The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Tipster, by Edwin Lefevre

This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org

Title: The Tipster
1901, From "Wall Street Stories"

Author: Edwin Lefevre

Release Date: October 24, 2007 [EBook #23171]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE TIPSTER ***

Produced by David Widger

THE TIPSTER

By Edwin Lefevre

From "Wall Street Stories." Copyright, 1901, by McClure, Phillips & Co.

I

Glmartin was still laughing professionally at the prospective buyer's
funny story when the telephone on his desk buzzed. He said: "Excuse me
for a minute, old man," to the customer--Hopkins, the Connecticut
manufacturer.

"Hello; who is this?" he spoke into the transmitter. "Oh, how are
you?--Yes--I was out--Is that so?--Too bad--Too bad--Yes; just my luck
to be out. I might have known it!--Do you think so?--Well, then, sell
the 200 Occidental common--You know best--What about Trolley?--Hold
on?--All right; just as you say--I hope so--I don't like to lose,
and--Ha! ha!--I guess so--Good-by."

"It's from my brokers," explained Gilmartin, hanging up the receiver.
"I'd have saved five hundred dollars if I had been here at half-past
ten. They called me up to advise me to sell out, and the price is off
over three points. I could have got out at a profit this morning; but
no, sir; not I. I had to be away, trying to buy some camphor."

Hopkins was impressed. Gilmartin perceived it and went on, with an air
of comical wrath which he thought was preferable to indifference: "It
isn't the money I mind so much as the tough luck of it. I didn't make my
trade in camphor after all and I lost in stocks, when if I'd only waited
five minutes more in the office I'd have got the message from my brokers
and saved my five hundred. Expensive, my time is, eh?" with a woful
shake of the head.

"But you're ahead of the game, aren't you?" asked the customer,
interestedly.

"Well, I guess yes. Just about twelve thousand."

That was more than Gilmartin had made; but having exaggerated, he
immediately felt very kindly disposed toward the Connecticut man.

"Whew!" whistled Hopkins, admiringly. Gilmartin experienced a great
tender