Fred and Bob came away from the restaurant with the two girls, going
toward Wall Street. Fred asked Callie several questions about the deal
she had mentioned.
"I'll make a note of what I can find out," she said to him, "and let you
know after 3 o'clock."
"But be careful and let no one else know it," he replied.
"Oh, I can keep a secret even if I am a girl," and she left him on the
corner of Nassau and Wall to go to the bank.
Fred clutched Bob's arm when the two girls were gone, and said:
"Callie says a big corner in Pacific Mail is being made up in Barron's
office."
"By George! Is it straight, do you think?"
"Yes. She says she'll make notes and give 'em to me. She let it out by
saying if she had any money laid up she could make a pile out of Pacific
Mail. I soon got the whole thing out of her."
"When will you see her again?"
"After three o'clock."
It was a little after three o'clock when Fred saw her come out of the
bank. He went to meet her, and she said to him:
"Bryant is going to do the buying--begins to-morrow. You won't tell any
one that I told you?"
"No; that would never do."
She lived over on the west side, and had a widowed mother and little
brother to support. He walked nearly all the way home with her. Bob went
uptown with Gertie Clayton, and did not see Fred again till the next
morning.
"I am going to buy Pacific Mail, Bob," Fred said to him.
"Go ahead then--for Halsey & Company--the whole pile."
Pacific Mail was going that morning at 52. Fred went to Tabor and asked
him to buy Pacific Mail on 10 per cent margin. Tabor gave a start,
looked keenly at him for a moment, and then asked:
"Why do you buy that stock?"
"I heard a man tell another one it was safe to try it."
"Give me his name."
"No, sir. Will you buy it for me?"
"I'd rather not do it," and he shook his head.
"Oh! Then I'll try somebody else," and Fred went away with a check for
$1,200 in his pocket.
He went over to Bowles' office, and arranged with the old man to buy for
him 230 shares at 52. The old broker had the shares bought inside of ten
minutes. By twelve o'clock Fred saw Bryant buying all that he could get
hold of, but there were thousands and thousands of shares on the market,
and he had bought 10,000 ere there was any signs of life in the deal.
Then it began slowly to advance. It closed with an advance of one point
on the first day. But the next day saw it go up three points, and the
brokers in the Exchange began to hustle. It was an immense concern and
the shares were in every broker's hands. But Bryant gathered them in by
the thousand at a time. On the third day it was up to sixty, and Fred
met Callie at lunch to tell her she had got the thing down fine.
"Oh, if I only had some money to put up!" she said.
"You have got ten per cent interest in my little pile," he said to her.
"What! Just for the tip?"
"Yes."
"Oh, my! I could give you tips almost every day."
"Wall Street is always full of tips," and he laughed. "Such a thing as
this, though, comes but once or twice a year."
"B. & H. was a big thing for some of the brokers," she replied.
"Yes, and a very bad one for a number of them, too."
"Do you know, I think Mr. Gaines was badly squeezed in that deal?"
"Ah! I saw him nearly choked to death by that fellow who lost his head.
If I had not interfered he'd have been killed."
"Oh, was it you?" and she opened wide her blue eyes.
"Yes--why?"
"Why, he has sent down to the office instructing the clerks to try to
find out who it was. His niece, Miss Eva Gaines, called at the office
and spoke to me about it."
Fred opened his eyes in astonishment.
"She is such a sweet girl," added Callie, "I promised to let her know if
I ever found out who it was. Why, he might give you a gold watch or
something. Who knows?" and she laughed merrily as she told him the
story.
"Well, I am surprised," was all he could say.
"What shall I say to her when I see her or write to her?" Callie asked
him.
"Tell her what you please."
They left the little restaurant together and did not meet again till the
same hour the next day. Then Pacific Mail was going at 66 and the
brokers were again in a furor. Coming so soon after the panic caused by
the corner in B. & H. shares, it caused a general interest throughout
the city.
"I wrote to Miss Gaines yesterday," Callie said to him, "and told her
that you--Fred Halsey--was the one who had saved her uncle's life in the
Stock Exchange, and you may expect a sweet-scented note of thanks from
her at any moment."
On returning home from lunch Fred found the excitement in the Exchange
greater than ever, the shares had bounded up to 72. He went to the
office and found Tracey out.
"He is around at the Exchange," the head bookkeeper said to him. "Go and
report to him at once."
Tracey was howling like the rest of them when Fred touched him on the
arm and said:
"I am ready for duty, sir."
"Ah! Find Manson and bring him to me--quick!"
He looked about among the brokers, but failed to find him. Meeting Bob,
he told him Tracey wanted to see Manson.
"He is in his office," Bob replied.
"I'll go after him then," and he darted out of the side door of the
Exchange and hurried around to Manson's office.
"Mr. Manson," he said, "Mr. Tracey told me to bring you to him at once."
"When did he tell you?"
"Just two minutes ago in the Stock Exchange."
Manson arose, put on his hat and went out. Fred followed him, and both
were soon in the midst of the frantic mob of brokers again. Bryant was
the coolest man in the whole crowd. He knew what he was there for and
kept taking all the shares that were offered him. Fred saw Manson and
Tracey meet and go under the gallery for a few moments' consultation. He
kept an eye on them, for he was not sure of their connection with the P.
M. combine. By and by they went out and he followed. In the crowd on the
street he lost sight of them. Then he went back to the office and told
the head clerk.
"Wait here and see if he returns," said the clerk, and he did so.
The broker came back a few minutes before the Exchange closed and sent
Fred to the bank with a big check to deposit. After depositing the check
he turned to look into the president's room. Barron was out, but he saw
through the glass door that Callie was idle. She caught his eye and came
out to speak to him.
"Any news?" he asked.
"No. Mr. Barron told a man just now that he thought P. M. would go to
par to-morrow."
"Then I won't sell to-day."
"Why, no, wait till to-morrow. How much did you put up, Fred?"
"Oh, I had to buy on a margin," he replied.
"Of course. I didn't expect you to do otherwise. Did you put up as much
as fifty dollars?"
"Yes, more," he replied.
"Oh, my!" she exclaimed. "That would get nearly ten shares on ten per
cent, margin. You promised me ten per cent, for the tip, mind you."
"Yes, and you shall have it," he replied, "but don't say a word or you'd
be discharged."
"Oh, I can hold my tongue when I want to," and she turned and went back
into the office.