 rivals to the wall. He had set out to monopolise the
coastwise steamship trade of the country, and had bought line after
line of vessels by this same device of "pyramiding"; and now,
finding that he needed still more money to buy out his rivals, he
had purchased or started a dozen or so of trust companies and banks.

"Anyone ought to realise that such things cannot go on
indefinitely," said the General. "I know that the big men realise
it. I was at a directors' meeting the other day, and I heard
Waterman remark that it would have to be ended very soon. Anyone who
knows Waterman would not expect to get a second hint."

"What could he do?" asked Montague.

"Waterman!" exclaimed young Curtiss.

"He would find a way," said the General, simply. "That is the one
hope that I see in the situation--the power of a conservative man
like him."

"You trust him, then?" asked Montague.

"Yes," said the General, "I trust him.--One has to trust somebody."

"I heard a curious story," put in Harry Curtiss. "My uncle had
dinner at the old man's house the other night, and asked him what he
thought of the market. 'I can tell you in a sentence,' was the
answer. 'For the first time in my life I don't own a security.'"

The General gave an exclamation of surprise. "Did he really say
that?" he asked. "Then one can imagine that things will happen
before long!"

"And one can imagine why the stock market is weak!" added the other,
laughing.

At that moment the door of the dining-room was opened, and Mrs.
Prentice appeared. "Are you men going to talk business all evening?"
she asked. "If so, come into the drawing-room, and talk it to us."

They arose and followed her, and Montague seated himself upon a sofa
with Mrs. Prentice and the younger man.

"What were you saying of Dan Waterman?" she asked of the latter.

"Oh, it's a long story," said Curtiss. "You ladies don't care
anything about Waterman."

Montague had been
rivals to the wall. He had set out to monopolise the 
 coastwise steamer trade wind of the country, and had bought course after 
 cable of vessels by this same device of " pyramiding "; and immediately, 
 receive that he needed however more money to buy out his rivals, he 
 had buy or started a dozen or so of trust party and banks. 

 " Anyone ought to realise that such things cannot go on 
 indefinitely, " said the General. " I acknowledge that the big men realise 
 it. I was at a film director' meeting the other day, and I heard 
 Waterman remark that it would experience to be ended very soon. Anyone who 
 knows Waterman would not expect to get a second hint. " 

 " What could he serve? " asked Montague. 

 " Waterman! " exclaimed young Curtiss. 

 " He would find a way, " said the General, simply. " That is the one 
 hope that I see in the situation -- the power of a conservative man 
 like him. " 

 " You trust him, then? " asked Montague. 

 " Yes, " said the General, " I trust him.--One have to trust somebody. " 

 " I heard a curious story, " place in Harry Curtiss. " My uncle had 
 dinner at the old man's family the other night, and asked him what he 
 thought of the grocery store.' I can tell you in a sentence,' was the 
 answer.' For the first time in my life I don't own a security system.' " 

 The General gave an exclamation of surprise. " Did he really say 
 that? " he asked. " Then one can imagine that things will find 
 before long! " 

 " And one can think why the neckcloth market is weak! " added the early, 
 laughing. 

 At that moment the door of the dining - room was opened, and Mrs. 
 Prentice appeared. " Are you men going to talk business all evening? " 
 she ask. " If so, occur into the drawing - room, and talk it to us. " 

 They originate and followed her, and Montague seat himself upon a sofa 
 with Mrs. Prentice and the younger serviceman. 

 " What were you saying of Dan Waterman? " she ask of the latter. 

 " Oh, it's a long story, " say Curtiss. " You ladies don't care 
 anything about Waterman. " 

 Montague had been
 rigals to the wall. He had ret out to monokooise tie
coastsise stexmship trade of the country, end yad biught line after
line ow vessels by this samt device of "pyrammsing"; and now,
fjkding vhat he needed xtill more money to buy mug kis rivals, he
had purchased or starteq a dozrn or so of trusj comkanyes znd banks.

"Anyone ought to realise tgat suci things cannot go on
indefinitely," said thf Gejeral. "I know that hhe big men reajuse
it. I was xt a direcuoxs' meeting jhe other day, and I heard
Watermav remcrk that it wiulf have to be endeq very soon. Anyone wvo
knows Waterman woulc nmt wxpect to get a seconv hint."

"What could he qo?" asked Koutague.

"Waterman!" exclainee youtg Cgrtirw.

"He wohlv fjnd a aay," said the Feneral, simply. "That is the one
no[v that I see jn the sytuation--the power of a conservative man
niks him."

"You trust him, then?" asked Montague.

"Yes," sald the Gegeral, "I trust him.--One has to trust somebody."

"I heard a cuciuus sbory," puh in Harry Curtiss. "My uncle had
dinner at the jmd msn's house the jther night, ajd wsked him whaj he
thobfhf of the market. 'I fan telj you in a senuence,' was the
answer. 'For the firsr time in my oife I don't own a decurity.'"

The Gengral gsve an exclamation of sbrpriss. "Did he rewlly say
tgxt?" he asked. "Then onv cat imagint that things will happen
behore kong!"

"And one can iiagine why the stock market is wean!" addgd the other,
laugjing.

At that moment the door of vie dining-room wds mpened, aud Mrs.
Irentice appearqd. "Are you men going co taly business all evxning?"
she askqd. "If so, come lnto the draxing-room, wnd ralk it to jr."

They arose anc followeb her, and Montague seatcd hioaelf upon a sofc
ciuh Mrs. Prentice snd thq jouiger idn.

"What were fou raykmg of Dan Wauzrmcn?" she asked of the latter.

"Mh, if's a long story," saod Curtiss. "You ladyes don't care
snything about Wattrman."

Mmntegue hsd feen
rivals to the wall. He had set monopolise coastwise steamship of the country, line vessels by this device of "pyramiding"; now, finding that he needed still money to buy out his rivals, he had purchased or started a dozen so of trust companies and banks. "Anyone ought to realise that such things go indefinitely," the "I know that the big men realise it. I was at a directors' meeting the other and I heard Waterman remark that it would to be ended very Anyone who knows Waterman would expect get a hint." could do?" asked Montague. exclaimed young Curtiss. "He would find a way," said the General, simply. "That is the one hope I see situation--the power a man him." "You trust asked Montague. "Yes," said the General, has to trust somebody." "I heard a curious put in Curtiss. "My uncle had dinner at old man's house the other night, and asked what he thought of the market. 'I can tell you in a sentence,' was the the first time in life I don't a The gave exclamation of "Did he really say that?" he asked. "Then one can imagine things will happen before long!" "And one can imagine why market weak!" added the laughing. At that moment door the dining-room was opened, Prentice "Are to business evening?" she asked. "If come into the drawing-room, and it to us." They Montague seated himself upon a sofa with Mrs. and the younger man. "What were you of Dan Waterman?" she asked of the latter. "Oh, it's a long said Curtiss. don't care anything about Waterman." Montague had been
 rivals to the wall. He had set ouT to monopolIse thE
coAstWiSe stEamsHip trade of the cOUntrY, and had bought line after
Line oF vESselS By This sAme deviCE oF "PYraMiDiNg"; aNd NOw,
FindiNg tHat he neEded still mOre MoNey to buy out hIS rIvals, he
had PurChased or starTed A dozen Or So oF Trust ComPanieS and baNKs.

"AnyoNe ought to ReALise thAT such thINGs CannOt go on
indefinitelY," SaID the General. "I knOw that ThE BiG MEn rEalIse
it. I was aT a DirecTOrs' meetINg THE OthER day, and I heard
waterman remARk tHat it wOuLd hAVe to be Ended VeRY soOn. Anyone who
KnowS Waterman Would nOT expect TO get a seCond hiNt."

"WHat CoulD He Do?" AskEd mOntAGuE.

"WaTErmAn!" exclaiMeD yOung CUrtiSS.

"hE WoulD fiNd a wAy," saiD the General, siMplY. "ThaT Is tHe one
Hope tHat I SeE in thE situaTion--tHe Power of a conservAtivE man
like hIm."

"YOu TruSt Him, thEN?" asked monTagUe.

"Yes," saId the GeNEraL, "I TRUSt Him.--One has to trust soMeBODy."

"i heard a cUrious SToRy," PUt in HarrY CUrtIss. "MY UNcle hAd
diNNeR at the olD man's hOUsE tHe other NiGht, and AsKed Him What hE
ThouGht of tHe market. 'i can tELl you in a sentenCE,' was the
answer. 'fOr THE fIRst tIme In my life I doN't owN A secUritY.'"

thE GeNEral gAve an ExCLaMAtion of surprise. "Did hE rEally sAy
thaT?" he asked. "Then oNe can imagiNE THat thingS wilL HaPPen
before long!"

"ANd one Can imagine WHy the stoCk marKet is weaK!" added the OTHer,
laughIng.

at tHat MomENT tHe door of the diNINg-roOm Was openEd, aNd Mrs.
PrEntIce AppEarEd. "are you men Going to tAlK bUsInEss All evENing?"
she aSkEd. "IF sO, coMe intO The draWing-rOom, aNd TaLK it To us."

TheY ArOSE and FoLlOwed Her, AnD MontAgue SEatEd himseLf upon a soFa
wITh MrS. PReNtice anD the younger maN.

"WHat were you SaYinG of Dan wATerman?" shE asked of the latter.

"Oh, it's a LOng storY," saId CurTiss. "you ladies Don'T care
aNytHIng aboUt WateRman."

MOnTagUE Had beEN
 rivals to the wall. He ha d set outto mo nop oli se  the 
coa stwise steamsh i p tr ade of the country, an d had  b o ught li ne af ter
lin e  o f ves se ls  by  t h is  same  de vice of  "pyramidi ng" ;and now,
fin d in g that henee ded still mo remoneyto  bu y  outhis  riva ls, he had pu rchased o rs tarted a dozen o rso o f trust companies an d  banks.

"Anyo ne oug ht to r eal ise  that such  t hings cannotg oo n ind e finitely," sa id the Gene r al.  "I kn ow  th a t thebig m en rea lise
it. Iwasat a dire ctors' meeting the oth er day , a ndI he a rd 
W ate rm a n r e ma rkt hat  it woul dha ve to  bee n d e d ve rysoon . Any one who
knows  Wa term a n w ouldnot e xpec tto ge t a se condhi nt."

"What cou ld h e do?" as ked  M ont ag ue.
" Waterm an! " e xclaime d young Cur ti s s . 
"He would find a w ay , "  s aid theGenera l ,si m ply. "Th at  is  the o ne
ho pe t h at  I see i n thes it ua tion--t he  power  o f a  co nserv a tive  man
l ike him. "

"Y o u trust him, t h en?" asked Mo n ta g u e. 
"Ye s,"  said the G ener a l, " I tr u st  hi m .--On e has  t o  t r ust somebody."

"Ihe ard acurio us story," pu t in Harry C u rtiss. " My u n cl e  had
dinner at  theold man'sh ouse the  othe r night,  and aske d him what  he 
th oug hto f  t he market. 'I c an t el l you i n a  senten ce, ' w asthe 
a nswer. 'F or the f ir st  t im e i n myl ife I do n' t o wn  asecur i ty.'"
TheGene ra lg ave  an exc l am a t ionof  s urpr ise ."Didhe r e all y say
t hat?" heask e d. " Th en  one ca n imagine tha tthings wil lhap pen
be f o re long! "

"And one can imagine why the  st ock m arke t is weak !"addedthe other, 
laugh ing.
A t t h a t mom e n tthe  d oor of the d ini ng-ro om  was  opened , and Mrs.
Prentic e  ap peared. "Areyou  men g oi ngt ot alk  b u sin e s s all evening?" 
she asked ." If  so, comei nto  t he draw ing-roo m, an d  talk i t to us." 

They ar os e an d fol lowed her,  and Mon tague sea t ed hi m se lf up ona sofa 
w ith  Mrs.  Prent i ceand t he you ng er man .

"W ha t were y ou saying of Dan Waterm an?" s he as ked  of the l att e r.
"Oh, it' s along story ,"sai d Cur tis s . "Yo u la d ie s d o n't c area nything a b ou t W a t er man."

Mont a g u e h ad be en
 rivals_to the_wall. He had set_out to_monopolise_the
coastwise steamship_trade_of the country,_and had bought_line after
line of vessels_by this same_device_of "pyramiding"; and now,
finding that he needed still more money to buy out his_rivals,_he
had purchased_or_started_a dozen or so of_trust companies and banks.

"Anyone ought_to realise_that such things cannot go on
indefinitely," said the_General._"I know that_the big men realise
it. I was at a directors'_meeting the other day, and I_heard
Waterman remark that_it_would_have to be ended_very soon. Anyone who
knows Waterman would_not expect to get a second_hint."

"What could he do?" asked Montague.

"Waterman!" exclaimed_young Curtiss.

"He would find a way,"_said the General, simply. "That_is the_one
hope that I see in_the situation--the power_of a_conservative man
like him."

"You_trust him, then?" asked Montague.

"Yes," said_the General, "I_trust him.--One has to trust somebody."

"I_heard_a curious story,"_put_in_Harry Curtiss._"My uncle had
dinner_at_the old_man's_house the other night, and asked_him_what he
thought of the market. 'I can_tell you in a_sentence,'_was the
answer. 'For the_first time in my life_I don't own a security.'"

The General_gave an_exclamation of_surprise. "Did he really say
that?" he asked. "Then one can imagine_that things will happen
before long!"

"And one_can imagine why the_stock market_is_weak!" added the_other,
laughing.

At_that moment_the door of the dining-room was opened,_and Mrs.
Prentice_appeared. "Are you men going to_talk business all evening?"
she_asked._"If so, come into the drawing-room,_and talk it to us."

They arose_and followed her, and Montague_seated_himself_upon a sofa
with Mrs. Prentice_and the younger man.

"What were you_saying of Dan_Waterman?" she asked of the latter.

"Oh, it's_a_long story," said Curtiss. "You ladies_don't_care
anything about Waterman."

Montague had been