“How did you do it, my boy?” cried the Colonel. “She’s off a point or two now, I believe, but half an hour ago she was booming. Gad, I never heard of anything more spectacular!”
Monty’s heart was in his mouth as he rushed over to the ticker. It did not take him long to grasp the immensity of the disaster. Gardner had bought in at 108¾, and that very action seemed to put new life into the stock. Just as it was on the point of breaking for lack of support along came this sensational order for ten thousand shares; and there could be but one result. At one time in the morning Lumber and Fuel, traded in by excited holders, touched 113½ and seemed in a fair way to hold firm around that figure.
Other men came up and listened eagerly. Brewster realized that his dash in Lumber and Fuel had been a masterstroke of cleverness when considered from the point of view of these men, but a catastrophe from his own.
“I hope you sold it when it was at the top,” said the Colonel anxiously.
“I instructed Gardner to sell only when I gave the word,” said Monty, lamely. Several of the men looked at him in surprise and disgust.
“Well, if I were you I’d tell him to sell,” remarked the Colonel, coldly.
“The effect of your plunge has worn off, Brewster, and the other side will drive prices down. They won’t be caught napping again, either,” said one of the bystanders earnestly.
“Do you think so?” And there was a note of relief in Monty’s voice.
From all sides came the advice to sell at once, but Brewster was not to be pushed. He calmly lighted a cigarette, and with an assured air of wisdom told them to wait a little while and see.
“She’s already falling off,” said someone at the ticker.
When Brewster’s bewildered eyes raced over the figures the stock was quoted at 112. His sigh of relief was heard but misunderstood. He might be saved after all. The stock had started to go down and there seemed no reason why it should stop. As he intended to purchase no more it was fair to assume that the backbone was at the breaking point. The crash was bound to come. He could hardly restrain a cry of joy. Even while he stood at the ticker the little instrument began to tell of a further decline. As the price went down his hopes went up.
The bystanders were beginning to be disgusted. “It was only a fluke after all,” they said to each other. Colonel Drew was appealed to urge Monty to save himself, and he was on the point of remonstrance when the message came that the threatened strike was off, and that the men were willing to arbitrate. Almost before one could draw breath this startling news began to make itself felt. The certainty of a great strike was one of the things that had made Brewster sure that the price could not hold. With this danger removed there was nothing to jeopardize the earning power of the stock. The next quotation was a point higher.
“You sly dog,” said the Colonel, digging Monty in the side. “I had confidence in you all the time.”
In ten minutes’ time Lumber and Fuel was up to 113 and soaring. Brewster, panic-stricken, rushed to the telephone and called up Gardner.
The broker, hoarse with excitement, was delighted when he recognized Brewster’s voice.
“You’re a wonder, Monty! I’ll see you after the close. How the devil did you do it?” shouted Gardner.
“What’s the price now?” asked Brewster.
“One thirteen and three-fourths, and going up all the time. Hooray!”
“Do you think she’ll go down again?” demanded Brewster.
“Not if I can help it.”
“Very well, then, go and sell out,” roared Brewster.
“But she’s going up like—”
“Sell, damn you! Didn’t you hear?”
Gardner, dazed and weak, began selling, and finally liquidated the full line at prices ranging from 114 to 112½, but Montgomery Brewster had cleared $58,550, and all because it was he and not the market that got excited.
XI
Coals of Fire
It was not that he had realized heavily in his investments which caused his friends and his enemies to regard him in a new light; his profit had been quite small, as things go on the Exchange in these days. The mere fact that he had shown such foresight proved sufficient cause for the reversal of opinion. Men looked at him with new interest in their eyes, with fresh confidence. His unfortunate operations in the stock market had restored him to favor in all circles. The man, young or old, who could do what he had done with Lumber and Fuel well deserved the new promises that were being made for him.
Brewster bobbed uncertainly between two emotions—elation and distress. He had achieved two kinds of success—the desired and the undesired. It was but natural that he should feel proud of the distinction the venture had brought to him on one hand, but there was reason for despair over the acquisition of $50,000. It made it necessary for him to undertake an almost superhuman feat—increase the number of his January bills. The plans for the ensuing spring and summer were dimly getting into shape and they covered many startling projects. Since confiding some of them to “Nopper” Harrison, that gentleman had worn a never-decreasing look of worry and anxiety in his eyes.
Rawles added to his despair a day or two after the Stock Exchange misfortune. He brought up the information that six splendid little puppies had come to bless his Boston terrier family, and Joe Bragdon, who was present, enthusiastically predicted that he could get $100 apiece for them. Brewster loved dogs, yet for one single horrible moment he longed to massacre the helpless little creatures. But the old affection came back to
