All Story Magazine, December 1913 — page 62: what you’re looking at

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

772 Yorkshire—no. Wor—no; it wasn’t there, either. Maryle—that’s it! M. C. C. Randor used to run things at the M. C. C. clubhouse. How did you think I’d remember that way?” “Because the Marylebone Cricket Club’s recommendation is, I think, Randor’s only conceit. Turn the page, please.”’ “Sorry. Better play a little louder, hadn’t you? You don’t think Randor would give me away, then?” “ He would be sure to tell me first if he did.” “Really? You're sure of that?” “Quite. Here is Uncle Theodore coming to find out what we are talking about. He’s been terribly suspicious lately.” Iler eyes did not stray from the music or her fingers miss a note; but Rollins was at my side a few moments later, asking me what was my favorite selection. He clung to me every mo- ment for the remainder of the evening. In his car on the way home, sudden- ly assuming a confidential air, he asked, with a poor show of hesitation: “You were rather—impressed—by my niece?’ I tried not to show my surprise at the interrogation, “T must confess Iwas. Why?” “Oh, nothing! No importance, really. She has a very engaging per- sonality—what ? ” “ T think so.” Rollins laughed in an unpleasant fashion. * You know, Mason, I’ve seen men lean upon that piano before while she plaved.” * Doubtless. Tie.” “And they've all, more or less, taken to—poetry.” “Sorry I must prove the rule. I couldn’t write a line if I tried.” “ 'That’s good,” he commended, and the sneer that followed was not thick- ly clothed. “ Because, so far, all the effusions have gone into the fire—in- cluding Campbell’s.” That does not surprise THE ALL-STORY MAGAZINE. He actually took pleasure in telling me a thing like that. Rollins was a mean little rat. CHAPTER XVIII. FROM THE VISITORS’ GALLERY. APPROXIMATELY, my partner and I were worth ten thousand five hundred dollars, and on ‘Tuesday morning Rand Island was quoted at 85. Before lunch I had sufficient intelli- gence to slip down-town and, finding, as Margaret had said, that Smith & Nelson, Broad Street, would accept ten thousand dollars of United States currency and do business with me on a ten-per-cent margin, I managed to eat with Rollins at half past twelve, with a piece of paper in my pocketbook stating that one thousand shares of Rand Island had been bought for my account at 87. [ had given no selling orders. Thinking it would be rather nice to make enough to clear the mortgage on the lodge—with Rollins at my elbow— I told him in a casual way that [ should like to see Wall Street in action. “Why, of course,” he agreed at once. “ Peculiar how a man belittles what has become common to him. I never thought of it. If I am not mis- taken, there will possibly be a little fun on the floor to-morrow, and, if you like, I'll give you a glimpse of the exchange from the visitors’ gallery. I may be rather busy, but there is usu- ally enough happening on the floor to keep a stranger interested.” And as we rode down into the cafion- like financial district on \WWednesday morning, with the newspapers quoting Rand Island at 90, I found the situa- tion at least three thousand dollars funnier than it had been the day be- fore. From the gallery of the New York Stock Exchange one can look down upon men who probably represent more money than any other group in * the world. comicloooks.com