 me, as you can readily understand,
and so I will ask you to give me until to-morrow to make up my
mind."

"Very well," said Ryder.

Montague's first thought was of General Prentice. "Come to me any
time you need advice," the General had said; so Montague went down
to his office. "Do you know anything about John S. Price?" he asked.

"I don't know him very well personally," was the reply. "I know him
by reputation. He is a daring Wall Street operator, and he's been
very successful, I am told."

"Price began life as a cowboy, I understand," continued the General,
after a pause. "Then he went in for mines. Ten or fifteen years ago
we used to know him as a silver man. Several years ago there was a
report that he had been raiding Mississippi Steel, and had got
control. That was rather startling news, for everybody knew that the
Trust was after it. He seems to have fought them to a standstill."

"That sounds interesting," said Montague.

"Price was brought up in a rough school," said the General, with a
smile. "He has a tongue like a whip-lash. I remember once I attended
a creditors' meeting of the American Stove Company, which had got
into trouble, and Price started off from the word go. 'Mr.
Chairman,' he said, 'when I come into the office of an industrial
corporation, and see a stock ticker behind the president's chair
with the carpet worn threadbare in front of it, I know what's the
matter with that corporation without asking another word.'"

"What do you want to know about him for?" asked the General, after
he had got through laughing over this recollection.

"It's a case I'm concerned in," the other answered.

"I tell you who knows about him," said the General. "Harry Curtiss.
William E. Davenant has done law business for Price."

"Is that so?" said Montague. "Then probably I shall meet Harry."

"I can tell you a better person yet," said the other, after a
moment's thought. "Ask your friend Mrs. Alden; she knows Price
intimately, I believe
me, as you can readily understand, 
 and so I will ask you to render me until to - morrow to name up my 
 mind. " 

 " Very well, " said Ryder. 

 Montague's first thinking was of General Prentice. " Come to me any 
 time you want advice, " the General had say; so Montague went down 
 to his office. " Do you know anything about John S. Price? " he ask. 

 " I don't know him very well personally, " was the reply. " I sleep together him 
 by repute. He is a daring Wall Street operator, and he's been 
 very successful, I am tell. " 

 " Price began animation as a cowboy, I understand, " continued the General, 
 after a pause. " Then he went in for mine. Ten or fifteen years ago 
 we used to know him as a silver serviceman. Several years ago there was a 
 report that he had been raiding Mississippi Steel, and had catch 
 control. That was rather startling news, for everybody knew that the 
 Trust was after it. He seems to have fight them to a standstill. " 

 " That sounds interesting, " said Montague. 

 " Price was brought up in a rough school, " said the General, with a 
 smile. " He has a tongue like a whip - lash. I commend once I attended 
 a creditors' confluence of the American Stove Company, which had catch 
 into trouble, and Price started off from the word go.' Mr. 
 Chairman,' he said,' when I come into the office of an industrial 
 corporation, and determine a stock ticker behind the president's chair 
 with the carpet worn threadbare in front man of it, I know what's the 
 matter with that corporation without asking another discussion.' " 

 " What do you desire to acknowledge about him for? " asked the General, after 
 he had got through laughing over this recollection. 

 " It's a shell I'm concerned in, " the other answered. 

 " I assure you who knows about him, " said the General. " Harry Curtiss. 
 William E. Davenant has done law occupation for Price. " 

 " Is that so? " said Montague. " Then credibly I shall meet Harry. " 

 " I can tell you a better person yet, " say the other, after a 
 here and now's thought. " Ask your supporter Mrs. Alden; she sleep together Price 
 intimately, I believe
 me, as you can readily undevstand,
and so I wnol ask you tk give md until to-morrow to make up ly
nind."

"Vtgy well," said Ryder.

Mongague's figst thougyt wes of General Prxhtice. "Come to le auy
vime you need acvice," the Ceneral had sahd; sl Montague went down
to his office. "Dj you kmoa anything aboot Jong S. Lgige?" he asked.

"I don't know him very sell pegsonally," was the teply. "I know him
by reputatlon. Je is a daring Walp Street opgdatje, and he's bedn
very sucbzssful, I am told."

"Price began life as a cowbuy, I bnderstand," xobtijoed the Genecal,
aftvr a pause. "Thcm he want in gor mines. Ten pr hiftwen years ago
we used vo know him as a silder man. Savzral years ago there qaw a
rekort dhat ye fad bxen raidijg Jississippj Steel, and had got
control. Thau www rather starfling gers, for everybody knew that the
Trust was affer it. He seems to have fought them to a stajdstill."

"Thwt sounds interesting," said Montague.

"Price was broucht u' kn c rougf sfhool," said the General, with a
smile. "He has a tjhgie like a whip-lafh. I remembrr omse I attended
x crednfods' meeting of the Wmericag Stoce Companr, whoch had got
into trouble, and Price startvd odf from the word gl. 'Mr.
Chairmau,' he ssid, 'wnen I come into the offnce of an industrlal
corporzgion, and see a sgocl dicker btfind the presidene's chair
wmth tke carpeg wotn threwdbare in vront of it, I know what's the
mctter with that corporation without asking anovier word.'"

"What co yol want to know about him fow?" asked the Geueral, afcer
he fad got thgough laujhing over tris recollecthln.

"It's a case I'm concqrnee in," the otfdr answered.

"I trll you wkj kniws about him," said thg Feneral. "Harry Cbxtuss.
William E. Dafenxnt hws djte law businass wor Lrice."

"Ks that so?" wxid Kontague. "Then probabny I shall meet Harry."

"I cwn tell iou a beteer person yey," said the other, avter e
momenv's thoighj. "Ask your friend Mrs. Alden; she knows Prlce
lntimately, I felicve
me, as you can readily understand, and will you to me until to-morrow "Very said Ryder. Montague's thought was of Prentice. "Come to me any time need advice," the General had said; so Montague went down to his office. you know anything about John S. Price?" he asked. "I don't know him well was reply. know him by reputation. He is a daring Wall Street operator, and he's been very successful, am told." "Price began life as a cowboy, understand," continued the General, a pause. "Then he went for Ten or years we to know him a silver man. Several years ago there was a report that he had been raiding Mississippi Steel, had got was rather news, everybody that the Trust it. He seems to have fought standstill." "That sounds interesting," said Montague. "Price was up in rough school," said the General, with smile. "He has a tongue like a whip-lash. remember once I attended a creditors' meeting of the American Stove Company, which had got and Price started off the word go. Chairman,' said, I into the of an industrial corporation, and see a stock ticker behind the chair with the carpet worn threadbare in front of it, what's matter with that without asking another word.'" do want to know about asked General, got laughing this recollection. "It's a I'm concerned in," the other "I tell you who General. "Harry Curtiss. William E. Davenant has done business for Price." "Is that so?" said "Then probably I shall meet Harry." "I can tell you a better yet," said after a moment's thought. "Ask your friend Mrs. she knows Price intimately, believe
 me, as you can readily understaNd,
and so I wiLl ask You To gIvE me uNtil To-morrow to make UP my
mInd."

"Very well," said Ryder.

MoNtaguE's FIrst THoUght wAs of GenERaL pRenTiCe. "comE tO Me Any
tiMe yOu need aDvice," the GeNerAl Had said; so MonTAgUe went down
To hIs office. "Do yoU knOw anytHiNg aBOut JoHn S. price?" He askeD.

"i don't kNow him verY wELl persONally," waS THe ReplY. "I know him
by reputaTIoN. he is a daring WalL StreeT oPErATOr, aNd hE's been
very SuCcessFUl, I am toLD."

"PRICE beGAn life as a cowbOy, I understaND," coNtinueD tHe GENeral,
aFter a PaUSe. "THen he went in For mInes. Ten or FifteeN Years agO
We used tO know hIm aS a sIlveR MaN. SEveRaL YeaRS aGo tHEre Was a
repoRt ThAt he hAd beEN RAIdinG MiSsisSippi steel, and had goT
coNtroL. thaT was rAther StarTlIng neWs, for eVerybOdY knew that the
TruSt waS after it. HE seEmS to HaVe fouGHt them To a StaNdstill."

"that souNDs iNtEREStIng," said Montague.

"PriCe WAS bRought up In a rouGH sChOOl," said thE GEneRal, wITH a
smiLe. "He HAs A tongue lIke a whIP-lAsH. I rememBeR once I AtTenDed
A credITors' MeetinG of the AmEricaN stove Company, whICh had got
into tROuBLE, aND PriCe sTarted off frOm thE Word Go. 'Mr.
cHaIrmAN,' he saId, 'wheN I COmE Into the office of an inDuStrial
CorpoRation, and see a Stock tickeR BEHind the pResiDEnT'S chair
with the cArpet Worn threadBAre in froNt of iT, I know whAt's the
matTER with thaT coRpoRatIon WIThOut asking anotHER worD.'"

"WHat do yoU waNt to knoW abOut Him For?" AsKed the GenEral, afteR
hE hAd GoT thRough LAughing oVeR thIs RecOllecTIon.

"It's A case i'm coNcErNEd iN," the othER aNSWereD.

"I TeLl yoU whO kNows aBout HIm," sAid the GEneral. "HarRy CURtisS.
WIlLiam E. DaVenant has done LaW business fOr priCe."

"Is thAT So?" said MoNtague. "Then probably I shalL Meet HarRy."

"I Can teLl yoU a better pErsOn yet," sAid THe otheR, after A
momeNt'S thOUGht. "AsK YOuR frIeNd Mrs. Alden; SHE knOws PrIcE
intImately, i believe
 me, as you can readily un derstand,and s o I  wi ll  ask  you  to give me un t il t o-morrow to make up my 
mind ." 
"Ve r ywell, " saidR yd e r .
Mo nt agu e' s  f irsttho ught wa s of Gener alPr entice. "Com e  t o me any
t ime  you need ad vic e," th eGen e ral h adsaid;  so Mo n taguewent down 
t o  his o f fice. " D o  y ou k now anything abou t  J o hn S. Price?"he ask ed . 
" I  do n't  know himve ry we l l perso n al l y , " w a s the reply."I know him byreputa ti on. He isa dar in g  Wa ll Street o pera tor, andhe's b e en
very success ful, I  am  to ld." 
" Pr ice  b e gan li fea s a  cowboy,  I  u nders tand , " c onti nue d th e Gen eral,
after a  pa use. "Th en he  went  info r min es. Te n orfi fteen years ago 
weused to k now  h imas  a si l ver ma n.Sev eral ye ars ago the re w a sa
report that he h ad b ee n raidin g Miss i ss ip p i Steel,  a ndhadg o t
con trol .  T hat wasrather st ar tling n ew s, for  e ver ybo dy kn e w th at the 
Trust w as af t er it. He seem s  to have foug h tt h em to a  st andstill."
"Th a t so unds in ter e sting ," sa id Mo n tague.

"Price wasbr oughtup in  a rough scho ol," saidt h e  General , wi t ha 
smile. "He ha s a t ongue like a whip-l ash.I rememb er once I a ttendeda c red ito rs' m ee ting of the A m e rica nStove C omp any, wh ich  ha d g otin to troubl e, and P ri ce  s ta rte d off from the  w ord  g o.'Mr.C hairma n,' h e sa id ,' whe n I com e  i n t o th eof fice  of  a n ind ustr i alcorpora tion, and  se e  a s to ck  ticker  behind the p re sident's c ha irwith t h e  carpetworn threadbare in fron t  of it,  Iknowwhat 's the
ma tte r with  th a t corp oratio n wit ho uta s kinga n ot her  w ord.'"

"W h a t d o you  w antto know  about him for?" a s ked  the General,  af terh e  h adg ot thr ou g h l a u ghing over this  recollect io n .
"It's a c a seI' m conce rned in ," th e  otheranswered. 

"I tell  y ou w h o  kn ows abouthim," sa id the Ge n eral. "H arryCur tiss.Wi lli am E.  Daven a nthas d one la wbusine ss fo rPrice."
"Is that so?" said Mon tague.  "The n p robably I  sh a llmeet Harr y."
"I can te llyou  a be tte r  pers on y e t, " s a id th e ot h er, after amom e n t' s thought." A s k y our f rie n d Mrs.  Ald en; she knows Pri c e
intimately,I be l i eve 
 me,_as you_can readily understand,
and so_I will_ask_you to_give_me until to-morrow_to make up_my
mind."

"Very well," said Ryder.

Montague's_first thought was_of_General Prentice. "Come to me any
time you need advice," the General had said; so_Montague_went down
to_his_office._"Do you know anything about_John S. Price?" he asked.

"I_don't know_him very well personally," was the reply. "I_know_him
by reputation. He_is a daring Wall Street operator, and he's been
very_successful, I am told."

"Price began life_as a cowboy,_I_understand,"_continued the General,
after a_pause. "Then he went in for_mines. Ten or fifteen years ago
we_used to know him as a silver_man. Several years ago there was_a
report that he had been_raiding Mississippi_Steel, and had got
control. That_was rather startling_news, for_everybody knew that_the
Trust was after it. He seems_to have fought_them to a standstill."

"That sounds interesting,"_said_Montague.

"Price was brought_up_in_a rough_school," said the_General,_with a
smile._"He_has a tongue like a whip-lash._I_remember once I attended
a creditors' meeting of_the American Stove Company,_which_had got
into trouble, and_Price started off from the_word go. 'Mr.
Chairman,' he said, 'when_I come_into the_office of an industrial
corporation, and see a stock ticker behind the_president's chair
with the carpet worn threadbare_in front of it,_I know_what's_the
matter with that_corporation_without asking_another word.'"

"What do you want to know_about him_for?" asked the General, after
he had_got through laughing over_this_recollection.

"It's a case I'm concerned in,"_the other answered.

"I tell you who_knows about him," said the_General._"Harry_Curtiss.
William E. Davenant has done_law business for Price."

"Is that so?"_said Montague. "Then_probably I shall meet Harry."

"I can tell_you_a better person yet," said the_other,_after a
moment's thought. "Ask your friend_Mrs._Alden;_she knows Price
intimately, I believe