yells, and a
volley of revolver shots sent the bul
lets spatting against the door.
"Look out, Miss Knapp," I said.
"They're coming. Stand close behind
me, and crouch down if they get this
far."
The band was advancing with a
frightful din, but was making more
noise than speed. Evidently it had lit
tle heart for Its job.
I looked into the yelling mob for the
snake-eyed agent of Doddridge Knapp,
but could not single him ou
I dared wait no longer, aiming at
the foremost I fired twice at the ad
vancing assailants. There were
shouts and screams of pain ia answer,
and the line -hesitated. I gave them
the remaining cartridge, and, seizing
the smaller weapon from Luella, fired
as rapidly as I could pull the trigger.
The effect was instantaneous. With
a succession of howls and curses the
band broke and ran all save one
man, who leaped swiftly forward with
a long knife in his hand.
It would have gone hard with me
if he had ever reached me, for he was
a large and powerful fellow, and my
last shot was gone. But in the dark
and smoky passage he stumbled over
the prostrate body of the first des
perado whom I had been fortunate
enough to knock down, and fell sprawl
ing at full length almost at my feet
With one leap I was on his back,
and with a blow from the revolver I
had quieted him, wrenched the knife
from his hand and had the point rest
ing on his neck.
Luella gave a scream.
"Oh!" she cried, "are yon hurt?"
"No," I said lightly, "but 1 don't
think this gentleman is feeling very
well. He's likely to have a sore head
for a day or two."
"Come back here," said Luella In a
peremptory tone. "Those men may
come again and shoot you."
"I don't think so," said I. "The
door is coming down. But, anyhow, I
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can't leave our friend here. Lie still!"
I growled, giving the captive a gentle
prod in the neck with the point of his
knife to emphasize my desire to have
peace and quiet between us.
I heard him swear under his breath.
The words were foreign, but there
was no mistaking the sentiment be
hind them.
"You aren't killing him, are you?"
inquired Luella anxiously.
"I think it might be a service to the
country," I confessed, "but I'll save
him for the hangman."
"You needn't speak so regretfully,"
laughed Luella, with a little return of
her former spirit. "But here our peo
ple come."
The ax had been plied steadily, but
the door came down with difficulty.
At last it was shaking and yielding,
and almost as Luella spoke it swayed,
bent apart, and broke with a crash,
and with a babel of shouts Corson,
Porter, Barkhouse and Wainwright,
with two more policemen, poured
through the opening.
"Praise the powers, you're safe!"
cried Corson, wringing my hand, while
the policemen took the prostrate Chin
ese in charge. "And is the young lady
hurt?"
"No harm done," said Luella. "Mr.
Wilton is quite a general."
I called my men aside and spoke
sharply.
"You haven't obeyed orders," I said.
"You, Porter, and you, Barkhouse,
were to keep close by me to-night, i
You didn't do it, and it's only by good
luck that tho young lady and I were
not killed. You, Wainwright, were to
follow 'Tom Terrill. I saw Terrill just
now in a gang of Chinese, and you
turn up on the other side of a barred
door."
Porter and Barkhouse looked sheep-
ish enough, but Wainwright protested:
"I was following Terrill when he
gets into a gang of highbinders, and
goes into one of these rooms over
here a ways. I waits a while for him,
and then starts to look around a bit,
and first I knows I runs up against
Porter here hunting for an ax, and
crazy as a loon, saying as how you
was murdered and they had got to
save you."
"Well, just keep close to me for the
rest of the night and we'll say no more
about it There's no great damage
done nothing but a sore knuckle." I
was feeling now the return effects of
my blow on the coolie's chin.
"I don't understand this, Mr. Wil
ton," said Corson in confidential per
plexity. "I don't see why the haythen
were after yez."
"I saw I saw Tom Terrill," said I,
stumbling over the name of Dodd
ridge Knapp. I determined to keep
the incident of his appearance to my
self." "I don't see how he worked it," said
Corson with a . shake of the head.
"They don't like' to stand against a
white man. It's a quare tale he must
have told 'em, and a big sack he must
have promised 'em to bring 'em down
on ye. Was it for klllin' ye they was
tryin', or was they for catchin' yez
alive?"
"They were trying to take us alive
at first, I think, but the bullets
whistled rather close for comfort."
"I was a little shaky myself, when
they plunked against the door," said
Corson with a smile.
While Corson was attempting to ex
plain to Mrs. Bowser the nature of the
blackmailing bands of the Chinese
criminal element, Luella said:
"Please get us out of this. I can't
stand it."
I had marveled at her calm amid the
excited talk of those about her. but
I saw now that it was forced by an
effort of her will. She was sadly
shaken.
"Take my arm." I said. "Mr. Cor
son will lead the way." I signed to
Porter to go ahead and to Barkhouse
and Wrainwright to follow me. "It's
very close here."
"It's very ridiculous of me." said
Luella, with an hysterical laugh, "but
I'm a little upset."
"I dare say you're not used to it," I
suggested dryly.
Luella gave me a quick glance.
"No, are you? It's not customary
In our family," she said with an at
tempt at gaiety.
I thought of the wolf-figure who had
come out of the opium den and the
face framed in the lantern flash of the
alley, and was silent. Perhaps the
thought of the scene of the passage
had come to her, too, for she shudder-
p14
sy
ed and quickened her step as though
to escape.
"Do you want to go through the
theater?" asked Corson.
"No no," whispered Luella, "get
me home at once."
"We have seen enough sights for the
evening, I believe," said I.
Mrs. Bowser was volubly regretful.
but declined Corson's offer to chap
eron her through a night of it.
On the way home Luella spoke not
a word, but Mrs. Bowser tilled the
time with a detailed account of her
emotions and sensations while Corson
and his men were searching for us and
beating down the door.
At the door Luella held out her hand
impulsively.
"I wish I knew whom to thank
but I do thank him for my safety
perhaps my life. Believe me I am
grateful to a brave man."
I felt the warm clasp of her fingers
for a moment, and then with a flash of
her eyes that set my blood on fire she
was gone, and I was staggering down
Doddridge Knapp's steps in a tumult
of emotions.
CHAPTER XIX.
A Deal in Stocks.
The wolf-face, seamed with hatred
and anger, and hideous with evil pas
sions, that had glowered for a mo
ment out of the smoky frame of the
Chinese den, was still haunting me as
DUCKS ON
Trick of Young Girl Yields Good Finan
cial Returns.
The 15-year-old daughter of a farm
er living on the shores of Chesapeake
bay, where wild ducks are found in
greater numbers than anywhere else
in the United States, has proved her
self a better hunter than any of the
men who make a living by it She no
ticed that at one spot hundreds of
ducks came ashore to eat the sorrel
plant She got a peck of corn, soaked
it for two days In whisks, and then
at night scattered it on the ground.
Her father laughed at the idea, but
he laughed too soon. The next morn
ing a large number of the ducks came
ashore for the sorrel, but took the
I forced myself once more 'to return
to the oflce. Wednesday morning had
come, and I was due to meet Dodd
ridge Knapp. But as T aaJocktd the
door, I took some comfort in the
reflection that I could hardly be more
unwilling to meet the Wolf than he
must be to meet me.
I had scarcely settled myself in my
chair when I heard the key turn in
the lock. The door swung open, and
in walked Doddridge Knapp.
I had thought to find at least some
trace of the opium debauch through
which I had gained the clew to his
strange and contradictory acts. But
the face before me was a mask' that
showed no sign of the experiences
through which he had passed. For
all that appeared, he might have em
ployed the time since I had left here
two days before in studying philoso
phy and cultivating peace and good
will with -his neighbors.
Ah, Wilton." he said, affably, rub
bing his hands with a purring growl.
"You're ready for a hard day's work.
I hope."
"Nothing would please me better."
I said 'cheerfully, my repugnance
melting away with the magnetism of
his presence. "Is the black flag up to
day?" He looked at me In surprise for an
Instant, and then growled, still in
good humor:
"'No quarter' Is the motto to-day."
And I listened closely as tho King of
the Street gave his orders for the
morning.
"You understand now," he said at
the end of his orders, "that you are
to sell all the Crown Diamond that
the market will take, and buy all
the Omega that you can get below one
hundred."
"I understand."
"We'll feed Decker about as big
a dose as he can swallow, I reckon,"
said the King of the Street, grimly.
"One thing," I said. "I'd like to
know if I'm the only one operatins
for you."
The King of the Street drew hia
bushy brows down over his eyes and
scowled at me a moment
"You're the only one In the big
board," he said at last "There are
men in the other boards, you under
stand."
I thought I understood, and sallied
forth for the battle. At Doddridgo
Knapp's suggestion I arranged to do
my business through three brokers,
and added Lattimer and Hobart to
Wallbridge, and Bockstein and Epp.
ner.
Bockstein greeted me affably:
"Velgome to de marget vonce more.
Mr. , Mr. "
"Wilton," said Eppner. assisting his
partner in his high, dry voice, with
cold civility. His blue-black eyes re
garded me as but a necessary part ot
the machinery of commerce.
I gave my orders briefly.
"Dot is a larch order," said Bock
stein dubiously.
"You don't have to take it." I was
about to retort, when Eppner's high
pitched voice interrupted:
"It's all right The customary mar
gin is enough."
Wallbridge was more enthusiastic.
"You've come just in the nick of
time," said the stout little man, swab
bing his bald head from force ot
habit, though the morning was chill.
"The market has been drier than a
fish-horn and duller than a foggy
morning."
Lattimer and Hobart. after a polite
explanation of their rules in regard
fo margins, and getting a certified
check, became obsequiously anxiotu
lo do my bidding.
I distributed the business with such
judgment that I felt pretty sure our
plans could not in any way be ex
posed, and took my place at the rail
in the board room.
The opening proceedings were com
paratively tame. I detected a sad
falling-off in the quality and quantity
of lung power and muscular activity
among the buyers and sellers in tho
pit
At the call of Confidence. Lattimer
and Hobart began feeding shares to
the market Confidence dropped five
points In half a minute, and the pit
began to wake up.
There was a roar and a growl that
I showed me the animals were still
alive.
The Decker forces were taken by
surprise, hut with a hasty consultation
came gallantly to the rescue of their
stock. At the close of the call thy
had forced It back and one point high
er than at the opening.
This, however, was but a skirmish
of outposts. The lighting began at
the call of Crown and Diamond.
It opened at G?.. The first bid was
hardly made when with a bellow Wall
bridge charged on Decker's broker,
filled his bid, and offered a thousand
shares at 62.
There was an answering roar from
a hundred throats and a mob rushed
on Wallbridge with the apparent in
tent of tearing him limb from limb.
Wallbridge's offer was snapped up at
once, but a few weak-kneed holders
of the stock threw small blocks on
the market
These were taken up at once, and
Decker's brokers were biding 85.
(TO BE CONTINUED.)
A SPREE.
corn instead. The result was that
over 50 of them were made so drunk
that they were easily captured on the
shore or by a boat, and the girl made
over $25 at one haul. Perhaps ducks
shouldn't be tempted to become
drunkards, but it is certainly an easy
and profitable way to gather them
In for the market The wonder is
if the people who eat them will ateo
become hilarious?
Line Pays No Dividends.
The coach line that Alfred Vander
bilt has established between the Hol
land house. New York, and Ardsley on
the Hudson is not a paying business.
All the fares received in one season
would not buy one of the eight Ken
tucky blooded horses that draw the
coach. The round trip fare is 5.
A
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