, they didn't have a cent, not a cent, but her husband's salary."

"There's the other side, too, though," answered her companion, adding
in a hoarse whisper: "If Mr. Jadwin fails to-day--well, honestly,
Julia, I don't know what Philip will do."

But, from another group at Page's elbow, a man's bass voice cut across
the subdued chatter of the two women.

"'Guess we'll pull through, somehow. Burbank & Co., though--by George!
I'm not sure about them. They are pretty well involved in this thing,
and there's two or three smaller firms that are dependent on them. If
Gretry-Converse & Co. should suspend, Burbank would go with a crash
sure. And there's that bank in Keokuk; they can't stand much more.
Their depositors would run 'em quick as how-do-you-do, if there was a
smash here in Chicago."

"Oh, Jadwin will pull through."

"Well, I hope so--by Jingo! I hope so. Say, by the way, how did you
come out?"

"Me! Hoh! Say my boy, the next time I get into a wheat trade you'll
know it. I was one of the merry paretics who believed that Crookes was
the Great Lum-tum. I tailed on to his clique. Lord love you! Jadwin put
the knife into me to the tune of twelve thousand dollars. But, say,
look here; aren't we ever going to get up to that blame gallery? We
ain't going to see any of this, and I--_hark!--by God! there goes the
gong._ They've begun. Say, say, hear 'em, will you! Holy Moses!
say--listen to that! Did you ever hear--Lord! I wish we could
see--could get somewhere where we could see something."

His friend turned to him and spoke a sentence that was drowned in the
sudden vast volume of sound that all at once shook the building.

"Hey--what?"

The other shouted into his ear. But even then his friend could not
hear. Nor did he listen. The crowd upon the staircases had surged
irresistibly forward and upward. There was a sudden outburst of cries.
Women's voices were raised in expostulation, and even fear.

"Oh, oh--don't push so!"

"My arm! oh!--oh, I shall faint ... please."

But the men, their escorts, held back furiously; their faces purple,
they shouted imprecations over their shoulders.

"Here, here, you damn fools, what you doing?"

"Don't crowd so!"

"Get back, back!"

"There's a lady fainted here. Get back you! We'll all have a chance to
see. Good Lord! ain't there a policeman anywheres?"

"Say, say! It's going down--the price. It broke three cents, just then,
at the opening, they say."

"This is the wo