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Show I ft tete.m-; If ; 1 i-S: ! J i . 8 iaiiiigji- jfe P. AND 0. HAD RISEN' TWO POINTS OVEK T3E OPENING. He was about sixty, very tall and thin, with iron-gray hair and a soldierly bearing, but, although he looked severe, his manner was exceedingly genial. He was glad to meet Ferdy, he said men of the journalistic profession, although they were often annoying in their efforts to interview him, were useful and important factors in civic life. At the first opportunity Ferdy and Lily exchanged glances which said that the initial steps had been successfully taken. The later steps were taken with equally good results. Not only did Dudley Gilman like Ferdy's company, but he immediately took him into his confidence, telling him how he began life as a grocery boy in Utica, how he saved his pennies, came to New York and rose by steady degrees. Ferdy said : "That would make a splendid splen-did article, Mr. Gilman. Would you mind if I used it?" The old man laughed. "You reporters arc wonderful wonder-ful chaps," he said. But he found no reason for refusing re-fusing and the article was written It appeared in one of the Sunday papers and Mr. Gilman, whom Ferdy again met a few days later at Lily's studio, praised him for it very highly "You've true literary ability, Mr. Hicks," he said. "It won't be long. I'm sure, before your career as a mere reporter is ended." Ferdy's bosom swelled, and encouraged alike by the speech and the confidence Mr. Gilman appeared to place in him, he arranged to meet the financier oftencr. Once or twice a week he encountered him at Lily'r, where the celebratd man indulged his interest in art, but this was not enough and Ferdy selected a spot in the street where he was likely to sec him during the day Matters progressed even better than he expected. Despite the pressure of other affairs, Mr. Gilman always found time to talk to Ferdy, and being a man of democratic demo-cratic principles, he gave the young man, within two weeks of his introduction, his first information on the market. The value of a certain stock would change, he slid, and Ferdy wrote an article giving the reasons for an expected drop. The paper being an exclusively financial one, Robinson was naturally cautious about printing prophecies of this kind, but Ferdy had an air - - i 1 IIUIl This put an end to her remonstrance, for however superior Lily considered her judgment on oilier points, she was content that Ferdy should handle their moral ones The very next day he met Mr. Gilman on the street. "The old gentleman, with his silk hat and fur overcoat, was moving toward his automobile, when Ferdy, who arranged to be passing, met him face to face. "Ah, my young friend," said Mr. Gilman with his characteristic lack of constraint, "coming from lunch, I suppose " "No," replied Ferdy. "I don't lunch for half an hour," 'That's fortunate, very fortunate indeed. You can come home with me." Ferdy, blushing at the unexpected offer, hesitated. "The fact is," he said, after expressing his gratitude, ' I've an appointment at two." "Can't you postpone it? You'd be doing me a favor a very great favor if you did." Mr. Gilman glanced furtively about, as though fearing to be overheard, and his manner awoke aguc suspicions in his companion's mind "The fact is. I want company There's something some-thing bothering me something I can't talk about; and I want somebody to divert me." Ferdy, his heart beating rapidly, looked at his companion's com-panion's face. It had a troubled louk. I lis eye then travelled downward to the hand that held the heavy-knobbed heavy-knobbed cane, and the sharpness of the veins attested the intensity of his grip. What was up he had no idea, but it was clearly his business to find out. Accordingly he hastened to a nearby pay-station, and emerging, joined Mr. Gilman in the automobile. "Home," said the old gentleman to the chauffeur. They sped rapidly uptown. As thry passed through the drifting crowd on Broadway, congested still more by the cars with their clanging bells and the vehicles with their crunching wheels, Ferdy planned his campaign. cam-paign. He would make no advance. To do so would show his hand, would arouse his companion's suspicions: sus-picions: he would, instead, let events take their own course and trust to Mr. Gihnan's inclination to talk. l 1IRDY" simply gasped. Being a reporter, JEfS nothing should have surprised him, but J this was too much for his training Jerking the cigarette from his mouth with such violence that the ashes bespattered be-spattered his clothes, he stared down the meet after the departing couple. 'Good Lord," he said softly. The couple walked to the end of the street, where they turned the corner, and their disappearance brougnt him to his senses. Calmly pulling a cigarette box from his pocket he lit another cigarette, and turning his back on the newspaper office hurried toward Broadway. His present task was to interview a financier returning on the ''Cedric," and nothing short of an earthquake would have made him miss the appointment. When the financier was interviewed and the article turned in for next morning's edition, he boarded a subway sub-way train and rode uptown. He lived far up on the West Side with his sister and her husband, and with them he took his dinner. Bui after it was over he immediately left the house and hurried around the corner, cor-ner, where, arriving at the flat, he rang Lily Beach's bell. Lily was alone. She was a pretty girl of twenty-two. with light hair and blue eyes, but to-night her manner was so quiet and serene that Ferdy was nettled. He, therefore, wasted no time in preliminaries. "If you had a date with fifty millions, why didn't you tell me?" he demanded. Lily's room was small, and as she drew sketches for the newspapers, articles were scattered about it in artistic confusion. Perhaps it was this the crampnes? of the room that made Ferdy's voice sound loud. At any rate, she received him coldly and asked him to remember where he was "Besides," she added, "when you speak of my friends, please be careful what you say." "Friends!" Ferdy's gray eyes widened and he pushed back the clump of light brown hair that, in his excitement, excite-ment, had fallen across his forehead. "Good Lord, are you and Dudley Gilman friends?" "Why not, I'd like to know?" "Why not? Well, for one thing, I always thought friendships between financial kings and young newspaper news-paper women were confined to dime novels." "I suppose you never heard of such things in high-class high-class literature like yours?" "In anything high-class, the girl wouldn't keep secrets from her fiance. Don't jou suppose, if the Queen of England took me driving in the park I'd tell you about it !" Lily had a gurgling laugh. "No fear of that," she said. "That's it!" Ferdy's anger had passed, and in its place was an air of great dejection. "I'm not down on my luck enough, am I ? You've got to rub it in." Lily's laugh subsided. Women are not made of stone, despite numerous indications that they arc, and she bent down and patted the young man on the back. "Don't be a fool, Ferdy," she said. "I met Dudley Gilman at Chcrringion's studio, where his daughter ij learning to paint. He knows all about my engagement to you and he only goes with me because he likes to talk about art " Ferdy looked up a little shamefacedly, "So that's it." he said in a tone sufficiently low to pass for an apology. Then, as another thought came to him, he added fiercely fierce-ly : "Did you tell him the reason we can't marry, too? Did you tell him it's because men like him squeeze the very blood out of our veins?" "Did you tell your rich uncle from Cleveland that you voted last year for Deb3?" asked Lily with asperity. "I guess not. But I did something better than that " "Something better!" As he locked at her, Lily was smiling contentedly and her mjstcrious air annoyed him. "What did you do?" "I told him you were terribly bright and I've fixed it for you to meet him some time. Suppose he takes a fancy to you and gives you some information on the market?" Out of Ferdy's deep distress came the shadow of a smile "What'll I speculate with air?" 'You don't have to, yourself; you can tell your brother-in-law." "Xcwtown? He wouldn't take another tip from mc if I gave him the money to buy with." Lily , at thi?, was lost in thought. For a moment she was silent, then she suddenly cried : "Suppose he gives you information and you make it into an article?" "Something big, you mean?" i "Something nobody else l:n;v about a scoop " ' "By Godl" The idea was so wonderful that Ferdy was lost for a moment in contemplation of it. But his thoughts, when they came, were tumultuous, and a moment later he was so excited that the clump of unruly un-ruly hair swung back and forth like a pendulum. "If ho did, you know what it would mean !" he shouted. "It'd mean that every paper in New .York would try to get mc. I wouldn't have to stick to a Wall Street paper with a few thousand circulation ; I'd go with the Herald or a paper like that. Robinson, our editor, called mc a 'dub' to-day. Well, let mc pull off a scoop, that'ss all. He'd kow-tow in short order, I tell you !" He kept on like this until, his enthusiasm spending its force. Lily amplified her plan On the following Friday Dudley Gilman was coming to the studio iO examine her work and Ferdy must be there, too. To introduce thtm would be her part, but Ferdy must manage the rest. "Leave it to me," said the young man. "I'll manage it to the Quern's taste." The Friday arriving Ferdy came early. Mr Gilman baa not yet put in an appearance, but the sound of his automobile rote orescntly to the open window and a few minutes later he entered the room. : ' ' jmt i W Mpi ffclfev: 1 v THERE IN' HEAVY IVrE STOOD THE CREAT ANNOUNCEMENT. voice dropped to a confidential tunc. "Yesterday I got the information I wanted." Ferdy axertcd his eyes. "Indeed?" he said with an assumption of nonchalance. "I learned that the stock of which everybody is seeking control is worthless." "What !" "Absolutely. The buying that has been luc is merely their way of throwing sand in people's eyes. As a matter of fact, they'll get rid of it as soon as they can." Ferdy, the time for indifference haing passed, stared across the table. "Yes, my friend, it's worthless. And that's why my holdings will be thrown on the market the moment it opens to-morrow morning." "You mean " , "I mean that I am going to sell out Thousands of dollars of my money arc invecd, and it's my la.-t chance before the crash. Everybody is eager to buy, because there's a notion that it's going up, and it's that eagerness that I II take advantage of. To-morrow at this time I won't have , a "stock of I'. and G. to my name." He ended dramatically, bringing his fist down on the arm of his chair, and Ferdy. whose eyes were popping out of his head, could not find words to speak. But while he was silent, Mr Gilman's calmer manner returned re-turned and he thanked the younger man again for having lunched with him. "For the last week l'e scarcely slept a wink," he said, "and it's due to you that I'm able to eat my first full meal in all that time. Arc you ready? Then we'll get into the machine and go down town again." Ferdy, rushing into Robinson's office with his forehead fore-head bathed in perspiration, almost collided with the editor. "What's the matter with you, you damn littic donkey?" cried the irritated Robinson. "Never mind; save your kicks till afterwards. I've got a 'peach'!" "Bet she quits you. If 1 had a daughter " "Never mind your family troubles." Ferdy's excitement excite-ment made him forget diplomacy. "I've got a story that's so hot it'll set this office on fire. Sit down there and begin." "Begin what?" "Begin to write; I'll dictate." Silently .with the scent of a "beat" in the air, Robinson Robin-son returned to his desk : Fire away," he commanded. Ferdy began. His first words were unimportant; then he mentioned Y. and G., after that the words came more rapidly and Robinson whistled. The typewriter clicked furiously, the climax was reached, and as he ended Ferdy lit a cigarette and tried to look unconcerned. uncon-cerned. "You're sure?" asked Robinson, his little eyes glistening glisten-ing and his hand trembling. "Sure as I am that my name's Hicks." "Who's your authority?" ' That I can't tell you. Let the story go as it is that a powerful financier is going to .-ell out. I know what I'm talking about " He took a chair and fingered some papers or. the desk. One would have thought, to look at him, thai, scoops were a daily occurrence. But actually, his nerves were tingling, and he lost no time, the moment he was sure of lus story, in seeking the street and looking look-ing for Lily. He found her in the Park Row newspaper news-paper office, turning in her drawings of "Paris Fashions Fash-ions in Chiffons," which were to appear in the Sunday' paper. Hastily he told her what had happened and she paled a$ he spoke "Well," was her comment, "this'll 'make' you for fair." They talked a little longer ocr one plan and another, and he left htr. So agitated was he that he w.fntcd to be entirely alone, to wait for morning. That night ho walktd about the streets. His head full of the great event, he wouldn't trust himself to talk to anvbody, and when he lay down it was hours before he fell asleep On his way down town he read all the papers In cotihl procure: there was no cmntion of the expected drop. But when he got out of the Subway he bought his own and there, in heavy typc,Nstood the great announcement. an-nouncement. "P. AND G WILL DROP. "ENORMOUS HOLDINGS TO BE SOLD WHEN MARKET OPENS. "IT CAN BE STATED ON BEST AUTHORITY THAT STOCK IS WORTHLESS." He hugged the paper, reading it over as he hastened to a ticker, he market had not yet opened, but the moment it did the drop began. First one point, then another, then three points, and the end was not yet in sight. He found Robinson watching the quotations in a 3Qe2eSQE nearby banking house and asked him what he thought of it. a "All the stockholders," was the repb-, "arc trying to get rid of it. Our paper'-, had the proper effect and everybody s taken the warning." Ferdy gloated. At last his chance had come, at last his star was in the ascendant I But in the midst of hi; joy Robinson sent for him and told him he must go to Trenton. A bank cashier having absconded in that city the night before, Ferdy was detailed to the storv. A look of infinite disgust on bis face, he consoled him-self him-self with the reflection that Robinson was filled with . jealousy, and hurried away. . ' That day, in Trenton, Ferdy behaved like a madman He interviewed all the people he was supposed to, gathering, gath-ering, however, only a slight atnoimt of data, and takint so l.ttlc interest in the matter that he v.;is conscious, a.i ' Ins train pulled out, that Robinson would have good cause to complain. Brt what did it matter? His other story, which henceforth would b..- known in the history of journalism as the "P. and G. Scoop," madi up for every thing else ! W hen, at 4 o'clock, he reached the New York side, he cashed out of the ferry house and boarded an elevated train. Although it was winter, he had continually continu-ally to wipe his forehead, so heated was he from agitation. agita-tion. Arriving at his stntion he sped down the Steps, crazy to learn how the market had close.l. In the office he met Robinson. The editor's face was crimson, and as be opened the door he was greeted with an epithet. Astoni.died, he stopped short. "Why, what's the matter?" he stammered in ins bewilderment.' "The matter, you fool! Look at the ticker, that's what's the matter." Dazedly, Ferdy did as he was bidden. P. ami G had risen two points ocr the opening "There's Some mistake!' Ferdy gulfed hard and s;.t down with flaring eyes "It was down three when I left." "It dropped seven more." Robinson's words wore carefully spoken, so ihr.t no iota of ::;cir effect mijji.c le lost on the rrportrr. "Jt drcp;vd ten in all, but i: gained twelve when Gilman bewail to b'.iy." "Buy! You mc?.:i sell." ".''. " champion idiot!" Robins in was unable in maintain his evenness of tone n:: 1 t!ic words lM fi-r."iltuous!y fi-r."iltuous!y from his lips. "Gilman wafted till our arii-cle arii-cle scared everybody into selling ;;nd then he began bvy it in. D'ye know what he's done, thanks to u? He's gained control of a slexk that ever body's been try .uc to get his hands on for months, and it's all your fault !" Ferdy gasped. As the realization of whit ban happened hap-pened came to him, the room bean ti reel and he ro.v? unsteadily and staggered o;:t of the door. How lie got home he never distinctly 1 ciemb.-rcd. Like a whipped dog be slunk aloii the streets and skulked in a corner of the car. Arriving, he locked himself in bis room, refusing to talk to avlody. In vain his sister implored him to eat sonic d'lincr, hi-i response being that she shouldn't bother hnn. ud when his brother-in-law, returning home at seven, called to him that P. and G. hd closed strong, he answered with a growl. At S o'clock ho issued forth Jamming his hat upon his head, he spoke not a word to the others, k:t hurried around to Lily's. The girl, who was pale, greeted him in silence. She knew all. Robinson, whom she had met in the street,, told her, adding :hnt Ferdy would lose his job. His head dropped in his hands and Lily turned away. At this moment the bell rang. Raising his head Ferdy went to the door and opened it. A boy stood there, asking if this was Miss Beach's apartment. "Yes, what do you want'" "I've got a letter for Mr. Hicks, care of Miss Beach. Arc you Mr. Hicks?'1 "I am Mr. Hicks," replied Ferdy wondeiingly. "Den sign here"; and handing him a letter the bo thrust out a oad, on which Ferdy wrote his name. W hen he door closed Ferdy tore open the letter. As he did so h piece of paper fell out, fluttering to the floor and Ferdy picked it up. "Five thousand dollars!" he cried. ' W hat !" shouted Lily. "A check for live thousand. What can it mean?" He straightened the letter and read : "My Dear Mr. Hicks: "Enclosed you'll find a check for five thousand The little favor you did me will be worth in the neighborhood neighbor-hood of two millions to me, and this is your share. Marry Miss Beach, although she's too good for you, . and when you return from your honeymoon open a barber-shop. You'd make a splendid barber. Yours truly, Di'dlky Gilman." They both stared at the letter in blank amazement, but Lily was the first to find her voice. "Yon deserve it," she said. . Ferdy, pocketing the check, nodded in silence. Then be glanced again at the letter and a look of perplexity crossed his face. "I deserve it, all right." he said mrchanically, but what does he mean about the barbershop?" of confidence that strangely impressed him and he printed the article as it stood. The prophecy being correct, Ferdy's importance rose. Then, within a few days, a similar opportunity occurred, with similar results. re-sults. For another month this state of affairs continued Carefully suppressing any detail that might reveal the source of his information. Ferdy wrote articles in increasingly in-creasingly authoritatic vein, and was uniformly correct. When Consolidated rose, his information preceded the rise; when Eric dropped, it was merely a justification of his fears. The paper's circulation, naturally enough, increased enormously All Wall Street marvelled at the accuracy of the predictions, and it dribbled into office j further uptown, where business men, caught by the lure of speculation, came to regard its articles as almost the final word. The increasing circulation brought a corresponding cor-responding increase in salary, and Robinson, who had seldom met his subordinate without hurling an epithet at him, treated Ferdy with constantly growing respect. There was only one unpclasant feature to the situation situa-tion Lily, whose ingenuity had brought it tbout, had moral misgivings. She hinted at intervals that they were not behaving squarely to Mr. Gilman, and one evening framed her doubts in a definite reproach. "I feel ashamed whenever you meet him," she said to Ferdy. "It's terrible the way we take advantage of him." Ferdy, whose increasing importance had given him a somewhat judicial air, assured her that their course was proper. "I admit Mr. Gilman is a pleasant man," he said, "but, my dear Lily, we must take a broader view of the situation. He's a man who's made his money off other men ; we're only helping the other men to get some of it back." Mr. Gilinai lived between Fifth and Madison avenues, ave-nues, in a mansion of white stone, the door of which was opened by a butler in livery. Leaving their coats and hats with this butler, th eold man immediately led him into the library, where he ordered luncheon to be served. "Ah," he murmured as he sank wearily into a large cushioned chair, "here at 'ast is peace and quiet. My dear friend, you don't know what it means to have you with mc." "I'm very glad to be here," said Ferdy nervously. lie was looking at the sumptuous furnishings and wondering wonder-ing what use could be made of them in the socialistic tracts that he planned. "You 6ce," Mr.. Gilman a little later pursued, "we rich men hnvc our tribulations. No really big deal is ever pulled off without some nerves being snapped and some sleep being lost. But this," he added, as the butler appeared with the consomme, "is one of the ihings that give us strength. He ate with relish,' Ferdy doing the same , but the young man's heart was beating wildly. Mr. Gilman's last speech was a confession that some big deal was alout to be made and he could scarcely contain himself, him-self, so fearful was he that the facts would never be told. Presently, however, his hopes were raised. When the meal was nearly ended Mr. Gilman turned to him and asked: "What is your opinion of P. and G.?" Ferdy, passing the napkin meditatively across his mouth, replied that nobody seemed lo know. n "That's it, that's what I noticed all along," said Mr. Gilman "That's why there's been so little trading in it nobody no-body knew which way it would go." "Precisely until now. But yesterday " The troubled look returned to Mr. Gihnan's face and bis Copyrighted, 1910 I |