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: “qt would not interest you, sir. i had nothing
. to do with’ this. office.”
“You're discharged. Go. ‘and ‘get. your wages
‘from the cashier-and get out.
“ around here any more.’
-. “Very well, sir. I have no wish to stay after
- the way you have treated me.
. He walked outside, went- to the cashier and
~ asked for ‘his week’s wages.
~ looked: his. surprise. -
“What’s the matter, Fred ? 2”
een pay
ies Soo saan aE
:
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‘ only.
“Ym going-to quit.” replied Fred.
/ sna ounle » with Mr. Pelham ?”
“Did he Jlischarze vou?” -
“He did.” :
--“T-am very sorry to hear it, Fred,” replied the
cashier, regretfully. “You are an uncommonly
200d. messenger.” —
“Thank you, sir, for your: good opinion.”
“You. deserve it,” ‘replied the man, beginning
‘to count. the money out. “What<will you do
“now? Look. for another position, I suppose?”
“Very likely. Thank-you. Now T’ll take that
envelope in the safe addressed to myself, if you
- please.”
: “Certainly:
Sparks.”
He shook hands’ with ‘Fred | through the hole
in the wire screen, and the boy left the office.
_ “This is-where my lucky horseshoe slipped a
cog, I guess.. However, I don’t care. This racket
There you are. I wish: you luck,
-} was bound» to come sooner or later with Mr.
Pelham. He’s a pretty hard man to get along
with. I guess I’'ll go over to. the Exchange, it is
half-past two.” -
: ° He -concluded: to. look--in ‘at the messengers’
/ entrance. When he arrived - at the railing the
_ chairman’s gavel rang out. - All ’business im-
“i mediately came to a stop and the brokers turned
4 their attention toward the rostrum. The chairnian
ad ; held a paper. in his hand. -
4 | Rood thing.
S at the market,”
8 ago.
-He read out that the -
é &.A. railroad had come under the control of
the I. C. system, and.a certain noted. railroad
‘ ‘ magnate was in no way identified with. the deal.
_ “That’s the tip I got from Will, which he ac-
; Guired in’ such an underhand manner. It’s now
5 public property. and there will be a boom in
iC. & A. right away. ‘There is nothing to prevent
ime now from trying to make something out of it
{if.T ¢
b He dashed out of ‘the Exchange and-ran into
{the office of the nearest broker. The broker was
‘in his office and Fred got an audience.
“I want you to buy me 200 shares of C. & A.
said Fred, pulling out his money.
On margin, of course.’
' “ve got a block of 200 shares in the office
“now that a customer left for sale a few minutes
You can have it for 52 1-8.” eye
“Vl take it,” said Fred, eagerly. -
As he passed over the necessary margin the
5
; ‘indicator near the desk began ticking away
} furiously. After counting the money and’ turn-
“ing it in with his memorandum to the cashier,
the broker looked at the tape. C. & A. was com-
ing out at a great rate, every transaction rep-
=. resenting an advance of an eighth of a point. He
| whistled and Jooked at Fred.
Young man, you seem to have caught on toa |
CG. & A. is rising fast.”
ok GOLDEN | SHOWER ie fy
I don’t want you .
Good-afternoon.” -
That gentleman .
“J expected i it would:
-that brought me over here hot-foot.
- “What was it?” asked the broker..
- Fred told him: the substance of it.
“That ig. good for ten points. ‘Excuse me, I
must get over to-the Exchange right away. The
cashier will give you your receipt.” ~~ ;
& A. closed-at.55 when business stopped
for the day. Fred decided not to tell ‘his mother
~ or sister that he had lost his situation, but he. _
~ handed. the news out to Will. the next eet
Will”
“when he met him at the station as usual
was greatly surprised, and said so. -
“Going to look up another job today ?”-
“No. I’m going to watch the market.” ~
Fred spent several hours in the visitors’ gal-
lery of the Exchange that day, and when the Ec- -
- change closed for business Cc. & A.
was up. to
61 and a fraction:.
mounted to 643-8, and at that figure Fred or-
dered the stock sold. He made $2,200 profit, and.
made. Will happy by handing him
now worth $8,200, so the loss of his job didn’t
prey-very heavily on his spirits.
. CHAPTER VI—Pred Sparks, Banker and |
Broker.”
With over: $3,000 cash in his possession, Fred
-wasn’t so much in a hurry to get another posi-
tion.
“I believe I could do a whole lot better. by be-
ing my own boss,” he said to Will, when he hand-
ed him the $200.
The next day’ was Saturday and when - Fred.
went home he turned in the usual amount to-his..
mother, and then he told her that he was out of
his messenger position. Of course she. wanted: to
know how he came to lose his job, and he. told her -
all the circumstances: of the case.
“But you needn’t worry about. that, mother,”
he added. “I’m worth over $8,000,-and can take
care of myself and you, too, w ithout any treublez
I made more than five-years’ wages this week,
and if I continue to do as well I’ll be a good deal
better. off than if I was at the“beck and call of
a broker for six hours or more a day.”
Ho began-to think seriously: of ‘opening -a_
small office in one of the big’ office buildings of :
Wall Street, or at least hirine desk room in.
somebody else’s office. While he was considering ©
the matter a young messenger named Yardley:
met him on the street and asked him for. the
loan of a dollar.
“What security have . you to offer?”
Fred, with a smile.
“Security 2” asked~ Yardley,
good enough?”
“Yes, it’s. good enourh one way,
business to lean
collateral.”
> “You talk as'if you were a: banker.”
“Y’m- not a banker yet, but I have an jdea that
it wouldn’t be a bad business to go into.”
“Do you think of becoming a banker?” crinned
Yardiey. :
“I had » some > such idea,” replied Fred. cool.
asked
“Isn't. my word
but it isn’t
money except on_ first-class
There was an announce- _
ment made in the Exchange a few . minutes - “ago
€200, - He was |
Next day by- noon. it had ~'
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