e the
'Young Napoleon of Finance,' but that is not enough. Those men must be
driven to the wall, for in crushing them I shall be increasing my own
power as well as taking theirs from them. I'd crush them just the same
if I knew it to be my last conscious act on earth."

Barbara Thurston gazed into the darkness wide-eyed. She knew she was
listening to the resolve of a desperate man, though she had not the
slightest idea what might be his plans for accomplishing his purpose.

"Why do you hate them so?" questioned the second voice. "What have they
ever done to you?"

The first speaker paused a few seconds before replying, then in a voice
tense with suppressed emotion he answered slowly:

"Hate them? That isn't exactly the word, but it will answer. I hate ----
---- because he turned me out when I was making my start. Turned me out
into the street, Jim. Do you understand? Turned me out without a dollar
in my pocket when I was trying to make something of myself. I hate the
other man because he is working with him. They are pulling together and
they must go down together. Let them down me if they can. I'll make
beggars of both of them!"

"Oh!" exclaimed Barbara Thurston in a tone that plainly must have
reached the two men.

The terrible threat had struck her almost with the effect of a blow. A
name had been mentioned that stirred her to instant alertness, a name
almost as familiar to the girl as her own.

"What was that?" demanded the voice that had uttered the terrible
threats.

"Someone dreaming."

"Let them dream. As for me, I never sleep these days. I leave that to
others. Jim, you watch me. I'll be a king of finance yet. I'll be the
Napoleon in reality before I have done. And what is more, those men will
never know where their opposition comes from until after the blow has
fallen. I'll see to it that they know then, however. Watch me, but keep
silent. Not a word, not a breath of what I have told you. I've said too
much, but I had to talk to some one I could trust. Now I'm all right
again."

"Never fear, Nat."

"And I'll give you a tip, boy. Buy wheat."

Bab could not catch all of the sentence. She caught the word "wheat,"
but a word ahead of that she missed.

"Thank you, I never gamble," replied the second man. "I'm sure to lose
if I do, so I have always steered clear of speculation. But I'm sorry
for the Old Man if you are after him. I'm sorry for anyone that you
visit your displeasure upon. I should ha